Ok guys and gals! Here ya go, like I promised. Chapter 3! Ta da! Ok, I know I was supposed to post it LAST weekend, but I couldn't because the site was on down time which ultimately threw me off...That Tuseday school started and my boss is working me to the bone at the same time so I have to use all my free time for damn homework. It sucks I know, but alas it is my life outside of my happy place. So I will update as much as I can. Please be patient with me, and we'll get through this ok? Those of you who notice the horrible grammer. The reason for it is that 1.) Grammer has never been my strong suit and 2.) I only have "WordPad" for word processing on my computer. (You know, the one you start out with on a new computer?) doesn't take my kind of documents well, so some of the letters get lost between here and there. So yeah. Not ALL of it is my fault. Plus, I can get typing so fast that I don't realize the typos and miss it on my revision... So yeah. Sorry about that too. I will gladly take any advise so go ahead and speak up. I also desperatly need a beta reader. To my reviewers, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING. I thought this story was going to fail miserably...Thanks for the hope! I thank you all! And thank you for telling me who Kirin/Kiren is. (I think I'll spell it Kiren...) Those who don't review but read...well...atleast your reading. I'd appreciate it if you reviewed...atleast to just tell me that it's going well...
I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of it's characters.
And now! On with the story!
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After that night, I cried everyday. Near the end, I got to where I was only crying at night before I went to sleep. But there was still the matter of...wedding rehearsals and meetings, some unexpected, with Hiei about the wedding day. It sometimes was very difficult to hide my tears from him. He often wondered why my eyes were red and puffy. I lied and told him I had allergies and then went to the bathroom and pretended to use eye drops. It killed me to talk to him about the wedding. But alas, there was nothing I could do to stop it. So I did my absolute best to give him ideas and help him plan the best possible wedding. I was certainly not having fun, so everyday seemed to be a couple hours longer then they needed to be.
But, despite how long it took, it was the night of the bachelor party. All the guys were there, even Jin and Touya. There were a few guys that I didn't know, but figured Hiei knew them through Mukuro. It was somewhat amusing to see so many respectable men trying so hard to get Hiei to drink. But even more amusing was his indirect method of refusing to damage his body with the vile liquid. He'd always distract them and go talk with someone else. If I could ignore the fact of what we were celebrating, I would have enjoyed laughing and talking with my friends and might have joined them in harassing Yusuke for his constant failure to get Hiei drunk.
But I couldn't get it out of my head. I was depressed, and I'm sure it would have shown so I had to do my best to think about anything but Hiei. My two minutes of peace, however, was disturbed when I felt a light tug on the back of my shirt. "Kurama! Please! INTERVENE!" I turned around to see a frantic little fire demon. "Wha, whats going on?" I asked, looking around. "Yu--Yu--YUSUKE! He's..." He covered his mouth so cutely as he horridly watched Yusuke pick up his cell phone with an evil grin. "He's threatening to call a hooker if I don't drink!" he cried and slumped to the ground. "If Mukuro finds out that there was a hooker at my bachelor party...She'll castrate me for sure and throw me out!" he said, burying his face into the back of my knee, clutching my pant legs.
Castrate my Hiei? Oh no. That just wouldn't do. I have plans for those. "Yusuke come on. Do you really want Hiei to get his balls chopped off?" I asked, sincere as I could. I couldn't help the inkling of arousal that I felt. Here Hiei was, clinging to my legs on the floor begging me to defend his testes. I've longed to see them on my better nights, after all.
"Maybe I do. But he wont if he takes one little drink." Yusuke replied, swirling a bubbly cocktail in his hand. I looked back at Hiei. He looked cutely up at me, pouty lipped. I smiled and pat his heat in a trivial manner. "Hiei, Hiei, Hiei...Really. What do you want me to do? You'll have to decide for yourself what you would prefer. Getting castrated or bubbles in your belly? Either way, it's up to you." He stared on. "Of coarse I want to keep my you-know-whats! What good are they if I don't have them?" An awkward silence filled the room. "But...I don't want to drink either...I don't want a hangover on my wedding day..." he said, burying his face in my knee again. I did my duty glaring at the people that were giving him odd looks. Then I crouched down to his level and whispered to him. "You'll have to take his phone away then, won't you." I said with a grin. His eyes lit up and in an instant, Hiei had Yusuke's cell phone, and anyone else's that Yusuke would have access to, in his mercy.
