A/N: Hello once again, Audience.
Little bit longer this one, but the stopping point was the better one rather than cutting it shorter.
Chapters for this fanfic are released on the first and third Mondays of each month.
Ciao for now!~
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Shikiyoku and Youko/Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.
As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
(Words in italics and within parenthesis is dialogue between Hiei and Shikiyoku via the bond between them after Hiei becomes Shikiyoku's Consort. As soon as the 'thought' occurs, it can pass between them, and does not actually have to be formed into exact words-feelings and sensations can pass through as well-in order to be picked up and the meaning translated immediately by the other. For the sake of the coherence by the reader, words and sentences are used as normal. It cannot be picked up by telepathy.)
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."
The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).
The Nabu Exception also applies to anyone when they are in an animal form, if the dialogue is in italics and quotations, unless stated otherwise.
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
[Will be updated soon]™
Akari had gone on a run with Nabu and Kiyoko in the park, as was routine, before she had gone back home and settled on the couch with a crafts magazine, flipping the pages here and there and only putting it down when the show came back on the television. Every commercial break, she was flipping through the magazine some more, looking at the pretty cakes and cupcakes in fascination, and in curiosity.
At one point, she'd gotten so distracted that she hadn't noticed her show ending. So, when she looked up and checked the guide, she found herself disappointed at having to flip channels again to find something that would serve as good background noise.
"We could go on another run?"
Akari shook her head at the dog who lay on the floor. "I have to be up early." She flipped a few more channels idly, not really seeing the screen, but listening instead for anything that wouldn't be too distracting from her magazine.
"Wait, wait! Go back! You skipped something!"
Akari raised a brow at Nabu and slid her thumb to the back button, hitting it once, twice, thrice before the dog barked at her to stop. Curious as to what he'd seen, she tuned into the channel with eyes and ears, the headlines at first not meaning anything in particular to her.
But the footage that was shown after the news anchor finished babbling had every nerve in Akari's body stiffening, her muscles tightening and making her go rigid at the face on the screen. The red hair that had been cut to a business-savvy look was all too familiar, the green eyes that stared at the camera for only a second enough to make her ache to the core.
"-the CEO finally showing himself after months of eluding the press-"
Akari couldn't move, somehow frozen into place at the sight of the redhead she hadn't seen since Yomi's palace. The very place that had turned him into the demon she had come across in the past, into someone she didn't even recognized initially other than the scent.
"Ooo, they're pretty together." Nabu commented with a swishing tail.
"-with a mysterious woman? More coming-"
Akari clicked the power button on the remote, effectively shutting the television off with a little flicker of sound.
"Heeeeyyyy. I was watching that."
She slid from the couch and let the magazine she'd been looking through fall forgotten on the floor as she turned and shuffled to the bedroom. "I'm tired, Nabu. It's time for bed." *
~!**!~
His condition hadn't changed by the morning.
Had not worsened, but had not gotten better.
Luckily for Shikiyoku, so far Kurama had been acquiescent to her tending him, mostly because she only roused him far enough to take the medicine and he usually fell back asleep by the time she leaned over him to remove the gauze.
This most recent encounter was not as smooth.
Morning gave way to afternoon and later and it seemed as though Kurama's return to sick-form came full-force and Shikiyoku struggled to feed him the medicine without getting pulled onto him in the bed.
The fever left a flush across his face, and his hands were unnaturally warm as he reached out and touched her each time she came close, unable to move from where he sat, but watching her like a hawk and making passes at her each time she returned with more medicine.
Heaving out a sigh as she looked at the paste and then back at Kurama, she knew he needed to have the gauze around his head changed, but also knew that getting him to cooperate without getting herself entangled was going to be a chore.
She neared him warily, seeing him staring her up and down through his half-lidded eyes.
This time her approach caught him off guard as she put her knee up on the bed next to him and pressing herself up so she could lean over him and begin unwrapping his head.
He stared first at her neck above him, shifting his head as if his lips might be able to reach her, and then his gaze lowered to the rest of her, shirt gaping both at the neck and at her stomach.
The hand closest to her lifted and found her waist underneath that shirt, drawing across the taut muscles at her stomach and feeling them twitch as he lightly brushed them with the tips of his fingers.
"Youko..." Shikiyoku muttered his name as if it was going to help her, the hair around her shoulders almost whispering as his touch had her eyes starting to glimmer faintly.
He only closed his eyes as she shifted closer to him to be able to get the gauze out from the back of his head and took a deep breath of her scent as it rose into the air around him, his hand continuing to faintly draw itself back and forth across her abdomen.
A portion of her hair fell most satisfactorily to hang just near his cheek and he tilted his face towards it, burying his nose as best he could into its heady depths.
The other hand moved towards the thigh that was over the bed, finding it soft and silken as his palm smoothed around it to the back.
She wasn't so stupid as to have not at least found something akin to shorts to wear, but they were so baggy on her petite frame that he had no trouble slipping his hand up underneath them, earning himself a slightly more aggravated version of his name, but also getting a second, silent pulse of her energy from her hair.
In that same muttering tone she'd used for his name, Shikiyoku practically growled, "If you don't just let me do this, it's going to take longer." 3
~!**!~
After having auto-piloted his way to the bar, only to be informed that Shikiyoku had not been around for some time, Hiei had been forced to turn inwards, to focus on the pulsating bond that, when he did turn to leave the bar again, would take him to where he actually needed to be.
He hadn't slept since the bar on the Seventh Level, and it was definitely wearing on him. Onwards he went though, saying a few parting words to his guild as he left them at the bar so he could rejoin Shikiyoku.
It was to his surprise that he found himself standing outside a tall office building. He didn't really remember being here before the adventures on the Eighth Level, but that wasn't to say that he'd taken direct notice of it either. He didn't give a glance at the name - he didn't quite have the patience to take note of the establishment - and instead looked for a way into the office that had already closed for the day.
With a bit of assistance both from the bond and the third eye that he relied on so, he found himself staring up at a particular window some stories up, on the tallest floor. He calculated the height, his eyes going from the very top of the building down to its foundation and back up again as he thought.
The fire demon turned and began walking the way he'd come, his hands sliding away from the pockets of his cloak and his eyes straight ahead. He counted the steps he took by tens, and finally turned to face the building again once he was a few good blocks away.
With a nod to himself, Hiei let his feet retrace those same steps with his speed at his greatest by the time he reached the base of the building. One leap and he was effortlessly scaling its side.
His steps were silent even on the glass windows as he moved, and just as he thought he might lose traction against the smoothness of them, his hands found the sill of the barely opened window, pushing it just far enough open that he might grab hold and pull himself up to stand in the windowpane. He paused to take a calming breath; his body ached from exhaustion.
