"This isn't really on the way..." Hiei grumbled as he and Kurama hid within a dense mass of thorny bushes.
"Well, we're out of money, aren't we?" replied the fox, peering through the foliage at a thick-walled fortress before them. A heavy iron door blocked the entrance and small, shifty-eyed demons prowled about, keeping watch. Kurama crawled forward, creeping ever closer to the stone walls, his heavy white robes dragging on the ground.
"Wouldn't it be easier to steal food, rather than stealing money?" Hiei whispered, crouching within the shadows and staying close to Kurama.
"We may need more than just food, later on. Besides, I've been wanting to rob this stronghold for a long time."
"You mean you've never managed to get inside?" Hiei asked, somewhat surprised. He leaned against the base of a gnarled tree as Kurama's yellow eyes scanned the perimeter, searching for a way in.
"I've only gotten as far as the third wall, and I nearly lost my tail in the process."
"Hn, it's hard to imagine a fortress even the great Youko Kurama failed to penetrate." Hiei glanced over the row of bushes at the dreary structure. The stars twinkled brilliantly above, lighting up the entire wall and courtyard. He could see no apparent traps or defenses. Whatever guarded this place so well must have been carefully concealed.
"Why don't we just blow up the whole wall?"
"Are you insane?" Kurama said, glancing up at Hiei with narrowed eyes. "Scythe City is an utter den of scoundrels and villainy. We'd have a hundred demons on us within seconds, A class among them. And don't-" he raised his claw to point at Hiei disapprovingly, "-say you could handle it. The crime lords who reside here are ancient and crafty, killing one is no easy feat, especially when there are ninety-nine more to take his place."
"I still think I could handle it," Hiei mumbled, gazing at the entrance again, wondering what Kurama was studying so thoroughly.
"I think I've figured it out," he said, crawling close to Hiei's knees, making sure not to disturb the bushes which rustled steadily in the evening wind. "The youkai pacing in the courtyard aren't there to attack, they're merely lookouts, most likely trained to sense any abnormal youki. I'm fairly certain the missing block above the entryway contains the mechanism to lower the door, but unfortunately, I'm too big to fit inside."
"So basically, you're telling me I need to crawl inside the empty square and open the door... But won't that be a bit obvious?" Hiei said, peering into the dark space in the wall where one massive stone seemed to have been left out.
"Opening the door will catch them off guard long enough for us to climb over the adjacent wall and enter the second courtyard. After that I'm afraid we'll have to think as we go..." Kurama replied.
"You said you only made it to the third wall, what stopped you?" Hiei questioned.
"Poisoned daggers... I tripped a switch and was nearly struck from all sides."
"If you only nearly got hit, how do you know they were poisoned?" Hiei said, blinking.
"I told you I almost lost my tail... The edge of a blade singed half my fur clean off," he said, nearly sulking as he stroked his long tail. "Luckily it grew back..."
"Tch, enough of your vanity, stupid fox. Let's just get in and out as quickly as possible," said Hiei, prowling gracefully around the roots and branches that surrounded them, ready to speed across the moonlit courtyard.
"Whatever you do, don't release any youki or they're sure to notice you. And, Hiei," Kurama added, clutching Hiei's wrist hastily.
"What now?"
"Be careful..." he tugged the demon close and kissed his small mouth, earning an annoyed glare from Hiei as he bounded away and was inside the stone wall within seconds.
"Hn, even after all these years he's still just like a human..." Hiei grumbled to himself as he inched his way through the narrow space. "That mother of his... I bet he never would have kissed someone good-bye before she came around..." In spite of his seeming annoyance, he paused and touched his lips affectionately, just as he came upon the gear to release the iron door. Hiei reached his tiny arm through a link in the heavy chain and pulled at the metal rod which pinned the gears in place. He had a split second to yank his arm free before the chains went whizzing past and he heard the giant door clanging to the ground.
