Seasons - Part 1/4: Winter
Original story written on: April 2004 ~ August 2004
Pairing: Hiei x Kurama
Rating: R-ish, not quite
This is a very old Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic. I actually started wiriting fanfics, or any story at all, from Yu Yu Hakusho. Kind of nostalgic looking back, with some embarrassment.
I've only transferred some of my better (in my opinion) anime fanfic stories over, the rest can be found on fanfiction.net.
November:
The world looked as if it was filmed in black and white: the trees stood bare without its canopy; the land lay barren, its usual green cover replaced by white patches of snow. Buildings near and far seemed like gray matchboxes, the unique variation between each of them was shadowed by the white that rested on them.
No one attempted to light up his or her house, as it would be even more glaring to the eye than it already was. Some occasional rays from dimly lit light bulbs were marred, when the wind brought huge amounts of snow swirling around them. No creature was seen outside. The land was now dominated by the weather.
He opened the window and let the chilly winter air rush in at full force. He didn't mind the cold.
Every dead leaf on the sidewalk was either buried in snow or coated with frost, which gave an illusion that the leaves were more of a piece of art than some lifeless beings ready to rot. The winter is cold; the winter is beautiful. It masked the ugliness of the world under its frozen façade, but most people felt that it was a disaster rather than bliss. They didn't understand.
He leaned out of the window, longing the wind to sweep his heart away, mixing it with the snowflakes, the icy currents, the whole winter even, and ultimately become one. Such was his wish.
If you stay quiet enough, and listen close enough, you would hear the song of the snow. Raindrops frozen in time, thus their mass lighter, gently hitting the surface of the wall and the windowpane. It was not loud and forceful like the rain. Just light taps, one overlapping another, never seeming to end. Such was the sound that created ripples in you.
The snow reminded him of someone. No, not remind. How can something remind you of a person, when that person never left your mind before? The snow just made the longings he usually suppressed hit him full force that day. The winter was too much like Hiei.
The winter had come.
Yes, the winter had come, Kurama thought, and maybe Hiei would too? No, that was very unlikely. But there was no harm in hoping, right? Nah, he had been hoping everyday since Hiei's last visit here, which was six months ago. Probably running errands for Mukuro. They must be on better terms now, since he gave her that gift . . . A twinge of jealousy ran through his heart. Not that it was some new feelings for him. He was too used to it to even stop it. There was no point, anyway. It would return in another ten seconds.
Although he was displeased with the purpose of Hiei's last visit, he still couldn't help but recall that scene. There wasn't much he could wish for from that ice demon.
"Hiei, how did you get hurt?" He asked as Hiei slipped in silently through his window with a huge gash across his stomach. He wasn't completely worried. He knew that a demon's self-healing ability is strong. The fact that he chose to come to him certainly made Kurama feel more comforting.
"If she had used this much power in the tournament, she could have won for sure."
"It's caused by Mukuro?" He felt his heart sank a little. Of course Mukuro. Who else could have done it? He knew the jealousy was coming back. "You had a lover's quarrel?" he remarked dryly.
"She tried to kill me!" Well, Kurama thought, that was certainly pleasant to know. "Kurama, I want to borrow something from you," Hiei continued, "a type of plant that can fuse itself with the person whom it recognizes as its master, thus ensuring him the ability to heal any wounds."
"I can prepare the plant for you right away, but what do you want it for?"
"Nothing." Did he expect me to believe that? I think not, Kurama mused to himself.
"Well, then I have to call Mukuro to report to her that her subordinate is running around with an extremely dangerous flower, and tell her to be on the look out for 'weird accidents' involving plants." He did his best to look serious, all the while staring back at Hiei as the death glare intensified. He had grown immune to it by now. Actually, to Kurama, it was quite amusing to see Hiei pissed off.
"Kurama, it does you no good if you know it," Hiei said finally, defeated.
"But it does me no harm if I know, right?" he stood up and went over to the closet and dug out a shirt, threw it to Hiei, and settled back again, meeting a renewed glare with his usual sweet smile.
"Now what is it this time?"
"You don't expect me to let you run around the city half-naked, do you?"
"You know I won't wear this," he said and tossed the shirt back to Kurama.
"Then you can either leave here with the flower and wearing the shirt, or leaving here with nothing at all." More furious glares, and after a while, they became a sign of frustration. An intriguing process for Kurama to watch. "Oh, and you haven't told me the reason you want the plant," he added just to spite Hiei more.
"Fine. Remind me next time to never ask you for a favour," he growled.
"You can't help it, and you own me a big one this time. Remind me to let you pay me back."
"Mukuro's father used to abuse her since the day she was born, and she still can't get over that emotional barrier now, but somehow she can't bear to have revenge."
"So you are going to use the that to capture that man and give it to Mukuro? A surprise gift, huh? How nice of you," he gave another sugary smile, which he himself was even disgusted with, but it irritated Hiei more, so it was worth it. Too bad the demon wanted to give Mukuro a present. Kurama knew he was pushing Hiei towards the limit, and he was getting more jealous and bitter by the second, but who cares? The most he could get was a katana wound.
"Now can you give me the plant?"
"Sure!" He jumped up and dumped the shirt over Hiei's head, then fumbled through his collection of seeds until he found what he wanted. "Do you want me to make the flowers into a bouquet? That would please a woman more," he suggested as he grew the plant. He though of overgrowing the plant and make it swallow Hiei up, but gave up the idea. First, he would just end up with some burnt ashes. Second, it was Mukuro who deserved this.
"Hn. I don't care. As long as it works."
"But if you present it properly, she will be more pleased and maybe even give you a vacation. Believe me, you really need to loosen up." He handed him the flowers after he had done decorating them.
Grabbing the plant, Hiei muttered, "I don't need a vacation," and hopped onto the windowsill.
"Don't forget to visit me when you get your holidays!" Kurama shouted as a black shadow merged into the night.
That memory did not make Kurama feel any better, or ease any of his longings towards Hiei. If left him feeling extremely embarrassed. Looking back, he realized how childish and whiny (even though he hated to admit it) he had been. All the miracles of jealousy.
"Oh, if I keep on like this, I'm going to go crazy," he said to himself as he leaned his throbbing head against the cool windowpane. Winter was good. At least it provided him with a handy ice bag.
"You going crazy? That is hardly a nice thing to see," a deep voice came from the back of his room. Spinning around so fast that it almost made him dizzy, he watched as a familiar figure emerge from the darkness.
"Hiei, when did you get here?" He managed to stabilize his voice, but was still fighting to keep a blush from his face. It was not good to let Hiei catch him like that. Definitely not good. How he wished he were outside, buried in the snow right now. At least he would be too cold to blush, and that would explain the shaking.
"When you were trying to count how many snowflakes there are in the sky, Kruama. Honestly, your alertness is dropping way too much. You could have been killed easily if you were in Makai," he said and smirked.
"Umm . . .So, why are you here?" he tried changing the topic and not make himself look more foolish.
"To do as you told me to. Mukuro forced me to take a leave, so I'm here." Somehow he had a rather smug expression on his face. "Why did you want me to visit you?"