The glass swung further open as the fire demon dropped inside the hallway, his feet never pausing as he continued to follow the pulsating bond until he was stepping into a room whose door had been the only one open.
(Well, that trip was fun.)
He finally looked up from where he'd been brushing his cloak free of whatever had collected there, his eyes finding Shikiyoku bent over a familiar being that he himself hadn't heard anything of in months. A redheaded being that had a hand on Shiki.
Who didn't seem to be waving him away.
He frowned, too many thoughts passing by the forefront of his mind for him to focus on just one. While Shikiyoku herself was a sight for sore eyes, Hiei found an odd feeling in his stomach at the scene he'd walked into. *
Reaching over to dab the gauze she had in her mouth moments before into the pestle where she had prepared the paste for his forehead, Shikiyoku finally growled, "Kurama. Stop it." as her energy continued to shimmer in the air around them.
As with each time previously when she had used the phrase, the feverish fox demon she leaned back over to finish prepping his forehead let his arms fall back to his sides, though she felt his desires permeate the air between them as she tucked the end of the wrapping behind his head and let it gently drop back against the pillows.
His green, bloodshot eyes maintained their half-lidded stare as she sat back on her foot and slouched a little, releasing a breath, a huff, of finality as she concluded this round of application, feeling herself searching his features vainly for any improvement of his condition, any indication that her worst fears might not come to fruition.
In the silence of the beat in which she sat assessing him, managing for the moment to keep at bay her frantic thoughts of 'what do I do when he turns,' when she suddenly blinked and felt a presence in the room that she had up to now been too absorbed in seeing to Kurama to actively be aware of.
(Hiei.)
Whipping her head around, eyes widening, a flood of relief unbidden crashed through the bond between them as she abruptly stood and made as if to take a step towards him.
All at once a string of emotions followed after it, playing back through the days since she found him here and discovered him ill, caring for him by herself, afraid to involve anyone else because-
She blinked again and her lips parted as an equally strong sense of fear caused her stomach to hitch and the step she might have taken towards him shifted as she just as quickly moved her foot backwards.
(Hiei. You have to leave. Now.)
While the exchange to now took little to no time to occur, Shikiyoku suddenly found her eyes welling up with tears.
(It may already be too late. But I cannot- I could not-)
Wordlessly, the knowledge of what she believed to be Kurama's affliction passed between them, the symptoms too similar to be denied, and greater than that the uncertainty of how exactly he came to have it, and how simply by being near it was possible for Hiei to contract it as well, for the Crusnik within himself to begin to stir, just as they were stirring within Kurama behind her.
(I could never live without you should you ever turn.) 3
It was odd to him how the anger he felt at the sight he'd come across didn't so much as trickle across the bond, remaining within his own mind and body, within a certain boundary meant only for those angry thoughts.
But with the rush of relief that washed over him, feeling like his own but not in actuality his, a bit of that anger ebbed away, chipped as if she'd struck it with a hammer. But that relief from the bond quickly shifted to many other emotions, all too mixed for tired Hiei to understand, and he felt his head tilt slightly at her. With her step away from him, his brows went upward, and even further so at her demand for him to leave. Had those words not been so filled with fear, he would have been angrier with her for it.
He remained silent, watching her as she stumbled through whatever she was trying to say, his eyes not once wavering from her to the redhead she'd stepped closer to. And after a moment, he connected dots and pieced together the reasons to why she panicked and wished for him to go.
So by the time the images of what she feared passed over the bond, Hiei had already shifted, turned his shoulder to her to look about the room once. As she addressed him again in her near-panicked state, he let himself fall into the chair that smelled as if she herself had been sitting there for days.
Finally, when his eyes found hers again, it was with a serenity, a calmness that he wanted her to feel. His earlier anger and whatever had been mixed with it was filed away, momentarily forgotten in the wake of her panic and replaced with a certain nonchalance.
(I've been surrounded with the Infected for quite some time now. This time is no different, if he does indeed turn. I'm not leaving you alone.) As if to emphasize this, he slid a little lower in the chair, his expression remaining that stoic neutrality that he always turned to.
(I chased you, remember?) *
As Shikiyoku watched Hiei move across the room, towards her and the bedside no less as opposed to away, she knew in the manner in which he spoke to her that he would not leave no matter how much she pleaded with him.
And upon being reminded of their past together, of how she had at one point even fed upon him for goodness' sake, she conceded that her fears were in this case quite possibly unfounded. At least where he was concerned. She hoped.
She stood staring at him, now much closer to her stance by the bed, until she finally crossed her arms over her chest, the perfume from her hair still silently filling the room.
(If you turn...I'll never forgive you.) 3
Hiei resisted the urge to cross one leg over the other, his eyes blinking once up at the woman who crossed her arms at him. Through the bond, there was a sense that perhaps he could have smiled at her in that moment, if not for the other person in the room. And through that bond was also a small sense of understanding at her statement, a sort of acceptance of her threat, because really, he wouldn't forgive himself either.
But he knew that would not be up to him.
He looked her up and down once before reaching a hand out in an offer for her to sit with him and relax for a moment, his eyes seeing the stress at her shoulders and neck.
(For as long as you're here, so am I.) *
The sense that Kurama's eyes were watching her had at some point in their silent exchange disappeared, and Shikiyoku did not have to look behind her to know that, as he usually did once she finished with him, he was asleep. At least for now.
Accepting the hand he gave her, Shikiyoku let Hiei pull her towards him until she found herself curling up into his lap across his legs, her feet for the moment hanging just barely over the arm of the chair, his close proximity and touch already starting to relieve her of the last few days spent alone fighting off Kurama's advances.
Giving little thought to her state of dress or the long hair that hung in disarray down her back, Shikiyoku could not help the contentment that washed over her at Hiei finally having returned, aware that she had not so much as been alerted to his arrival back on the level, but knowing that she too had been out of contact with any outsiders that might have informed her as much.
Head tipped down, she sat staring blankly at her own thighs, finding previous thoughts banished for the moment, and completely unaware that while there had up until now been no blush across her cheeks, the pink color started tingeing her face the longer she sat. 3
Hiei tugged gently on Shikiyoku's hand until she was comfortably seated in his lap, an arm behind her back and the other hand releasing hers only so he could play with her fingers, massaging her hand with his own. He let his own eyelids close only for a moment, as if he might be able to change the room from this one to the one in the bar by sheer will. He wasn't disappointed though to open his eyes and still find an unfamiliar bedroom.
