Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Golden Gaze ❯ Chapter 17

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Chapter Seventeen

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Suuichi could feel the crimson eyes on him long before he could see the koorime. A part of him had to admit he was surprised that Hiei was actually here. He would have thought that the little demon would have steered away from him for quite a while before they would ever talk again.

Hiei just didn't seem the type to talk about problems.

He was more of the, "Piss me off and I'll slice you up into hundreds of tiny pieces then grin sadistically and lick your cooling blood off of my skin," type.

But the kitsune couldn't deny that he was relieved the jaganashi was coming to speak with him. They needed to talk.

"Hello Hiei," the red head murmured softly in greeting, knowing that the shorter demon would no doubt be able to hear him although Kurama had his back turned to him.

"Hn."

Surprised that he had even recieved an answer to his greeting, Suuichi tried not to let it show. Instead he went over to his desk and sat down, slowly turning in the spinning chair to face his guest. He didn't want to anger Hiei any more than he already had by standing in front of the window like he normally did during the youkai's visits.

Crimson met emerald, the fire filled orbs daring the kitsune to speak first, to say anything at all so that the jaganashi could shoot him down, accuse him, maybe even justify an attack on his person.

Hiei had trusted Kurama and the fox had betrayed him by defending that hanyou! Though inside the fire demon knew that his closest friends had very defendable reasons for his actions, and that he was sorry and more than willing to explain, his pride and temper refused to let him accept that at the moment.

Hopefully Kurama understood that the forbidden child wasn't really as angry as he let on. Maybe a little hurt. But he truly hoped that the scarlet haired boy who now sat across the room, calmly regarding him with apologetic eyes knew that the jaganashi understood his motive for his decision.

He just wasn't ready to let on yet.

He was hurt.

And he didn't like the fact that he was feeling that emotion. He was a thief, a heartless murderer of makai. He wasn't supposed to experience such trivial things as betrayal and hurt. He was the forbidden child of the ice maidens. He wasn't even supposed to have anyone around him that could make him feel anything at all.

But he did.

And the one that he trusted most was sitting tensely in front of him, awaiting Hiei's judgement for the second time.

"You will tell me everything that has happened in these dreams of yours."

Emerald eyes widened only slightly to show the surprise that Kurama was once again feeling. When Hiei had met his eyes before going to Reikai with Botan that day, he had known that the koorime still trusted him, still regarded him as a friend.

Suuichi had also known that he was still hurt. He hadn't expected things to be mended so quickly at all. Perhaps Hiei had found a decent opponent or two to slay while in his territory.

As the slightly light humored thought passed through his head, something clicked that hadn't really yet. He had been to absorbed in awaiting Hiei's sentence to really dwell on it.

"You're hurt." Kurama spoke softly, whether dilberately avoiding the spiky haired youkai's demand or genuinely concerned it was hard to discern.

Both knew that the order would not be forgotten though, nor would it be dropped. And with that understanding fresh in both their minds, Hiei nodded his confirmation.

"Hn."

The corners of Kurama's mouth quirked up in a gentle smile as he gracefully rose from his seat and crossed the room slowly, making his way over to inspect the injury for himself. He knew it wasn't bad enough to result in nearly enough blood loss to incapacitate the koorime, but he could smell the poison strongly from where he was. Already he was summoning the herbs that he would need to cure it.

Seeds pulled from his hair and placed in his palm were already unfurling, youki sirling around them as first unecessary roots and then stems and leaves grew in a matter of seconds. A small garden resting in Suuichi's palm. Deftly plucking off the leaves of his creations and then closing his palm to dispense with the remaining parts, the kitsune reached Hiei, who already had the wound uncovered and waiting.

There was no need to clean it. Kurama's makai plants would do that better than antibacterial soap and kami knows that they would sting less. Gently Suuichi placed the leaves in a thin blanket over the wound, their healing properties already going to work.

"Hold this." Kurama instructed softly as he allowed room for Hiei's hand to hold the medicinal plants down without making any contact with the other's skin before turning to retrieve some gauze and tape from a shoebox he kept under his bed just for Hiei's visits.

When he came back, Hiei's crimson eyes met his emerald orbs. Their command transparent as an ever present fire danced behind thier lenses.

'Start explaining fox.' Hiei's telepathic voice broke through the silence of Kurama's mind as the young man proceded to wrap the bandages firmly around the wounded area.

'How about I show you instead?'

Hiei's eyes narrowed as he appraised the scarlet haired man in front of him. The dreams were now part of Suuichi's memories and as Hiei could read minds, it would be possible for Kurama to just recall the dreams, images and all, and allow the koorime to view them.

