I
The late Genkai's residence was a quiet, secluded place nestled in the mountains outside of Tokyo. The ancient structures had long served as a training hall for priests and martial artists, as well as a sanctuary and resting place for lost travelers, but because few wanderers had ever stumbled across the temple, the spacious halls and courtyards had been as silent as the grave for many years.
On this day, however, the entire place seemed to have sprung to life. The courtyard behind the heavy wooden gates had been decorated, the branches of the maple trees adorned with paper lanterns that dangled in the air. Genkai's arcade games had been brought out of retirement for the celebration, and while Goblin City and Dorago the Monster remained classics, some of the smaller children could not fathom why their scores were so low when they played the punching game and sang karaoke.
More important than the decorations and games, however, was the sudden change in the population of intelligent life. There were easily as many as fifty humans at this gathering. Everyone was dressed in their autumn kimono, the radiant colors of the little ones contrasting starkly with the darker shades the adults had donned.
Of course, that did not mean humans were the only people who had shown up for the occasion...
"Hey, Jin! Sakuya-chan says she likes your present!" Urameshi Yusuke yelled over the heads of some human kids, his loud voice carrying across the cobblestone grounds of the main courtyard.
"Thank you, Jin-san!" Sakuya called from atop her father's shoulders. The present in question, a white cloud doll with black button eyes and a stitched smile, rested atop her chestnut hair like a bizarre hat. The wind goblin's ears wiggled happily, and Touya rolled his eyes.
"You're welcome there, sweetie!" Jin yelled back, his hands cupped to either side of his mouth for amplification. Touya fisted a hand in the loud violet cotton of Jin's kimono, barely managing to pull his friend back onto the ground (since the wind goblin's feet had been hovering several inches above where a human's should have been).
"You could at least try to act normal," Touya muttered. "There are humans present, if you'll recall, and they aren't supposed to know about Makai."
"Lighten up, Touya! I'm not the only one who's acting like a demon! Besides, how exactly am I supposed to hide these?" Jin replied cheerfully, pointing at one of his twitching ears. The ice demon let out a sigh of resignation before popping a strawberry from Sakuya's birthday cake into his mouth.
Jin and Touya were not the only otherworldly creatures who had been invited to the girl's party. Less than twenty feet away, on the wooden platform of the makeshift stage, a trio of female demons in stylish autumn kimono were singing karaoke. Koto, Juri, and Ruka all seemed to be trying to drown each other out, resulting in a very loud chorus of "Love Song wo Anata ni".
Meanwhile, at the refreshment table, Rinku was enjoying the party immensely. The demon boy was laughing along with a pair of cute human girls. Chu, the aura alchemist reputed for being soused at all hours of the day, was too busy hitting on a stern-looking woman to keep tabs on his little buddy. In actuality, nearly half of the guests at the affair were from the demon plane, though very few of the humans present knew that little fact.
Urameshi Keiko happened to be one of those informed humans. She was seated in a metal folding chair in the corner of the yard, fondly surveying her daughter and husband over the rim of her paper cup. Her long, shiny chestnut hair had been pulled into an elegant French braid, and combined with her kimono, a warm, cocoa-colored garment embroidered with pale yellow leaves, she was quite the pretty wallflower.
Beside her sat another wallflower, Yukina. Her body resembled that of a girl in the middle of her teenage years, though she was possibly older than Keiko herself. The koorime's soft aquamarine hair was loose today, and her pale blue yukata had been traded for a red kimono that matched her eyes. She was beaming softly while Kuwabara Kazuma grinned and blabbered on about his new job at one of Tokyo's pharmacies.
All in all, the scene was beautiful. The fifth birthday of Urameshi Sakuya had managed to bring the two living worlds together, reuniting friends who had not seen one another for more than ten years. The image of humans and demons laughing and celebrating in the autumn sunshine might not have been one of which the higher beings approved, but it was a pleasant one all the same.
Stealthy as the shadows from which he was born, the Jaganshi appeared in one of the gold and crimson maple trees. He observed the party for a moment with catlike red eyes. Questioning. Calculating.
His presence did not go unnoticed for long. Kuwabara suddenly stopped his rambling, head snapping from one side to the other.
"Kazuma-san? What's wrong?" Yukina asked. The abrupt cease of conversation had caught the koorime off her guard, and she blinked at Kuwabara with mingled curiosity and surprise.
"Not wrong," Kuwabara muttered. "It's just... I could have sworn I sensed something."
The demon in the tree snorted softly, realizing that the bumbling orange-haired man had picked up on his aura. Subconsciously noting and approving of the fact that Kuwabara's reikan had improved over the years, the Jaganshi focused his attention on the apparent cause of the commotion. He leapt from his branch and appeared in the crowd several feet before the ex-Reikai Tantei.
