(no subject)
Author: ashgray_kitsune
Title: delicate
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairings: Kurama/???, Kurama/Hiei, Yusuke/Keiko, Yukina/Kuwabara, Shizuru/Botan
Synopsis: Love isn't all you need. But it's a hell of a good start.
Chapter: 5/?
"......Keiko, I have not yet even begun to procrastinate....Besides, Kurama needs me!..."
"......He's not gonna die.......Dieing is for people who have morals.........."
"Hush, all of you. The boy will die if he doesn't get any rest. Everyone but Hiei and Yukina, out!" The voices faded into the distance, leaving only the soft sound of fabric rustling in a steady, almost silent rhythm, mixing perfectly with the sound of a long blade being sharpened, very close to him...Kurama's eyes opened for a moment, and soft red orbs hovered above his, a gentle smile soothing any reproach he might have had for himself. Hiei touched his cheek, then leaned down, his voice just as soft as the others had been loud.
"Just remember, kireikitsune, hearts are too delicate to be worn on sleeves. Please don't let yours get torn to shreds again..." His voice faded as Kurama's eyes closed, and he welcomed the strange oblivion that was sleep not brought by his plants, shying away from the feelings that little phrase had awakened...and the sorrow, too.
~
Hiei had taken to Genkai from the moment they'd met. She was wise, viciously sarcastic, and compassionate; all traits he'd grown to respect, and later on, enjoy employing against his recruits. Most of his visiting in the past several years had been mostly with Genkai, and it was refreshing to reminisce, as he and the master shared a cup of hot tea while the children ran and screamed their fool heads off, a wild snowball fight aided and abetted by the demons visiting Genkai for the holidays. They were going to be joined by Jin, Touya, Chu, and the others, and it was obvious that even if Yusuke's team was tanked and losing, they were having too much fun to care. Genkai snorted at the idiots, then turned her sights on the koorime, smiling a bit.
"It's good to have you back, Hiei." He smiled too, and offered her more tea.
"It's good to be back, Genkai. I wish it were under better circumstances, but nonetheless, I'm glad to be here. It's...nice to be away from constant patrol. I still find myself surprised to wake up in the morning and not feel as though I should be on duty. Granted, I still very much enjoy my job, but..."
"It's a pleasant change of scenary." He chuckled, and nodded, eyes watching over his twin as she was taken down, albeit gently, by Kuwabara. "You know, that still confuses me. You hate Kuwabara, and yet you're letting him get away with that?" Hiei glanced at her, smiling still.
"I don't hate the man. In fact, I admire him and like him a great deal. I just think he's a moron. However...he's a moron with a heart of gold, and that heart fuels his strength, just as it should. Having watched him lay down his life to protect and empower his friends...I know that he would do the same for her. More, I believe, because he loves her so much. I'm just waiting for him to ask my permission so that I can threaten him with death." Genkai laughed hard at that, slapping her knee and grinning at the koorime.
"A demon after my own heart! Alright then, mister monstrous-older-brother...what will we do about Kurama?" Her mirth faded, and she looked worried, and tired...and immeasurably old. Hiei sighed softly, and set his cup down, steepling his fingers and resting his brow on them.
"We be patient, and allow him time to heal. It's only been a day since Yusuke discovered him; he's hardly had any time to heal and take stock of his surroundings. Once he's back on his feet, we work on building his heart and confidence back up. He will be alright...but only if we are cautious and understanding. We still don't know the full extent of what he was concious for, but given the evidence on...and in his body..." Hiei's lip curled in disgust and anger, and he fought the urge to murder the bastard. Again. "I think it's safe to say he was concious for most of it. That the rose died is proof; any plant connected to him stays alive unless he's hurt enough that his body sucks up the energy in the plants like a syphon. That's why dried roses and seeds kept falling from his hair when we examined and treated him. If we're patient enough, and open enough, he will trust again. If we are not...he will be lost to us. Forever."
~
Kurama groaned softly, bleary green eyes opening to a soft darkness. He felt terrible...enough that he wondered what he'd been sick with to feel this bad...He tried to sit up, and found that his arms were far too weak, and on top of that, they stung, as though they were cut to pieces. As he fought to remain balanced, his chest and back stung too, and a deep pain shot through his abdomen. He hissed, and found a warm chest against his back, much smaller than his, gently propping him up to where he could sit on his own. The dark form came to sit facing next to him, a small cup in his hands.
"It's good to see you awake, Kurama..." Came Hiei's voice, and he handed the fox the cup, tucking a strand of hair behind one slightly pointed ear. "We were all getting rather worried about you."
