By: SanguineFox
Disclaimer: I have no ownership of the characters involved in Yu Yu Hakusho.
Warning: PG or so, nothing really bad in this chapter other than how long it took to finish this chapter.
Chapter 6: One or the Other
Hiei tried to keep his low growl of arousal down as he saw the sweet sway of Shuuichi's slim hips going back and forth to the thrum of his own tune. He was amazed what the promise of the redhead's breakfast could do to him. He felt horrible that he missed his usual meeting with Kurama, but this had been the first in a long time that he and Shuuichi were able to really be alone.
"What are you making?"
"Just a couple of omelets and if you would like to throw some bacon in the microwave, we can have some of that."
"Hn," Hiei nodded, heading for the fridge.
"Hiei? Where do you see us in ten years?" the question was solemn and it took Hiei a couple of seconds to compose himself before he answered.
"Probably rooming together because I can't afford my own place," he smirked.
"I'm serious, Hiei," Shuuichi seemed to state almost coldly.
"I don't know. I'm not even sure where we'll be in less than a week. Look, I'm not very good at this kind of thing, alright?"
"Ah," Shuuichi nodded as he slid an omelet onto a plate, "okay."
"Why are you asking such a strange question?" Hiei placed the bacon on the paper towel.
"It's nothing… I was just curious," he plastered on one of his fake smiles, but it didn't fool Hiei for a second.
"I don't like it when you're sad," Hiei stated suddenly, throwing them both for a loop. He had the urge to slap himself when Kurama cut him off.
"I don't particularly care for being sad, myself," he gave a soft snort.
"Hn," Hiei nodded, and put the plate in the microwave. His eyes wandered out the window, which seemed to frame the golden sun raining down though the branches of the large tree in the Minamino's front yard. It seemed like the perfect mixture of Shuuichi and Kurama, his two loves. He couldn't help it, he found that he needed the company of the fox every night, but he still cared too deeply for Shuuichi for it to just be considered friendship. "Is there something that you want to tell me?"
"… Yes, actually, but this isn't the right moment," he shook his head as he finished up the second omelet and placed them on the table before going to cut up an orange.
"Then when?"
"Tuesday."
"Tuesday?"
"Yes. I'll tell you Tuesday. Meet me in the park… around eleven."
"Eleven?" Hiei raised an eyebrow. He didn't even think that the redhead left the house after nine, "Okay…"
"Great. Would you prefer juice or coffee?" he slipped back into his cheery self a little too easily for Hiei's nerves.
Hiei returned home, almost reluctantly. He had spent the almost entire day on the sofa with Shuuichi watching different movies, and eating popcorn or whatever it is that the redhead pulled out of his cupboard.
After a while, Shuuichi finally convinced Hiei that he should start on his 'boring history project', which of course was no where near as bad as Hiei expected it to due to the presence of his beloved redhead. He found that he had been hypnotized by the amazing red hair when the taller teen started to curl his side lock around his fingers, and played gently with the ends of the hair.
An hour passed with Hiei in his dream world of long red hair before his twin nearly had to shake him into awareness of the fact that he was still staring off into space as he laid on his back amidst the clothing that was draped over everything.
"Are you alright, Hiei?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."
"Then you should come to dinner, I made your favorite," she insisted.
"Uh, yes… alright, I'm on my way."
It was slightly unnerving to Hiei as to how Shuuichi was able to completely ignore the fact that he had something to share with Hiei that would probably change his life forever the next night.
"What's going on with all of you?" the redhead smiled at the group gathered around the lunchroom table.
"Nothin' man, what's going on with you?" Yusuke moved over so the redhead could sit next to Hiei as usual.
"Just took a test in Physics," he settled on to the lunchroom bench.
"Let me guess, another 'A+' for the great Shuuichi Minamino?" the slick haired youth pat the boy on his shoulder roughly, but he was slightly surprised to see his friend didn't budge at all.