Hiei darted from the cramped crawl space and spotted a flash of white race towards the side wall. He followed, knowing Kurama had made his move the moment the commotion surrounding the fallen door had commenced. Demons hustled towards the entryway, completely ignoring the shadow which blurred past them and rendezvoused with his partner inside the now abandoned inner courtyard.
"Now what?" Hiei asked as he ran alongside the massive fox, the two of them ducking into a dense shadow when more guards scrambled past.
"This way..." whispered Kurama's deep voice. He stepped carefully into a long hall that appeared at first to be entirely empty.
"There's something funny about the walls," Hiei noted, keeping his distance. Kurama nodded seriously before tugging off his outer cloak and tossing it into the hall. The white fabric billowed in the air, hanging there for a moment before being pierced with hundreds of tiny darts which flew from the ceiling. The fabric fell to the floor in a clump, Kurama examining it for a moment before giving Hiei the okay to follow him through.
They reached the third wall with ease, but here Kurama hesitated.
"The next passageway is where the daggers are hidden," he explained. "The triggers are hidden within smaller bricks in the floor, step only on the large bricks and we should be safe."
Hiei nodded with understanding as they entered the hall. It was long and narrow, with a high ceiling and dark, murky walls. On the floor before them expanded a complex pattern of stonework. Bricks of all different sizes were laid in a dizzying arrangement. Hiei observed Kurama's nimble feet and took care to only step were the fox had. The slender white shoes made their way slowly along the maze of bricks, pausing every now and then to confirm their path. Things proceeded without incident until Kurama reached a large stone with a series of cracks running down the middle. He stepped lightly and cautiously on the large stone, but found it to be safe and moved on. Hiei reached his leg out to follow in the fox's footsteps, but Kurama was suddenly stricken with horror as a tiny click met his sensitive ears.
Hiei's small foot had been just the right size to sink between the cracks and nudge a chunk of stone free. It shifted to the left before Hiei could step away, striking the trigger that butted up against it with one swift tap.
"HIEI GET DOWN!" Kurama screamed the second the trigger had been touched, but it was too late. The glimmering dagger had sprung from the wall and embedded itself directly into Hiei's upper arm. There was no time to think, Kurama snatched up his partner and sped towards the exit, a flurry of daggers shooting across the hall behind him. He bounded into the second courtyard with Hiei over his shoulder, a wave of guards who had finally come in from the outer hall racing to meet him.
Yanking out a rose, his whip sprang to life and snapped all around him. He spun swiftly, killing every demon in sight before racing out the still opened doorway and taking off into the forest.
----
Hiei's crimson eyes blinked against the light. He rose to find everything around him was white and frozen. It was as though he had fallen into an endless winter.
"The ice country...?" he said groggily, somehow forgetting his current destination was the remnants of that land which now lay destroyed.
"The ice country is gone, Hiei, did you forget?" said a gentle voice. He turned; a figure was emerging from the mist. Snow swirled around her, but he was not cold. He felt, in fact, quite warm... This person was safe and welcoming.
"Yukina?"
"I am not," she said, kneeling by his side. Her eyes were like his own, deep red, full of love, and something else... Sadness? Her milky white hand grazed over his bare arm. He looked to see the wound which should have been there was gone. He was whole and unharmed.
The small youkai gazed up into the woman's kind face and studied her. This was not his sister, but she felt familiar. She was very close to him...
"Mother..."
He felt his eyes closing in rapture as he leaned against her body. Delicate arms enveloped him. He wanted to immerse himself in her embrace forever.
"Have I died?" he whispered. This thought should have frightened him, but it did not. He found he did not care at all, memories of Kurama were far away.
"You're not dead, my precious child. Your time is a long way off," she said, stroking his hair soothingly.
"Where am I?"
"Hiei," his question went unanswered as she tipped his chin up, gazing down upon him once again. "You must hurry to the ice country. Kurama will urge you to return home, he will do anything to dissuade you, but you must complete your journey. Your path begins there, a path which will lead you to meet someone very important. This person will be a savior to the Demon World, and without your help, I fear he may not succeed in bringing a long awaited peace."