He looked her up and down, searching for the baubles that he'd gifted to her care at her collarbone. His thoughts circled several times as he searched, different things coming to mind as he considered the fact that she was not wearing them. He could, however, smell a new scent, a new shampoo maybe, that indicated the cleanliness of a recent shower, which would explain the lack of the two gems at her collarbone.
Instead of his fingers looking for the necklaces, the hand that rested behind her reached up and began twirling a strand of her hair between his thumb and forefinger, noting how long it was now compared to a few weeks before with a sort of content that slid over the bond.
It's growing fast. *
Aware now as she felt Hiei start to touch her hair that she had not secured it away, she sensed the energy that had been silently swirling around her, released freely by its lack of restraints to hover about her in an invisible cloud.
She appreciated his gesture, as it seemed to further remove her from her worries, which by now were doing nothing else aside from spiraling her thoughts into places it would do no good to dwell.
She blinked and glanced up at him briefly.
(Your trip was...fun?) 3
The fire demon tilted his chin downwards a little to look at the woman, a brow raising slightly as he considered her question. He thought first not of the serious answer to her question, but of an answer that probably would have sent her energy buzzing around the room, and for a moment he battled with himself before deciding that she hadn't intended to give him such an opportunity, and thus he went on as if he'd never had to think of the answer.
(Throwing Infected demons to the Eighth is generally a hassle, but the Last Stand was quite an amusement this time around. Uryo was there.) *
Reminded once again of how Hiei, as well as his various guildmates, were in contact with Infected on a fairly regular basis nowadays, Shikiyoku had to dismiss the notion of Crusnik being activated through touch or proximity. Or go insane thinking about how often it occurred.
As far as she could recall, Hiei had not stopped at that particular pub himself, though she remember his guildies pausing at various times for its various amusements before returning home.
The 'hassle' must have been a great deal indeed this time around for Hiei to need a moment to catch his breath so much so that he would stop in for a drink or 'amusement.'
They had not heard directly from Uryo in a long time, however, and in her case, Shikiyoku had not so much as spared a thought for Hiei's birth father once she had discovered for herself through her contacts that regardless of who had chased and poisoned Hiei all that time ago, Uryo was walking, or rather stumbling, about with his usual fervor.
She gave a little smile.
(I'm sure your guildmates found him not quite so amusing at first glance. I'm certain he provided you all with enough diversion to last a lifetime however, once things were sorted out.) She could only imagine the shenanigans that ensued. (He has quite the knack for distraction when he puts his mind to it.) Her eyes lowered again. (...as do you.) 3
At the mention of his guild and their first glance of Uryo, Hiei gave the smallest of scoffs, the image of each demon standing stoically amongst the bar crowd and ready for attack making his amusement cross the bond, along with said image.
He had to admit, it didn't take them long to warm up to the fire demon. Especially after Hiei himself had sat down to drink with the other.
His finger twisted the strand of hair into a ringlet, his eyes finding the curl as he considered his response, again deciding that he'd refrain from taking her unintentional bait a bit longer.
(I invited him to visit the bar sometime. He never did give a straight answer.) He frowned as if just remembering the very conversation. They'd both had quite a bit to drink by that point*
Shikiyoku made a quiet noise of amusement.
(He is certainly rather hard to pin down. I rather doubt he'll visit though. I do not offer nearly enough to tempt the likes of him.) 3
Hiei made a small noise in the back of his throat, half in amusement half in irritation. He was trying to ignore the openings she gave him for commentary, but in this moment, he felt as if she was simply giving him too many chances to do as such. Especially since he'd gotten so little sleep and his mind was working faster than usual.
And, really, he'd given her two chances to choose her words more carefully.
He wasn't near as generous on the third, though he didn't think she'd mind it at all as he leaned his head closer to hers, his lips finding an ear and pausing less than an inch away.
"I believe you offer more than enough temptation, Enchantress." *
Shikiyoku's eyes cut over to their corners as she didn't directly look at him, feeling the whisper of air over her skin send an unfamiliar sort of quiver down that arm.
On some level, she understood his meaning, as the statement set her core pulsing and deepened the color on her face all the way down to her toes as she blinked and cast her eyes down while they filled with her activated energy.
"He does not desire my sort of comforts." Shikiyoku mumbled, unable to look at Hiei. "He already knows them for himself." Uryo had practically told her as much himself. 3
Hiei's brow raised ever so slightly and he lingered there for a bit, his mind thinking up different answers before he simply pulled away, his lips sealing shut.
I do.
Show me.
He continued to play with her hair, his eyes remaining on the side of her face as if searching for any sign that she might fulfill his desires, and finding no indication of such a thing.
His loss.
….My gain.
"You are quite the challenge to keep up with, my jewel." *
Shikiyoku let out a little huff of air, feeling a seemingly misplaced sort of happiness wash over their bond to her, making just a tiny shimmer of her energy puff silently into the air in response.
He's much faster than you, so I can't imagine why-
Suddenly, Shikiyoku actually turned her head to actually look over at Hiei, the energy within her eyes whirling slowly as they had been for a while, but her expression exceedingly suspicious.
"Why do I get the feeling we are speaking on two completely different subjects, flame boy?" 3
Hiei raised a single brow of innocence. To be quite honest, he was straining quite a bit to keep his expression calm and neutral, and the bond silent. He wanted to scoff, to huff, or make some sort of noise in amusement at her, but was trying so hard not to do so.
"I thought we were on the same page." *
"It has been my experience that more often than not we are reading two books of the polar opposite genre." She searched his eyes with no less suspicion than before, taking no notice of the fact that regardless of what she herself may have been reading, the energy moving in the air about them appeared to be on the same subject as the demon in whose lap she sat.
I don't understand you. 3
The fire demon's expression didn't so much as twitch one way or the other as he met her gaze, his own eyes a calmness that rivaled the swirling energy within hers. Internally, he was still pretty happy with himself at having earned the expression she gave him, and was also rather proud of the fact that he had yet to show his amusement to her.
"Perhaps you picked up the wrong book, then. I thought I'd handed you the proper one." *
"If I picked up the wrong book, that certainly means you didn't hand me the right one. And I'm utterly convinced you would most certainly do everything in your power to prevent me from following along."
As with most moments such as these, which happened more often than Shikiyoku would likely admit, Shikiyoku found herself unable to consider any other situation than her present one, which she always reflected on in hindsight with appreciation for Hiei's apparent ability to so thoroughly distract her that any other thoughts that might intrude were kept at bay. 3
Hiei considered her for a moment, his lips giving the slightest of twitches. "I could've given you one in another language," he teased, his fingers still playing with her hair. He continued to stare openly at her with one brow raised, as if waiting for her to find the right book and the right page so she could catch up.