"Worried." The flat, dead quality of his voice bothered Hiei, and he cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowed slightly as he gauged his next few words. He looked like hell; his eyes had blackened so much that he looked more like a tanuki than a fox. His hair had been washed; Keiko and Yukina had spent a good hour brushing and braiding the long crimson locks. But the rest of him...Genkai had paled when he, Yukina and she had stripped Kurama to the skin. Yukina couldn't finish treating him; she'd run to Kuwabara, and Hiei himself had spent a good thirty minutes emptying his stomach after they'd finished their work. Kurama's body had been laced with welts and cuts, and nearer to his lower back and loins...thankfully, he wasn't too ripped up, though he was bruised all to hell, and he likely wouldn't be able to sit up for very long. Hiei sighed, and shook his head.
"Yes. I know it surprises you, but the rest of us, myself included, do worry about you from time to time."
"...Why?" Hiei smiled warmly. There. A little bit of life in the kitsune's battered psyche. All he had to do was intrigue Kurama, and that alone would draw him out enough for gentle words to do the rest. He stroked Kurama's cheek gently with just the tips of his fingers, and wondered to himself if there was anyway to stop himself before he fell too far again.
"Because that comes with the territory of being a friend. And in my case, a former lover, turned friend."
"Hiei..."
"Before you say anything, this is my feeling on the subject. I still care about you, and deeply; only that caring kept me from murdering that bastard myself. However...I will not pursue a relationship unless you wish me to. If you do...then I would very much like to try again. And this time..." Hiei caught Kurama's chin, sitting up on his knees to look the kitsune in the eyes, his own deadly serious. "This time, if you want me to stay...then I will stay. It would not be strange that I retire; a few demons already wonder why I stay with the military. Like I said, though...that's up to you. First and foremost, I am your friend." He smiled slightly, and motioned for Kurama to drink, watching as the tired demon sipped slowly at the thick potion. He had withdrawn a little, but not as entirely as he was at first. He's giving me a chance to prove myself Hiei thought, and so he waited, quiet, until Kurama was done. As he took the cup back, his right hand was caught by the kitsune, and he watched as Kurama carefully stroked the bandages, tracing the little scars that laced his knuckles and fingers. He smiled, and stroked the palm of Kurama's hand, eliciting a tiny gasp, and a small shiver. "Is that too much?"
"No..." Kurama whispered, his eyes soft and shadowed as they met Hiei's. "It's...just right."
Title: delicate
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairings: Kurama/???, Kurama/Hiei, Yusuke/Keiko, Yukina/Kuwabara, Shizuru/Botan
Synopsis: Love isn't all you need. But it's a hell of a good start.
Chapter: 5/?
"......Keiko, I have not yet even begun to procrastinate....Besides, Kurama needs me!..."
"......He's not gonna die.......Dieing is for people who have morals.........."
"Hush, all of you. The boy will die if he doesn't get any rest. Everyone but Hiei and Yukina, out!" The voices faded into the distance, leaving only the soft sound of fabric rustling in a steady, almost silent rhythm, mixing perfectly with the sound of a long blade being sharpened, very close to him...Kurama's eyes opened for a moment, and soft red orbs hovered above his, a gentle smile soothing any reproach he might have had for himself. Hiei touched his cheek, then leaned down, his voice just as soft as the others had been loud.
"Just remember, kireikitsune, hearts are too delicate to be worn on sleeves. Please don't let yours get torn to shreds again..." His voice faded as Kurama's eyes closed, and he welcomed the strange oblivion that was sleep not brought by his plants, shying away from the feelings that little phrase had awakened...and the sorrow, too.
~
Hiei had taken to Genkai from the moment they'd met. She was wise, viciously sarcastic, and compassionate; all traits he'd grown to respect, and later on, enjoy employing against his recruits. Most of his visiting in the past several years had been mostly with Genkai, and it was refreshing to reminisce, as he and the master shared a cup of hot tea while the children ran and screamed their fool heads off, a wild snowball fight aided and abetted by the demons visiting Genkai for the holidays. They were going to be joined by Jin, Touya, Chu, and the others, and it was obvious that even if Yusuke's team was tanked and losing, they were having too much fun to care. Genkai snorted at the idiots, then turned her sights on the koorime, smiling a bit.
"It's good to have you back, Hiei." He smiled too, and offered her more tea.
"It's good to be back, Genkai. I wish it were under better circumstances, but nonetheless, I'm glad to be here. It's...nice to be away from constant patrol. I still find myself surprised to wake up in the morning and not feel as though I should be on duty. Granted, I still very much enjoy my job, but..."
