Love for Hiei Part 7: Christmas Party Part 2
What I saw didn't please me in the slightest. My anger continued to grow as I saw Jin embracing Mai. Why I felt so angry, I still was unsure about. Mai and I were indeed close friends, but that didn't explain why I didn't want anyone else touching her. I swiftly approached them, catching them both offguard. Jin jumped back and looked at me with wide eyes.
"Hiei?"
"Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said not to get too close."
"I was just comforting her because you upset her. There's nothing else to it."
"Stop it, Hiei. You don't know what you're doing."
I narrowed my eyes at Mai, slightly ticked off she wasn't backing me up.
"Mai, stay out of this."
"How can I when your actions involve me? As your friend, I'm asking you to leave Jin alone."
"Last time I'm warning you, Mai. I don't want you involved in this."
"When you started this silly game of jealousy, I got involved. Enough of this, Hiei! Back off!"
I glared at Jin, who narrowed his eyes back at me.
"You're the one starting all of this, not me. She doesn't want to witness a confrontation."
"I've heard enough out of you. Nothing is going to take her away from me. I could've lost her after she took that blow for me, I'm not about to let it happen again."
"Your anger is blinding you, Hiei."
I grabbed Jin by the collar, lifting him up off the ground. Mai quickly pulled Jin away while Kurama held me back. Mai looked to the crowd regretfully.
"Sorry, everyone. Party's being postponed. We'll resume as soon as we can."
Keiko, Botan, and Yukina were escorted upstairs by Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama stayed to hold me back.
"Hiei, this has to stop. Your anger may hurt someone. Let it go."
"Get off of me, Kurama. This doesn't concern you."
"When it concerns my friends and teammates, it does. If you do something now, you'll be locked up for who knows how long. I don't think Yukina wants to lose her brother when she just found him."
After taking a moment to calm down, I quickly got out of Kurama's grip and rushed to my room, locking the door behind me.
Mai's POV:
After Hiei left the room, I tried to calm myself down. What Hiei did really threw me for a loop. He lost his cool, which surprised me because he's not the type to do that. Kurama sat me on the couch while handing me a hot cup of tea.
"Here, Mai."
"Thanks."
I took a couple of sips as Kurama gave Jin some tea.
"Thanks, Kurama."
"No problem. The least I could do after what you went through this evening."
Jin rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"He reacted the way he did because he saw me hugging Mai. All I was doing-"
"Hiei knows that, Jin. He just doesn't like the idea of you touching Mai."
"Kurama, that's still no excuse. Hiei could've really hurt someone."
Kurama sat beside me and shook his head, unsure of what to do.
"Very true. I don't think I ever saw him lose his cool like that other than when he found out Yukina was being held by Ryoh."
I looked to Jin, smiling apologetically.
"I'm sorry about all this Jin."
"It's fine, Mai, as long as you weren't hurt. Perhaps I should leave. Inform me of when the party will resume, and I'll show up."
"I'll inform you myself."
Thanking Kurama for his gesture, Jin left for home. Having finally calmed down, I stood up. Kurama put a hand on my shoulder before I could walk away.
"Are you sure you want to confront him now?"
"I want this resolved as soon as possible, Kurama. You know as well as I do the only people he listens to are the two of us. I'll be fine. I'll contact you telepathically if I need any assistance."
"Okay."
I headed upstairs to Hiei's room, eager to get answers from him. I knocked on the door, and I heard movement inside.
"I don't want to talk, Mai."
"Well, I do. Let me in, Hiei."
"Why should I?"
"We need to resolve this. I thought you could tell me anything. Aren't we friends?"
"I don't need to answer that. You already know we are."
I sighed heavily, seeing that this wasn't going anywhere.
"Hiei, just let me in. You don't have to talk or answer me, just listen."
I heard the door unlock and saw it open wide enough for me to step inside. He locked the door behind him and crossed his arms, glaring at me.
"Make this quick."
"Fine. What is going on with you, Hiei? You were just fine until Jin showed up tonight. Jin tells me you said for him to stay away from me and that you think he's romantically interested in me. True or false?"
When he looked away from me, I knew that everything was true. I sat down on his windowsill and he sat beside me.
"Hiei, you need to understand. I am, in no way, interested in Jin like that. I never will be."
