I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho fandom or characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and to Toshihiro Togashi. I do not make any monies or profit from the writing of this story.
Thank you, thank you to those who took the time to review and to those who made this story a favorite! As you can see from the title this is a re-written version of my original story. I hope you will enjoy it just as much. I really love to hear your thoughts and comments...Please let me know what you thought of this chapter as well whether good or bad. Thank you again!
Enjoy,
DawnFire_ice
Chapter 8
Crimson met both coffee and verdant colored eyes with no hesitation as he stared at his teammates over her sleeping form no longer covered in blood. Tears tracks were present on all three faces, a testament to their shared grief and loss. Kurama recovered his voice first and quietly queried "How?"
"The Shikon rests within her; she was made immortal by its whims." Hiei said frowning at the boldness of the Mazoku as he carefully but swiftly snatched the sleeping Miko.
Yusuke held her to his chest feeling her breath ghosting upon his cheek and he breathed a sigh of relief as his heart calmed. Nothing could take her from him again. Somehow he would convince her to marry him! He growled as Hiei took her back. (Oh hell no.)
Hiei's voice shamefully caught as he relayed the awful price he had paid to get her back. "Her mind was shattered, to bring her back cost dearly. Kage used all of us to break her so she had to forget." It was an exaggeration
"Forget what, Hiei?" Kurama asked slowly fearing the words.
"Us." The word burned like acid to the lips speaking it and the ears hearing it.
Yusuke's world shattered.
Never before, had Yusuke felt the kind of agony that ripped through his youkai heart hearing that the woman they loved had forgotten them, except upon seeing her die. To Yusuke it was tantamount to hearing that he had failed her completely. (Damn it!) The tears were pricking his eyes again and he turned from his friends before his emotions could betray him a second time. In his mind all of the memories they had built together rushed before his inner eye and a gruff sob escaped before he could bite it back.
Kurama and Youko were no better. Kurama clutched his shirt above his heart willing the ache to subside as in his head Youko was ranting furiously. His face though had gone blank showing nothing of his agony or despair. When he spoke his voice was completely calm albeit quiet. "Botan will be watching for us at the edge of this realm. I suggest we get out of here." Nothing could be done to change the outcome and he was grateful she still lived.
Kurama had his own reasons for wanting to get out of the hellhole they stood in. Hiei had not been the only one forced to live through Kage's painful illusions once they'd been separated. The illusions that he had endured had dug deep into his true memories and had surfaced some very painful experiences. Kuronue had been very dear to him and yet watching him die had been so very confusing. Kage had twisted the truth, leaving Kurama much the way he had been during the battle with the underworld when they pretended to be Kuronue to kill him.
That had been probably the hardest battle he'd ever faced, but this one came close. This time Kuronue had not been simply telling him to run; he had also confessed his love with his dying breath. Kuronue had whispered all of the words Yoko had longed to hear from his partner's full lips, but instead of being able to pull the other youkai into his arms he was forced to watch as crimson blood trickled from his mouth and as his lifeblood drained through the hollow tubes of bamboo, the illusion making it impossible to turn away or run. Then as if Kuronue wasn't enough he was replaced with Kagome. She was begging him to save her if he loved her. And he had tried, and failed.
Even now tears stung at his eyes as he looked back towards the room where he'd seen his partner's face and where the illusion of Kagome had died in his arms. Trying to manipulate the illusion had been impossible. But still he had tried, even knowing that Kuronue was long since dead, having sacrificed himself to save him. It had been heart wrenching and left him in a rare show of tears. At that time he had been very glad that he had not had either Yusuke or Hiei near him to witness his shame. Yusuke had probably gone through his own form of hell too, though it was very difficult to tell with the Toushin since he still looked like death warmed over. Keiko had really done a number on their friend and he truly hoped that life would get better for him. Now that seemed an improbability since Kagome had become his happiness.