"For no reason! Isn't it normal to visit a friend?" He replied meekly. Truth was, he didn't even know why he said that. Perhaps wanting to grab that chance to annoy Hiei more; perhaps a subconscious feeling made him say that, since he wanted to see Hiei again. Both weren't a very good answer to give. By saying that, it would just be like writing, "I like you" all over your face, and as distraught as Kurama was, he still had some self- control.
"Don't lie. People like you won't say something without a purpose," Hiei replied coldly.
Now what? Think, Kurama, think, he yelled to himself. "Umm . . . I want you to do me a favour in return of that plant." Ok, now he just had to think of something for Hiei to do. Simple, right?
"Name it." He stared right into Kurama's eyes, daring him. Now Kurama knew what it must feel like to be a trapped animal. But then, maybe if he could still come up with an appropriate excuse, he would turn the tables.
"My mother, stepfather and stepbrother are going on a hiking tip next month, and I really don't want to go. So I'll use you as an excuse, and say that I already have plans. Of course, you have to go with me to somewhere," he said with a sly glint in his eyes.
"You can come on December 24th, first ting in the morning," Kurama added, and small pieces of what he should do was quickly putting themselves together, coming up with a rather reasonable plan . . .
"Fine." And with that, Hiei brushed past him and leaped out of the window, disturbing the current of the wind, and brought a few snowflakes swirling onto Kurama's face.
The snow was slowly ebbing away.
He let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding, and his heart almost jumped out of him. It was scary, but beneath the nervous impulse, he found that he was somewhat delighted. Hiei still remembered what he told him; Hiei still remembered him. Looks like he was not in that desperate stare he though he was in.
The snow finally gave up, know that it could not cover up everything. Some of the last snowflakes waltzed down. At least it would take some time to melt the thick layer on the ground.
Kurama didn't know what to think. Could this be called a date? Maybe, maybe not. He didn't know.
The cold wind kept blowing, trying some desperate efforts to keep people inside, preserving what the snow had built up. But before long, people would still come out and destroy the beauty of the stillness. They didn't understand. After a while, children rushed out, building snowmen or snow fighting. They stepped on the snow, and soon, it became muddy, and people would sweep it way like dirt. They didn't know what the snow was trying to hide.
He did know that he would be looking forward to that day, when Hiei would come again.
The snow was gone, but would come again.
December
People never notice the snow unless when they want to make use of it. Everyone was like that. They prayed for snow on Christmas day, but treated it like dust on other occasions. The snow was like that too. It fell when it wanted to, when it found the need to, acting all to its own wishes and completely ignoring the expectations other people gave it. What right did human have in controlling it, anyway? The snow was free.
At the bottom of a mountain, the now raging snowstorm promptly covered the ground with a soft layer of white icing, so fragile that it would disappear once the sun came out. Slowly winding the way up the mountain, more patches of white appeared, as the decreasing temperature ensured its survival at this height. At the very peak, it was covered with alabaster permafrost.
They raced their way up the mountain, their steps so light that they barely left prints in the snow.
Permafrost, is it really permanent? The snow certainly hoped it was, as it cast thicker and thicker layers, afraid what's permanent might vanish, afraid that what it was hiding would be shown. It did not want that to happen.
They were surrounded by a mad flurry of snowflakes. Finally, Kurama decided that he had enough of the speed and slowed down to a walk. This was where (after a great deal of fluster) he chose to bring Hiei. It was cold and snowy up here, and he hoped that this would remind Hiei of his birthplace; hoped that Hiei would disclose more of himself to Kurama. Now he wished that Hiei had better do that soon, because he was sure he would soon freeze up.
Or did it?
Kurama hugged his coat closer to himself, careful to not let his weakness show, and glanced at Hiei, who seemed totally oblivious to the below-freezing temperature. Not surprising, but somehow, it annoyed Kurama now.
"Hiei, are you cold?" he asked tentatively, but immediately realized his stupidity. How could a fire demon ever feel cold? He felt like bashing his head against the wall. Except that there was no wall on the spot.
"It seems that you are," he said and continued walking. "When had I become so transparent?!" Kurama cursed under his breath. That's when he found his eyes covered by some cloth. He removed it quickly, and found, to his surprise, it was Hiei's scarf. He couldn't have dropped it, which means . . .
"Just put it no, fox. It only makes me hot, anyway." He watched as Hiei went ahead, too shocked to move, and as the wind stirred more snowflakes onto his face, somehow he didn't feel cold anymore. But he wound the scarf around his neck anyway. It still had some of Hiei's temperature, which was warm enough to make Kurama blush.
He still stood there, eyes following Hiei as he moved further and further. With a deep frown, he shook his head hard, waking from the trance. "When have you become so sensitive that a scarf can make you lose yourself for such a long time," Kurama reprimanded himself, "but then, this is the first time he shows me such concern . . ." His eyes turned dreamy, and realized with a start that Hiei was already a black dot far away.
He quickly started jogging, but realized, when he got within two meters to Hiei, that he was still unnoticed by the fire demon. Such a good chance was hard to come by . . . Kurama dipped his hand into the snow.
THUD! The snowball hit Hiei square on the back of his head. He blinked at the sudden cold sensation dripping down the back of his neck and down his spine, giving him a chill. He turned, and saw Kurama, who was acting nonchalant by pretending to study the evergreen, with snow still clinging to his gloves.
"Well, two can play this game, Kurama," Hiei thought.
"Kurama," he called, and the fox turned, giving him a sunny smile. "What is it, Hiei - THUD! He watched, amused, as Kurama shivered and shook his head violently to get the snow out of his eyes and hair.
"Why did you do that?!" He accused, with a bit of false admonishment, a small put forming on his lips.
One hit him on the forehead, and another on his right shoulder, it wasn't that painful, and he recovered fairly quickly, only to find Kurama already out of sight. "Nice trick, fox," he thought, "but you've underestimated me." With that, he pulled away the cloth blocking his jagan, and at once, he found his attacker hiding behind a certain tree.
With a sudden burst of speed, he leaped and landed on the branch of a tree and rested a millisecond, before leaping again. He could sense that Kurama was distracted and confused, so with one last jump, he landed lightly on the tree where the fox was directly hiding under, he stamped down hard on the branch, and a huge clump of snow fell, burying Kurama under it. He could hear a muffled cry of shock, and it was only minutes later where a rather disgruntled looking red head emerged, wet and trembling all over.
"Still want to play, Kurama?" Hiei said and grinned triumphantly.
"Oh, of course!" he replied off-handedly, once he got his teeth to stop chattering so much. "It's hardly usual that you want to 'play' with me, so of course I won't be the one to stop this. Enjoying yourself?" as soon as he said that, he scooped up a ball of snow and aimed it as Hiei. He didn't even pause to see the results before turning and ran the moment the snow left his hand, but judging from the lack of noise, it messed. Too bad.
He heard the sound of something traveling towards himself, and without stopping, dodged slightly to the left. The snowball flew past him, barely centimeters from his face.
"You forget that I'm not a person who enjoys himself," Hiei said, and Kurama found his running just as fast a few meters away. "I'm merely paying back the respect. I keep my emotions to the minimum." With that, Kurama found a series of snowballs flying in his direction. He dodged and decked, but THUD! He didn't escape the last one.
"Is that so? Then what's your point of explaining? Afraid that I might misunderstood?" Kurama retorted, arching an eyebrow, and without missing a beat, returned five of his own snowballs. THUD! THUD!