"You should use your context clues more often." *
Shikiyoku had been going to say something about the book being in another language, which so aptly described how she most often felt when there were moments like this between them.
"And what if the context clues come from a completely different background, hm? What if I can't understand those either?" 3
This time, Hiei's lips spread wide to show his teeth in a lopsided smile of amusement, unable to physically hold it back any longer. He almost told her she needed to go back to school, to take more courses in literature. Instead, the implication simply rushed across the bond, and he said something else afterwards.
"Then I'm afraid you're stuck." *
"You're just going to leave me like this, are you? It's exceedingly unhelpful of you, I'm sure you know. And I can't say I've advanced any further in the subject than when we started." She finally broke away from his gaze as if his smile had disconcerted her, the heat of her neck increasing as the prickling of her energy kept moving through her veins. "I haven't the faintest idea what I'm to do with you." 3
There was a moment where Hiei wanted nothing more than to tell her that she was to do everything with him, that he would want nothing less of her than to have all of her. All of her time, all of her attention. But, in the moment, it was exactly what he had, and really, he couldn't say much more. And while he wanted her to give him all of the things that Shikijo had been willing to offer, he didn't quite think she would willingly oblige. Not when there was a demon with shallow, sickly breathing nearby.
...not that he wouldn't commentate on it.
His smile faded into a lopsided smirk and a raised brow as he stared, watching the color creep up her neck and to her ears and cheeks again.
He leaned closer again, his breath washing over her ear again. "I suppose you can do whatever you want." *
As if something finally clicked with her, Shikiyoku's eyes briefly closed as she let out a huff of amusement and found herself wearing a wry smile.
"What I want to do and what you want me to do is a conflict of interests, I am sure." As Shikiyoku spoke, she turned her head just enough in his direction that she could see his face, reaching her left hand up to place it against the side of his face, gently covering the markings over his right cheek. 3
The stretching of his lips this time was unbidden as he saw understanding click behind her eyes and she turned to glance at him. His brows were raised as if telling her to continue, and the hand that found his cheek was warm and very much welcomed. However, the hand that had been resting in his lap, and consequently her lap, made to grab her hand from his cheek. He pulled it away only to kiss her palm, which smelled of whatever medicines she'd been administering throughout the day to the sick redhead nearby.
(And if it isn't?)
He let his lips linger on her palm for a few seconds, where he considered the warmth radiating from her skin and the difference in her touch versus the touch of Shikijo in the Last Stand. The abundance of warmth and care was definitely welcomed and, a part of him realized, even desired. And yet a part of him wished her touch also held the wanting that Shikijo's had had. *
If it wasn't...
Shikiyoku watched him, feeling that same little dip of her stomach she got a while back when he had crashed into her in his room.
In a heartbeat I would...
Having quite thoroughly disarmed her, Shikiyoku's gaze lifted from their hands to his face as if looking for some indication that might give her hint as to his intentions, and yet found none. 3
Hiei pulled Shikiyoku's hand away from his lips long enough to look at her over her fingertips, his gaze meeting hers in the silence of the moment. Neither of them spoke, though Hiei had the sense that she wasn't sure about what was going on.
Out of mere whim, the fire demon rolled her hand to one side for a second and pressed his lips to the top of it, before rolling her hand back the way it had been moments before and kissing the tip of her index finger, then her middle finger, and so on. Finally, he kissed her palm again with a slightly lopsided, and yet somehow gentle smile that lasted only for a moment.
He didn't dare break the silence this time either. *
Initially, the only coherent thought that brushed over Shikiyoku's mind dared to wonder where on earth he had learned that, the gesture leaving her otherwise at Hiei's mercy.
Her expression, however, revealed none of her surprise, instead reflecting the warmth the buzzing energy within her contained, feeling as it cascaded through her body that with little provocation she might start to glow.
She...she wanted to respond somehow. To do something. Even perhaps give a verbal reply into the stillness of the room.
But aside from simply kissing him outright, she could think of nothing, and simply sat there. 3
Hiei kept hold of Shikiyoku's hand even as he lowered it to her lap, content with simply sitting and staring at her, just as she was doing with him. The swirling yellow in her gaze was captivating in and of itself, and add to that the warmth she exuded and he found himself thoroughly amazed with her, perhaps on a level he'd never been before.
He considered kissing her fingertips again, but didn't want to disturb the quiet air around them again. He considered saying something into the bond, but found no words rightly fit the moment.
So instead, he stared, completely content with watching her even as she watched him. *
This time, Shikiyoku did not turn inward to search for a desire that she knew would not be there, knowing that had she felt it, as before, she would have asked him the question he posed to her in the past.
She did, however, come across the sense that he wished simply look at her, and the idea that he desired to do so ignited her embarrassment anew and she could not look at him any longer, instead dropping her gaze back down to stare at the hand he still held in his grasp.
Finding herself nearly asking him why he looked at her like that, instead another question drifted between them.
(...you are staying around for awhile?) 3
Hiei almost asked her that burning question again, as if it might change her answer this time around. He almost let it slide across the bond, hoping that maybe this time her answer would be different.
Before he did, however, her side of the bond quivered and he was left answering her.
(Only as long as you want me to.) *
Shikiyoku closed her eyes and smiled at his response.
(Do not tease me so. You are never around as long as I would like. But I would have you stay forever. And I am not so selfish as to deny your particular set of skills to the rest of the world. Not when they are so needed, regardless of my wish that it were not so.) 3
Hiei continued to stare in the same way that he always did, his expression that same one that he tended to reserve only for her eyes- a slightly tilted smile and a soft gaze. He squeezed her hand once in reassurance.
(All you need is ask, my jewel.) *
(Ah, but how can I?) Shikiyoku leaned back a little and shifted slightly as if to make herself more comfortable. (As talented as your men are, you have yet to find a single one your equal. Which means that when they can't get something done, it's all left to you. Or you and they, as it were.) She looked over at him, her eyes gleaming.
(And even I cannot deny that your work is useful. And who am I to keep you from that?) 3
If Hiei had tried to hide the complete cheer he felt at being praised, the bond completely tipped her off to the emotions he felt anyway. Though his expression did not change, the bond became filled with pride and happiness at his own accomplishments.
(It would be for nothing if you were not at my side.) he finally replied, giving a small nod at her as if he might lean his head against hers. *
Shikiyoku stuck her nose in the air.
(I would be much too distracting were I to go with you. Your men would hardly get a single thing done.) 3
(You're right. They're easily distracted by pretty women.)
This time, Hiei turned away as if he'd said nothing, his eyes finding the ceiling as he fought a smirk. *
(As if I didn't know that.) She replied. (They do frequent my bar, as I'm sure you recall.)
