Disclaimer: it's never too late to be afraid of the dark.
Fall
scrambled
phantom (i wish we'd all just stop talking at once).
spitting and
cursing from the scrap heap we're on.
you should have lost your
cool.
—Everytime I Die, "Emergency Broadcast Syndrome"
Chapter Fourteen: Angels Fear to Tread
Miru smiled a toothy, disbelieving smile. " 'Go'?" she said derisively. "Surely you can't mean for me to leave. Why, that is not your place, you lovesick little spitfire!"
Hiei turned his head to glare at Miru, his eyes mere slits in his face. "You call me lovesick, do you?" he jeered. He was about to grasp at a short straw and he knew it, but a distraction would be good for Kurama and bad for Miru, so he had to try. "You are the one who is obsessed with love, you foolish girl. Or did you think no one would notice your desperate crush?"
For a moment, Miru faltered, blinking rapidly and missing a step in her flouncing. Hiei had a flash of wonder, deciding at once to continue with his little gamble. "You cannot hide your emotions well at all," he said confidently. "Your infatuation will be your downfall, not mine."
Miru smiled wryly, folding her arms and stalking right up to Hiei. Bypassing Kurama completely, she stuck her face in Hiei's and grinned maniacally. "You've no proof."
Hiei grinned right back. She had all but proved his wild guess, which more than pleased him but was also confusing. She was in love, but with who? And why would it matter to him?
Hiei looked at her critically for a moment. His eyes went the slightest bit wider.
Oh my God.
Yûsuke trotted up beside Kuwabara and looked out over the land below them; the taller man had stopped right at the edge of a cliff, giving them the perfect view of the scenery. Specifically, three small figures on the scenery below them; three familiar figures that looked sort of like…
"That's them, isn't it?"
Kuwabara nodded with a wry grin on his face. "It is."
Yûsuke peered over the ledge. "Do we have to go down there?"
"That's our dilemma, isn't it?" Kuwabara said, sitting on the ledge with his legs dangling over the cliff. "If we're treating this like just another case, I guess we should."
"And if we're not?" Yûsuke asked, looking hard at the one he assumed to be Kurama. No fighting seemed to be going on, nor did any fighting seem to have gone on already. He couldn't help but wonder if their assistance was even necessary; Miru appeared to be talking to them, which was a good sign. So he assumed, anyway; from what Hiei had mentioned years ago, it seemed that Miru was not the type to spend her time with idle chatter. If she was talking instead of fighting, she was either being cocky and snobbish, or she had been scared by something one of them had said. and was trying to calm herself Yûsuke hoped it was the latter.
Kuwabara shrugged. "If we're not, then it'll take a little more thought, I guess. There are definitely more variables to consider."
Making a soft "hm" sound, Yûsuke knelt down and lay on his stomach, watching the action below as if it was a silent movie. "Like the fact that we're friends, yeah?"
" 'Are'?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Maybe there's more to consider than I thought…"
Hiei laughed incredulously, moving away from Kurama but not quite out of his reach. Kurama glanced between them briefly, his understanding or lack thereof impossible to tell.
"You've boxed yourself into a corner!" Hiei said with the sort of understanding which comes only when one has gained invaluable knowledge to be used for his own benefit. "You've let slip a secret you can't take back, and I know exactly who should hear it."
"No," Miru said suddenly, blinking and grinning. Hiei raised his eyebrow. "You don't," she continued, undeterred. "You don't know anything."
"I know that you obviously don't want this secret to get out into the public," he said, smiling devilishly. "I know that having even one person privy to your private thoughts is a serious liability for you."
Miru sneered, shoving her face into his again. "You don't know the half of it," she growled. "You? Ha. You have no idea."
Hiei growled right back, snapping his teeth like a dog. "I know more than you think," he said, his tone quiet and threatening. "Where you are? I've been there a lot longer. I know what it's like."
"You couldn't possibly."
"And why not?"
