Love for Hiei Part 5
It only took a few short days to heal Mai's stomach wound, but a scar did remain. I'd never say this to anyone out loud, but I was worried about Mai when I took her into the infirmary. In the short time that she's been here, she has become a very close friend, someone I could talk about anything with and trust my secrets to. Currently, Mai was talking to Yukina about what happened before Ryoh abducted her. It didn't take long for Mai to start talking to everyone else, and they were all pleased at hearing her speak. Of course since I was the first person she talked to, Yusuke and Kuwabara gave me a hard time about it. Yukina smiled as Mai was finished talking about her old home.
"Wow, Mai. Seeing what happened to your father must've been hard for you."
"It was, but he died protecting me and my mother. He did what he thought was best for us."
"How long did it take to get over it?"
"A while. He and my mother are in a better place now. That's all that matters to me."
I smiled slightly and continued looking out the window from my place on the windowsill. It has only been a short while since Mai got here, but I felt like I was ready to show her where I originally came from. It took me a while to really think it over, but I wanted to show her the place of my birth, the floating Ice Domain.
"Yukina, give us a minute. I need to speak with Mai in private."
"Hm? Oh, of course. We'll talk more later, Mai."
"Sure."
I sat down beside her on the couch, taking in a deep breath before speaking.
"Mai, remember a few days ago when I mentioned where I came from?"
"I recall you saying something about that. Why are you asking?"
"I think I know you well enough now to take you there myself. I want you to see in person where I was born."
"Are you sure it won't be too much trouble? After all, a friend of your mother's threw you off. Won't it bring back old memories?"
I held the tear gem that was around my neck and shook my head.
"I've gotten over that a long time ago. Let's go."
Using my Jagan Eye, I was able to locate the Ice Domain easily. To make sure she stays warm, Mai put on a long-sleeved shirt and thick pants.
Mai's POV:
After arriving at the Ice Domain, I looked around me. There was snow and ice everywhere, and small houses were in rows. There were some Koorimes, but they stayed clear of Hiei, obviously knowing who he was.
"Hiei, they're staring."
"They know of who I am. Last time I was here, I had found out that my mother had taken her own life."
My hands flew to my mouth as I looked at him horrified.
"Why did she do that?"
"She was in grief over not seeing me again. She just couldn't take it anymore, I guess."
I took his hand and gently squeezed it, expressing my condolences silently. He raised an eyebrow at me, but said nothing as we walked around. We later stopped in front of a small house that was a little ways away from the others. I let go of his hand as he closed his eyes.
"This is the house my mother lived in when Yukina and I were born."
"Wow. It looks like it hasn't been used since your mother died."
"Doubt it has been used."
After a while of walking some more, we came across a cluster of icicles that had a name written across from it.
"Hiei, this says 'Hina'. Was she...your mother?"
"Yes. This is her grave. She was buried right where we're standing."
I backed away slightly, as if I was nervous about standing on holy ground. Hiei smirked and we sat down on a tree stump.
"Any questions, Mai?"
"Just one."
I looked at Hiei closely, trying to figure out how to put what I want to say into words. As a result of my taking so long, Hiei raised an eyebrow at me.
"What?"
"Hiei, be honest. What kind of relationship do we have? I know we're friends and everything, but I feel like there's more of a connection than that."
He didn't speak for a while, so that led me to realize my question caught him offguard. He looked away, and I noticed there was a slight blush forming on his face. After the blush disappeared, he looked at me.
"Mai, I feel that there's a connection, too. I could tell when you helped Yukina that you'd be a person I could trust. I'm grateful we're friends, as well, but I agree with what you say when there's a connection there. Just do me a favor."
"What's that?"
Hiei narrowed his eyes as he stood up.
"Never tell anyone-"
"About the talk we had, I know. I'd rather these talks not get out, either."
"Good."
Hiei's POV:
After we got back home, Mai went to her room to change out of her wet, cold clothes. I sat down on the couch and watched as Yusuke played a videogame with Kuwabara. I raised an eyebrow as Yusuke did a victory dance after winning against Kuwabara in a race.
"Oh, yeah! Urameshi prevails again!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got lucky that time, Urameshi. One more round, and the loser goes without dinner tonight."
"You're on."
I rolled my eyes and looked up as Mai sat next to me, dressed in a short-sleeved white blouse with a navy blue skirt. She smiled at me as she sat down.
'Thanks again for showing me the Ice Domain today, Hiei. It pleases me to know you trust me enough to take me there.'
'Hn.'
She giggled as she shook her head, looking toward the game Yusuke and Kuwabara were playing. I, too, looked back at the game, thinking of the day's events. I wasn't expecting to trust her this much considering I met her not too long ago, but I do. Our bond indeed felt strong, which may explain why Mai is usually near me. She once told me it feels odd not being around me, that she feels out of place whenever I wasn't in her presence. My thoughts abruptly ended when I felt Mai rest a hand on mine. She smiled as she looked at me, then looked back to the game. I decided to surprise her by gently grasping her hand and lacing our fingers together. She looked at me surprised and I smirked, seeing how my attempt to surprise her worked. I raised an eyebrow as I saw a slight blush form on her face, but I later smiled as I held her hand tighter. She smiled back, and I knew right away there was no chance in hell anyone or anything would take her away from me. Anyone that tried would be severely punished, with death or otherwise.
That's a wrap for part 5. After Mai's wound healed up, Hiei shows how much he trusts her by taking her to the place where he was born, the Ice Domain. Their bond is apparent by the fact Mai rests her hand on his, as well as Hiei holding her hand and lacing their fingers together. Part 6 will take place months later near Christmas, when Yukina, Botan, and Keiko assist Mai in looking for Christmas gifts. Also in part 6, Hiei experiences jealousy for the first time when Jin, the wind demon Yusuke fought with in the Dark Tournament, shows up for the Christmas party and gives Hiei the impression he's interested in Mai. Stay tuned to see what happens