"No, I wish, but I think that I missed a few questions actually," he corrected.
"What?" Hiei nearly choked on the soda he was drinking, "Are you alright?"
"What's the matter? Can't handle the fact that I'm not absolutely perfect?" he asked coldly.
"Where is that coming from?" Kuwabara eyed the other teen awkwardly, "Are you alright, Shuuichi?"
His large green eyes turned to the taller teen, filled with complete innocence, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because you have never gotten anything below an 'A' in your life," Hiei explained, "What happened?"
"I've just been distracted, I guess," he shrugged.
"Please," Keiko shook her head, "the teachers here are so in love with Shuuichi that it wouldn't surprise me if they've stopped reading your papers and just instantly give you 'A's automatically. Ah, that's not supposed to be taken in any sort of offence, of course, Shuuichi, I know that you work very hard to maintain the grade that you have."
A sweet smile, "Don't worry, none taken."
"See? I told you all Keiko was smart, she knows how this school works," Yusuke draped his arm about the brunette's shoulders.
Yukina was beginning to worry, her brother usually closed himself in his room, but he would usually be somewhat open during dinner…"Hiei?"
"Sorry?"
"Dinner's ready," his sister smiled sweetly, but cringed slightly when her brother sat from his bed and about a month's worth of laundry fell from the bed onto the floor.
"I'm coming," he grumbled slightly, his voice rough from sleep.
"Er, okay," she tried to keep the smile but her instincts were to clean even though she didn't want to intrude on her brother's privacy, "Hiei?"
"Huh?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, why?"
"You've been even less social than usual…"
"Sorry that I made you worry, but it's something that I just have to decide for myself."
"You can't talk about it?"
"I'm sorry, Yukina, but no, this is something that I have to just figure out on my own."
"Oh, okay that's fine."
'What is it that he could want to tell me tomorrow?' Hiei's brow scrunched in thought as he slumped down the stairs.
"How was your day, Hiei?" Ruri asked as they all settled in for dinner.
"Fine, my project got an 'A'."
"'My' meaning Shuuichi's?" Yukina giggled.
"Hn, something like that," Hiei smiled, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm great, I think that the tea Shuuichi gave you is really working."
"That's great," he had to thank the fox later. It had been hard to convince Yukina that it was all legitimate, he wasn't one for friends, so he couldn't exactly say that it was a new friend… he just hoped Yukina never flat out asked Shuuichi about it or he would be found out in an instant. It would be a lot easier if he actually had more than one intellectual friend.
"Please thank him for me when you see him," she placed a large helping of mashed potatoes in front of her twin.
"Huh? Oh, right… of course… yeah…"
"Are you alright?" Aunt Ruri looked her nephew over with worry.
"It's nothing…"
"Oh, Kazuma called earlier," Yukina cut in.
"What did he want?" Hiei had to keep back the growl in his voice at the mention of the fool's name.
"A date," she smiled.
"Tell him I'm not interested."
"Not you silly, he's taking me out after he gets out of school tomorrow."
"He finally asked you out?" Ruri smiled.
"Actually he went about mumbling and shouting random words that sounded somewhat like how a boy should ask a girl out," the youth laughed.
"Oh, that's so sweet," the aunt cooed.
"Hn, that fool finally stopped trying to ask for my permission?"
"He was asking you if he could ask your sister out? That's so adorable!" the older woman giggled sweetly.
"It's just plain stupid if you ask me," Hiei huffed.
"Well that would be why no one is asking you," Ruri stated saucily.
"Hn," Hiei continued eating his dinner.
"So where are you two going for your first date?"
Yukina turned a bright red, "I don't really know, I believe that Kazuma passed out after I said yes."
"Oh, my, he's such a sweet boy," Ruri laughed.
"No," Hiei corrected, "He's an oversized gorilla with no ability to think for himself."
"Hiei!"
"Sorry," he apologized instantly under the harsh gaze of his twin sister.