Shikiyoku reached up and brushed her hair away from her face, attempting to get it to stay behind her ear.
"...Yoku..."
Shikiyoku's head snapped over to the bed, seeing that Kurama's eyes were somewhat open and realizing in the same breath that she had no idea how long he had been watching them.
Thankfully, simply in the manner in which he said her name, she could tell this to be a more sober moment in which he could speak coherently in spite of his condition.
All at once Shikiyoku unfolded herself from the chair and moved the few steps towards him, trying not to let her concern for him show on her face.
"Did you...have you talked to the contractors?"
Her expression abruptly softened, "Save your strength. You need not think of such things until you are better."
"And the deal we were working on with-"
"Youko Kurama." She silenced him with a slightly sterner expression. "Do you trust me?"
His half-lidded eyes blinked and he looked away from her.
"Do you trust me?" She pressed again.
"With my life, dear one."
"Then your greatest concern should be your own health. There is little I can do for that."
Her reassurances silenced him on the subject. 3
The second Hiei heard Kurama's voice in the room, he released his hold on Shiki's hand, allowing her to slide away from him and tend to the demon who had woken up likely some time ago. He watched the pair with a neutral expression, thinking on her fears for the one on the bed.
Hiei had never actually watched the transformation from healthy to Infected from beginning to end, and so was not really sure how this would play out.
He did, however, think of how little time had passed before Kit had gone from simply laying around to suddenly Infected, and he wondered just how long Kurama had been ill.
Did the time that had passed really matter? Likely not.
But thinking on it would do no good. So, he let himself watch in silence. *
"Is there anything else you can think of that might help?" Shikiyoku sat herself down at Kurama's side and his hand sought hers for reassurance.
He shifted his head to look over at the bedside table, and Shikiyoku could sense his attempt at manipulating what he knew to be there, with not an ounce of success as the result.
Finally relaxing back, he shook his head.
His eyes focused on the other individual in the room and he smiled a little.
"Hiei. It has been a long time." 3
Hiei noticed the attempt made by Kurama to manipulate the plant nearby, and how it was fruitless. He also noted how the other took Shikiyoku's hand the second he could, but he didn't think much of it. He began to close his eyes, but fought against it and opened them wide again.
When he was addressed, the fire demon met Kurama gaze for gaze and gave a short nod. "Indeed it has." He didn't say much more, reminded just by the sight of the other at the scene he'd walked in on and how unpleasant it had been. He tried to ignore it though, if only to remain friends in the very least with the people in the room. *
"Since before that whole king business, if I remember correctly." He moved his head back to lay against the pillows. He glanced over at Shikiyoku, thinking of how she had refused to go with him to Yomi, and how that had resulted in Hiei now being her Consort.
He did not begrudge Hiei the position, as much as it would have pleased him to have it. He knew that she did not yet have a mate, and despite the fact that he heard tell of multiple instances of her refusing anyone that asked, he was also aware that she had to know of his desires on the subject, deciding it wiser to withhold the question until he was certain the moment in which he asked the question, he would be met with her consent.
The situation he had awoken to between Shikiyoku and her Consort amused him to no end. He had been awake for several minutes, and watched as the role he was so used to seeing Shikiyoku in had been taken on by Hiei, and the role he would have assigned Hiei in a similar situation is the one he watched Shikiyoku end up in.
She obviously held much affection for the fire demon, but did not appear to know what exactly to do about his advances, and Youko might have laughed openly at her as he watched were he not so weak.
From all of this, even his fever-addled mind pieced together the notion that Hiei had grown much since he left for Yomi, and while he did not think it possible for a demon like Hiei to have any idea of the concept of what a mate might be, he did note that whatever portion of Hiei's personality that his Koorime heritage was hindering had started to melt and yield ever-so-slightly to the more fiery side of his nature.
Kurama had long ago come to terms with the fact that simply by pursuing Shikiyoku he would have to accept Hiei's presence as a permanent fixture in the relationship.
And if he were being honest, he could not see himself being so willing to share her were it anyone else.
He squeezed Shikiyoku's hand as she leaned forward and dabbed at his face with a cloth that had been dipped in one of the mixtures he taught her, catching sight of her concern and knowing that all his considerations would be for naught if he were to rise up and destroy herself and Hiei. 3
Hiei didn't reply to the demon on the bed, suddenly remembering that Shikiyoku had specifically called him by Youko, and not simply Kurama. He considered the change he could see in the other just in the expression worn by his old comrade, and on some level he knew that it wasn't really the same person he'd known before.
His thoughts wandered to the way he held Shikiyoku's hand, his eyes doing the same only for a second before his eyelids closed. He didn't let his thoughts wander too far before reigning them back in and concentrating solely on the bond he could feel, and its warmth that was tinged with the concern from the other end.
He wanted to tell her that all would be okay, but really he couldn't bring himself to promise her something he was not sure of. So, he remained quiet for several hours, even when Youko had fallen back into slumber and Shikiyoku had gotten comfortable on his lap once more. It had begun to get late, and he assumed she needed rest, and had even encouraged her to fall into that slumber until, finally, he was the only one in the building awake and aware.
Only then did thoughts stir of what'd he'd learned in just a few hours. They kept his mind going, kept him awake far longer than should have been possible given his lack of sleep the last week or so. But with the new information piled in heaps, he could do nothing but sift through it all.
The fire demon, firstly, hadn't heard anything on Kurama since the blast at the fight with the Kings and that whole mess. He'd heard nothing more other than the fact that everyone who had been blasted away had returned all in the same day, and that his sister was to be married. He'd heard little on Kuwabara, and less of Yusuke, and even less still of the Fox Demon and the Dog, both of which had, in his own eyes, simply stayed out of the radar. The dog, he didn't mind. Didn't care, really. And, in truth, if someone had told him that Kurama was around, he likely would have only visited once or twice and likely only to check in and catch up.
But still, knowing his old comrade was alive was better than what he'd been told.
Which was nothing.
Nothing like oh hey, I've been visiting Kurama lately.
Nothing like oh hey, I bumped into him today. Wanna know what we did?
Nothing like oh hey, Youko's attracted to me and pursuing me. Ridiculous, right?
He'd heard nothing from the person whom he tells everything to, even the irrelevant things. Even the things that meant nothing during or after the events of his day, he shared with her because he wanted to. Because he wanted her to be involved in his daily dealings, even when she was not physically so.
Suddenly, he remembered flowers. Flowers, in a vase, sitting on the bar. Flowers that were swept up into petite hands and carried up the stairs of the bar. Flowers that smelled like the person in the room.
He blinked into the darkness of the room, realizing that Shikiyoku had been with Youko for a while now, and had had plenty of time to inform him that hey, your pal is in town.