Yusuke paused in his steps. He had felt the dark, powerful presence as well, and like Kuwabara, had been unable to immediately recognize the aura. As soon as his eyes landed on the source of that semi familiar energy, however, Yusuke lost any trace of worry he may have had. His dark brown eyes took on a bright gleam, and his mouth stretched into a wide grin.
"No way!" Yusuke exclaimed, nearly yelling in his excitement.
Hiei raised an eyebrow. He knew (and did not care) that he stood out in this crowd, being the only person who was not wearing one of the traditional Japanese robes. His black shirt was missing sleeves altogether, and his legs were clad in equally dark breeches. A cloak, midnight-blue and scattered with white stars, had been draped around his shoulders, and a cord of black satin was barely visible beneath the lightweight mantel.
"What's the occasion?" Hiei asked in a dull, somehow amused voice, watching as the former Reikai Tantei approached him. The young female sitting on his shoulders was an exact replica of Yusuke's human mate, he noticed, though the cloud doll that was perched on top of her head reminded him more of that ridiculous blue phoenix.
"Birthday," Yusuke replied, his smile never fading. "Wow! You sure picked a good day to show up here! And look at you! What happened to you, did you down a jug of Miracle Grow or something?" Hiei blinked slowly, not entirely sure what that last comment was supposed to imply. Thankfully, Yusuke cottoned on to the minor communication failure. "You're taller."
"Your point?"
"I... Well, there wasn't really a point, man. I was just saying..." Yusuke cut off his explanation, realizing that Hiei was making fun of him. The demon was smirking wickedly, allowing his sharp white canines to flash in the sunshine. Yusuke felt a mix of anger and happiness bubble up inside of him. "Hiei, you little jerk!"
Something gleamed in the demon's eyes, and Hiei suddenly shocked Yusuke out of his wits by tossing his head back and laughing. Yusuke had heard that sound the day he had learned of his own demon ancestry, but now the voice was different, deeper and richer. It did not match the dark, forbidding aura that normally emanated from Hiei's body, but for just right now, this was the demon with whom Yusuke had defended the worlds.
"So," Hiei said, his laughter receding. "A birthday, you said?"
"Yeah." Yusuke lifted the little girl off his shoulders, placing her on her feet. "Sakuya-chan's birthday."
"Hn."
Hiei clasped his hands behind his back, slowly circling the girl and looking her up and down. Her large, bright irises were a chocolate-brown color—darker than Keiko's honey-colored eyes, but lighter than Yusuke's umber ones. Her chestnut locks had been inherited from her mother, made obvious by the short cut that mimicked Keiko's old hairstyle. She was dressed in a short orange kimono with crimson flowers and green leaves embroidered all over it.
Having completed the circle, Hiei stopped in front of Sakuya, staring down into the girl's wide brown eyes with his calm red ones.
In a movement faster than human eyes could detect, the satin cord which had rested around Hiei's neck was suddenly in his bandaged hand. Centered by a ruby the size of a pebble, a trio of serpentine dragons were molded into the front of the silver pendant. Hiei dangled it in front of Sakuya's surprised face.
"Sorry it isn't wrapped," he said. "But you wouldn't have kept the paper anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Sakuya cupped her hands, allowing Hiei to drop the pendant. She blinked down at her impromptu gift for a moment, and then glanced up at the demon.
"Thank you, Hiei-san," Sakuya murmured.
"Sakuya-chan!" A small group of children ran up to them, slowed by their cumbersome sandals and kimono. The leader was a black-eyed demon girl whose hair tumbled all the way down her back in deep purple curls. "Sakuya-chan, can you teach us how to sing the karaoke? You always get really high scores, but no matter how hard we try, we can't score over forty."
"Yeah, Sakuya-chan," Yusuke said with a playful wink. "Why don't you go show them how it's done? We're going to talk for a while. Maybe we'll even get around to some karaoke. How 'bout it, Hiei?"
The Jaganshi snorted loudly at the thought.
"Okay," Sakuya said confusedly, allowing the demon girl to grab her hand and pull her toward the open doors of the main hall. Glancing back, Sakuya called over one shoulder. "Thanks again, Hiei-san! It was nice meeting you!"
She disappeared into the flashing lights of the arcade room.
Yusuke and Hiei were silent for a few moments, simply staring at the place where Sakuya had been. The Jaganshi suddenly glanced around.
"Where is Kurama?" he asked.
"Hmm? Oh." Yusuke smirked. "He's probably hanging out with his boyfriend."
Hiei jerked his head back, looking stunned.
"Boyfriend?"
"Yeah." Yusuke caught the look on Hiei's face and amended his statement. "Well, no, they aren't really. But those guys have been joined at the hip since they came here. It's about time Kurama found someone. I was getting kind of worried, you know, because he was always alone before now."