The night dragged on. I was hopelessly becoming more and more depressed as each minute passed. Jokes were made, games were played. Above all, you could always hear Hiei yell or gripe at someone. It was when he came and asked if I was alright that I realized I was crying. "Kurama!" He yelled, silence and worry filling the room. It took a moment to sink in. "Yes?" I asked, looking at him from the couch. "Are you alright?" he asked, sitting next to me. "Huh? Why do you ask?" I asked. "You're..." He wiped a tear off my cheek with his sleeve. "...Crying..." "I'm WHAT?" I shouted and stood up. Damn...another excuse to make. "Dammit...I guess my allergies came back to haunt me...I'll be right back." I said and ran to the bathroom. I almost felt his disbelief.
I was worried about him, to say the least. I'd just watched him run into the bathroom. He told me it were his allergies, I don't believe him. I'd thought he'd have fun at my bachelor party. He just didn't seem interested, like he didn't want to be there. I've wanted to spend all day with him, but kept being dragged away by everyone left and right. Every time I've looked at him today he looked about ready to leave. It was my latest glance that I realized he was crying. Not like, hard or anything. His body wasn't shaking. He just sat there on the couch and stared at his feet with tears rolling down his face. It was depressing to see him that way. I hated it.
Hiei POV
It's not the first time he's used that excuse with me. I've seen him in what I know well was the aftermath of crying: Puffy red eyes and a slightly shaky voice, for I have suffered it before. But he had assured me that it was just seasonal allergies. It was the beginning of Spring, after all. But I haven't seen him sneeze or cough. One of my co-workers has allergies, and he sneezes all the time. But his voice isn't shaky, just has a plugged nose sound to it, which Kurama's did not. And Kurama was better a while after using eye drops. It didn't seem to have the same magic effect on my co-worker...I couldn't help but feel like the one that I really loved was lying to me. It hurt. I knew better. He does not have allergies, but he is upset about something and he's avoiding telling me. It's been this way for about a month, ever since I told him I was getting married.
Since then, the spark that's always dazzled me in his eyes has dissipated. His gorgeous eye color even seems to be fading to a foggy greenish grey color... His voice lost it's chirp, no more perk in his step, no more flow of his beautiful hair. Symptoms of depression. I can easily recognize that. I wanted the truth, and I will get it dammit. Whatever's torturing my kitsune will soon know the wrath of Hiei. Yes, whatever's hurting him will pay dearly. I'll make sure of that.
Kurama POV
As soon as the main door closed, I looked into the mirror and burst into quiet sobs. I just watched my reflection as I cried. "Dammit..." I sobbed, about ready to punch my reflection. I stepped up to one of the three sinks. I turned it on cold as it would go and splashed water on my face, rubbing my swollen eyes. As I reached for a towel and put it on my face, I heard the main door open and close. When I removed the towel, I seen an unhappy looking Hiei, staring at me. I forced a smile and threw the towel away. I'd almost turned the water off when he pushed me against the mirror, holding me in place by both of my shoulders. In my fantasies, he would have kissed me next. However this was not my fantasy: this was my nightmare.
He stared hard into my eyes, looking past my confused expression. He'd seen through my mask. My newest fear of him noticing my pain had come to life. "Tell me. No lies. What's wrong." He said flatly, still staring me down. I wanted to push him off, but instead weakly put my hands on his elbows. I couldn't find the strength to do the rest. "H-Hiei I don't understand..." I felt him push harder on my shoulders, making me physically uncomfortable. "I mearly have allergies..." I lied. I hate lying to him. He looked ready to slap me, but instead threw a fist full of freezing cold water at my face. I turned my face away to take the blunt of the attack. "Hiei!" I gasped. When I looked back, he moved his left hand beside my head on the mirror and punched the mirror on the other side of my head, shattering fragile glass and cutting his knuckles badly, screaming "Bullshit!" as he did so. I stared in horror as the blood dribbled down the mirror. "STOP LYING TO ME!" You don't have no fucking allergies! What do you take me for! I want the truth!" He yelled, piercing me right through the heart.