The jaganashi nodded curtly and then jerked his arm away as soon as the bandage was done. The action wasn't hostile. It was just the way Hiei was. Normally he was slightly more lax around the fox, true. But right now he was a bit on edge.

Why did he ever have to get involved in this whole dream thing?

'Ready Hiei?' Suuichi's gentle voice echoed in the fire demon's head. It was the only warning he had before suddenly his mind was assaulted with vived images of forests, a young woman, demons, and all the other character's of Kurama's revelations.

The scenes raced past at an impossible rate, each picture there and gone before a human eye could focus on it well enough to know what it was. Colors flew past in a blur, sounds melded together to form an incomprehendable jumbles.

But Hiei knew exactly what was happening as his mind took the information and stored it away. He could see every individual tree. He saw the miko when Youko first met her, watched as the fox followed her. He made note of the strange pack she seemed to travel with. His eyes narrowed momentarily in distaste as he recognized the inu hanyou from before.

An involuntary, yet still inaudible, gasp escaped Hiei as he saw through another's eyes the young woman jump down into a well, blue magic lighting up the night as she disappeared. The gasp wasn't in surprise, but rather in realization. Now he knew what Suuichi was talking about.

He watched through the bickering with the hanyou to the episode in the forest. He couldn't help but smirk haughtily at how the small kit had mislead the legendary Youko Kurama. It seemed that the fox was having quite a humbling experience back in the feudal era.

Suddenly the images stopped. The last major scene had been of the girl Kagome as she demanded to know about Suuichi Minamino. Of course the fox was clueless, but this recent information make Hiei uneasy. The past was being recreated as they spoke, the future could be completely altered if this miko, this Kagome, did even one thing out of line.

Dangerous.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

Something had to be done.

When his mind was cleared, Hiei opened his eyes, not realizing that he had closed them at one point or another, and looked up into the anxious face of his friend.

"So the well is a portal though time." Hiei stated more than asked, speaking aloud for the first time since Suuichi had bandaged his arm. It was as good as saying that the kitsune was forgiven, and they both understood that. It was obvious by the way the muscles in Kurama's shoulders almost invisibly relaxed, but relaxed all the same.

"That is what I assume."

"It's dangerous Kurama."

Blunt as always. That was Hiei for you. Unable to deny his observation, Suuichi remained silent. His jaw clenching as he refrained from saying anything.

After all, what could he say?

"Koenma should know."

Hiei was unprepared for the sudden intensity of the glare that Kurama turned on him. Emerald eyes smoldering and gold beginning to swirl into their depths.

"Hiei, you will NOT tell Koenma." Suuichi said, his voice quiet but his words undoubtedly housing a hidden dagger, a threat ready to be unveiled as soon as the target made a wrong move.

And Hiei wasn't too sure that the kitsune wouldn't resort to violence in order to get his way on this matter.

Kurama drew back a little, his words having come out much harsher than he had intended. But it mattered not. His message was across. He did not want the prince of spirit world involved in this. Not only because it would mean the Koenma would know of Youko's concious existence, but also because the information of the time traveling miko being in possession of shards of the Shikon Jewel would be more than enough incentive for the demi god to take her into custody or something. And then mention the whole time travelling thing?

Youko wouldn't allow that to happen. And neither would Suuichi.

At that moment a silent oath was former in his head, Kurama would protect the miko no matter what.

Hiei's eyes widened as the vow passed through the two distinct layers of the fox's mind. Kurama had wanted him to hear, and thus he had. And it surprised him more than he wanted to admit.

He had seen what Kurama had seen. He had experienced Youko's past through the fox's eyes. Kurama had trusted him enough to let him know all of this information. Information that even that smallest portion could lock the young man up in Reikai prison for the rest of his days if not even sentence him the seventh level of hell.

Kurama trusted him with his life and more.

He trusted him with the life of the young woman that he was falling in love with. In the past and in the future.

A strange tugging came to Hiei's heart, an feeling that made him more emotional than he had ever been in his life. Had he been nothing more than a human he might of cried. Were he any weaker of a demon his eyes might have glistened with barely there moisture.

Someone trusted him.

Hiei had never felt so completely accepted in his life.

His decision was made.

"Hn."

He would keep Kurama's secret.

"Thank you Hiei."

He would protect the fox, the first and maybe only one to completely accept him.

"Are you hungry, Hiei? Or thirsty?"

Even if it meant protecting him from himself.

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