The group was just separating after lunch and Hiei was walking his best friend to his class as a chance to get the taller youth's attention. He could feel that he was beginning to fume on the inside, it was ridiculous that Shuuichi was making him go through all of this for no real reason.
"Shuuichi, why do I have to wait for tonight? What is it that you have to tell me in the middle of the night in the middle of a forest?"
"You will have to wait until it is the middle of the night and we are in the middle of the forest."
"I don't understand why."
Shuuichi stopped suddenly, turning to face Hiei meeting those sharp eyes, "You trust me, right, Hiei?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Answer me."
"When you answer me."
"Ah… I see… maybe it's not a good idea…" Shuuichi started to chew on his lower lip before looking away, "forget it Hiei. This is a bad idea."
"No," he grabbed the thin wrist, "I'll meet you there tonight, okay?"
With a small nod the redhead made his way to class once again.
"Hiei?"
"Hn?" he turned to see a much taller carrot top looking down on him.
"Are you two alright?"
"We're dandy," he snarled.
"Look, Hiei, I know we're not the closest since I'm dating your sister now and all, but…"
"Out with it, just tell me what it is that you want," he huffed.
"You've got to tell him eventually."
"What are you talking about?"
"You can't have it both ways."
"What?" Hiei hissed. He didn't like it when Kuwabara actually sounded like he knew something.
"You're seeing someone, ain't ya?"
"…"
"Shuuichi knows it too."
"…"
"What I don't understand is that he doesn't seem to be unhappy about it at all after all these years of liking you."
"What?"
"… You're kidding, right?"
"About what?"
"You do know that Shuuichi is completely in love with you, right?"
"… Leave me alone."
"Don't be stupid. Everyone else knows about it too," Kuwabara shook his head, "They're just not willing to say anything about it 'cause they think that you guys are smart enough to figure it out for yourselves. Obviously not."
"Shut up."
"You're going to have to pick eventually."
Hiei's head dropped for a moment.
"You can't have it both ways," the taller boy reminded before he headed back to his own class.
Hiei stared at his hands the entire class, not even noticing when it was over or when the teacher stood over him, waiting for the shorter teen to finally look up, "Mr. Jaganshi."
"Hn?"
"As nice it is that you want to stay after class…" the short woman with gray hair looked down on the student, "Get out!"
"Ah," he looked about the emptied room.
Kurama… Shuuichi…Shuuichi… Kurama…
"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Hiei huffed, falling back on to his bed of clothing.
Shuuichi had been his friend for so long, it was possible that taking it to the next level would just make things awkward, but he had been in love with the redhead for just as long.
Kurama… wasn't even human, but he always reminded him of when Shuuichi first kissed him. It made him feel so warm and… loved. The fox never wanted to let him go. He wasn't so sure about Shuuichi's feelings. Then again he couldn't even bring himself to visit the fox the other night in fear of jinxing tonight's outcome.
If he had known that he had a chance with Shuuichi would he have gone to the fox every night the way he had? He wanted to say no, but in all honesty Kurama started a fire in his blood like he never felt around Shuuichi, but if he were to keep his relationship with Kurama… where would it lead? It was already considered a taboo to be in love with a man, but what for the fact that this man isn't even human?
Hiei had to laugh at himself. He never thought that he would find love, and now he couldn't decide between two men. One he knew that was in love with him, and currently feared that he would be willing to fight and kill for him, and the other… well, he wasn't even sure what to think of.
Shuuichi had been the only one to ever befriend him, and help him, but Kurama had been the first to be very upfront about it all; taking him in his arms and driving him wild with desires, but it was always just physical…
It was already 10:30 when he looked up at the red numbers on his alarm clock. It was time to face his long time crush.
The forest was so dark that Hiei could barely see two inches from his nose. The moon was full, but the trees closed in over him, encasing him in complete black.
"Hiei…" a whisper of a voice was carried on the wind, barely caressing the teenager's ears.
TBC
