Sorry this chappie took a while to get up, but...I had a really bad day on the ambulance the other day and had to take a little time to mellow out and was in no mood to write. I worked a plane crash that killed an entire family on their way to a family reunion...crashed in their grandparent's field as they were landing at the reunion. The 5 yr old boy survived but only because his parents ejected his seat as they were going down. It was...horrible.
So if this chapter feels different or oddly written or has spelling errors...sorry.
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Kazuma nervously made his way downstairs and out the back door without being seen by Shizuru or Kurama and approached Hiei from across the yard, the small demon was waiting with his arms crossed.
"I hope you're ready for a fight," Hiei stated simply, dropping into his fighting stance and pulling his sword from its sheath.
Kazuma barely had time to process what was happening before Hiei leapt off the grass and swung his sword. Instinctively, he raised an arm in defense and was pleasantly surprised when the barrier popped up again, making Hiei's sword glance off its golden surface as he passed. The demon landed on the grass in a crouch and growled.
"So you have a force field now?" he said, sounding amused, "That's new, but it won't be enough to stop me!"
Kazuma had known Hiei would be upset when he discovered his and Yukina's latest endeavour but he had no idea it was going to be this bad! Hiei was actually, truly trying to land this blow! Out of desperation, Kazuma summoned his spirit sword and held it up to block Hiei's downward swing and the two swords connected with a mighty clashing sound and Hiei changed his course and slid to a stop on the grass, his eyes wide in shock as he eyed the sword in his opponent's hand. The new Sacred Energy sword.
"What is that?" Hiei asked, sounding slightly impressed, "That is not your normal sword...and that's not the Dimension Blade either..."
"It's my new spirit sword," Kazuma said proudly, holding the brightly glowing sword up in the sunlight, "Wanna fight me now?"
His taunt worked and Hiei jumped right into the fight, swinging his blade furiously in a blur and he was amazed when Kuwabara managed to block every move with relative ease. Hiei gritted his teeth angrily and aimed another swing, his gaze focused on the target...so focused that he didn't see Kuwabara's fist until it was too late, it landed solidly and dug into Hiei's diaphragm, knocking the air from his lungs and resulting in the demon sprawling on his back in the grass, clutching his abdomen with a groan.
"So it was you!"Hiei gasped breathlessly, "That energy...Koenma called me from Demon World to investigate the source of an insane amount of energy that showed up out of nowhere. How? How did you accomplish this much so fast?! It's not possible!"
"Is that why you wanted me to do it?" Kazuma asked bitterly, waiting on edge for Hiei to attack again, "Because you thought I wouldn't be able to? You thought you could make me feel like I wasn't good enough for Yukina if I failed?"
"Yes."
Hiei's calm admission made Kazuma falter in his defense and his spirit sword shrunk away into nothing as his energy drained away from the stress of consistent use. His shoulders slumped from the sudden tiredness that flowed through him.
"Am I ever going to be good enough, Hiei?" he asked, his voice tired and strained.
He expected a blunt "no" from Hiei as the demon finally stood on his feet and looked at him darkly, but Hiei was hesitating, the words seeming to stick in his throat.
"I saw how you reacted to Kurama and Shizuru," were the words that finally came out.
Kazuma looked down at Hiei in surprise.
"You were there?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," Hiei replied unhappily, "As soon as I realized what happened this weekend between you and my sister...I was there to possibly kill you."
Kazuma's upper lip twitched into a nervous grin at Hiei's serious tone.
"But I hesitated when I heard your discussion with Kurama and Shizuru," the demon crossed his arms and fixed Kazuma in a calculating stare, his eyes slightly squinted. "You...do not approve of them."
"I...was just surprised and I was a little bit angry about being kept in the dark by them," Kazuma admitted, "But I don't think Kurama is the worst thing that could happen to my sister. I've seen the boyfriends she's had in the past...kind of ironic that a demon would be the one that I trust the most out of them all."
"You trust Kurama with her? Even though you know they are mating right under your nose?"
"Please don't say that, Hiei," Kazuma groaned unhappily as unpleasant images of his sister and friend came to mind, "Do I like to think that my sister is screwing my friend? No. But I do trust Kurama...and if he's who my sister wants then I'll give them the chance they deserve."
"Do you feel I should trust you with Yukina so easily?" Hiei inquired.
"Yes," Kazuma stated simply.
"Even though you specifically went against my demands that you refrain from mating with her?" Hiei's tone became much more dangerous with these words, "You think I owe you my trust after that?"
Kazuma considered his answer for a long time, looking at Hiei with a brand new understanding as he thought about how he'd felt when he saw his own sister's messed up hair and flushed cheeks, knowing what had happened in his absence and being kept in the dark about it.
"I guess I can't really make you understand, Hiei," he finally tried to form a sentence that summed up his inner turmoil over the question, "I can only hope you see that I only want what's best for Yukina. I hope you will understand that, even if I don't deserve her, I love her more than the world...and I need her. I need her, Hiei."
"I need her too, Kuwabara."
Finally, after all the threats and fights and anger, there it was...and Kazuma finally understood Hiei's unhappiness about his relationship with Yukina. Hiei was afraid to be alone again, to lose his sister to someone else.
