Fear of Fire

Disclaimer - Don't own YYH.

Chapter 19 - Siblings

XxXxX

"Huh?" Yuusuke blinked as Hiei turned around in a huff. "Oh, is this about that thing that Kurama told me? The thing about your curse?" The aggressive fire koorime was way past being patient. He felt a snarl touch his lips but he bit it back.

"Why he even blabbered to you of all people is beyond me!" Yuusuke was silent, feeling a bit self-conscious at the fact that the koorime wasn't just yelling at him but he was insulting him as well. "This is why I keep everything to myself. Because even that damn kitsune can't keep a secret to save his life! He's just as bad as the baka onna." Hiei folded his arms across his chest with a sour expression on his face as he sat down on the floor across from the Reikai Detective.

"Okay, Hiei. I get it. You don't want anyone else to know. I'll probably forget about it now, anyway." Yuusuke scratched the back of his head. It was one thing to tell him about a curse that was affecting his friend but when the said friend told him that the curse could be broken without his interfering, then he was all for it. "You can handle it on your own, then? Just as long as we're clear on this, man. I'd only spill if you needed help."

"I don't need help. This isn't the type of curse that can be broken by someone else. I know what I'm doing so don't worry about it." The little demon vanished then, without another word. The detective smiled. He knew Hiei could take care of himself. That wasn't even what had worried him. When he had spoken to Kurama, it seemed like Botan played a big role in the story. But he had no idea exactly what was going on. He figured that he would find out, sooner or later.

XxXxX

Hiei stared at the temple stairs. He had been there for over three and a half hours standing there. Just standing there and staring up at the mountain of stairs. But he didn't see the stairs. All he saw were his memories of his sister. The feelings he felt were pinpointed and examined thoroughly. She had always had an easy time with emotions. She laughed when she was happy, cried when she was sad, and, even with her timid nature, grew icy and emotionless when she was angry. She was opposite to him in every way. Unlike him, she had to learn to lock her emotions away. To him it was completely natural. They were both quiet and intelligent, even if she was a bit naive. Brother and sister, night and day. She was like the sun, so full of happiness and innocence. He was like the moon, living in the dark, in the shadows of the other. He remembered his rage when he couldn't find her for the first time, back when he hadn't yet gotten his Jagan. He had actually panicked and had gotten so angry that he couldn't see straight. But his little fool of a sister had only wandered off to play with animals and had fallen asleep. He examined the feelings that he had when he had found her. He had studied all of the words but they were hard to place. This one...was relief. It was happiness, if only one of the forms.

Baka... Why did you wander away? You always used to do that. You never knew what that used to do to me... You made me worry about you... Worry...for the first time.

It was then that he had gotten the Jagan. So that he could watch her and find her without even looking. Only...she had wandered off again and had gotten kidnapped. The bastard that had captured her had used wards, which had blocked her from him completely. How angry he had been when he realized... He had been so full of self-loathing for not watching her. It had made him angry and...upset. She would endure pain and sadness...all because he had been careless for just a moment.

"Hiei-san?" He froze, his eyes searching in front of him for the owner of the soft voice. "What are you doing out here? Do you wish to come inside?" He looked over his shoulder to see Yukina's innocent smile directed toward him. She had quite a few bags in her hands and often shifted to find a more comfortable position. He wordlessly took the bags from her and waited until she started up the steps to follow her. "Thank you so much." She whispered when they arrived at the door, her face flushing a light pink as she bowed to him. He frowned at her.

"You needn't be so formal to me. I'm not worth your respect." She looked up at him with wide eyes. He wasn't even looking at her. How could he have said that? He had saved her life before and he always helped Yuusuke and the others.

"You are worthy of the highest respect, Hiei-san. You are a good person, though it seems as though you have not realized it." She opened the door and indicated that he enter first, since he had the bags. She led him to the kitchen and smiled as he set the bags on the table. "Thank you. Would you like to stay and join me for tea?" He shook his head. His heart was at ease around her and he felt guilty for not telling her who he was but he didn't want her to be disappointed. Her face fell and she looked away as she pulled some of the things from the bags.

"D-Did you wish for me to stay?" His voice was quiet, like it usually was. She looked a little flustered at his question and turned away from him to put the items she had gotten away. "Yukina."