"You're going to pay for that!" Hiei shouted threateningly, but any effect it would have was covered by a fit of giggles, as Kurama saw some not yet melted snow stuck in his hair and a very stubborn clump that absolutely refused to leave his nose.
"Make me!" Kurama yelled back in glee, all the time increasing his speed. He could sense Hiei coming towards him, and was rapidly catching up, when CRUNCH! What could be the cause of that noise? He turned and saw (to his shock or amusement) that Hiei had sunk waist deep into the thick carpet of snow, and was making futile attempts to free himself.
He walked back and kneeled down directly in front of Hiei, observing the frustrated and a little embarrassed look on his face. He should have brought a camera.
"Need a little help?" Kurama asked sweetly and innocently, as if it was most common to see a class A demon stuck in the snow and unable to get himself out. Hiei shot him a glare, and with a low growl, tried some other methods to get out, only to sink deeper. There was nothing he could exert his force on. Why was there so much snow anyway?!
Kurama stretched out his hand. "Now you owe me twice," he smiled mischievously, as ideas started popping into his mind as to how to make Hiei pay. The latter eyed the hand suspiciously, but took it in defeat. With a hard tug, Hiei was out, but the momentum caused him to pitch forward and bump into Kurama's chest.
Kurama could feel his temperature taking a great surge, and would not be surprised if his faced blended in with the colour of his hair. It wasn't a bad feeling though, but would have been better if Hiei hadn't jumped away so fast. He quickly turned around to hide his embarrassment. "So . . .um . . . Hiei, do you admit defeat?" he stuttered out. Just great.
THUD! Kurama blinked in daze. "That was my way of saying thanks," Hiei said smugly behind him. Immediately, Kurama started running again. THUD! THUD! Dozens of snowball came for him. THUD!
"Hey! That's hardly fair! I wasn't- The nest second, he found himself pinned into the snow with Hiei on top of him, hands on either side of his face. He suddenly found it hard to breathe.
"That's not my fault. I told you before that your alertness is dropping way too much," Hiei said with a smirk, watching the panting and flushed face below him. Emerald eyes sparking, crimson strands of hair spread out elegantly, bringing out the smooth complexion even more. Lips quivering, chest heaving fairly rapidly, as puffs of white vapour condensed from his warm breath. Hiei found himself entranced anew.
His body moved as if it had a mind of its own, and his hand slowly came to rest upon Kurama's cheek. It was warm, just like Kurama always was. He had absolutely no control now.
Kurama stared into the ruby irises, almost drowning in them, when he felt something cool brush against his face. It took him a while to realize that it was Hiei's hand. He leaned into the comforting feeling, as fingers began stroking his cheek in circles, somehow relaxing and sending him thrill the same time.
The new sensations totally overwhelmed Hiei. It was something he never felt before. He could feel the silky smoothness of skin under his fingertips; could see as Kurama gave a small sign of content and half closed his eyes. His thumb ran over the luscious lower lip. Those lips were slightly parted, as if inviting him. A new rush of emotions surged through him, and he couldn't really think now. He dipped his head down.
The snow had stopped a while ago. People were too busy to notice.
Kurama totally gave in to the comfortable feeling, closing his eyes, when he felt a pressure on his lips. He froze. Was Hiei . . .kissing him? He peeked and the reality sent his mind reeling. This was definitely something he did not expect, but dreamed of. This was just so . . . unreal . . .
The sun peeked out form behind the clouds, lighting up half the mountain, its golden rays winding into the branches of the pines, giving everything, especially the pure snow, a heavenly glow. But still, half of the mountain was in shadows, seeming gloomy and dark. Feeling bad, the clouds moved from obscuring the sun.
As soon as Kurama began to respond by opening his mouth a little, Hiei seemed to snap back to reality, and found with total shock and great embarrassment, what he was doing. He quickly pulled back and stole a glance at Kurama, who seemed . . .happy and disappointed? He jumped up and ran away, faster than he ever moved.
The sunlight was like hands, slowly reaching forward to reveal the shadows, embracing the whole mountain in gold. But he snow stay unmelted. Although the sun was warm, the temperature was still below freezing.
Grinning to himself, Kurama muttered, "Now I'm really behaving like a lovesick teenager. I hope that Hiei will come back for the scarf. Better if he come for something else . . ." he blushed deep crimson, and snuffed that idea away.
Just wait. Someday the snow will definitely be melted.
January
The climate was slowly warming up. The snow would not be dominating much longer. At night, the white on the ground was reflected into the sky, making the normally cobalt sky light up to a slight pinkish colour, which the stars and moon couldn't even out shine. The snow decided to put on one last show.
Flurries of snow came showering down, along with the mild cool breeze. Some lucky ones got onto roofs or treetops, able to remain a little longer before they perish; others landed in muddy soil or murky puddles. The snowflakes danced as they descended down to Earth. It was their last flight, able to float freely in the air. They must all settle down someday. The peaceful Earth awaited them, and there was a special spot for each of the snowflake. Each one of them was unique.
He stretched out his arm to the outside world, feeling the time stimulation each snowflake brought onto his hand. The coolness felt right. It balanced with the burning inferno inside him. Fire raging with frustration, anxiety, fear, jealousy . . .
The snow kept coming, greater and greater in intensity. All you could see was a mass of white swirling in front of you. It seemed as if it would never stop. Nobody was outside. Nobody, except one, a black shadow that fleeted through the snow, as if he was one of them, yet the black he wore was so opposite. Where was he going? Was the snow pushing him along, or was the snow chasing after him?
He was frustrated, that after so long (well, actually just two weeks, but waiting could make a day seem like a year) Hiei still hadn't come to visit him. Anxious, that whether Hiei would ever come? After what happened . . .Could Hiei be mad at him for throwing snowballs? That seemed ridiculous, but not impossible. And the kiss . . . Could Hiei have been too tired and thought of him as someone else, and when he realized, became so disgusted that he won't even come back? That led to fear. But whom could Hiei have seen him as? Mukuro? Jealousy ran through him.
Emotions which he normally hid well now came toppling down and became all mixed up with one another, each vying to dominate, fighting among themselves. It made Kurama feel sick.
The shadow finally stopped. The snow fell around him like translucent drapes, half hiding him, holding him back.
He was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't sense anything, until ---
"Kurama, how long are you planning to let me wait? Move out of the way, I need to go in through the window!" Hiei said rather sarcastically. Kurama was startled, he looked up, flushed bright red and quickly stepped aside. All of his previous thoughts were swept clean, as the loud pounding of his heart overtook them all. Hiei was already in front of him.
He suddenly found the table extremely interesting. Silence, awkward silence filled the room, pressurizing him. Hwy didn't Hiei just say something?! Why couldn't he find something to say?! His mind was totally frozen.
After what seemed like an eon, Hiei finally spoke. "Um . . . about last time . . . I'm sorry."
Did he hear that right? Hiei actually apologized? Kurama blinked, twice, before responding, "You don't have to say sorry, the snowballs didn't hurt one bit." It wasn't that Kurama didn't understand what he meant, just that: first, he wanted to make Hiei less embarrassed; second, to see the agitated look on his face, as if wanting to say something but was totally blocked back by Kurama's previous reply; and third, he did't want the apology. Did Hiei feel that sorry for kissing him?