Hiei's POV:
When Mai said those words, I felt all of my anger disappear. Hearing what she said gave me a sense of hope, that maybe I still had a chance to win her over. I couldn't deny it anymore that I was in love with her, and I wanted to do something as soon as possible before someone else swept her off her feet. I felt her take my hand and my heart began beating faster as she smiled at me.
"You don't have anything to worry about, Hiei. I'm not going anywhere. Someone's gotta stay to keep an eye on you."
"Hn."
She smiled as she saw the small blush that appeared on my face. I held her hand tighter and looked at her closely.
"Mai, there's a reason why I acted the way I did."
"Oh? What's that?"
"You'd laugh at me if I told you."
"When have I ever laughed at you for telling me something, Hiei?"
I sighed heavily and shook my head. Before I could say anything, a knock was heard at the door. I could tell from the energy I was sensing that it was Kurama.
"What do you want, Kurama?"
"We've decided to resume the party, Hiei. Just thought I'd inform you and Mai."
"We'll be right down."
After Kurama walked away, we both headed for the door. Before Mai could open it, I pinned her to the wall near the door. Obviously caught offguard, Mai looked at me with wide eyes.
"Hiei, what are you doing?"
"There's something I need to tell you, and I want you to listen good."
"Okay."
"Mai, my feelings for you have changed since we became friends. I felt myself growing jealous if any other guy talked to you or even touched you. That's why I acted the way I did with Jin. I thought he was taking you away from me."
She looked away from me, taking it in. After a while, she looked back at me.
"Hiei, is this true? Do you really feel that way?"
"I'd be lying if I said no."
She smiled at me and embraced me tightly, and I embraced her back.
"Hiei, why didn't you just tell me when you began feeling this way?"
"I didn't want everyone thinking I've gone soft. I have a reputation to keep up, you know."
"I wouldn't have told anyone other than your sister and Kurama, you know that."
"Hn. Didn't want to take any chances."
She pulled back far enough to look me directly in the face, taking my face in her hands.
"Hiei Jaganshi, in no way will I ever leave you. I've become too attached to you to even think of leaving. You have my word that I will never leave, unless it's for good reason."
"That's all I needed to hear."
Before she could react, I tightened my hold on her and placed my lips on hers. Her hands remained on my face as she kissed me back. After a while, she placed her arms around my neck. When it came time to come up for air, we pulled apart, even though I was reluctant to do so. Mai smiled up at me and I felt myself smiling back. I couldn't begin to describe what I was feeling that moment. All I knew was that I had won her over, something I had wanted to do for a long time.
"Before I forget, Hiei, I still have to give you your Christmas gift."
"I thought you already did."
Mai smiled as another blush appeared on her face.
"Okay, then. You still have to receive your second gift. It's in my room."
"Ladies first."
She giggled as she escorted me to her room. Once inside, she handed me the gift without looking at me. I smirked at her embarrassment.
"Why do you not look at me when giving me the gift, Mai?"
"It took me a while to find you the perfect gift. I'm just not sure how you'll react to seeing it."
I opened the box to see a medium-sized sword and sheath. The blade felt really smooth and strong.
"What kind of blade is this? It feels very sturdy."
"Got it from a weaponry store in a mall in the Human World. It's called the Dragon Blade. The blade is made from a dragon's tough exterior, making it impervious to most attacks. This means it can withstand just about anything and last a really long time."
"And the handle?"
"Made of wood from a maple tree. Do you like it?"
I put the sword into its sheath and drew Mai to me closely.
"How can I not? You put a lot of thought into getting me something when you really didn't need to. I already have you, so what more could I want?"
"Hiei, that's so sweet."
"Hn. Don't get used to it."
She giggled at how I let me "emotionless attitude" resurface. I wasn't quite ready to tell the others about me and Mai, and I knew Mai wasn't ready either. I wanted to see what they thought of us being in a relationship before we announce it.
That's a wrap for part 7. Hiei lets hell break lose as he expresses his jealousy openly during the Christmas party. After finally getting Hiei to talk to her, Mai learns why he acted the way he did toward Jin: he's in love with her and has been for quite some time. They begin their relationship shortly after they have their first kiss, agreeing to not tell anyone until they were ready. Part 8 will feature the conclusion to the Christmas party. Also in part 8, someone finds out about Hiei and Mai's new relationship. Who is it? Stay tuned to find out