"Oh, I could never ask that of you." Her voice was soft and tinged with sadness. "I just get lonely here sometimes. Genkai-sama is sick and cannot get up from bed so..." She trailed off as she closed the cupboard she was finished with. When she turned around, she was shocked to find that Hiei was taking his cloak off and leaving the room to hang it up. When he came back, he questioned her on where the items in her bags went. After everything was put away, she started making their tea. "Hiei-san, you do not need to stay for long." She turned to look at him with a shy smile before noticing that he wasn't even paying attention. His eyes were unfocused as he stared ahead at memories that she couldn't see. She had often wondered about him. Whenever she asked someone else about him, they really couldn't say much. Kazuma disliked him, of that she knew. But Hiei hated the ningen boy, for what reason, she was unsure. The demon didn't seem to talk about himself and he never seemed to like company. He was especially hard to read and she had no idea why. She could often catch a brief sense of emotion but that was it. And she could never identify it. The whistle of the teapot made them both snap from their reveries. She flushed and tended to her duty.

"Did you say something?" She looked over her shoulder at him when she heard him speak. "I wasn't paying much attention so I-" She smiled and set the cup in front of him before kneeling down by the table. He seemed just a bit uncomfortable at the distance between them and she was only aware of that because he shifted away from her.

"Is everything all right, Hiei-san?" His expression closed off even more. This startled the young ice maiden. "Oh! I apologize if I've asked too much of you-" His gaze silenced her immediately.

"Do not apologize for such trite things, Yukina." She let out a soft sigh of relief at the soft tone of his voice. Being around him made her nervous but at the same time, his presence made her feel safe. It was familiar but she could not put her finger on it. His gaze eased her distress. He didn't even need any words. Being around him made her want to cry with frustration. She had been searching for so long and she still could not find her brother. Her one wish was that he was someone like Hiei. He was so quiet and didn't need much attention to be satisfied. He didn't talk too much or even ask for favors. He helped her without even expecting thanks in return.

"I feel terrible for even asking this of you..." Hiei turned his attention to her fully. What he saw nearly made him choke on his mouthful of tea. He swallowed hard and tried to stifle the concern that was dying to free itself. Yukina's hands were shaking as she held her kimono bunched up in her tiny fists. Tears sparkled brightly in her eyes but never fell. "You are the last one that I can turn to. Hiei-san, I beg of you... Please...help me find my brother." She bowed low, her forehead nearly touching the floor. He stared at her with wide eyes. Why did she have to ask such a thing?

"How would I...be of much help?" He asked, trying to cover up the fact that he was really in trouble. "I know...hardly anything about you." He hoped that he wasn't a terrible liar. He hoped that she couldn't sense the lie. "You're asking the wrong person." He stood up to leave and she looked back up at him.

"Please, Hiei-san!" Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to fight the sobs. "You...are the only one that hasn't tried." He stopped only briefly but didn't look back at her.

"I'm sorry, Yukina. But...I can't help you." Without another moment's hesitation, he grabbed his cloak and left. Yukina knew that she had to try and ask for his help. Perhaps it was too much to hope for success. She was really disappointed that he couldn't help. If only she knew why...

XxXxX

His tree wasn't the perfect place but it was the place that offered him the privacy he needed for struggling with his emotions. The darkness had crept up on him only an hour earlier and he had yet to mask himself from the outside world. Yukina was heartbroken, of that he was certain.

Why is it so hard to deal with these emotions? I...I wish I could never feel them! I wish I never knew that I was able...

His sister was hurt because of him. The guilt and anger were mixing together to agonize him in every way. He was still so vulnerable to emotions. Perhaps it had been too soon to encounter her before he had a firm grasp on those damn emotions he still had to confront and identify for himself. All of the emotion he felt around her was so...profound. There was so much that he didn't understand and it made him angry. He froze. That had happened before, only with Botan. He had gotten so angry with her that he just snapped and ran away. It was because he didn't understand. All of those shadows were becoming clearer. Every time he didn't understand something, it made him run away. Those times...they were all when he felt something so complex, he couldn't understand. Such deep feeling could only be one emotion. The one that Koenma couldn't tell him about. Was that...love in itself?

Perhaps...

XxXxX

It had started all of a sudden. She stared out over the part of the yard that she could see from the temple porch. The rain was so soothing. If only it were snow... She had been out there for hours, just watching the rain pour down, watching as the tiny crystalline drops collided with the earth. Her crimson eyes caught sight of a movement. The shadow was dark but recognizable. After all, she had seen him the day before and he wasn't one that was easily forgotten.

"Hiei-san?" She questioned. He walked toward her, obviously enjoying the coolness of the rain. It was dark out, had been all day except it was supposed to be dark at that time. It was a few hours to midnight, of that she knew. He needed no reason to be there but he never came there often, which made it unusual. "Are you okay?"

"Hn." It was his infamous reply. She rarely encountered it when speaking to him. Without a word, he took a seat next to her under the shelter of the porch. Her close proximity had made him uneasy before but that didn't seem to be the case. "You must be wondering why I am here." Their eyes met. "I have...a confession to make."