"It's not that, fox. I mean . . ." Kurama blinked, again. Did he just catch a faint blush? Wow, Hiei was full of surprises that day. Why not make it . . .better?
"I know what you mean," Kurama walked over and placed his hands on Hiei's shoulders before continuing, "It didn't hurt at all, really. I don't mind." he smiled cryptically, "In fact, I have to find some time to get back at you." He saw Hiei realize the double meaning in his words, and was delighted to see that blush again.
Hiei backed away, struggling out of the hands that bound him, and said, "I mean it, Kurama. Stop fooling around."
"Fine! Do you regret that much that you kissed me?!" He burst out, and even he himself was shocked, but there was no stopping now. "If you really are so sorry, then hurry back to Makai and save these apologies for Mukuro!"
Now it was Hiei turn to blink. "Mukuro? Why her? I don't have to go back. My holiday last for a year."
"Don't you like her? Didn't you thought to me as her that time? I mean . . . you gave her that gift too."
Hiei just stared at him with a mocking expression, which was slowly making him uncomfortable. "I'm . . . wrong?" he asked meekly. "'I thought that you would be smarter than this, fox. If I didn't give her the gift, I would end up getting killed by her sooner or later, so do you think I would like someone who may blast my heard off any second?"
Kurama took some to time to register what that meant. He said that he didn't like her, which means he didn't kiss Kurama because he saw the wrong things, which led to . . . Could he really think that way?
"Here, catch!" he broke out of his thoughts in time to see a seed lying towards him. He caught it swiftly, and saw that it was lightly pinkish, and so totally round that seemed unnatural. It seemed to glow, and would have easily be mistaken for a pearl if not for Kurama's vast knowledge about plants. But even so, he could not figure out what seed it was.
"What is this, Hiei? Where did you get it?"
"Someone gave it to me," he mumbled, lowering his head. Somehow, he seemed like he was lying. "It's my token of apology," his voice sank even lower, and so did his head. "You can throw it if you want."
Kurama fought the urge to suddenly go up and give him a hug. "You seem to prefer giving people plants as gifts, huh? I don't even know what plant this is. Guess there's only one way to find out." He put on a coat and prepared to leave his room, when Hiei said, "Wont it be faster through the window?"
He considered fore a moment. It would be sort of hard to explain to his mother about his "friend" whom she saw coming out of his room without seeing him go in. Also, how would he phrase his relationship with Hiei? Now that there was a new twist, which he still wasn't sure where it would head. He grabbed Hiei's hand and jumped out of the window.
Surprisingly, Hiei didn't struggle out of his grasp after they landed, so he kept his hold and led him into the backyard. All the roses he had planted were only dry branches now, half covered by the new snow, which was still gathering. He would make sure to let them bloom once the spring arrives. He found a spot where he still had not planted anything, and that was when he found that he forgot to bring a spade to dig a hole. Hiei could sure make him ignore many things.
"Here," Hiei said as he handed Kurama a spade he brought along.
"Your sure come prepared, don't you?" he teased as he accepted the spade and started digging.
"No, its' just that you are too easy to predict." He countered smoothly with a smirk. "Hey! What was that supposed to mean?!" Kurama demanded with a small pout, which looked a bit too cute, not that Hiei was complaining.
"Sometimes I do wonder if you really are the infamous youko Kurama," Hiei mused quietly, not quiet enough, though. "Sometimes I wonder too if you are that legendary Forbidden Child."
"Why?" Hiei asked and raised an eyebrow. "The same reason as to why you think of me to be unlike youko Kurama," he smiled sweetly, lifting his head up to see the exasperated expression on Hiei's face. Not really on his face, it was more like the sparkle in his eyes. If others had seen his expression, Kurama doubt they could spot any difference.
"Looks like we are even, then." He watched as Kurama carefully placed the seed in the hole he dug.
"Oh, you just found that out?" Kurama exclaimed in mock astonishment. Hiei sighed inwardly, he should have known he could never win over Kurama in teasing and annoying other people. Kurama always made him frustrated, but he could never bring himself to be really mad. "There! All done!" Kurama patted the soil affectionately, she seed now totally underground. "Let's see what it is!" a stream of energy poured out from the fox. Minutes passed, but nothing happened.
"Forget it, Kurama. This plant doesn't open this way. You can pump energy into it forever and nothing will happen."
"Since when do you know more about plants than I do? Well then, let's hear what the expert suggests." Frustration welled up in him again, but totally evaporated once he saw that sunny and all-too-friendly smile.
"Just leave it there to grow. The person who gave me the see told me this."
"But to grow, it must obtain energy from something, and I don't think the soil and sunlight works for it," Kurama said, and noticed Hiei lowering his head again. "I don't know, just wait and see," Hiei mumbled, and Kurama made a mental not to himself that Hiei was a really bad liar. And a cute one too.
"Come on, let's get back," Kurama said and took hold of Hiei's hand again. The blush returned, faint as it was, but something else caught his eyes also. A flash of green on the ground. He turned, and saw in the place where he had just planted the see, grew a fresh green sprout. It was only a weak and small sprout, but seemed so innocent, and its full emerald leaves gave the impression that it was happy. Kurama could sense the joy radiating from the plant. Suddenly, he realized what was the energy source for the seed . . .
He cast a furtive glance at Hiei, only to see the fire demon lowering his head yet again.
The show had reached its climax. Snowflakes falling and gathering together in the sky to create thin sheets of snow that fell like feathers, gently brushing against everything before landing. It seemed like heaven.
The moment froze, and everything stopped in this tracks except for the feathers that flew form the sky. They just stood there, caught in each other's eyes, unable to move away. Everything around them was covered in the fluffy, freshly fallen snow. In other words, nothing seemed to exist except for the two of them and the snow.
It was time for the show to end. Snowflakes fell apart, melted in the warmer winter air, and fell as tiny droplets of rain. The rain was not nearly as artistic as the snow, but nothing could last forever. As much as the snow hates to let go, it must. As the drizzle got bigger, almost all traces of the spectacular show moments ago were washed away. It was time for the rain to domain, marking the end of the winter.
Nobody took notice of the time. Then suddenly, they found themselves to be totally drenched. "It's raining . . ." Kurama said listlessly, breaking their connection and stared into the sky, now a shade of gray.
The rain washed away everything, every dirt on the road, every dust in the air, leaving everything fresh and clean, giving everything a new start. Sweeping away the snow and mud, it revealed several new spouts, new lives that started once the snow ended. The rain continued falling . . .cleaning . . . draining away . . .
"Come, let's go back before we get any wetter, if that's possible." Kurama said and held out his hand. Hiei took it, and this time, they went into the house through the front door, ready to face the things that lay behind it.
After the dirt had tainted the rainwater, it flows into the drain. The rain never seemed as pretty as the snow, and it never wanted to be. Being pretty meant that it had to stay pure, unable to touch anything. Bu the snow is the rain, and vice versa, so why did it have two forms?
The plants go their first drink of water from the rain, letting the rain run across them, washing off any mud that was the painful reminder of their days without sunlight, struggling in the darkness, not even knowing where they will end up. The snow buried them; the rain purified them. What more would they have to endure?
They didn't notice, but he seed they just planted had just grown a few centimeters taller.