"I don't believe in saviors," said Hiei softly. As he spoke, feelings of panic and fear began creeping back inside him. The snowy landscape was beginning to grow dim. The pain in his arm had stealthily returned.
"You believe in me, Hiei, you always have," she said, clutching him to her and kissing his smooth face. "I love you... my only son... Stay true to the love you've kept locked up for so long, and you won't fail. You don't need to believe in anything else..."
"Who is this person, how will I know when I see him?" Hiei asked, clinging to her, though he felt her all the while slipping away.
"You'll know," she said, fading away more quickly than before.
"Mother, stop..."
"You'll know," said another voice, farther off. Hiei's gaze shot up just in time to catch a glimpse of a startlingly familiar expression. He stood grinning from far away, his hand outstretched, reaching across the limitless expanse towards Hiei's rapidly solidifying body.
"It's a sure thing!" he said. Three fingers curled towards his palm, leaving a rigid index finger aiming across the abyss. Hiei could nearly feel it touch him.... A hot spot seared right between his eyes as the figure laughed out, "Bang."
Hiei gasped suddenly, his chest ached, the jagged waves of pain shooting through his arm were nearly unbearable.
"Hiei, don't move!" Kurama said frantically.
The small demon gasped for air; it hurt so much to breathe... He had not been in this much pain since the implanting of his Jagan. Was it worse? Could anything be that agonizing? He wanted to scream, he desperately wanted to cry out but he could not form a sound.
From his fingertips to his shoulder, his arm trembled violently. Kurama leaned over him, his large hands moving in a frenzy. Hiei tried to focus, but he could not tell what was being done to him. He could only gaze upward, doing absolutely anything to block out the pain. He gripped at whatever was beneath him. Was it Kurama's cloak? A bed? He was not sure if they were inside or out. He looked at Kurama's face. The beautiful features were contorted with despair. Hiei wondered if the kitsune was crying. He squinted, trying to take in every little detail to occupy his mind.
Kurama's long white hair was tangled and whipped about. Strands stuck out all around his angular face. The pointed ears which rose from within the mane of hair were laid back against the fox's head. His yellow eyes gleamed down at Hiei with intense focus. His mouth hung open, revealing the impressive fangs within. The long, narrow nose above the parted lips seemed red, and wet. In fact, Hiei's face felt wet as well. So, Kurama was crying after all.
Hiei wondered if his mate's tears meant he was near death. He then wished for death, once the thought had entered his mind, for anything would have been better than this misery. He closed his eyes again, praying he would never awaken, and completely forgetting what the image of his mother had told him.
His eyes would not open again for a very long time, but the desperate fox remained by his side....
----
A bird was chirping not too far off when warm beams of sunlight tickled the sleeping face that was nestled in a warm, white cloak. Five small fingers which had been, until now, paralyzed and limp suddenly twitched to life. The hand on which they resided, coarse and calloused from many years of swordplay, moved against the material, and its owner began to stir.
Hiei blinked away sleep and instinctively nuzzled against the body he felt near him. He felt achy and sluggish, and could not remember exactly where he was. He knew, at least, that Kurama slept beside him, curled up protectively with his arm and tail draped across Hiei's torso. He rubbed his face against Kurama's broad chest, earning a sleepy moan from the kitsune as he regained consciousness.
His yellow eyes flickered open and were soon sharply awake when he noticed Hiei's movement.
"Hiei!" he cried out, pulling the little demon into a sitting position and caressing his cheeks. "You're awake, oh I'm so relieved..."
Hiei chased the last clouds of sleep from his head as Kurama pressed his lips tenderly to his face, coating every inch with kisses.
"I wondered when you would ever wake up..." he whispered, combing his claws through Hiei's hair and pulling him even closer.
"What happened...?" Hiei croaked. His throat felt dry and raw, he wondered how long it had been since he had last spoken.