In this instance, where she was scared he would turn, Hiei could understand why Shikiyoku would not tell him of her visits with the fox demon. But any other time?
Because he wants to be her mate.
Perhaps she wants him to be too.
The thought left a sting behind that had him give a physical cringe, his nose crinkling and his body leaning backwards as if he'd been punched. When Shikiyoku stirred, however, he quickly relaxed and turned to watch her, noticing that she seemed to have woken up as if an alarm had gone off, and was up to tend to bandages and things on the Fox.
Hiei watched quietly, never saying a word.
And when she finally went to sleep again, his thoughts picked up where they left off. *
Kurama's eyes came open of their own accord.
His limbs were weak, his body still weary, and even if he wanted to move, he knew he could not.
He felt very hungry. Very thirsty. Though he knew he was receiving both nutrients and hydration via Shikiyoku's attentions at his instruction.
And the scents in the room were strong in this moment.
He could not remember waking since he initially found Hiei in the room with them, but knew the various mixtures upon his person were as new as they should be.
He briefly glanced over to see Shikiyoku curled in quiet contentment on Hiei's lap, though the fire demon himself did not sleep.
He felt it the strangest thing that in all their time together, Hiei's name had not once passed between himself and Shikiyoku. He knew, of course, of her work at the bar, for he recalled travelling there himself to assist in Hiei's recovery. And he had connected for himself that the instances in which she did not work were likely spent at said bar, her time at the company when Hiei was not at home.
But he could not think of a single instance in which either of them mentioned the Consort. As if she were leading a sort of double life, switching between two roles in a similar manner as to the days when she and Toriko existed in the same body, where one said very little of the other.
"She never talks about you. I didn't even know you were around until she asked for my help removing poisons from someone. Wanted me to send her the herbs she thought were needed. I decided I could be of more assistance than only that. She deserved more than only that. Imagine my surprise when I came into the room to see it was you that had been poisoned." Kurama spoke aloud absently, knowing Hiei was not asleep. "She barely says two words to me that don't have to do with the company..." He meant to tack on a question, to seek some answer or another from the Consort, but his eyelids dropped back down and in another instant he had fallen back to slumber. 3
The fire demon had, just an hour before sunrise, let all thoughts fall away into the weariness that washed over him. He'd receded into a silence that encompassed his entire being long before the sun had risen, long before anyone had awoken again. All thoughts he'd been having had fallen victim to his exhaustion and had been sealed away for another time.
He hadn't intended to do so, but Hiei stared at the edge of the bed as if thinking, but really not allowing himself to close his eyes even for a moment. If Youko were to turn Infected while Shikiyoku slept, he'd have to run her out of harm's way, no matter how exhausted he was.
He'd blinked once, but when he did, he'd let his eyelids rest for a few minutes longer than intended.
It was within those few minutes that the other male in the room stirred, though Hiei did not open his eyes to look at him. Instead, he listened, fully aware that the fox knew him to be awake.
For some reason, it did not surprise Hiei to know that Shikiyoku had said nothing of Hiei to the other. In fact, it seemed to fit the way she'd kept himself in the dark about Youko in the same manner. But, as the last sentence came to his ears, Hiei finally opened his eyes to look at his friend in curiosity, wondering just why the other had felt the need to say all of that.
It did, however, make him feel just a little better about his situation, but not much.
After all, Hiei hadn't even been aware that Youko had healed him.
He let out a breath and shifted further down in the chair, eyes remaining on the fox demon.
I don't want to fight, friend. *
Sensing something happening in the room, Shikiyoku did not pull away from her sleep fast enough to catch any of what Kurama spoke, instead blinking slowly into the darkness of the room and feeling Hiei shift underneath her, starting to slide off of his lap.
(There is a bed in the other room. You should sleep sometime tonight, my Consort.) 3
Hiei turned his eyes down to Shikiyoku after a moment, realizing that she'd woken due to the sounds in the room. His arms grabbed her and gently repositioned her in his lap again, where she would not slide off and onto the floor despite his own shifting around.
When he finally settled, he made a small sound at her.
(I slept last night.) The reply was tinged with slight amusement, as if he were joking. (I've had plenty of rest. You should rest yourself.) *
While his gathering her back into place drew a soft noise of protest from her throat, Shikiyoku did not actually resist him, curling up again and letting out a breath as she let her forehead come to rest against his neck.
(I slept last night too.) She insisted, giving him a sleepy nudge. (And tonight, for that matter.) She found herself smiling. (If you won't sleep, then I'm not either.) 3
Hiei made a face in the darkness as if the idea was unappealing to him before he looked to her again, his chin resting on the top of her head.
(I enjoy watching you sleep.) *
(Can't watch me now.) She cuddled closer underneath him, burying her face in the white cloth around his neck. 3
Usually, Hiei would protest in his silent manner of staring at her until her energy filled the air. This time, since he could not see her face, he simply huffed at her. (Woman.) He didn't know what she thought she'd accomplish, but really, his brain had began turning over different thoughts again, keeping him from sleep. *
(Flame boy.) She replied in equal measure, still smiling. She tilted her head back far enough so that she could press her lips up against the underside of his chin in an affectionate kiss.
Resolved not to be the one to fall back asleep, she searched for something that might keep her awake.
(Tell me about your trip.) 3
Hiei blinked, momentarily thinking that he'd already told her of his and the guild's trip to the Seventh. After a bit of speculation though, he realized that he'd only glossed over the major things, and hadn't really gone into detail as he usually did.
Another second passed as he considered where to start before he took a breath as if to speak aloud, and let it out through his nostrils.
(Well…)
Hiei went on, first explaining the demon who'd called upon the guild and insisted that it be the whole guild and not just one person, despite their low pay for the job, and how the client had very poorly explained the situation they'd be going into.
Not one of them had been prepared to face a horde of Infected to get to the one or two that they'd been hired to relocate, nor had they expected to have to work alongside another guild to do such a thing.
He went on to explain how they'd interacted with this second guild, who'd all but spat at Hiei's own men, and had been all but left behind for it. He explained one happening after the other, from being hired to tossing the Infected to the Eighth to stumbling into the Last Stand and finally to scaling the side of the building he was now in, which actually had been the easiest thing he'd done in weeks.
When he finally went quiet again, it was with an amusement at the remembrance of his guild's reaction to Uryo, and then how they'd all gone different ways with different women, different lovers. And how several of them had had nasty hangovers the next morning. *
Curled up against Hiei's chest, little else aside from his retelling drifted through Shikiyoku's mind as she reached up to curl a hand over his shoulder as she listened silently to him.