They had to endure all four seasons.
Pairing: Hiei x Kurama
Rating: R-ish, not quite
This is a very old Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic. I actually started wiriting fanfics, or any story at all, from Yu Yu Hakusho. Kind of nostalgic looking back, with some embarrassment.
I've only transferred some of my better (in my opinion) anime fanfic stories over, the rest can be found on fanfiction.net.
November:
The world looked as if it was filmed in black and white: the trees stood bare without its canopy; the land lay barren, its usual green cover replaced by white patches of snow. Buildings near and far seemed like gray matchboxes, the unique variation between each of them was shadowed by the white that rested on them.
No one attempted to light up his or her house, as it would be even more glaring to the eye than it already was. Some occasional rays from dimly lit light bulbs were marred, when the wind brought huge amounts of snow swirling around them. No creature was seen outside. The land was now dominated by the weather.
He opened the window and let the chilly winter air rush in at full force. He didn't mind the cold.
Every dead leaf on the sidewalk was either buried in snow or coated with frost, which gave an illusion that the leaves were more of a piece of art than some lifeless beings ready to rot. The winter is cold; the winter is beautiful. It masked the ugliness of the world under its frozen façade, but most people felt that it was a disaster rather than bliss. They didn't understand.
He leaned out of the window, longing the wind to sweep his heart away, mixing it with the snowflakes, the icy currents, the whole winter even, and ultimately become one. Such was his wish.
If you stay quiet enough, and listen close enough, you would hear the song of the snow. Raindrops frozen in time, thus their mass lighter, gently hitting the surface of the wall and the windowpane. It was not loud and forceful like the rain. Just light taps, one overlapping another, never seeming to end. Such was the sound that created ripples in you.
The snow reminded him of someone. No, not remind. How can something remind you of a person, when that person never left your mind before? The snow just made the longings he usually suppressed hit him full force that day. The winter was too much like Hiei.
The winter had come.
Yes, the winter had come, Kurama thought, and maybe Hiei would too? No, that was very unlikely. But there was no harm in hoping, right? Nah, he had been hoping everyday since Hiei's last visit here, which was six months ago. Probably running errands for Mukuro. They must be on better terms now, since he gave her that gift . . . A twinge of jealousy ran through his heart. Not that it was some new feelings for him. He was too used to it to even stop it. There was no point, anyway. It would return in another ten seconds.
Although he was displeased with the purpose of Hiei's last visit, he still couldn't help but recall that scene. There wasn't much he could wish for from that ice demon.
"Hiei, how did you get hurt?" He asked as Hiei slipped in silently through his window with a huge gash across his stomach. He wasn't completely worried. He knew that a demon's self-healing ability is strong. The fact that he chose to come to him certainly made Kurama feel more comforting.
"If she had used this much power in the tournament, she could have won for sure."
"It's caused by Mukuro?" He felt his heart sank a little. Of course Mukuro. Who else could have done it? He knew the jealousy was coming back. "You had a lover's quarrel?" he remarked dryly.
"She tried to kill me!" Well, Kurama thought, that was certainly pleasant to know. "Kurama, I want to borrow something from you," Hiei continued, "a type of plant that can fuse itself with the person whom it recognizes as its master, thus ensuring him the ability to heal any wounds."
"I can prepare the plant for you right away, but what do you want it for?"
"Nothing." Did he expect me to believe that? I think not, Kurama mused to himself.
"Well, then I have to call Mukuro to report to her that her subordinate is running around with an extremely dangerous flower, and tell her to be on the look out for 'weird accidents' involving plants." He did his best to look serious, all the while staring back at Hiei as the death glare intensified. He had grown immune to it by now. Actually, to Kurama, it was quite amusing to see Hiei pissed off.
"Kurama, it does you no good if you know it," Hiei said finally, defeated.
"But it does me no harm if I know, right?" he stood up and went over to the closet and dug out a shirt, threw it to Hiei, and settled back again, meeting a renewed glare with his usual sweet smile.
"Now what is it this time?"
"You don't expect me to let you run around the city half-naked, do you?"
"You know I won't wear this," he said and tossed the shirt back to Kurama.
"Then you can either leave here with the flower and wearing the shirt, or leaving here with nothing at all." More furious glares, and after a while, they became a sign of frustration. An intriguing process for Kurama to watch. "Oh, and you haven't told me the reason you want the plant," he added just to spite Hiei more.
"Fine. Remind me next time to never ask you for a favour," he growled.
"You can't help it, and you own me a big one this time. Remind me to let you pay me back."
"Mukuro's father used to abuse her since the day she was born, and she still can't get over that emotional barrier now, but somehow she can't bear to have revenge."
"So you are going to use the that to capture that man and give it to Mukuro? A surprise gift, huh? How nice of you," he gave another sugary smile, which he himself was even disgusted with, but it irritated Hiei more, so it was worth it. Too bad the demon wanted to give Mukuro a present. Kurama knew he was pushing Hiei towards the limit, and he was getting more jealous and bitter by the second, but who cares? The most he could get was a katana wound.
"Now can you give me the plant?"
"Sure!" He jumped up and dumped the shirt over Hiei's head, then fumbled through his collection of seeds until he found what he wanted. "Do you want me to make the flowers into a bouquet? That would please a woman more," he suggested as he grew the plant. He though of overgrowing the plant and make it swallow Hiei up, but gave up the idea. First, he would just end up with some burnt ashes. Second, it was Mukuro who deserved this.
"Hn. I don't care. As long as it works."
"But if you present it properly, she will be more pleased and maybe even give you a vacation. Believe me, you really need to loosen up." He handed him the flowers after he had done decorating them.
Grabbing the plant, Hiei muttered, "I don't need a vacation," and hopped onto the windowsill.
"Don't forget to visit me when you get your holidays!" Kurama shouted as a black shadow merged into the night.
That memory did not make Kurama feel any better, or ease any of his longings towards Hiei. If left him feeling extremely embarrassed. Looking back, he realized how childish and whiny (even though he hated to admit it) he had been. All the miracles of jealousy.
"Oh, if I keep on like this, I'm going to go crazy," he said to himself as he leaned his throbbing head against the cool windowpane. Winter was good. At least it provided him with a handy ice bag.
"You going crazy? That is hardly a nice thing to see," a deep voice came from the back of his room. Spinning around so fast that it almost made him dizzy, he watched as a familiar figure emerge from the darkness.
"Hiei, when did you get here?" He managed to stabilize his voice, but was still fighting to keep a blush from his face. It was not good to let Hiei catch him like that. Definitely not good. How he wished he were outside, buried in the snow right now. At least he would be too cold to blush, and that would explain the shaking.
"When you were trying to count how many snowflakes there are in the sky, Kruama. Honestly, your alertness is dropping way too much. You could have been killed easily if you were in Makai," he said and smirked.
"Umm . . .So, why are you here?" he tried changing the topic and not make himself look more foolish.
"To do as you told me to. Mukuro forced me to take a leave, so I'm here." Somehow he had a rather smug expression on his face. "Why did you want me to visit you?"
"For no reason! Isn't it normal to visit a friend?" He replied meekly. Truth was, he didn't even know why he said that. Perhaps wanting to grab that chance to annoy Hiei more; perhaps a subconscious feeling made him say that, since he wanted to see Hiei again. Both weren't a very good answer to give. By saying that, it would just be like writing, "I like you" all over your face, and as distraught as Kurama was, he still had some self- control.