Miru smiled frighteningly, pacing around the pair as a predator would. "You just gave yourself away, dumbass."
Hiei's frown turned furious and his eyes blazed brightly, his rage obvious to the blindest man. "How dare you disrespect me so?" he hissed. "I gave away nothing."
Miru only widened her smirk and reached toward them, drawing Kurama away with a grand flourish and earning a fanged snarl from the fox himself. "Got him now, what'll you do?" she mocked, turning Kurama in a circle despite his attempts to twist away from her. Hiei folded his arms and titled his stance away from them, seemingly uncaring as a small flicker inside of him began to writhe with concern for Kurama. He shushed it forcefully and turned his attention back to the situation at hand.
"If you would fight like an honorable warrior, perhaps we could begin to fight like normal demons. What do you say to that?" Hiei snapped irately, rolling his eyes.
"Ah," Miru said, turning her attention now to Kurama, "it seems he does not love you as you do him! What will that do for you now, hm?"
Kurama did an expert job covering for himself as pain flashed across his face and was quickly replaced with apathy. "It will do nothing for me, nor will it do anything to me," he said coldly. "I expected nothing from him and I have received as much."
Hiei felt a nip at his conscience at those words, even though he knew they were a show. He had done all he could for Kurama in these last few days; he had been steadfast in the face of his partner's insanity, understanding in the face of Kurama's attempted suicide (…sort of), defiantly standing by him even when it might reveal his feelings—admitting his feelings, albeit it less romantically than anyone would probably like to hear such a thing. Considering the circumstances, Hiei did not think Kurama could have asked for much more.
But had Kurama really expected "nothing" from him? Had he even thought that someday, Hiei might confess his own love? Maybe? It would be uncharacteristic, especially considering the amount of time Hiei had been away and the typical length of his absences—months, years, no notice, no contact, no word of anything. But Hiei had always been one to surprise…hadn't he?
Damn it! Damn it all, in fact. Hiei would sort out his own shortcomings and uncertainties when the battle was done. For the moment, it could not matter if Miru knew that Kurama's love was reciprocated. Hiei's act had to be throwing her into uncertainty, even if she did suspect it so. Once the battle had begun, she might stop thinking about it altogether.
" 'Nothing'?" Miru said gleefully. "Ah, trouble in paradise, eh? Well. I'm not one to meddle in the affairs of romantics, but darling, if you ever need a substitution, you know I'll be watching you."
Kurama snarled again. "I've seen what you do to those you profess your love to," he bit out, "and I've no interest in becoming one of them."
"No," she said wisely, walking around him and wrapping with her a ribbon, conjured from the air and a soft hum. "I suppose you wouldn't."
Tied nearly four times round, Kurama lashed out quickly and broke the ribbon, tearing it in three places at once. "Still you play your little girl games?" he asked derisively. "Still you think you can distract me with these simple playthings? You are a fool."
"Ah, but fools rush in," she returned with a smirk. "You rushed to find me, indeed you did, not the other way around. And I seem to recall, several years back, a dark sort of tournament in which one of your team was defeated by—what was it now—a boy and his yo-yos? A child's plaything, no doubt, yet powerful in its own right."
"Don't bring ancient history into the present battle," Kurama snapped. "Will you fight me honorably for once, or will you use your giant creatures again to gain an advantage which I will overturn?"
Hiei frowned, remembering their last battle. This might be dangerous; neither was using especially biting words, but Kurama was obviously getting tense and impatient and Miru seemed to be enjoying herself far too much. Could he somehow convey to Kurama the knowledge he had stumbled upon? What good would it do? It seemed difficult; with any lesser ally, he could probably have used telepathy, but Kurama's mind was far too old and complex for him to even hope to delve into. He knew; he had tried. So assuming that the knowledge would even be helpful, it would take some creativity to get it to him. More trouble than it was worth, perhaps; the advantage might be negligible, and it might even backfire. Too many risks involved. Hiei shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
"Will you dispense of this witless banter any time soon," Hiei snapped suddenly, "or will you continue trying to talk one another into submission?"