(And you?) She asked as she felt his amusement echoing through their bond. (Find anyone yourself?) The question was asked with complete sincerity even as she smiled and gently nudged her forehead into his neck at his description of the various antics his men decided to involve themselves in once their initial fear of Uryo had passed away. 3
Hiei found his eyes turning to Shiki as best as they could, though he gave her a small shrug. (None that appealed to me. They're too transparent.) He let his eyes turn forward again, thinking back to how Shikijo had indeed been attracted to him, but only for reasons pertaining to his strength and power. Sure, she'd been interesting to test the waters with, but in the end, he'd realized that he had interest only in Shikiyoku, and that no other would likely ever have what Shikiyoku has.
It was of little consequence to him though.
(Why so interested, my jewel?) *
(But that makes them such easy conquests!) Shikiyoku countered. (You really found none you liked?)
She kept smiling, though he could not see her.
(You did not say whether you found someone or no. And I was curious.) 3
Hiei raised a brow slightly before shaking his head this way and that. (What am I to do with you?) He took a breath and released it from his nostrils. (The answer is no, I did not find someone I thought worthy of my time- mating or otherwise.) *
(The same thing you've always done with me, apparently.) She replied in good humor. (And what a pity. I had hoped perhaps the patrons there would be of a higher quality.) 3
Again, Hiei shook his head. (There's only one being on the Nine Levels that could catch my fancy.) He paused, his head turning one way. (The rest only wish to sleep with "Gouka".) Hiei made a face. (Always about power - either I'm a Cursed Child and am Unpredictable, or Exquisite and the oh-so Powerful Gouka…) He let out another huff of air. *
Shikiyoku could not help the sudden spike of curiosity at the prospect that perhaps Hiei had already found someone. Or was he saying he knew someone that he could like if he chose to?
In any case, she did not press the statement despite how much she may have wanted to, resisting letting out a laugh at the rest of it.
(I don't see why they wouldn't want to sleep with a Cursed Child. I'm really not sure why that's a strike not in their favor, come to think of it. Though I can't say I don't understand your side of things. Had a similar moment with a demon in the bar a while back. And all because of the whole Kuraku nonsense.) The next part came across as mumbled as her smile faded away into a bit of a frown: (As if it's some sort of great thing to be anyway.) 3
Hiei nodded his head in understanding. (Exactly. It's not this great thing to be a hybrid of fire and ice. I'm not some magical being who-) he paused, his head tilted to one side as he realized that he wasn't quite sure how they'd gotten to this conversation. His eyes found what he could see of her face, which wasn't much. (You're so concerned with me mating with someone?) He raised a brow at her. (Why is that? If you're so concerned, then you should be my partner.) *
It wasn't so much that she was concerned with him mating with anyone necessarily. Truthfully, she just wanted him to find someone. Something more permanent than a one-night stand, she supposed. Granted, neither did she feel as if such opportunities should be passed up-though strangely enough she thought nothing of her doing the same, though perhaps in this case she thought of her past, in which those moments were not passed up.
Shikiyoku gave a little shrug and decided to explain, regardless of what she had just told him in relation to her own denial of such an encounter.
(I just don't feel as if such opportunities should be passed up on such a flimsy reason as that. Though honestly, if you didn't want them as partners, I don't see why you'd want me. Aren't I just as bad as they are?) She pulled away just far enough to look up at him with teasing eyes. (Wanting to sleep with a child that is forbidden to me?) 3
Hiei's brows rose higher, this time with incredulity. He didn't understand why she thought he should pass up such encounters, when in reality he felt himself not really inclined to give in to such prospects. Though, he did understand her point at his reasoning.
(The difference between them and you,) he began to reply as he shifted a little, (is that I am not just a cursed child to you. Nor am I "Gouka" to you. I am Hiei.) He gave a shrug. (It's not something I can rightfully explain either, on terms where even I could understand.)
He blinked and shifted to look down at her fully with a brow raised. He tilted his head slightly at her. Her last comment finally seemed to register with him, and he pursed his lips slightly. (The only person claiming that I am forbidden to you is, well, you.) *
Though somewhere Shikiyoku supposed it to be related to his Koorime blood-those asexual ice maidens capable of reproducing through the creation of genetic copies-she had also met others with similar feelings as his, who wanted to 'wait' until it was 'right.'
Ridiculous.
Such as that among the apparitions were few and far between, and likely had not lived to see such a time and thus robbed themselves of the pleasure.
(Oh, I suppose I understand you.) Shikiyoku sighed a bit long-sufferingly. (I can't say I agree with you, but I do understand.)
She knew perfectly well that there were many nowadays who only knew him as Gouka, that Hellfire of Mukuro, the Walking Inferno of the Ninth Level, but she could only drop the bit about him being 'Hiei' because the only thing she could rightfully come up with was "yeah, you are." In all of his dark-haired, crimson-eyed, smoldering glory. About which she attempted to steer clear her thoughts, or end up driving herself mad considering. 3
For a split moment, there was a faint feeling of something- an agreement of sorts- that drifted across the bond from Shiki's end, and Hiei took only the same amount of time to assess it before letting it fade away to nothingness and moving on to the next thing on his mind.
(Plus, with you, the forbidden part is a bonus. A challenge, not something that would hinder your honor should you decide you enjoyed me for more than a simple one-night fling.) *
Shikiyoku might have laughed out loud had there not been an invalid for whom rest was pertinent in the room with them.
As it was, she bit her lip and suppressed a large grin, dropping her head down in a silent chuckle as she replied archly to him.
(You're certainly not wrong, flame boy. For someone like me, from my point of view anyway, it would rather be considered an honor as opposed to hindering it, it's true. I have done many a thing in my time that should have hindered my honor, that would likely have been considered much worse than something so simple as pursuing that which has been forbidden to all.)
Her expression diminished back into a rather self-satisfied smirk, leaving the rest unsaid. 3
Hiei had to take a moment to consider which to begin with before he responded, his chin lifting a little higher just for a moment before it dropped back down in amusement.