"A confession? Hiei-san, you needn't explain yourself to me." She then covered her mouth, realizing that maybe he wanted to tell her something willingly, something he thought important. "But...if you wish to confide in me, then do so whenever you wish." He was surprised when her hand rested on his shoulder. Then she was surprised in return when he smiled at her. It was small but it was still a smile. Her face flushed. She felt so honored to witness something so rare. He never smiled...that had been a known fact amoung the group.

"I wanted to tell you why I couldn't help you find your brother." All at once, her happiness passed. A dark, foreboding shroud seemed to settle over her shoulders. "Before you make any assumptions, Yukina, clear your mind." He could sense how sad she was that he had mentioned her brother, which made him even more insecure about his decision. "We have to talk about this and I need you have a clear and open mind."

"Of course." She did as he asked, though it wasn't easy by any means. He took a deep breath and stared deep into her crimson eyes, ones that resembled his so flawlessly.

"Contrary to what you may have thought...your brother was never lost to you." She stared at him in anticipation. Could he know...? He was silent for a few long moments. "I've been here all along." He couldn't look at her so he turned his face away. "I didn't wish for you to know so everyone kept it in for me. Except for the baka, he had no idea."

"H-Hiei..." His name left her lips so quietly, so painfully. "Why couldn't you tell me? I would never judge you. All of those things you did to help Yuusuke and the others..." He shook his head.

"All of those missions were to help clear my name of my criminal record. It was in lieu of jail time... In fact, my punishment is to live out my sentence here, in this hell." Yukina felt herself begin to tremble. All of that time, all of that pain... "I was trying to protect you from the truth. In fact, recently...I've been battling a curse that father placed on me. It isn't easy but I have to do it." He sat there quietly for a moment before standing up. "I will respect any decision that you make about us. But...I will always protect you, just as I had when we were younger." Briefly, he looked back over his shoulder, the Jagan glowing eerily. She didn't say a word as Hiei walked away, the rain soaking him once more after he left the shelter of the porch. She couldn't say anything. All she could do was hold back her tears.

XxXxX

"Yukina, my snow princess! Where are you?" Kuwabara bounded toward the temple, his eyes sparkling with renewed vigor. Yuusuke followed at a slower pace, fighting his fatigue. The detective shook his head at his friend's attitude change.

"Where he gets the excess energy, I'll never know." They had gotten out of school early. No one had actually knew the reason because they failed to care about that part. "Kuwabara, be quiet, will you? Genkai is still sick." In fact, the old woman was the reason why they were there, though the way Kuwabara carried on made it seem otherwise.

"Sorry, Urameshi, I just haven't seen Yukina in a while. I wonder if she missed me..." Yuusuke rolled his eyes before starting up the porch stairs.

"Probably not as much as you missed her." He muttered under his breath. After knocking on the door, he shoved his hands in his pockets. Knocking probably wasn't necessary, what with Kuwabara screaming for Yukina and all but he didn't need a lecture on manners. A few moments later, the door opened and a solemn young maiden greeted them with a cheerless smile. "Yukina? What happened? Is Genkai all right?" Yukina nodded and let the two boys in. "Are you okay?"

"Genkai-sama is awake. She feels a little better today." It seemed as though Yuusuke's last question didn't make it from his lips to her ear because it was completely ignored. "I am certain that is why you are here, right, Yuusuke-san?" She had reverted back to her old honorifics. It had only been a month or two before when she had stopped using them. What had happened to her that made her so upset? The detective plastered a cheerful smile on his face, hoping to disspell the girl's sadness.

"Yeah, of course! You're as sharp as ever!" When faced down with a compliment as such, Yukina would always duck her head and blush modestly. However, she didn't even seem to register the fact that he had said anything... While she was leading them to Genkai's room, Yuusuke turned to Kuwabara, who was unusually quiet. "Any idea what's the matter with her?" The taller boy shook his head with a frown.

"I don't know. This is too weird for words..." As soon as they were in the old psychic's room, the koorime bowed and quietly excused herself. Genkai was sitting up, her eyes focused on something outside of her window. Yuusuke sighed and sat down.

"Hey, Grandma. How's it goin'?" He knew no other way to make her feel better than to give her something to fight back with. The old woman looked over at him, a glare falling over her face.

"Fine, dimwit, how else would it be going?" Silence cloaked the room, making everyone shift awkwardly. "Have you noticed how Yukina is acting today?" Yuusuke nodded when she looked over at him.

"Any idea why?" Genkai frowned and then let out a sigh. "She won't answer any questions that have anything to do with how she is or what happened."