"Don't lie. People like you won't say something without a purpose," Hiei replied coldly.
Now what? Think, Kurama, think, he yelled to himself. "Umm . . . I want you to do me a favour in return of that plant." Ok, now he just had to think of something for Hiei to do. Simple, right?
"Name it." He stared right into Kurama's eyes, daring him. Now Kurama knew what it must feel like to be a trapped animal. But then, maybe if he could still come up with an appropriate excuse, he would turn the tables.
"My mother, stepfather and stepbrother are going on a hiking tip next month, and I really don't want to go. So I'll use you as an excuse, and say that I already have plans. Of course, you have to go with me to somewhere," he said with a sly glint in his eyes.
"You can come on December 24th, first ting in the morning," Kurama added, and small pieces of what he should do was quickly putting themselves together, coming up with a rather reasonable plan . . .
"Fine." And with that, Hiei brushed past him and leaped out of the window, disturbing the current of the wind, and brought a few snowflakes swirling onto Kurama's face.
The snow was slowly ebbing away.
He let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding, and his heart almost jumped out of him. It was scary, but beneath the nervous impulse, he found that he was somewhat delighted. Hiei still remembered what he told him; Hiei still remembered him. Looks like he was not in that desperate stare he though he was in.
The snow finally gave up, know that it could not cover up everything. Some of the last snowflakes waltzed down. At least it would take some time to melt the thick layer on the ground.
Kurama didn't know what to think. Could this be called a date? Maybe, maybe not. He didn't know.
The cold wind kept blowing, trying some desperate efforts to keep people inside, preserving what the snow had built up. But before long, people would still come out and destroy the beauty of the stillness. They didn't understand. After a while, children rushed out, building snowmen or snow fighting. They stepped on the snow, and soon, it became muddy, and people would sweep it way like dirt. They didn't know what the snow was trying to hide.
He did know that he would be looking forward to that day, when Hiei would come again.
The snow was gone, but would come again.
December
People never notice the snow unless when they want to make use of it. Everyone was like that. They prayed for snow on Christmas day, but treated it like dust on other occasions. The snow was like that too. It fell when it wanted to, when it found the need to, acting all to its own wishes and completely ignoring the expectations other people gave it. What right did human have in controlling it, anyway? The snow was free.
At the bottom of a mountain, the now raging snowstorm promptly covered the ground with a soft layer of white icing, so fragile that it would disappear once the sun came out. Slowly winding the way up the mountain, more patches of white appeared, as the decreasing temperature ensured its survival at this height. At the very peak, it was covered with alabaster permafrost.
They raced their way up the mountain, their steps so light that they barely left prints in the snow.
Permafrost, is it really permanent? The snow certainly hoped it was, as it cast thicker and thicker layers, afraid what's permanent might vanish, afraid that what it was hiding would be shown. It did not want that to happen.
They were surrounded by a mad flurry of snowflakes. Finally, Kurama decided that he had enough of the speed and slowed down to a walk. This was where (after a great deal of fluster) he chose to bring Hiei. It was cold and snowy up here, and he hoped that this would remind Hiei of his birthplace; hoped that Hiei would disclose more of himself to Kurama. Now he wished that Hiei had better do that soon, because he was sure he would soon freeze up.
Or did it?
Kurama hugged his coat closer to himself, careful to not let his weakness show, and glanced at Hiei, who seemed totally oblivious to the below-freezing temperature. Not surprising, but somehow, it annoyed Kurama now.
"Hiei, are you cold?" he asked tentatively, but immediately realized his stupidity. How could a fire demon ever feel cold? He felt like bashing his head against the wall. Except that there was no wall on the spot.
"It seems that you are," he said and continued walking. "When had I become so transparent?!" Kurama cursed under his breath. That's when he found his eyes covered by some cloth. He removed it quickly, and found, to his surprise, it was Hiei's scarf. He couldn't have dropped it, which means . . .
"Just put it no, fox. It only makes me hot, anyway." He watched as Hiei went ahead, too shocked to move, and as the wind stirred more snowflakes onto his face, somehow he didn't feel cold anymore. But he wound the scarf around his neck anyway. It still had some of Hiei's temperature, which was warm enough to make Kurama blush.
He still stood there, eyes following Hiei as he moved further and further. With a deep frown, he shook his head hard, waking from the trance. "When have you become so sensitive that a scarf can make you lose yourself for such a long time," Kurama reprimanded himself, "but then, this is the first time he shows me such concern . . ." His eyes turned dreamy, and realized with a start that Hiei was already a black dot far away.
He quickly started jogging, but realized, when he got within two meters to Hiei, that he was still unnoticed by the fire demon. Such a good chance was hard to come by . . . Kurama dipped his hand into the snow.
THUD! The snowball hit Hiei square on the back of his head. He blinked at the sudden cold sensation dripping down the back of his neck and down his spine, giving him a chill. He turned, and saw Kurama, who was acting nonchalant by pretending to study the evergreen, with snow still clinging to his gloves.
"Well, two can play this game, Kurama," Hiei thought.
"Kurama," he called, and the fox turned, giving him a sunny smile. "What is it, Hiei - THUD! He watched, amused, as Kurama shivered and shook his head violently to get the snow out of his eyes and hair.
"Why did you do that?!" He accused, with a bit of false admonishment, a small put forming on his lips.
One hit him on the forehead, and another on his right shoulder, it wasn't that painful, and he recovered fairly quickly, only to find Kurama already out of sight. "Nice trick, fox," he thought, "but you've underestimated me." With that, he pulled away the cloth blocking his jagan, and at once, he found his attacker hiding behind a certain tree.
With a sudden burst of speed, he leaped and landed on the branch of a tree and rested a millisecond, before leaping again. He could sense that Kurama was distracted and confused, so with one last jump, he landed lightly on the tree where the fox was directly hiding under, he stamped down hard on the branch, and a huge clump of snow fell, burying Kurama under it. He could hear a muffled cry of shock, and it was only minutes later where a rather disgruntled looking red head emerged, wet and trembling all over.
"Still want to play, Kurama?" Hiei said and grinned triumphantly.
"Oh, of course!" he replied off-handedly, once he got his teeth to stop chattering so much. "It's hardly usual that you want to 'play' with me, so of course I won't be the one to stop this. Enjoying yourself?" as soon as he said that, he scooped up a ball of snow and aimed it as Hiei. He didn't even pause to see the results before turning and ran the moment the snow left his hand, but judging from the lack of noise, it messed. Too bad.
He heard the sound of something traveling towards himself, and without stopping, dodged slightly to the left. The snowball flew past him, barely centimeters from his face.
"You forget that I'm not a person who enjoys himself," Hiei said, and Kurama found his running just as fast a few meters away. "I'm merely paying back the respect. I keep my emotions to the minimum." With that, Kurama found a series of snowballs flying in his direction. He dodged and decked, but THUD! He didn't escape the last one.
"Is that so? Then what's your point of explaining? Afraid that I might misunderstood?" Kurama retorted, arching an eyebrow, and without missing a beat, returned five of his own snowballs. THUD! THUD!