(First of all, Fire Prince.) He paused for a moment and glanced down at her before turning his eyes forward again. (Second, that's all the more reason you should be my partner. Not some random in a bar.) *
(I suppose I am rather backing myself into a corner then, aren't I? I'd rather let the subject drop then, I think, before I get myself in trouble. I still maintain that not using that which comes along to you, if you are in full understanding of whom is using whom, is a very poor choice indeed. Flame boy.) 3
Hiei frowned, the bond transmitting the same impression briefly before he spoke again. (As I said, they're transparent. I prefer a challenge. I get bored with my playthings easily.) *
(Well, you haven't had any playthings, so I'm not exactly sure where you are supposed to have been bored with them.) She glanced up at him, a single eyebrow raised. (And there is no such thing as a challenge if you cheat.) She reached up and poked his cheek, her eyes flickering up to where she knew the Jagan was hidden behind the seal of his bandana. (Everyone and everything is transparent to one such as yourself, should they not know to take the usual mental precautions against you.) 3
(If you aren't smart enough to always have mental blocks up, then you've already bored me.) Hiei tilted his head to one side and closed his eyes, the shoulder Shikiyoku rested her head on lifting just a bit before relaxing again. (Simple as that.) *
Shikiyoku certainly couldn't argue that particular point, allowing it by falling silent. Granted-and here as the thought occurred her lips twitched into a smile as her hands fell back into her lap-she certainly had never seen the purpose in such mental defenses back in the day. While since in Hiei's company, she had definitely become more proficient at actually remembering to raise barriers, before him, back when she frequented the courts of the Ninth Level, any that wished to read her were certainly welcome. She always found their prying amusing to experience.
(I suppose that would have been a strike most assuredly against me, then.) She gave a faux-dejected sigh and let her eyes close again. 3
Hiei considered for a moment Shiki and all she is, all she likely was, and his reaction should he have stumbled across her without actually knowing her. At first thought, he considered her charm, her ability to influence people without so much as a word spoken, and he suddenly remembered a dream about a night when he'd unknowingly happened across her in a little village. He remembered the soft glow of the fire she stood near, and the amber in her eyes, and his sudden thought to leave without harming a soul. And, just as suddenly, he realized it wasn't a dream. Rather, it was a memory that he'd long since forgotten. As cloudy as it was, the memory reminded him of how Shikijo had looked, and a realization that that was Shikiyoku's true form had him momentarily stunned.
He recovered his original train of thought, and he considered her for a few long moments before finally answering.
(You're right.) His answer was almost a bored one, though he could imagine she was amused by such a thing given who she is and her expertise. (Too boring. But, that was your job, what you lived for.) Another pause and he shifted until he rested his cheek on the top of her head. (Understandable, but still boring.) *
(For one such as yourself, quite certainly so.) She remembered still how he had hardly known what to do with her on their first meeting, and how her world had been so very different from his own and what he experienced. (Though I doubt you had any 'understanding' of it whatsoever. You did not know the meaning of 'fun,' and that's certainly what I strived to be in specific cases. Though perhaps it's too forward of me to say for you that you know the meaning now.)
She had to clench her teeth together to not snigger aloud.
On that and on so many things besides. 3
Hiei didn't answer, instead letting the bond transmit the sheer amusement he suddenly felt at the conversation, which he was sure she had never thought they'd have. His eyelids remained closed and for a brief moment, he thought he just might fall asleep. When he didn't and several silent minutes passed, he finally responded with a crooked sneer.
(If you'd like to find out, all you'd have to do is ask. I certainly wouldn't turn you down in that regard now.) *
(Oh, is that all it would take then? Silly me for thinking otherwise. Dear Hiei-) She slipped her head out from under where he came to rest on her, sitting up with no small amount of impertinence, her expression quite serious aside from the slight tip of her lips to the one side as if they might part to say something at any second and the single, raised eyebrow that completed what otherwise might have been a particularly keen 'come hither' expression should her gaze have started brimming with power as she looked him dead in the eyes.
(Do you truly after all this time know the meaning of fun? I've been absolutely dying to know.) 3
At first, Hiei didn't really take Shikiyoku seriously. It wasn't until she started moving around that, for a brief moment, he was unsure of what to do because he hadn't thought she'd react in any way. Up until this moment, she hadn't even bat an eyelash at his advances, and so her moving to sit up and face him startled him into staring as she settled again, her gaze meeting his.
And just as quickly as the expression came, and with his understanding of her intentions to redirect the conversation, his eyes narrowed at her and his lips formed a tight line that remained as his mind began working, calculating, computing the best answer for her sarcasm because the whole moment had been one he hadn't really anticipated.
Finally, his expression changed. His lips turned into a sidelong smirk and his eyes sparked with amusement and something else, and he closed the space between their faces until the tips of their noses nearly met, his eyes still narrowed at her.
(Wouldn't you like to know?) *
(So you admit it.) Her eyebrow quirked higher, but she did not so much as move a muscle otherwise. (It takes something more than just 'asking.')
For just a moment, a literal gleam passed over her green eyes, moving across them in what could not be called anything but a very calculated manner before disappearing entirely.
(It's never that easy, is it...flame boy?) 3
For a moment, for a very split second, a change came over the fire demon's face that he was not aware of. It passed quickly, turning into the narrowed-eyed stare with the implication of a grumble passing across the bond.
With you it isn't.
He took another moment to consider where he sat, his nose still a centimeter from hers and his eyes still meeting her gaze. (You'd be bored if it was so easy.) *
(You know, I think it's you who decided as much with me. The thought never even occurred to me before. Perhaps that's because I have...because I had a penchant for tossing things aside long before they ever became so familiar as to be boring.) She paused as if considering what she had just said, and then shook her head ever-so-slightly. (No. I do not think I can be made bored. Love is, after all, an ephemeral beauty. It changes with each passing day.) 3
Hiei turned his head ever so slightly at her, unintentionally moving further forward and just touching the tip of his nose to hers, but not moving away afterwards. (I feel honored to know that I'm interesting enough to not just throw away.) His lips twitched once before he turned serious again.
(Many things and many people bore me, but you are most certainly not of those.) *
As Hiei spoke, Shikiyoku realized that perhaps it was not she that had done the throwing away after all. Youko might have had her believe it, it certainly sounded like something he might have said at one point, but the truth likely stood closer to the fact that she had been tossed aside and needed to take on such a standpoint or spend too much of her time crying over it.
And some part of her felt the need to correct her previous statement, even more than she already had.
Shikiyoku lifted her arms to encircle his neck, leaning her forehead against his as she finally closed her eyes.
(I would never throw you away, my Consort. You are my closest ally. ...and my best friend.)
...my only friend. 3
He hadn't expected her to lean closer and hug him at the neck, but Hiei was ready to accept the gesture in any case. He didn't miss a beat with wrapping his own arms around her midsection and resting his forehead against hers, a certain calmness falling over his being. As she spoke within the bond, he drank in every word and everything that came with it, all of the emotions she felt- as quiet as they were.
On some level, he understood what she left unsaid, because he too felt similarly. If it weren't for her, he likely would still be running the levels with no actual purpose, excepting maybe to simply grow stronger with each passing day.
It was an odd thought when paired with memories of the days when he'd wanted nothing but power.
He smiled in spite of himself.
(I always will be.) *
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off!