However, even though his mind was in turmoil, there was a constant that refused to be silent and that was the question of how in the world he missed the deep feelings growing in his stoic companion? Sure, the Miko was beautiful and powerful and very desirable, but there were others too that had those qualities, yet Hiei had never even glanced twice. So why this girl? Why the one girl he and his true self could agree on? Why did it have to be her? His green eyes clouded with jealousy as he glared at the hybrid's back.
He had subconsciously backed down for Yusuke as part of the life debt he owed him for saving not only his life but that of his mother's. After he'd had time to think over his choice with the Forlorn Hope he'd realized that had he gone through with his plan his mother would likely have followed him in death out of grief, negating the sacrifice he'd been trying to do. That had been why he'd made it a point to be on several business trips away from the two Hiei was trying to push together. He loved her but he loved her enough to let her go. Now he wasn't sure he'd done the right thing.
Yusuke glanced over at his friend and followed his glare. With a sigh he put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Is it really worth it?" he asked quietly. "She's forgotten us, Kurama it's over now." The pain was clear in Yusuke's expressive eyes and Kurama winced.
Was it really over? Kurama paused, mentally thinking over the words. There was still a chance he could re-meet her and gain her favor wasn't there? However, was it worth it to deprive his dark companion something he himself had learned the importance of so long ago? Hiei had never known love or kindness. He'd never had someone whisper those words that could heal a soul. He himself had been raised by a human onna who thought of him as her son. But Hiei…Hiei had nothing. Still, could he really just walk away from her? Could Yusuke?
Sighing in defeat, he slowly shook his head in the negative. "Not really, Yusuke, there is still a chance. I can't seem to help myself. We want her. Both the side of me that is Youko and the side of me that is human. That has never happened before. I-" He stopped himself. Why was he blabbering like a fool when Hiei could hear every word? Surely the hybrid would think his words held some form of a challenge to the claim he'd obviously placed on her without knowing it. Even Yusuke was looking at him with an expression of disbelief. In his mind he felt the connection to Hiei clearly cut off, ruthlessly back-lashing to grant him a massive headache, signifying the fury of the apparition. Damn it, he had forgotten that he was listening to his thoughts too... "I didn't mean... Hiei, I..." Despite the fury Kurama squared his shoulders. He was not the type to cower or to back away from his goal. Love was pain and his choice had been made.
Hiei stopped walking to turn a narrow, heated glare on the fox he'd begun to trust implicitly. Fury simmered within him as the thoughts filtered to him and he felt Kurama's resolve. So be it- "From this moment on, I see you as competition, not my teammate or companion or anything else. In this you are my enemy and I will show you no mercy. The same goes for you Yusuke should you dare to take her from me." His carmine orbs reflected the heat of his anger but also his hurt before he turned and darted away, clutching gently but firmly his only lifeline, the sole purpose of his existence now, to his chest. Neither of them would get in his way.
Betrayal burned through him as the thoughts of his friend—no, the fox's— mind echoed through his own. The bastard knew he had nothing except her and still wanted to take her from him. Hiei struggled to breathe under the weight of the pain in his chest. Hiei had never felt such a feeling before and it nearly paralyzed him in its intensity. He realized the Miko must have sensed his inner turmoil as a wave of calm washed over him, soothing away the anger and hurt. Cautiously he glanced down at her, the jewel had placed her into a deep slumber from what he could tell and she would sleep until they reached the living world. She had not awoken as he'd hoped, and though he could feel her steady breaths the desire to see her beautiful cobalt eyes stirred heavily within him. He needed her to look at him so that he would know just how much she did remember. He had tried to find the connection with her that had been forged only to find it gone or never had existed; both possibilities frustrated him.
In a way he dreaded her waking as much as he longed for it. The jewel had said that she would not remember loving him or wanting him but that she would remember meeting him. "Damn it," he hissed between clenched teeth as his thoughts spun in circles beginning and ending with her. It was beyond anything he had ever felt or had to consider; honestly he was baffled as to how to win anyone's affections. He had no idea how he'd even managed to earn her love and affection before. He had been a complete ass. His mind swam with all of the memories he had of Kagome that she no longer remembered. "I like youkai." Those words had become so precious to him and she no longer remembered saying them. "I don't believe even you believe that lie." Her boldness had shocked him speechless.