Miru's eyes narrowed and she glared at Hiei. Then, with a barely visible snap, she lashed out and struck him, sending him tripping a step backwards.
"Don't involve yourself, you freak."
Hiei's eyes glowed red.
"We are friends with them," Yûsuke said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "Even if we haven't spoken in a few years, we're still friends. I mean, I left Keiko for what, three years? And now we're married."
Kuwabara shrugged. "That's different. You guys are in love, you're not just friendly."
"Yeah, and we weren't 'just friendly' with them, were we?" Yûsuke challenged. "We almost died for one another. I did die for you guys."
"And everyone."
"Whatever."
Kuwabara leaned forward to peer at the action below, tilting his head back and forth. "They're not fighting," he observed. "Is that a good sign or a bad one, do you think?"
Yûsuke flopped down on the ground, his chin hitting the dirt. "Dunno. Depends what they're talking about, I guess."
"…well?"
"Well, what?"
Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "What're they talking about?"
"What?" Yûsuke sat up and crossed his legs, his mouth slightly agape. "How should I know?"
"Don't you have that super demon hearing now?" Kuwabara asked skeptically. "I know you've eavesdropped on me more than once since you were all 'reborn.' "
Yûsuke smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck and blushing. "Ah-hah, maybe a little. I don't know, I'll try."
And leaning over the side of the ledge, Yûsuke focused all his energy on listening in on a private conversation.
Drawing himself up as tall as he could manage, Hiei paced over to the pair with his fangs bared and his eyes ablaze. Kurama barely cringed, and Miru drew herself up as well, putting her just above the top of Hiei's head.
"I have been called a freak," Hiei said quietly, mere centimeters from Miru herself, "for my entire life, by creatures much more worthwhile than you. By no whore, by no coward, by no idiot have I been called less than a worthy opponent. You, however, have combined the three and called me a freak. You, who are no less than a mistake of nature, have called me a freak. I hope the irony is not lost on your simple mind. Let it be said that the only reason I have not torn you limb from limb is that I am leaving that honor to my esteemed colleague, who I feel deserves the pleasure far more than I. And now," he said ponderously, "shall I reveal the secret of your love? Or is that a bit better found out by accident?"
Miru smiled smugly. "I have nothing to fear, for you do not know my secret."
There was no reason to trust Miru; Hiei might very well know her secret, and he thought he did. But would he bet Kurama's life on it? Maybe not.
Then, for no apparent reason, Miru was thrown headfirst at the ground. She may as well have tripped over nothing, without even moving her feet. Hiei blinked owlishly and noticed then that Kurama's fingers were twitching anxiously, as if he had just struck something—something like Miru. The devious fox had been unable to restrain himself any longer and begun the fight, an act most unlike him in his normal state. Hiei closed his eyes and pressed his hand to his forehead.
Miru pushed herself up on her hands and knees, shaking her head to clear dirt from her eyes. She raised her head slightly so that only her eyes were visible, glaring at Kurama.
"Awfully dastardly of you," she commented icily. "I didn't think such a noble fighter as you had it in him to pull that sort of underhanded move."
Kurama raised his eyebrow cockily. "You learn something new," he replied, his tone equally cold. Hiei wisely backed away from the pair. Suddenly, he sensed a peculiar yet somehow familiar energy some distance above him. Discretely glancing up at the cliffs, he saw what looked like a sneaker being yanked back over the ledge. Who did he know who wore sneakers and would be spying on them? he wondered wryly. Yûsuke and Kuwabara had come around, damn stalkers. Should he confront them? He could, but it wasn't necessary, and he would rather not. Contenting himself with a glare he was sure would go unseen, he turned his attention back to the more pressing action before him.
"Now that the gauntlet has been thrown, we shall begin formally," Miru was saying. "Come now, surely you do not object to a traditional, formal fight?"