Hiei's eyes were suddenly dark and glaring.
"Yomi's been trying to get hold of Kurama for a week now, and he's been off having a roll in the sheets?"
"Hey, that's not fair, Hiei," Yusuke said defensively. "Kurama is not having a roll in the sheets. He's found someone he can be really close to, and I don't think I've seen one without the other since they got off the plane. They're friends, and I'm just happy to see that Kurama has stopped moping around. He was depressed for a while after you walked out on him, you know."
"It's not like I could help it—"
"Bullshit," Yusuke growled. "You hated this world and all the humans who lived in it. You couldn't wait to run back to Makai. Did you ever stop to think about Kurama's feelings before you left?"
"He's not some weepy female who falls apart every time he's alone, Yusuke," Hiei pointed out.
"Yeah, and he's not some heartless asshole who abandons his friends when they need him, either," Yusuke returned casually. He gestured vaguely toward a corner of the courtyard. "But it doesn't matter. He's over there, you can talk to him yourself."
Hiei looked in the direction Yusuke had pointed out, eyes immediately locking on his old friend.
Kurama was resplendent in a powder-blue kimono embroidered with leafy green vines and bunches of reddish purple grapes. His long mane was gathered into a high ponytail that tumbled past his shoulders like a bloody waterfall, and a few of the rebellious locks had escaped from the elastic band to frame his eternally youthful face. His emerald eyes were warm and bright, and a smile played across his lips as he talked with his boyfriend.
The other man had large brown eyes and a mop of sandy hair. He was wearing a kimono as well, though with a more subdued pattern of black and purple stripes. Somewhat handsome, and looking only too pleased to be talking to the kitsune, he chattered away with just as much enthusiasm as Kuwabara had when trying to impress Yukina. Perhaps it was just the distance affecting his hearing, but Hiei thought the human's speech had a strange accent.
With only the feeblest attempt at calming himself, Hiei walked toward them. Although he schooled his expression into a mask of indifference, he could not contain the waves of anger that radiated from his body.
Kurama turned around quickly when he sensed the formidable aura. He blinked rapidly, surprise evident on his face.
"Hiei?" Kurama asked.
"Hey. Been awhile," Hiei replied coolly. "I see you've had no difficulty in finding someone else to keep you company."
Kurama blinked, his mouth falling open. At first there was only a choking sound, but his words came out very strongly and clearly a moment later.
"You run off to Makai for ten years, not contacting me at all, not letting me know whether or not you're even alive, and then when you finally come back to Ningenkai you get jealous because I'm talking with a friend? You have a funny way of showing you care, Hiei."
"Cut the crap. I don't have time for it." Demonic red eyes flicked to the sandy-haired human. "I'd like to talk to my friend in private, if you don't mind me borrowing him for a while. We have some catching up to do."
The human blinked for a moment, glancing between Hiei and Kurama with a look of discomfort on his face.
Hiei did not bother waiting around for the human's response. He gripped Kurama's forearm in one hand, practically dragging the kitsune out of the courtyard and under the cover of the trees. He led them for a while, eventually coming to a clearing far enough away that they should not be overheard. Kurama jerked his arm out of Hiei's grasp and ran a hand over the bruised skin.
"What in the world do you think you're—"
"Yomi summoned you a week ago. Why haven't you gone back?"
"Did he?" Kurama asked, voice somewhat cooler than it had been among the humans. "This is the first I've heard of it. And since when do you care about what Yomi wants?"
"Since Mukuro signed a nonaggression pact with him a year ago. Or is this the first you've heard of that, too?" Hiei's eyes narrowed at Kurama's startled look. "It is, isn't it. Where the hell have you been?"
The kitsune recovered as quickly as he always did.
"I only came back to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago. I was working in New York for a while, and I haven't had contact with any demons besides Yusuke and Yukina for nearly two years."
"New York?"
"It's on the other side of Ningenkai. In North America," Kurama explained.
"So, is that where that human child came from?"
"Jimi is not a child. He is a fully competent adult, thank you. And yes, that's where Jimi came from. He lived in the apartment across the hall from mine, and we got around to talking one day. He has some psychic awareness, and we have a lot in common. Jimi came with me because he's interested in Japanese culture, and wanted to see what it's like actually living here."
"Oh, is that all?" At Kurama's confused look, Hiei clarified. "You two looked a bit more than friendly to me. Even Yusuke noticed it, and he's dumber than a brick when it comes to relationships. I don't think Japan is what he's interested in."
Kurama's cheeks flushed a little, but for the most part he seemed to keep his cool.
"What business is it of yours? You left."
"I explained my reasons," Hiei snapped. "Mukuro wants me to be her successor in the small chance that she becomes unfit to rule her part of Makai. I can't be in two worlds at once, Kurama. I have to stay where I'm most needed."