Hiei could never remember feeling so alone. He'd never had anyone so he'd never realized how lonely he truly was. Of course he could watch over Yukina, but she didn't know him. Kagome had. He wasn't certain he should try to win her love again. If something went wrong and she didn't want him he wasn't certain he could ever recover.
Why should he try? "I really missed you Hiei," her voice was sweet in his mind. She must have liked him for some time too. Was it possible that she'd liked him from the beginning? If so, then she would still right? Even if it wasn't love, she had still felt something at their meeting enough to cry for him. Hiei felt his heart lighten a little, though he still ached for what he had done. Somehow he had to make it right. Even if he had been lost in one of Kage's illusions he had killed her with his own hand. He needed her to forgive him. He needed her to purify his heart with her smile. His fingers relished the silk of her hair as it spilled over his hand as he ran.
Bypassing the place where Botan waited, Hiei carried his precious cargo further into the Makai. He had long before left Yusuke and the fox behind him and they had no chance of catching up to him when he truly wished to be uncaught. No one knew of all of the hidden portals into and out of the Makai like Hiei did, and so he decided to return her directly home to her shrine. Running at full speed was beginning to drain him more than he liked to admit though, so he slowed a bit to give himself a chance to recover before the final stretch.
A flash of light followed by deafening boom of thunder was the only warning he got before the red sky of the Makai, cloaked in dark clouds, ripped wide open and dumped its precipitation down on to them. Hiei cursed under his breath as he tried to shield her small form from the torrent of rain pelting them as he searched at the same time for proper shelter.
Kagome stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering but she didn't wake, her brow wrinkled in her sleep and though she was soaked and moving swiftly she had not returned to wakefulness. Hiei looked at her in relief and shock the rain was icy. She was stirring more earnestly now and Hiei frowned if he didn't find shelter he would be facing some very uncomfortable questions.
Looking up slowly as she became aware of her chilled state, Kagome saw the determined shape of a youkai who was carrying her to some unknown destination. Her heart began to thud in her chest as panic was growing. Her energy sparked at her fingertips prepared to be of use should she call. The youkai's ki rose up in response and her power was forced to submission. (Just like yesterday, humph why do they always resort to force? Stupid youkai males! Wait- ) In the darkness she could not make out his face, though from his youki she could identify him. What was she doing in the middle of nowhere in the dark with...Hiei? Her face reddened as a breeze brushed her bare hip and she realized that she was nearly unclothed. "Uh...Hiei?" she asked quietly.
Hiei skidded to a stop, nearly dropping her in surprise. He had not noticed her wake and had been startled by the question and uncertainty in her voice. Swallowing hard he slowly turned his eyes to hers and searched them silently for an instant. Within he was elated to face the azure fire of her gaze once more, but on the outside his face was blank. "You were stolen from your home while you slept and I recovered you. However I was not in time to spare your clothing, I'm afraid." The lie burned in his throat as he spoke. Kagome's gaze didn't shift.
"I feel like I've been asleep for a long time...?" she trailed off.
Hiei nodded "You were given something to make you sleep. I guess it just wore off." The ease in which Kagome was accepting his lies was telling of all of the adventures she'd had. Even so, it was painful to lie to her as he disliked untruths greatly.
Kagome watched the emotions play through his eyes but some of them confused her. But being kidnapped at odd times was common for her. As such she knew that it was pointless to get upset about every occurrence. Even though she'd been back for a year she had known her peace was not going to last. Her life had always been filled with danger when in the feudal era, so why should her modern life be different? On the other hand, Hiei had never really struck her as a warm caring type, so the concern he was showing was a little unnerving. How had he known where to find her? Had he been close by as he had promised, watching over her like a silent protector? The thought warmed her even as he lowered her to the stone floor of the cave he'd taken her to.