"The poison leeched through your entire system before I could tie a tourniquet around your arm.... You were... in agony." Kurama seemed to cringe at the memory. "I attached a siphoning plant to the wound to draw out the poison, but the reaction was incredibly rapid and depleted most of your youki before the toxins could be removed. You were so weak, your body went comatose and didn't budge until just now."
"How long was I asleep?" he asked, looking around to realize Kurama had made a bed for them in a leafy thicket and covered Hiei's body in his robes. Once white, they were now stained and bloody.
"Three days..." he said quietly.
"You waited here all that time!?" Hiei exclaimed.
"I couldn't leave you! I didn't leave your side for a second. Hiei, I thought for sure you were going to die!" Kurama cried, clutching at Hiei's wrist and leaning close to him.
"It's not my time to die..."
"Well, it didn't seem that way a few nights ago! If you had been any weaker, you would have lost your youki completely and died right away."
"But I'm not weaker, am I? I'm here... for a reason."
"Hiei, what are you talking about?"
He concentrated and looked up into Kurama's pale face.
"I saw my mother... while I was unconscious, and... Yusuke."
"Yusuke?" Kurama responded, blinking in amazement.
"They spoke to me, and said we have something important to do."
"Hiei..." Kurama clutched him more tightly, causing his already sore body to be smothered. "Don't you see how close to death you were? You saw the other side..."
"So that's really what it was, it wasn't a dream," Hiei said, closing his eyes and losing himself in Kurama's firm embrace.
"I've been there often enough to know," Kurama's voice was soft and seemed to strain. "When Shuuichi's body died, Botan escorted me to the gates of Spirit World. Once there, Koenma informed me my spirit had been filled with enough vitality upon my death for Youko to be reborn. I was led away, and once the process had begun, I entered a limbo between worlds... It was a hazy, distorted place. I could feel myself, though I seemed to have no real form or substance. It was there that I met... my mother." Kurama's body quivered, "And my father..."
"Your human father?" Hiei asked, suddenly perking up and gazing at Kurama's face, which was pained with reminiscence.
"Yes, my real father..." he continued. Hiei nearly scoffed at this idea. After living over a millennia before them, he considered that man and woman his true parents. "They bid me off, and told me they loved me. My father said he had watched me grow up, he had seen everything. They knew, in death, what I really was, and loved me all the same. They said I would always be their son... and just as I began to leave that place, they said I would meet you again. My mother and father warned me not to hold a grudge against you, for you had been suffering even more than I had. Decades of loneliness were all you had known since your departure. I promised them, as they faded away, that I would forgive you... And now, here we are," he finished. Hiei was nestled deeply in his arms, confused as to how two human parents could show a demon like him such compassion.
"My mother was very fond of you, Hiei."
"I barely knew her," he mumbled, remembering the few times he had ventured inside Kurama's home so long ago.
"You barely knew your mother either, but you don't love her any less."
Hiei closed his eyes and sighed, the instructions Hina's phantom had provided were swimming thickly through his head once again. He knew they needed to hurry, but felt apprehensive and full of emotion he was not used to having this close to the surface.
----
"I told you, I need this medicine for my companion," Kurama said harshly, leaning over the counter.
"It's worth six hundred..." said the vendor from the other side, glaring back at him.
"And I'm paying you four hundred. Either you accept that price or I'll kill you right here," he growled from beneath his hood. His ears and tail were carefully concealed, only his shadowed face and glowing eyes were visible inside the darkened shop.
"You wouldn't dare. My allies will be on you within minutes if I die, you'd never make it out of this city alive," he said with a feigned confidence. Kurama was beginning to worry him.
"I can make it so you'll die whenever I wish.... We'll be miles from this place before you're even sure what's happening," Kurama crooned and leaned closer to the shop keeper, leering into the face of the small, wrinkled looking demon. "Do you want to die that way? All alone, living your last moments in fear... never knowing how or when the end will come...."