"For ten years? You could have at least sent a letter or visited once in a while. You said it yourself, there's only a small chance that she won't be able to take care of her portion of Makai. Surely you could have taken some time out of your busy schedule and come back for a few days."
"I did come back. I came back dozens of times so that I could check on Yukina."
"Kuwabara-kun would never let anything happen to your sister, and you know it," Kurama said softly. His eyes had suddenly lost their intensity. "Today was an accident, wasn't it? Did you come here to check on Yukina-san, not guessing that today was Sakuya-chan's birthday? I'll bet you never even knew Yusuke had a child."
Hiei simply looked at him, not offering a response to these accusations. His silence was the only answer necessary. Kurama bowed his head, his dark green eyes focusing on the ground.
"I see. You never intended to come back at all."
"What would you have had me do, Kurama? Stay in Ningenkai with you?" Hiei's eyes shimmered a dusky carmine. "We both know that I'm not suited to the kind of human life the rest of you chose. It's better for me to stay in Makai. Everything I've ever wanted or needed is there."
"Fine." Kurama lifted his head again. He was clearly feeling down, but his eyes were dry. "Do whatever benefits yourself without a thought for the people who care about you. Yusuke, Kuwabara-kun, myself—even Yukina-san comes second in your eyes. I can hardly believe how selfish you are."
Kurama brushed past Hiei, heading toward the temple again. Hiei dug one fang into his lower lip.
"Kurama, wait." Hiei appeared in front of Kurama, clasping their hands together. He stared up into Kurama's eyes. "I did think about you when I went to Makai. I knew you would be upset when I left, but... Honestly, Kurama, was there any other option? You wouldn't leave your family and come with me, and I would have been miserable here. It wouldn't have worked out."
"It doesn't matter anymore, Hiei," Kurama said in a cool, detached voice. "You left, and I'm tired of waiting for someone I can never have. Just go back to Makai and be happy."
Hiei stared up at Kurama with troubled eyes. Finally, he reached up and tugged on one of the loose strands of hair that framed Kurama's face. He placed a chaste kiss upon his friend's cheek and quickly disappeared, leaving behind only the sweet scent of Makai spices to show that he had ever been there.
Kurama's fingers trailed over the gentle curve of his cheekbone, where Hiei's warm lips had been only a moment before. His eyes darkened to a greenish black shade. Kurama heaved a sigh, the only sign that he might be unsettled, and brushed imaginary wrinkles from the front of his kimono before leaving the clearing.
Carefully wading through the sea of children and demons, Kurama returned to the temple. They seemed to surge around him on all sides, becoming one loud, colorful mass. He paused in the center of the crowd, closing his eyes and pressing one hand to his forehead. So much noise, so much color—the party was a sensory overload. He needed to get away from here. He needed...
All of a sudden, a pair of arms looped around him from behind and pulled him against a warm chest. Kurama tensed momentarily, but soon allowed himself to be held when he realized that the person was merely trying to keep him steady. He was startled when he discovered that he actually needed the support; the excitement of the party and the shock of seeing Hiei again had left him strangely weak in the knees.
"Here," Jimi murmured in his ear. He loosened his arms from around Kurama's body and moved to stand before the kitsune, placing his hands on the other man's shoulders. Kurama felt a pang in his chest when he saw the concern in the human's eyes. "Are you okay? You look pale."
"It's nothing, Jimi. All this noise is giving me a headache, that's all," Kurama answered, offering the human a painful smile. Jimi knew he was lying, but he simply moved his hands down along Kurama's arms so that he was clasping Kurama's hands. The motion was not so dissimilar to what Hiei had done only moments before. Kurama trembled at the thought, feeling just as lonely and hurt as he had when Hiei had left ten years ago.
"Shhh," Jimi soothed, noticing the trembling of Kurama's body and the glimmer of his emerald eyes. The human pulled the kitsune forward, embracing him with one hand while he tangled the other in dark red hair. "Come on. Maybe you should sit down for a while."
"I don't want to sit down," Kurama said, pressing his cheek against the human's shoulder. He refused to cry, but the pained tone of his voice clearly showed how badly he wanted to break down. "I—I just want to go home."
"All right." Jimi brushed Kurama's hair back away from his forehead and kissed the exposed skin. "We can go home now. No one is forcing you to stay here."
Kurama nodded, allowing Jimi to lead him through the crowd. He heard some of the other guests calling to him, but he could not find the energy to converse with any of them. He merely heaved a weary sigh and leaned his head against Jimi's shoulder, closing his eyes.
A/N: Yes, my lovelies, here is my newest story. I hope you like it. It contains shounen-ai, by the way, mostly revolving around Hiei+Kurama (yes, Hiei is seme this time around). There is also Jimi+Kurama, naturally.