"Finding dry wood in this will be impossible. Sit here," he commanded as gently as he dared trying to sound like the youkai she'd met months previously, reminding himself that she did not remember. Raising the temperature around them, he began to coax his youki to dry her wet hair and keep the chill away.
The look on her face spoke loudly of her confusion and Hiei knew that she had seen the change in his attitude. With a sigh, Hiei looked at Kagome. He needed answers and picking them from her mind was not possible unless he let her in and she him. "Onna, let me see if there was any damage to your mind from the drug they gave you," he said flatly. The Jagan eye on his forehead opened and pulsed as he pushed at her mental barriers. "Kagome you have to let me in. You'll have to trust me," he urged, forgetting his reason he had to be abrasive.
Kagome blinked, feeling like she had forgotten something very important. Or that she was missing something. Hiei seemed like two different people. What had happened to her really? Uncertainly, she nodded her head and closed her eyes waiting. Eyes flying open at the hesitant touch of his telepathic energy touching her mind, Kagome met his carmine eyes with her trusting cobalt orbs. "It's alright Hiei, I know you won't hurt me," she encouraged, opening herself up to him.
Hiei sighed as he gently and secretly searched her mind for the information that he sought. Kagome remembered him positively, so that was a plus. And he had been right: she had liked him from the start, and that gave him hope. That gave them a bond that hadn't been broken; his heart gave an awkward lurch thinking of his friends losses. He withdrew from her mind unwilling to pry further wasting her trust and sighed silently in relief as he once again felt the presence of a link with her. Apparently the Jagan disliked not having a connection to her as much as he had.
Now though, he knew how he should act and he nearly sighed again being harsh with her had brought them to this point. However there was nothing saying he couldn't be kind to her changing her perceptions of him quicker. Shrugging mentally Hiei decided that since they had forever together one way or another, he was just going to be himself or rather the self she had brought out in the time he'd known her.
Who cared if it didn't seem like the Hiei they knew? They didn't know him, not the real Hiei. They knew the bitter lonely Hiei who had lived his life merely surviving. They didn't know the real being behind the bluster. He had a gift most never had the opportunity at getting, a second chance. After all, how could he win her love if he was not real in all aspects? Kagome was the one being in the world that would be unable to betray his trust simply by virtue of what they both now were. So really there was no harm in letting down his walls, just with her... "What do you remember Kagome?" he asked using her name to test the waters. He knew the gist but he wanted to hear it from her lips.
"Eh? You called me by name. That's new." Kagome looked at him in the flashes of lightning, his gaze was solely on her and she had the feeling he was waiting for something. "I remember the forest and meeting you and telling you my story, then you left and I went to bed. I woke up here."
His silence was stretching uncomfortably for Kagome. "Hiei, I told you my story…so will you tell me yours?" She looked away studying the ground nervously. Perhaps her request was too bold, what if he just left her there because she offended him? "Eh, you don't have to, that was rude of me." Kagome said quickly waving her hands in a placating gesture.
Hiei frowned thoughtfully at her answer and her request, considering what to tell her. Finally deciding to help ease her fears and to allow her to understand him better, he began to tell her a story:
"High in the forbidden floating ice city of the Koorime there was an onna who broke their greatest law. She had an affair with a male, a fire apparition and had become with child. Her timing had been good enough to hide the betrayal to the other Koorime as she became pregnant in the way of her people, but when her children were born it was very clear and obvious, for the Koorime only ever birth female children, but she had two, and one child was male.
Knowing the law, she wept bitterly, for she was denied even seeing her child's face as he was wrapped in sealing sutras and thrown from the floating ice realm. An Imiko could not be allowed to live; they believed he would go mad and destroy them. Though she had another child, the distress of losing the one who so resembled the lover she had taken proved too much and the Koorime onna committed suicide, believing that her son had died."