Kurama was inches from his face, now, and everything about the fox's voice told him this was not an empty threat. Hiei sat shrouded in his black cloaks, a hood over his face as well, and watched his mate from the corner. A day after he had awakened from his coma, he was back on his feet, though his body was still rattled by pain every so often. The medicine Kurama was currently obtaining was to clear the last of the toxins from Hiei's body that had become trapped in his bloodstream and were continually being cycled through his veins. Though Hiei had protested it as a waste of time, Kurama insisted the medicine was necessary.
"I'm glad you decided to see things my way," Kurama said, grinning, as he took the vial of medicine from the merchant and tossed a pouch of gold coins down on the counter, receiving a bitter glare in return. He nodded to Hiei and the two exited the shop together into the busy streets of Scythe City. They walked down the bright central market towards the other side of the city, finally resuming their journey to the fallen ice country.
"I told you I don't need any medicine," Hiei complained, even as another wave of pain washed over his small form.
"Say whatever you like Hiei, I can tell there is still poison filtering through you," Kurama said, tucking the tiny bottle into his sleeve.
"You baby me far too much, it's disgusting..." the demon replied, glaring down the road from within his dark hood.
"It's only fitting to baby one who acts as a baby would..." Kurama said nonchalantly, gazing directly ahead. Hiei narrowed his red eyes, leering up at the giant kitsune with complete and utter loathing. Kurama treating him like a child was by far the thing he detested most.
"Anyway," Kurama announced, quickening his pace. "We might want to hurry, as there is a gang of unfriendly looking Youkai trailing behind us, currently."
Hiei took one rapid glance behind them to see the mob forming down the street. It would seem the shopkeeper had made good on the threat to notify his friends and the group was gaining quickly.
"Let's go, then," Hiei remarked, taking off at a sprint with the white fox at his side. The moment they began to run, the gang of demons who had been following took off as well. They lumbered along, few were anything close to agile. Kurama and Hiei held back their full speed, teasing the hoard for a short time before vanishing into the forest.
A few hours later, the two sat nestled in the hollow of a gargantuan and ancient tree, gazing out over the countryside.
"Have any of them followed us?" Kurama inquired.
Hiei closed his glowing Jagan and replaced the ward on his forehead. "No, the last of them gave up about an hour ago. They've all returned to the city."
"Good then," Kurama relaxed against the inside of the tree, yawning. "Should we spend the night here, then? It looks like it's going to rain, soon."
"I suppose... Though we're losing a lot of time with you always resting," Hiei mumbled, situating himself opposite Kurama and getting comfortable.
"It's a nice tree, though, don't you think?" Kurama asked.
Hiei nodded as the fox summoned his youki and entinced a wave of foliage to grow in front of the opening, giving the pair some privacy and cover. Hiei removed his boots and outer robes and placed them neatly in the back of the hollow space. Kurama had been spreading his own huge robe down in the bottom of the hollow to create a bed for the two of them and was now running his claws through his hair and twitching his tail with agitation.
"Look what a mess I am, I really need to have a bath in the morning..." he complained, thinking back to the warm bathtubs he had always had handy as a human.
"We don't have time for baths! We could reach the ruins of the island by tomorrow night as long as you don't make us stop for anything else," Hiei growled. Kurama had forced him to drink the entire vial of medicine the moment they had found their hiding place, and his regained strength was now refueling his obsession with reaching the destroyed glacial village.
"You need one far more than I do. Tell me, did you ever take a bath before you met me, Hiei?" Kurama said wryly, laying his ears flat.
"Like I said, we don't have time. I don't need one anyway," he said, grumbling and lying back a bit.
"You may not be able to smell your own odor, but I can, and I refuse to travel any further until you're clean."
"Hn, I wouldn't complain. You smell funny ALL the time. That fox musk of yours smells like a skunk," Hiei countered, glaring moodily through the leaves surrounding them.