I pretended to ignore his furious yell and grabbed his bleeding hand. I dunked under the running faucet of cold water. "Kurama." he said impatiently, making me look at him. I sighed and looked back at his hand. I lightly caressed it in my left hand and gently plucked the small shards of glass from his knuckles with my right. "It's nothing Hiei. Just allergies." I said and dunked his hand again, earning a slight, very slight, hiss. "Kurama..." He said taking his hand away and turning the water off.
"What's going on!" We both looked towards the bathroom entrance, seeing Yusuke looking frantically back and forth between us and the bloody mirror. "He got frustrated." I said and took Hiei's hand again and wrapped it in a paper towel. "Don't worry about it Yusuke. Please leave us, I need to discuss something with him." Hiei said trough his teeth looking angrily at me. I slouched and looked at the floor, gently releasing his hand.
Yusuke eyed us. "Are you sure?" He finally asked. Good old Yusuke. A drunk and tumbling Kazuma came to the scene. No doubt the mirror had startled him too but good naturedly he came to check on us. "Is everything alright?" He asked, looking about to fall over. Hiei glared at Yusuke and I closed my eyes. I guess he took the hint because he ushered Kazuma out the door. When the noise faded, I stepped into one of the stalls and closed the door, locking it so I didn't have to look at Hiei. I sat on the closed toilet seat and put my face in my hands. "What's bothering you, Fox?" he asked, apparently leaning on the locked door. His voice was calmer, but laced with worry. "There's nothing Hiei. I told you." I spoke. "Dammit Kurama, how long do you intend on keeping this from me?" he asked, sounding hurt. 'Forever' I sullenly thought. He then sighed.
"Kurama, you remember how you felt when I punched the mirror a moment ago?" 'Of coarse I do, I was worried...' I mentally answered to myself. "You immediately felt the need to help me so you cleaned and bandaged my cuts. Well, for the past month I've felt the need to help you too. But you won't let me bandage your wounds. You don't want to tell me what's worng, which means your uncomfortable in doing so. Which ultimately means I'm not doing a very good job. I'm failing, Kurama. As a friend, I'm a failure." He spoke, running my heart through a paper shredder. Damn his abilities to make one feel guilty. The door creaked, signaling that he moved from his position, his footsteps telling me he moved towards the wall.
"No...NO!" I practically screamed. I quickly unlocked the door and dashed out towards him, embracing him tightly, a bit awkwardly due to my height and the lack of his. None the less, he embraced me gently and held my head to his shoulder. I dropped to my knees in tears, now hugging his waist tightly and crying into his abdomen. "It's not you! It's not your fault! Hiei you're not a failure!" I sobbed."You're the best friend any decent person could ever hope to have! You're not...a failure..." I trailed off, crying harder.
He sank too, sitting strait on his knees rather then on his rear like I now was. He pulled me to his shoulder and I cried into his neck, hopelessly clutching him. This is the first time I had ever hugged Hiei. "Then please," he spoke softly as my sobs calmed slightly. "tell me what's wrong. What's tearing you apart? I don't want to stand on the sideline and watch as you drown!" He said. I sighed, but not in defeat. I pulled away a little bit and looked him in the eyes. Mine were familiarly red and puffy. My voice cracked as I spoke. "Hiei...I want to tell you. But I'm too late. I'm sorry." I stood and helped him do the same. "I know I should be here for you, but I can't. It hurts too much. I promise that I'll bee there for you tomorrow though, ok? I promise...And... thank you." I said and left. "See you tomorrow." I said sadly and exited the bathroom.
I went strait through the room and out the door, ignoring my name being called from Yusuke. As soon as I was out of sight, I sprinted home, crying all the way.
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There ya go. Chapter 3, done and done. Now. I did say that I would update as soon as I can. But I'm still putting a number on how many reviews I want to see before I do update. But I'm not going to tell you what it is. My theory is that you guys look to see how many reviews there are and if there are enough, you don't bother. Come on guys, it's not hard. Just write two letters even. Say "Hi." I really want to see how many people are bothering to read this story. You don't have to write anything else. Just Hi. That's all I ask. Of coarse you're welcome to say more then that. But that's all I need. Come on, it takes what. 5, 10 seconds? Not a whole lot guys...Anyway sorry to bore you now here at the end. I'll let you go now. THANKS FOR READING! I love you all!