Hiei opened his eyes as he stopped speaking. Kagome was shaking against him but her face was turned away so he could not read her face. But then again, he did not need to see her face to know that she was weeping for the poor infant child and his grief-stricken mother. He had known that her reaction would be similar to this but he was not expecting her next question.
"Hiei, how did you survive?"Her voice was soft with emotion but she looked at him expectantly. Waiting to hear his answer she locked her gaze with his.
"How- did you know?" he asked her slowly, unsure of how to process how well she knew him, even with no memory of the last six months. He swallowed recalling that she had heard of an Imiko child who had survived. He'd forgotten the reason for her tears when they met. Of course she knew it was him.
Kagome sighed, leaning in to him to absorb more of his raised body heat. "Hiei I learned about you from the Taijiya Sango and the- hanyou, I told you of. We happened upon a child of forbidden origins and I wanted to help her, but then she died and I could do nothing as her conflicting powers tore her apart. I asked the- the slayer why that had occurred and he- she" Kagome corrected refusing to think about the hanyou, "told me that such a violent death was the reason they were forbidden. Sango told me of a legend that there was a boy who had supposedly survived, though by all rights his elements should have canceled each other out. When I met you I thought it was amazing that fire and ice could coexist. I cried for you, because I could feel your pain."
"I survived by doing what I had to onna. Now you should get some sleep," he snapped at her without thinking. She had unwittingly touched a part of his heart he had guarded for too long. He expected her to get angry at his tone or to be hurt by it but when she turned and put her arms around him he was overwhelmed like the night before.
"I'm so sorry Hiei. I should have known better than to have asked something like that. Of course it would be a painful memory. Forgive me?" she whispered into his chest.
Hiei forced himself to not move, though he wanted nothing more than to embrace her tightly against his chest. However, he was still at the very tail end of his heat and he dared not for fear that his instinctive nature would rise again. So far he had been able to control himself but he was not as masochistic as some thought and he had no desire to torment himself further.
Kagome sensed his unease and moved a bit away from him to give him space. Glancing at the open cave entrance that was still letting cold air into the shallow space, Kagome looked at the youkai in question. "Should I put up a barrier to keep the cold out?"
Hiei shook his head, suddenly annoyed with the whole situation. "If you raise your energy further than it is we will have the whole of Makai to deal with, Baka Onna. As it is I am shielding us with my youki so nothing detects you. Unfortunately, I cannot put up a barrier and shield you and heat the air at the same time without draining myself. If your weak ningen body is cold you will have to move closer to me again. The weather will break within the hour and I will take you home. Until then keep your useless powers to yourself." He snapped his jaw shut, cursing himself for such thoughtless words.
Kagome looked at the floor with a frown at the condescending tone he'd used. She was angry. Suddenly her head snapped up. "I only wanted to help," she snapped at him. "I'm not helpless and I'm not completely untrained (any more). I could have probably defended myself if I hadn't been drugged!" Standing up, she put her hands on her hips. "I was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. I am not useless! I don't need someone like you to take me home. And if I'm such a bother to you then don't help!" Kagome folded her arms across her chest turning her back. Her shoulders slumped, "I should have known better than to think that any youkai would ever be any different. None of you can ever see that I am different than other humans. You must all either be blind or stupid. I haven't figured out which." With those words she moved to leave, but Hiei blocked her path.
He wanted to be angry at her for what she had said, but he had gotten a very good look at her thoughts as she'd spoken and knew that she had reacted out of pain and hurt, not anger. He wasn't going to apologize, but he still felt bad for taking the annoyance of the situation out on her. "Sit down... Kagome," he urged, trying to keep his voice level. He did not often use the names of those he spoke to, and doing so felt a little awkward and too familiar for the situation, but she sat down with an odd look on her face as he struggled for a moment to find the words to say. He rarely spoke with his voice when thoughts were so much easier.
"I am unused to doing so, but I will explain things. Where we are is called the Makai which is a world of youkai where humans usually do not go, and most certainly not a Miko.