Kurama narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'm supposed to smell that way... If you were a female kitsune, you wouldn't be complaining."
"Do I look like a female kitsune?"
Kurama scoffed, "Hardly, you're much too small, for one."
"That's it! I'm sleeping somewhere else!" Hiei roared as he pulled his boots on. "And don't even bother trying to find me!" he finished, turning back to give Kurama a dirty look before leaping from the tree and disappearing.
Kurama flicked his ear and stared out into the forest before sighing deeply and lying down to sleep.
A short time later, night had fallen. The strange insects of the Makai were chirping busily and the lights of Scythe City could be seen not too far off. Kurama stirred a bit in his sleep, rolling over to get into a more comfortable position, but as he did, he was stopped by a warm, breathing mass beside him. The fox smiled softly and settled back down.
There was Hiei, cuddled up under his tail, his hair still damp from being freshly washed. Kurama closed his eyes and held the small demon protectively, breathing in the smoky aroma of his clean body.
"That's more like it," he whispered, kissing Hiei's sleeping head and receiving a contented little moan in return. The two stayed huddled together, dreaming quietly until morning. They still had a long journey ahead of them.
----
"Damn it..." Hiei hissed, wriggling in place and attempting to free himself.
"Hiei," Kurama started, staring awkwardly at the spectacle before him.
"DON'T! If you even think of saying 'I told you so', I swear I'll slice your tail off," he threatened. Hiei, though, was currently in no position to make any threats. He hung several meters off the ground, dangling by his outer cloak, with thorns poking into his body from his shoulders to his back side.
"Well, I did tell you not to try and cut them..." Kurama said, closing his eyes and sighing with dismay.
"Right, now will you get me the hell out of this thing!?" demanded the little Youkai, flailing his feet, hoping he could somehow kick Kurama in the head. Try as he may, the thorn covered tree which he had recently attacked held onto him firmly.
The two had reached a very dense patch of forest, and though Kurama had suggested going around, Hiei had stubbornly pushed onward, insisting it was the quickest path. Coming upon a large and very jagged looking tree, however, Hiei found no convenient way through and had begun hacking apart branches to form an opening for himself. Many warnings were given by Kurama, but Hiei would not be swayed. After several minutes of being chopped apart, the tree had, very rightly, attacked the demon, and he was now tangled quite completely in its thorns.
"If you would hold still for a moment..." Kurama said, dodging Hiei's boot and approaching the base of the tree. He laid his long fingers on the trunk and stroked it soothingly as though it were some sort of adorable pet. Slowly, Hiei felt the branches begin unwinding and quivering, and soon fell, face first, into the forest floor.
"If it was that easy, why did you leave me up there so long?" he growled as Kurama approached him.
"It's not as though you didn't deserve it.... Now, bend over."
"What...."
"Get on all fours, I need to get the thorns out of your back or they'll drill their way into your skin before long," said the fox as he kneeled down beside Hiei. "I don't want to have to listen to you whine about it all night."
Anyone, anyone else would have been out cold, by now. However, Hiei had no choice but to tolerate Kurama's remarks. He did need the fox to remove the thorns, after all...
The fire demon winced and felt his face heating up with embarrassment as Kurama lifted his tunic and lowered his pants, revealing his thorn covered back. Each tiny dagger had stabbed through Hiei's clothing with precision and all were now firmly rooted in his flesh.
"Brace yourself," Kurama warned, "It's going to be painful..." He squeezed the tips of his claws around a single thorn and swiftly plucked it from Hiei's skin. His ear perked, hearing a nearly inaudible gasp of pain, and knew Hiei was doing his best to hold in any reaction. This process continued for quite a while, and finally Kurama reached his mate's thorn riddled rear end.
"What a lovely view this would be if it weren't for all the puncture wounds," the fox noted, staring at his partner's muscular physique.
"Just get it over with! I'm tired of kneeling down like this..." Hiei grumbled, becoming bored on top of everything else.