"Hiei paid her a visit last night. The day before, as well. Something tells me that those two are going through a tough time." Kuwabara got instantly defensive. He felt angry and he had no idea why.

"Stupid little runt! How dare he upset Yukina!" He clenched his fists at his sides. "He's always been too ignorant for his own good. When I-" Yuusuke stood up, his eyes wide.

"You don't think he told her, do you?" Kuwabara stared at Yuusuke like the detective had grown an extra head. "What if she..." He trailed off, the worst possible thoughts flitting through his mind. Suddenly, the three of them heard glass shatter. The two boys darted from the room without hesitation. Yuusuke froze the instant he saw the emotionless crimson eyes of their comrade.

"H-Hiei..." Yukina's eyes shifted between her brother and the floor before finally resting on the broken cup. "I did not expect you to come today." She bent to clean up the mess but Hiei beat her to it. He didn't want her to injure herself on the glass. Kuwabara was tense, noticing the concern slipping through Hiei's barriers. "Thank you."

"Hn." The fire koorime took the shards of glass into the kitchen and disposed of them in the trash. Then he brought back a cloth to clean the spilled tea up. "It was my fault you dropped it, anyway." Yuusuke noticed the way they were acting around each other. Hiei seemed unusually closed off and his movements weren't fluid but stiff. The tension was driving him nuts.

"What business do you have here, Shorty?" Kuwabara asked rather coldly. The detective beside him winced. Why did the dope have to say anything? "You don't usually come around unless you have to." Hiei stood up from cleaning the mess before turning his chilling glare onto the unsuspecting idiot.

"I do not feel the need to answer to a buffoon like yourself." They had somewhat of a staredown before Yuusuke broke the silence with a question he was pretty much sure about.

"You told her?" The detective had two pairs of crimson eyes upon him and all he could do was grin. "So, Yukina, what do you think? Were you surprised?" The young ice maiden stared at him before looking back at Hiei with a small smile.

"I was...and yet, I wasn't. His presence has always been familiar but I never knew why." The fire koorime stared at her with a guarded expression on his face. Of course, he was skeptical. She hadn't seemed happy to hear the story but he felt relieved to no longer have to hide it. She stepped closer to him. "I just want to know why you chose to remain in shadow. I have always felt different around you and you know that. Why did you hide it from me, even when I made it clear that I was searching for you?"

"I am not what you deserve, Yukina. I figured you were better off not knowing so that you wouldn't have to be disappointed." Hiei was startled when she threw herself into his arms. He stood there, not really sure of what to do. Slowly, his mind registered what was needed. He set one hand on her back and the other around her waist.

"Disappointed?" She laughed quietly. "I could not be happier." Modest as she was, all of her feelings of happiness could not be contained. Her brother was within arm's reach and he was the person she wished he would be like. He felt his control slipping. Elation spread through his body, though he wouldn't allow himself to show it. He felt a surge of emotion like never before. If it was happiness, he wished he could have felt it sooner. While he was trying to keep his joy contained, a flush spread across his face and he gently unwound himself from her grip.

"What's going on?" Kuwabara felt so left out and a little depressed. Why was Yukina suddenly so happy? And why did it have to do with Hiei? Hadn't he been the suspect of her short-lived depression?

"Kazuma, don't you know? I've found my brother!" It took all of about a minute for the situation to click. "Isn't it wonderful?" Tears of joy appeared in her eyes as a bright smile spread across her lips. She held Hiei's hand, despite his small protest. Yukina was one person that he couldn't refuse. Seeing such joy on his sister's face made him feel like he'd accomplished a mission, like he'd achieved a personal victory. And that he was the cause of her joy made it all the more sweeter. He felt so overwhelmed and exhausted from the emotional walks he had taken liberty in the past few days. But the next walk was more like a journey. It was sure to be harder on him than the whole night of unrest and anxiety.

Next, he had to figure out just what Botan meant to him. He wasn't so certain that it would go smoothly, either.

XxXxX

I decided that a full chapter was needed to go into the depth of their emotions and express the importance of their connection. Siblings, I think, is one of my favorite chapters! Please review and tell me what you think of it! I worked pretty darn hard on this chapter and I hope that it is fully enjoyable, since we got to explore Hiei's feelings and even Yukina's just a bit more than usual.

I can't wait to start the next chapter. This is going to be pretty challenging but I think I should be all right, as long as I have your support for this. So please review and tell me what you think of this chapter. Thanks to all of you that have been faithful reviewers! I'll see what I can do as far as getting the other chapter out ASAP. Perhaps I need more reviews as motivation!