Almost all of the youkai here would love to kill you simply for the power you possess. They would never think twice about it. The Reikai governs only half of the first level of the Makai and that makes this an untamed unmanageable wild land."
He frowned as he thought for a long moment of what he wanted to say before he continued. "I know that you are able to defend yourself, but I am here so that you don't have to." He watched her closely, waiting for her to calm down. To his relief the taut line of her spine was loosening as he spoke and the hurt he saw in her eyes was lessening. He was reaching her and the relief was a sweet balm to his soul.
"Kagome, you are no bother to me," he admitted quietly. She broke then as though shattering into a thousand pieces, her tears pouring from her eyes. Gritting his teeth against the rough words he would have spoken, he gathered her small form from the ground where she'd collapsed and held her to him as he walked back over to the far end of the cave where they had been sitting. He was not good with tears and especially not her tears. They tore at him now more than before. The Kagome he knew yesterday had died; this one was so much more fragile without the healing she'd received from the three of the youkai she'd loved. Whether he liked it or not Yusuke and Kurama had been very important to her.
"Inu-He" she took a steadying breath "never told me those words. He never said them. Even in the three and a half years we traveled together, he never once said that protecting me was not a bother. All he ever said was that I was useless, weak and pathetic. I could never compare to her. Not in anything I tried to be or do." She sighed, trying to smile wanly despite the pain (But even so, any time I was in danger he would rush to my side. I knew he cared in some way though; it was in his eyes. Like what I can see in your eyes)she thought.
"He was my best friend and I loved him, but I was a bother to him and couldn't compare to his dead lover. Even when she tried to kill me for my soul he couldn't hate her. She and I were the same to him. I was just a copy of her, her reincarnation, her shadow. My life had no meaning to her and even though I thought it might to him he never told me." Her words were garbled and choked with her sobs but Hiei followed every word as he had the night he'd asked for her story.
Hiei didn't like the thought that she had loved another, but the way she'd spoken was the same as with Yukina so he brushed it off. Glancing down at her he realized that she had fallen asleep, most likely from the raw emotions that had wracked her small body and the stress of the day. Deciding the cave was warm enough he placed a barrier and joined her in sleep, leaving the Jagan to protect them.
She was sleeping restlessly. Subconsciously she was reaching out for something and latched on to Hiei's energy with her mind. It seemed to calm her and she drifted deeper in to sleep. Hiei frowned as he was pulled from his light rest by her shifting. He removed the ward over the Jagan and allowed it to open fully to search for the disturbance. Instantly he was bombarded with a flurry of images passing too quickly for him to see clearly before the girl's mind settled in to a dream…
Hiei found himself standing in a familiar forest clearing in the night. Above him was a myriad of stars. Looking around he noticed the thin shapes of soul collector demons as they darted to and fro. Silently he followed one that was clutching a soul and came upon a scene that he was certain was burned in to the woman's memory; know he could understand fully what he saw. As he looked on a feeling of recollection washed over him and he knew where this dream would lead...
In another clearing was an Inu hanyou coupling with a woman who looked a lot like the girl he held, except he could see her standing in shock at the other side of the clearing. Her feelings swamped the dream with despair and shock and then acceptance. "He was never mine to begin with," she said sadly as tears coursed down her cheeks and she turned from the scene and ran.
Hiei followed her back to the same clearing he'd started in and watched with interest as Kagome ran into the clearing and leaped without a pause into the old well there. A bright flash of light surrounded him as he was drawn through the well with her and then as she climbed out in a building. Opening the door, she left the well house and moved quickly the shrine grounds, where she fairly ran to the shadowy figure standing by the tree.
"Hiei!" She cried as she again threw herself in to his arms.
The Hiei in her dreams stood there for a moment before pushing her away roughly and saying in a mockingly similar voice as his own, "You worthless onna how dare you act so familiar? Why would any youkai look at you with anything but disgust?"