"You're going to pay for that!" Hiei shouted threateningly, but any effect it would have was covered by a fit of giggles, as Kurama saw some not yet melted snow stuck in his hair and a very stubborn clump that absolutely refused to leave his nose.
"Make me!" Kurama yelled back in glee, all the time increasing his speed. He could sense Hiei coming towards him, and was rapidly catching up, when CRUNCH! What could be the cause of that noise? He turned and saw (to his shock or amusement) that Hiei had sunk waist deep into the thick carpet of snow, and was making futile attempts to free himself.
He walked back and kneeled down directly in front of Hiei, observing the frustrated and a little embarrassed look on his face. He should have brought a camera.
"Need a little help?" Kurama asked sweetly and innocently, as if it was most common to see a class A demon stuck in the snow and unable to get himself out. Hiei shot him a glare, and with a low growl, tried some other methods to get out, only to sink deeper. There was nothing he could exert his force on. Why was there so much snow anyway?!
Kurama stretched out his hand. "Now you owe me twice," he smiled mischievously, as ideas started popping into his mind as to how to make Hiei pay. The latter eyed the hand suspiciously, but took it in defeat. With a hard tug, Hiei was out, but the momentum caused him to pitch forward and bump into Kurama's chest.
Kurama could feel his temperature taking a great surge, and would not be surprised if his faced blended in with the colour of his hair. It wasn't a bad feeling though, but would have been better if Hiei hadn't jumped away so fast. He quickly turned around to hide his embarrassment. "So . . .um . . . Hiei, do you admit defeat?" he stuttered out. Just great.
THUD! Kurama blinked in daze. "That was my way of saying thanks," Hiei said smugly behind him. Immediately, Kurama started running again. THUD! THUD! Dozens of snowball came for him. THUD!
"Hey! That's hardly fair! I wasn't- The nest second, he found himself pinned into the snow with Hiei on top of him, hands on either side of his face. He suddenly found it hard to breathe.
"That's not my fault. I told you before that your alertness is dropping way too much," Hiei said with a smirk, watching the panting and flushed face below him. Emerald eyes sparking, crimson strands of hair spread out elegantly, bringing out the smooth complexion even more. Lips quivering, chest heaving fairly rapidly, as puffs of white vapour condensed from his warm breath. Hiei found himself entranced anew.
His body moved as if it had a mind of its own, and his hand slowly came to rest upon Kurama's cheek. It was warm, just like Kurama always was. He had absolutely no control now.
Kurama stared into the ruby irises, almost drowning in them, when he felt something cool brush against his face. It took him a while to realize that it was Hiei's hand. He leaned into the comforting feeling, as fingers began stroking his cheek in circles, somehow relaxing and sending him thrill the same time.
The new sensations totally overwhelmed Hiei. It was something he never felt before. He could feel the silky smoothness of skin under his fingertips; could see as Kurama gave a small sign of content and half closed his eyes. His thumb ran over the luscious lower lip. Those lips were slightly parted, as if inviting him. A new rush of emotions surged through him, and he couldn't really think now. He dipped his head down.
The snow had stopped a while ago. People were too busy to notice.
Kurama totally gave in to the comfortable feeling, closing his eyes, when he felt a pressure on his lips. He froze. Was Hiei . . .kissing him? He peeked and the reality sent his mind reeling. This was definitely something he did not expect, but dreamed of. This was just so . . . unreal . . .
The sun peeked out form behind the clouds, lighting up half the mountain, its golden rays winding into the branches of the pines, giving everything, especially the pure snow, a heavenly glow. But still, half of the mountain was in shadows, seeming gloomy and dark. Feeling bad, the clouds moved from obscuring the sun.
As soon as Kurama began to respond by opening his mouth a little, Hiei seemed to snap back to reality, and found with total shock and great embarrassment, what he was doing. He quickly pulled back and stole a glance at Kurama, who seemed . . .happy and disappointed? He jumped up and ran away, faster than he ever moved.
The sunlight was like hands, slowly reaching forward to reveal the shadows, embracing the whole mountain in gold. But he snow stay unmelted. Although the sun was warm, the temperature was still below freezing.
Grinning to himself, Kurama muttered, "Now I'm really behaving like a lovesick teenager. I hope that Hiei will come back for the scarf. Better if he come for something else . . ." he blushed deep crimson, and snuffed that idea away.
Just wait. Someday the snow will definitely be melted.
January
The climate was slowly warming up. The snow would not be dominating much longer. At night, the white on the ground was reflected into the sky, making the normally cobalt sky light up to a slight pinkish colour, which the stars and moon couldn't even out shine. The snow decided to put on one last show.
Flurries of snow came showering down, along with the mild cool breeze. Some lucky ones got onto roofs or treetops, able to remain a little longer before they perish; others landed in muddy soil or murky puddles. The snowflakes danced as they descended down to Earth. It was their last flight, able to float freely in the air. They must all settle down someday. The peaceful Earth awaited them, and there was a special spot for each of the snowflake. Each one of them was unique.
He stretched out his arm to the outside world, feeling the time stimulation each snowflake brought onto his hand. The coolness felt right. It balanced with the burning inferno inside him. Fire raging with frustration, anxiety, fear, jealousy . . .
The snow kept coming, greater and greater in intensity. All you could see was a mass of white swirling in front of you. It seemed as if it would never stop. Nobody was outside. Nobody, except one, a black shadow that fleeted through the snow, as if he was one of them, yet the black he wore was so opposite. Where was he going? Was the snow pushing him along, or was the snow chasing after him?
He was frustrated, that after so long (well, actually just two weeks, but waiting could make a day seem like a year) Hiei still hadn't come to visit him. Anxious, that whether Hiei would ever come? After what happened . . .Could Hiei be mad at him for throwing snowballs? That seemed ridiculous, but not impossible. And the kiss . . . Could Hiei have been too tired and thought of him as someone else, and when he realized, became so disgusted that he won't even come back? That led to fear. But whom could Hiei have seen him as? Mukuro? Jealousy ran through him.
Emotions which he normally hid well now came toppling down and became all mixed up with one another, each vying to dominate, fighting among themselves. It made Kurama feel sick.
The shadow finally stopped. The snow fell around him like translucent drapes, half hiding him, holding him back.
He was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't sense anything, until ---
"Kurama, how long are you planning to let me wait? Move out of the way, I need to go in through the window!" Hiei said rather sarcastically. Kurama was startled, he looked up, flushed bright red and quickly stepped aside. All of his previous thoughts were swept clean, as the loud pounding of his heart overtook them all. Hiei was already in front of him.
He suddenly found the table extremely interesting. Silence, awkward silence filled the room, pressurizing him. Hwy didn't Hiei just say something?! Why couldn't he find something to say?! His mind was totally frozen.
After what seemed like an eon, Hiei finally spoke. "Um . . . about last time . . . I'm sorry."
Did he hear that right? Hiei actually apologized? Kurama blinked, twice, before responding, "You don't have to say sorry, the snowballs didn't hurt one bit." It wasn't that Kurama didn't understand what he meant, just that: first, he wanted to make Hiei less embarrassed; second, to see the agitated look on his face, as if wanting to say something but was totally blocked back by Kurama's previous reply; and third, he did't want the apology. Did Hiei feel that sorry for kissing him?