"It's a pleasant change of scenary." He chuckled, and nodded, eyes watching over his twin as she was taken down, albeit gently, by Kuwabara. "You know, that still confuses me. You hate Kuwabara, and yet you're letting him get away with that?" Hiei glanced at her, smiling still.
"I don't hate the man. In fact, I admire him and like him a great deal. I just think he's a moron. However...he's a moron with a heart of gold, and that heart fuels his strength, just as it should. Having watched him lay down his life to protect and empower his friends...I know that he would do the same for her. More, I believe, because he loves her so much. I'm just waiting for him to ask my permission so that I can threaten him with death." Genkai laughed hard at that, slapping her knee and grinning at the koorime.
"A demon after my own heart! Alright then, mister monstrous-older-brother...what will we do about Kurama?" Her mirth faded, and she looked worried, and tired...and immeasurably old. Hiei sighed softly, and set his cup down, steepling his fingers and resting his brow on them.
"We be patient, and allow him time to heal. It's only been a day since Yusuke discovered him; he's hardly had any time to heal and take stock of his surroundings. Once he's back on his feet, we work on building his heart and confidence back up. He will be alright...but only if we are cautious and understanding. We still don't know the full extent of what he was concious for, but given the evidence on...and in his body..." Hiei's lip curled in disgust and anger, and he fought the urge to murder the bastard. Again. "I think it's safe to say he was concious for most of it. That the rose died is proof; any plant connected to him stays alive unless he's hurt enough that his body sucks up the energy in the plants like a syphon. That's why dried roses and seeds kept falling from his hair when we examined and treated him. If we're patient enough, and open enough, he will trust again. If we are not...he will be lost to us. Forever."
~
Kurama groaned softly, bleary green eyes opening to a soft darkness. He felt terrible...enough that he wondered what he'd been sick with to feel this bad...He tried to sit up, and found that his arms were far too weak, and on top of that, they stung, as though they were cut to pieces. As he fought to remain balanced, his chest and back stung too, and a deep pain shot through his abdomen. He hissed, and found a warm chest against his back, much smaller than his, gently propping him up to where he could sit on his own. The dark form came to sit facing next to him, a small cup in his hands.
"It's good to see you awake, Kurama..." Came Hiei's voice, and he handed the fox the cup, tucking a strand of hair behind one slightly pointed ear. "We were all getting rather worried about you."
"Worried." The flat, dead quality of his voice bothered Hiei, and he cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowed slightly as he gauged his next few words. He looked like hell; his eyes had blackened so much that he looked more like a tanuki than a fox. His hair had been washed; Keiko and Yukina had spent a good hour brushing and braiding the long crimson locks. But the rest of him...Genkai had paled when he, Yukina and she had stripped Kurama to the skin. Yukina couldn't finish treating him; she'd run to Kuwabara, and Hiei himself had spent a good thirty minutes emptying his stomach after they'd finished their work. Kurama's body had been laced with welts and cuts, and nearer to his lower back and loins...thankfully, he wasn't too ripped up, though he was bruised all to hell, and he likely wouldn't be able to sit up for very long. Hiei sighed, and shook his head.
"Yes. I know it surprises you, but the rest of us, myself included, do worry about you from time to time."
"...Why?" Hiei smiled warmly. There. A little bit of life in the kitsune's battered psyche. All he had to do was intrigue Kurama, and that alone would draw him out enough for gentle words to do the rest. He stroked Kurama's cheek gently with just the tips of his fingers, and wondered to himself if there was anyway to stop himself before he fell too far again.
"Because that comes with the territory of being a friend. And in my case, a former lover, turned friend."
"Hiei..."
"Before you say anything, this is my feeling on the subject. I still care about you, and deeply; only that caring kept me from murdering that bastard myself. However...I will not pursue a relationship unless you wish me to. If you do...then I would very much like to try again. And this time..." Hiei caught Kurama's chin, sitting up on his knees to look the kitsune in the eyes, his own deadly serious. "This time, if you want me to stay...then I will stay. It would not be strange that I retire; a few demons already wonder why I stay with the military. Like I said, though...that's up to you. First and foremost, I am your friend." He smiled slightly, and motioned for Kurama to drink, watching as the tired demon sipped slowly at the thick potion. He had withdrawn a little, but not as entirely as he was at first. He's giving me a chance to prove myself Hiei thought, and so he waited, quiet, until Kurama was done. As he took the cup back, his right hand was caught by the kitsune, and he watched as Kurama carefully stroked the bandages, tracing the little scars that laced his knuckles and fingers. He smiled, and stroked the palm of Kurama's hand, eliciting a tiny gasp, and a small shiver. "Is that too much?"
"No..." Kurama whispered, his eyes soft and shadowed as they met Hiei's. "It's...just right."