"You're on all fours often enough, I thought you would be used to it, by now," said Kurama, smirking, as he pulled the last of the thorns from Hiei's body and got to his feet. The demon rebuckled his belts and stood, rubbing his bottom with both pain and annoyance. He then paused, looking up to see Kurama staring down at him with both bushy eyebrows raised.
"Shut up!" Hiei snapped, retrieving his sword which had fallen a short distance away.
"I didn't say anything," Kurama said, holding up his hands and blinking.
"For once..." Hiei growled, becoming more irritable all the while.
"Don't you like the sound of my voice anymore?" Kurama asked, following behind as Hiei resumed their course through the woods.
"It's annoying... Just like ALL of what you do," complained the little demon as he trudged through the thick brush. Kurama stayed at his heels, stepping nimbly and somehow avoiding even snagging his robes.
"Oh? You certainly don't seem annoyed by certain things I do... Especially those I'm doing to you."
Hiei whirled round and gave Kurama the darkest, most menacing glare he could muster.
"I love you, Hiei." The fox's lips strained not to curl up at the corners in amusement.
Hiei sighed with defeat and shook his head, marching forward in silence as they continued their journey. The fallen island laid less than a day's walk ahead of them now, and the half Koorime's stomach tightened at the thought of what they might find upon arrival.
Many hours later, Kurama and Hiei made a bed for themselves within a leafy thicket and laid down to rest for the night. Cuddled up within his partner's robes, Hiei's head was nestled comfortably on Kurama's broad chest. He stared up through the canopy, catching glimpses of stars, and wondered what they would discover once the destroyed ice country was finally before them. He had cycled hundreds of possibilities through his mind, each one growing more dismal than the one before.
"You're worried," Kurama said quietly. The strong, pale arm that surrounded Hiei pulled him closer as these words were spoken. He did not answer, but laid his tiny hand across the kitsune's clawed fingers.
"I wonder what it was like to die in such a way, never seeing your attacker," Hiei said, imagining the looks on the Koorime's faces as their world crumbled around them and enveloped their village.
"What makes you think they didn't see it coming?" the fox asked, glancing down at Hiei's form in his arms.
"I just know. Anyone despicable enough to demolish a country full of nothing but women and children wouldn't show his face beforehand." he replied, seething at the thought of it.
"Have you never killed women or children, Hiei?"
"Hn, I'm not like you. I've never killed anyone who wasn't asking for it," he said, clenching his teeth and glaring into the branches that surrounded them.
"I hesitate to believe that," came Kurama's smooth voice, and Hiei rose into a sitting position to sneer down at him.
"Don't doubt me just because you don't understand my logic," he scolded.
"I doubt you because you have no logic, Hiei. You're an illogical creature who has always gotten by on wit and bad attitude." Hiei's features gradually sunk further into a scowl as Kurama spoke. "But, that's something I've always liked about you." He raised his long claws up and delicately stroked them through Hiei's bushy hair. "The emotions you deny are the driving force behind everything you do. The fact that you are so emotional is what helps to remind me how much love you really have, even when you're being moody and difficult, as you are now."
Hiei rolled his eyes and stared down at Kurama with a softer expression.
"Sometimes I wonder why I love someone who's so full of himself...."
Kurama pulled his mate down on top of him and smiled into his impish face.
"My mother always said no one could resist loving a sweet boy like me," he crooned.
"Sweet and boy are not the first two words I would pick to describe you, fox," Hiei said, unable to suppress a tiny grin as Kurama rubbed his back.
"Oh? And what words would you use to describe me?" he asked, lightly kissing as his lover's neck.
"Manipulative and bastard come to mind," the demon replied, squirming at the wet kisses Kurama was planting on his skin.
"You're too kind."
Soon after, Hiei was sound asleep, nestled snugly against Kurama's chest. The fox stared down at his sleeping companion and sighed, hoping their arrival at the island would not damage Hiei's sensitive psyche and leave him more unmanageable than he already was.