"It's not that, fox. I mean . . ." Kurama blinked, again. Did he just catch a faint blush? Wow, Hiei was full of surprises that day. Why not make it . . .better?
"I know what you mean," Kurama walked over and placed his hands on Hiei's shoulders before continuing, "It didn't hurt at all, really. I don't mind." he smiled cryptically, "In fact, I have to find some time to get back at you." He saw Hiei realize the double meaning in his words, and was delighted to see that blush again.
Hiei backed away, struggling out of the hands that bound him, and said, "I mean it, Kurama. Stop fooling around."
"Fine! Do you regret that much that you kissed me?!" He burst out, and even he himself was shocked, but there was no stopping now. "If you really are so sorry, then hurry back to Makai and save these apologies for Mukuro!"
Now it was Hiei turn to blink. "Mukuro? Why her? I don't have to go back. My holiday last for a year."
"Don't you like her? Didn't you thought to me as her that time? I mean . . . you gave her that gift too."
Hiei just stared at him with a mocking expression, which was slowly making him uncomfortable. "I'm . . . wrong?" he asked meekly. "'I thought that you would be smarter than this, fox. If I didn't give her the gift, I would end up getting killed by her sooner or later, so do you think I would like someone who may blast my heard off any second?"
Kurama took some to time to register what that meant. He said that he didn't like her, which means he didn't kiss Kurama because he saw the wrong things, which led to . . . Could he really think that way?
"Here, catch!" he broke out of his thoughts in time to see a seed lying towards him. He caught it swiftly, and saw that it was lightly pinkish, and so totally round that seemed unnatural. It seemed to glow, and would have easily be mistaken for a pearl if not for Kurama's vast knowledge about plants. But even so, he could not figure out what seed it was.
"What is this, Hiei? Where did you get it?"
"Someone gave it to me," he mumbled, lowering his head. Somehow, he seemed like he was lying. "It's my token of apology," his voice sank even lower, and so did his head. "You can throw it if you want."
Kurama fought the urge to suddenly go up and give him a hug. "You seem to prefer giving people plants as gifts, huh? I don't even know what plant this is. Guess there's only one way to find out." He put on a coat and prepared to leave his room, when Hiei said, "Wont it be faster through the window?"
He considered fore a moment. It would be sort of hard to explain to his mother about his "friend" whom she saw coming out of his room without seeing him go in. Also, how would he phrase his relationship with Hiei? Now that there was a new twist, which he still wasn't sure where it would head. He grabbed Hiei's hand and jumped out of the window.
Surprisingly, Hiei didn't struggle out of his grasp after they landed, so he kept his hold and led him into the backyard. All the roses he had planted were only dry branches now, half covered by the new snow, which was still gathering. He would make sure to let them bloom once the spring arrives. He found a spot where he still had not planted anything, and that was when he found that he forgot to bring a spade to dig a hole. Hiei could sure make him ignore many things.
"Here," Hiei said as he handed Kurama a spade he brought along.
"Your sure come prepared, don't you?" he teased as he accepted the spade and started digging.
"No, its' just that you are too easy to predict." He countered smoothly with a smirk. "Hey! What was that supposed to mean?!" Kurama demanded with a small pout, which looked a bit too cute, not that Hiei was complaining.
"Sometimes I do wonder if you really are the infamous youko Kurama," Hiei mused quietly, not quiet enough, though. "Sometimes I wonder too if you are that legendary Forbidden Child."
"Why?" Hiei asked and raised an eyebrow. "The same reason as to why you think of me to be unlike youko Kurama," he smiled sweetly, lifting his head up to see the exasperated expression on Hiei's face. Not really on his face, it was more like the sparkle in his eyes. If others had seen his expression, Kurama doubt they could spot any difference.
"Looks like we are even, then." He watched as Kurama carefully placed the seed in the hole he dug.
"Oh, you just found that out?" Kurama exclaimed in mock astonishment. Hiei sighed inwardly, he should have known he could never win over Kurama in teasing and annoying other people. Kurama always made him frustrated, but he could never bring himself to be really mad. "There! All done!" Kurama patted the soil affectionately, she seed now totally underground. "Let's see what it is!" a stream of energy poured out from the fox. Minutes passed, but nothing happened.
"Forget it, Kurama. This plant doesn't open this way. You can pump energy into it forever and nothing will happen."
"Since when do you know more about plants than I do? Well then, let's hear what the expert suggests." Frustration welled up in him again, but totally evaporated once he saw that sunny and all-too-friendly smile.
"Just leave it there to grow. The person who gave me the see told me this."
"But to grow, it must obtain energy from something, and I don't think the soil and sunlight works for it," Kurama said, and noticed Hiei lowering his head again. "I don't know, just wait and see," Hiei mumbled, and Kurama made a mental not to himself that Hiei was a really bad liar. And a cute one too.
"Come on, let's get back," Kurama said and took hold of Hiei's hand again. The blush returned, faint as it was, but something else caught his eyes also. A flash of green on the ground. He turned, and saw in the place where he had just planted the see, grew a fresh green sprout. It was only a weak and small sprout, but seemed so innocent, and its full emerald leaves gave the impression that it was happy. Kurama could sense the joy radiating from the plant. Suddenly, he realized what was the energy source for the seed . . .
He cast a furtive glance at Hiei, only to see the fire demon lowering his head yet again.
The show had reached its climax. Snowflakes falling and gathering together in the sky to create thin sheets of snow that fell like feathers, gently brushing against everything before landing. It seemed like heaven.
The moment froze, and everything stopped in this tracks except for the feathers that flew form the sky. They just stood there, caught in each other's eyes, unable to move away. Everything around them was covered in the fluffy, freshly fallen snow. In other words, nothing seemed to exist except for the two of them and the snow.
It was time for the show to end. Snowflakes fell apart, melted in the warmer winter air, and fell as tiny droplets of rain. The rain was not nearly as artistic as the snow, but nothing could last forever. As much as the snow hates to let go, it must. As the drizzle got bigger, almost all traces of the spectacular show moments ago were washed away. It was time for the rain to domain, marking the end of the winter.
Nobody took notice of the time. Then suddenly, they found themselves to be totally drenched. "It's raining . . ." Kurama said listlessly, breaking their connection and stared into the sky, now a shade of gray.
The rain washed away everything, every dirt on the road, every dust in the air, leaving everything fresh and clean, giving everything a new start. Sweeping away the snow and mud, it revealed several new spouts, new lives that started once the snow ended. The rain continued falling . . .cleaning . . . draining away . . .
"Come, let's go back before we get any wetter, if that's possible." Kurama said and held out his hand. Hiei took it, and this time, they went into the house through the front door, ready to face the things that lay behind it.
After the dirt had tainted the rainwater, it flows into the drain. The rain never seemed as pretty as the snow, and it never wanted to be. Being pretty meant that it had to stay pure, unable to touch anything. Bu the snow is the rain, and vice versa, so why did it have two forms?
The plants go their first drink of water from the rain, letting the rain run across them, washing off any mud that was the painful reminder of their days without sunlight, struggling in the darkness, not even knowing where they will end up. The snow buried them; the rain purified them. What more would they have to endure?
They didn't notice, but he seed they just planted had just grown a few centimeters taller.
They had to endure all four seasons.