"Hiei..." he said softly, suddenly feeling a rush of pity and companionship for the demon he'd fought with for so long, "I'd never take Yukina away from you. You're her brother, she needs you in her life. Heck, I mean, if it came right down to it...she would probably need you more than she'll ever need me."
Hiei looked up to meet Kazuma's eyes and he seemed to be trying to decipher if his words were honest.
"I love Yukina," Kazuma continued, desperate now to prove his point to Hiei, "I only want her to be happy and she'd never be happy without you! Look at all the trouble she went through to look for you and be reunited once she knew you existed and she knows all the trouble you went through to find her as well...you two are family, I would never come between you two."
"Isn't that what will happen if you become her mate?" Hiei asked unhappily, "She will turn to you and you alone with her problems and her needs. She won't need me."
"No way, Hiei!" Kazuma assured him loudly, "Do you think I don't need Shizuru anymore now that I have Yukina? Shizu's my sister, something Yukina will never be, it's a whole different relationship. My sister means the world to me, she always will. Yukina will never feel less for you just because she has me too."
"But you want her to yourself," Hiei accused sharply, "You don't want me involved."
"You're wrong," Kazuma replied, fixing Hiei in a serious stare, "I don't want to keep her away from you...I just...want you to...want to be part of our family."
"What family?" Hiei snapped, "We are not related."
"We might be someday," Kazuma pointed out, "But that's not really what I mean. I meant all of us, Urameshi, Kurama, Keiko, Botan...all of us. We're a family, Hiei, and you just dropped out and went back to Demon World and now you never come around unless there's trouble. It's...not the same without you."
"So you all miss me?" Hiei sneered with a condescending expression.
"Well...yeah," Kazuma shrugged, "We all do. Yukina especially. The point is, Hiei, I want to be with Yukina and I want you to have enough confidence in me that you'll feel comfortable coming to visit whenever you want. I don't want to be your enemy anymore."
Hiei hesitated for a long time, considering the new information and thinking hard about Kazuma's words. He thought back to when he first met the big, loud, stupid...he was nothing like that kid back then anymore now that he took the time to look at him. Gone was that immature and simple attitude of kicking butt being the only answer. He was well trained and much more patient in a fight and he had obtained the Sacred Energy in a remarkably short time although he still had a long way to go with it. He had even grown into his lanky body and long face to become a decent looking human as far as humans go...
"You were never my enemy, Kuwabara," he finally said out loud, "We have been allies since Maze Castle. You are not the same idiot you were then...I see that now."
Hope flared in Kazuma's chest at Hiei's quiet words. Was this finally it? Was he finally going to get Hiei's blessing?
"I cannot deny the connection you and Yukina have shared since your first meeting although I do not understand it," the small demon continued, his eyes locked on the grass and his hands balled into fists as he struggled with his words, "You have proven to me you have the ability to protect her now and that was the agreement. I withdraw my objections to your relationship."
Kazuma wanted to whoop and holler and do a back flip but he held in his enthusiasm and the calm expression remained on his face as he stood before Hiei, then a very strange thought came to his mind and it just seemed appropriate so he didn't question it. Kazuma dropped down to one knee and bent over in a grateful bow. Hiei just stared for a long time before he nodded and turned on his heels to leave.
"Kuwabara," he said, stopping and turning his head to look over his shoulder at his friend. Kazuma looked up and waited for the demon's words. Hiei took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "Do not fail her."
Kazuma nodded, meaning it with all his heart. He wouldn't fail her and he wouldn't fail Hiei either. Nodding in acceptance, Hiei crouched to begin his run and was gone in a flash. Kazuma sighed in relief at how fantastic it had all turned out and stood from his bow, smiling in the direction Hiei had left.
"Kazuma?" Yukina's soft voice reached his ears and he looked over to find her standing on the steps, looking nervous, "I watched from the window upstairs. You fought with Hiei?"
"Yes," Kazuma admitted, walking over to his girl with a spring in his step, "And I won, Yukina! I finally beat him! Don't worry, we didn't hurt eachother."
"Was he angry?" she asked, her face full of worry.
"Yeah, he was at first," Kazuma informed her, taking her hand in his and giving her a big smile, "But...he said he accepts our relationship now and he thinks I'm strong enough to take care of you while he's away in Demon World. We can finally relax, baby...he's not angry anymore."
Yukina smiled brightly, the fear and heaviness of her brother's disapproval melted away and the weight off her shoulders made her feel free and incredibly happy.
"Want to go get ice cream to celebrate?" she asked happily.
"Heck yeah!"
The pair clasped hands on their way around the yard out to the sidewalk where they turned right and headed towards their usual ice cream spot, laughing happily as they went. They had no clue they were being watched by the short demon standing on a distant rooftop. Hiei watched his sister and his oversized friend walking hand in hand and an uncharacteristic smile came over his lips as they passed by.
Yes, of all the humans and demons in the worlds his sister had to choose this one...and Hiei decided she had made the right choice after all.
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Tada! Finally done with that chappie! I loved writing it...Hiei is super fun to write!
On ward to the next one! Work is good so far and I have plenty of time to write :)