The next few weeks found Hiei and Maribella going on one or two more dates with Yukina, who was still uncomfortable in the human world—and wanted to meddle a little bit more with the two of them. Yukina really wanted to make sure that her friend and Kuwabara's friend were happy with each other. Soul mates did not come around for every demon. They were rare things that needed to be cherished and benefit both sides of a relationship. So, she made up excuses to have Maribella and Hiei to come with them.
During these weeks, Maribella and Hiei grew closer, though they never once discussed the kiss they had shared on that night, nor the memories that had been shared on the bank of the lake. But they did thaw to one another and spent more and more time working out together. Maribella fought every day to gain access to her true powers, though now it was more to show Hiei just how strong she was and impress him than just being able to go home. In fact, her idea of home was changing as well. It was no longer Europe which called her heart to come back to it. For years Europe had been her home, Europe, and her friends there. Now, now it was here, or wherever Hiei had an assignment. Even knowing that they were not necessarily going to become anything more than extremely close friends, she didn't want to leave.
For Hiei, the weeks consisted of fighting through what he had learned about Maribella—the passionate woman he'd seen in her memories, the emotional trauma of being engulfed in flames and being robbed of her entire being since her memory had destroyed some parts of itself to save her. How could a woman survive that and still come out just as strong as before, even if her powers were gone? How could she still be willing to try it on with a fire demon soul mate who she half feared just as much as she admired him? He found himself pondering these kinds of questions continually during training sessions, times he had to himself, any time really. After all, how could he not? This woman was seeping her way into everything he did, and while a part of him rebelled against it, the rest of him found himself laughing softly at her antics during dinner, or filling with a sense of pride as she mastered something she deemed 'beginner level' which seemed far harder.
He liked watching her complete her exercises. He liked waking up in the middle of the night and watching that ever peculiar and beautiful dance she did when she couldn't sleep because of the nightmares. One night when she awoke from one, he didn't let her go out alone. He followed her out to the bank of that lake in the backyard and shadowed her movements, no more than a few inches between them. It was a strange dance that they did, back and forth, stretching her power and his, while being keenly aware of each other. That night the lake rose in its own dance as her powers soared up. Neither of them noticed. They were too focused on the feel of their soulmate marks buzzing with the closeness, and the feeling of their minds melting together as they had the night on the lake, sharing back and forth what they knew and their powers.
When the stretching came to an end, Hiei remained behind her, one hand going to rest ever so lightly on her hip, keeping her from walking away. "Don't go inside," he said, voice gruff in the sudden silent night.
"Why?" She asked, not daring to turn around in case this was a dream. If she turned around in dreams, she always woke up.
"Because I don't want you to go," Hiei said simply as he pulled her back against his chest.
"Why not?" She teased softly, one hand going down to rest over his which had slid around her stomach, anchoring her there firmly. Her skin practically sizzled.
"Imp," Hiei accused as he guided her around to face him. Oh yes, she noted, he had definitely grown a little bit more because now she was looking up into his eyes rather than directly into them as she was used to. When had that happened? She didn't get much time to ponder that because he was guiding her up into another kiss, claiming her lips with his in a very masculine, very dominating way. The young demoness practically melted under his onslaught, but that didn't stop her from fighting back with her own lips for dominance.
They made out there on the lakeshore, enjoying it far more than their first simple kiss in the corridor. This… This was uninhibited by shyness or embarrassment. They were there for a reason, and that reason was simple. They needed one another just as much as they needed air to breathe.
From inside the house, a woman's figure appeared, watching them from the shadows. Lerra didn't even flinch as Touya came to stand next to her. "What are you doing Lerra? It isn't like you to be a voyeur," Touya asked as he watched the two demons outside.
Lerra took a deep breathe and shrugged her shoulders a bit. "I am bored here Touya. No one is dying. I can't take my revenge without a body," she reminded him lightly. Touya was quiet for a time as he too watched the two on the lakebed.
"Have you told her anything about yourself Lerra?" Touya finally asked. "About your revenge? About how you and I know one another? About why you are a ghost willing to protect her?"
Lerra's gaze slid from the couple and moved to Touya. They were calm as her hair swirled around her features, but her mouth was firmly in an unhappy line. "No. And why should I? They are not of her concern at the moment."
"No? Lerra, you were there when she was attacked and almost killed."
"And she is alive now because I was stupid enough to offer the last of my strength to protect her instead of saving myself so I could get my revenge," Lerra said, "She does not need to know that. I need no thanks for that."
Touya's icy gaze thawed a bit as he watched his oldest friend. "Lerra… You know you only need to tell me the name of the man who betrayed you, and I would make sure he was killed in the brutalist way possible," he reminded.
"And deprive myself of the pleasure Touya? No. I am not ready for such an admission yet. I shall not give my revenge away to have you do it," Lerra shook her head and returned her gaze to the two outside. "I am going to wander. They will be safe tonight. Anyone who interrupts them will get a heavy dose of three elements. Not a pleasurable experience I'm sure." She faded away to go to wherever she kept herself most these days since she was a ghost. Touya stood there and slowly turned his gaze to Ari and Hiei. He slowly shrugged and turned away. It was not his place to betray Lerra's trust in him to keep his mouth shut. Even if he disagreed with her.
Outside, Maribella pulled away from Hiei and then slowly led him up towards her bedroom. They didn't speak as she pulled him into her room and let the glass slide shut behind them. Their lips locked again, hungry and desperate for one another's touch. She couldn't have imagined a better way at spending her evening than this. He guided her to her bed, and soon they were having a very good make-out session on the bed. Hiei cradled her as if she were china. She held onto him like he was the only thing keeping her from falling into the ocean.
The next morning found them resting against each other, her head on his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her. Both till wore their clothes, having stopped just shy of doing anything more than kissing the night before. While they were each willing to go further, they both mentally decided to hold off on pushing forward. They didn't want to scare each other off.
"Well, well, well…" the male voice purred in the air, booming in the small room. Hiei and Ari both sat bolt upright, reaching for weapons they didn't have. Maribella knew that voice. It was him. "I go away for a few months and you find yourself a playmate who's a fire demon? Tsk, tsk. What will I ever do with you girlie. Oh. I know." Her body flew threw the glass windows and out onto the lawn. She rolled to her feet as soon as the energy that had carried her body stopped. pushing herself up, she fought to grab her powers and push at whatever had touched her. Hiei had followed her out, grabbing up the sword he'd left on the porch the night before.
"You will never know peace Maribella! You will never know happiness again. I will come for you myself," the voice boomed with a cackle before fading away.