"I do not recall raising an objection, no," Kurama said quietly.
"Then we shall begin," Miru said, slyly for some reason. Hiei bristled, instantly suspicious. Kurama either did not care, or cared but did not show it. It was impossible that he would not have noticed.
"Hiei," Kurama said sharply, and Hiei wondered for a moment what he had done wrong.
"Kurama," he said sharply, almost but not quite a warning to back down.
"Preside over this formality," Kurama said. "You know the rules?"
Hiei blinked. He had watched such "formalities," but never presided over one himself. He knew that they were often bloody and definitely less than formal, but little else. Did they even have rules?
"Rules?" he said skeptically. Kurama looked at him kindly, but pityingly, and he bit back a snap.
"Of course," Kurama said, no trace of kindness in his voice. "The old formal—there is to be no backstabbing in this match, and a fighter touching all parts of his body to the ground for more than ten seconds is to be declared the loser."
Hiei nodded once. "Of course," he said. It was to be conducted as a fight in the Black Martial Arts Tournament was, but without a ring. That would not be too hard.
"Shall we begin?" Miru asked impatiently. Hiei glared at her and took his place between then, holding his arms out to be sure that they were equal distances away from him.
"Ready?" Hiei asked as a matter of courtesy. Both fighters nodded, taking their stances and preparing for the bloodshed. Hiei raised his arm and snapped his fingers twice, as he had seen other moderators do when he was a child spectator.
"Go!"
Kurama and Miru were off like shots, Kurama jumping backwards and Miru lunging forwards. Kurama was faster and had anticipated her charge, so he had the upper hand and had not been struck, but Hiei was still tense at the battle. He quickly made his way to higher ground and perched on a sub level of the cliffs about halfway to the top; he could clearly see Kurama and Miru, now clearly sense Yûsuke and Kuwabara, and there was little danger of his getting hit. Kurama and Miru would probably not come back this way, or at least, they would have no reason to begin fighting on the cliff wall. It was in poor condition to sustain weight; Hiei was balanced precariously and relying mostly on his lightness and small size to keep him from falling.
The two were blurs across the landscape, Kurama mostly dodging, as was his way, and Miru mostly launching violent attacks despite her overall physical weakness. Then for some reason, she landed on the ground and took a proud stance, obviously daring Kurama not to attack her.
"I call the power Choir!" she shouted proudly. Kurama landed as well, a few meters away from Miru, and took on a similar but slightly more firmly set stance.
"I call the power Earth!" he shouted back, his tone biting. Halfway through his cry, Miru had leapt towards him, her hands around her own throat. Kurama reached into his hair and withdrew a rose, summoning his rose whip before she had reached him but not trying to attack her. Miru sang a short note and the ground beneath Kurama cracked and began to split; thrown off balance, Kurama nearly fell, but took a few jumping steps backwards and regained his footing.
Then Kurama did something unexpected: snapping his wrist, he wrapped his whip around Miru's chest, binding her arms to her sides. The move was not terribly effective, as it did not cut off her voice in any way, but it clearly demonstrated that he wanted the battle to stop for a moment and for some reason, Miru respected his wishes.
"I hear rumors that you are infatuated with someone," Kurama said with the smallest hint of a tease in his voice. Hiei cocked his head as he heard his partner's words, wondering what about this could be worth interrupting the fight.
"Rumors?" Miru said with a laugh. "You were there, fox. You heard all that I did. Any of your 'rumors' are merely your own speculations."
Kurama shook his head knowingly. "There was enough assurance from you. Care to fill in the gaps in this little tale?"
"I do not," she said indignantly. "Take a guess, if you're so curious to know."
Hiei frowned. It had to be Kurama; didn't it? Who else could she possibly be so obsessed with? There was no question at all, so why was she making him guess? Unless, of course—
They stared one another down, and Hiei continued to ponder. He had the sinking sensation that things were about to get complicated on a whole different level.
Damn it all.
Love really was dangerous.