Hiei blinked as he watched his dream self continue to verbally batter the woman again till she collapsed into a crumpled heap, sobbing. To say he was disturbed even more than last time would be an understatement, considering he now knew she liked him. He had never said such a thing to the Miko and could not understand why she would think he ever would. She was beautiful and very precious to him and he grew angry with the false Hiei standing there speaking lies breaking her down like she was nothing.
In a blink he drew his katana and sliced the dream Hiei in half. Then moving slower, he drew the sobbing woman up off the ground in her dream as he did the same in reality. He pulled her into his arms and he held her as she wept. "Kagome, why do you think these things? Is this how you truly see me?" he questioned her, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through his chest. He had to know why in her dreams he was so cruel.
She shook her head. "This is how I see myself," she cried. "I am worthless and ugly and pathetic. He was right; no one could ever love a pitiful thing like me! A corpse was a better choice than me. I don't know how you stand being close to me." In her dream she looked up at him. All the sparkle was gone from her cobalt depths and despair clouded them to grey.
"Kagome, you could not be more wrong," Hiei stated flatly before his lips crashed over hers in a scalding kiss. She would believe it was no more than a dream, so he gave himself over to the feelings he'd tried to suppress. Outside of her dream Hiei was nearly overwhelmed as he kissed her.
At first she froze as he kissed her but then she relaxed into his arms and let him lead her as she had never been kissed like this before. Hiei growled softly against her lips as she responded with a sigh, giving him the invitation he'd been hoping for. His mouth slanted over hers as he delved his tongue in to her warm, moist cavern, tasting for the first time the sweetness of her.
It was addicting and intoxicating and he slowed the kiss to fully enjoy his newfound drug. Oh yes, a drug was a good description of her because he was now certain that if he could not win her love he would go mad from the wanting. This had definitely been a bad idea. He pulled back from her slowly, allowing her a much needed breath. She trembled in his arms as she struggled to breathe, her dream having a full affect on her. Hiei withdrew his mind and carefully moved to the other side of the cave staring out at the rain as though he'd been there the entire time. Truthfully though, he was trying to get back some semblance of control over his body so that she would be none the wiser.
Kagome was very against opening her eyes as she feared she would have to face the male who figured so prominently in her dreams. His kiss had been incredible and earth shattering and highly unexpected. Oh how she wished that had been real. Although her memories told her that she'd only known him a day her heart told her she'd known him much longer and it was her heart that she trusted.
Opening one eye she peeked over at him thoughtfully. His back was to her, but she knew with surety that he was aware of her movements. As well as, most likely, the blushes that heated her cheeks and made her want to bury her head in her arms and never look at him again. She licked her lips and was puzzled by the slight taste of warm, sweet spices. It made no sense. Unless-her eyes widened (no don't be stupid Hiei doesn't feel that way, does he?)
Hiei couldn't help himself as he glanced over and saw the enticing pink of her cheeks. "Sleep well?" he asked his usual tone flat. Watching from the corner of his eye as she flushed a brighter darker red and fumbled over a reply, he smirked to himself. She was going to be too fun to tease, especially with her temper and easy blushes. She didn't have to know he thought she was funny. In fact, he hoped that he could tease her without her ever figuring out that it was for his own amusement. With that in mind he walked closer to her and looked at her red face with a frown. "Your face is red, are you well Kagome?" he aske, watching silently and as stoically as possible as her fluster grew and she ducked her head, hiding, no doubt, from his eyes.
"Eh? Er um yes?" Kagome covered her face. (Get a grip girl!)
"Come on, the rain has slowed and broken for a short time. If we hurry we can beat it to the Ningenkai," he stated and gave her no further warning as he scooped her from the ground and into his arms. A squeak slipped from her in protest but he ignored it. Was that shade of red humanly possible? A chuckle slipped through his teeth before he cleared his throat.
Without a word he dashed outside, cradling Kagome in his arms as he ran at full speed to the human world...Kagome unable to do anything but hold on tight, which was just fine with him.
