Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Codependency ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

Codependency

Chapter Eight

AN: I present… the chapter that refused to be written-the last chapter. Surprised? If you read the notes, you shouldn't be… anyway, this is the end. Neee.

It was cold and damp outside; the bank thermometer that they had passed on the way there had read thirty degrees Fahrenheit. Hiei shivered in his black suit. He really tried to pay attention as the man in front of them read the eulogy, but his mind kept drifting.

He felt a tugging on his sleeve. "Hiei," Yukina hissed, peering up at him through her black veil.

"Ne?" Hiei asked, distracted.

"You need to go up and say something!"

"Oh," Hiei mumbled, feeling his legs walk mechanically to the front. "Right."

Yukina stared at Hiei, wondering what he'd say. "Jaganshi Hina was my mother," he began. "I… I lived with her for sixteen years and… I never got to know her." Hiei took a rattling breath. "She got sick when I was eight and she never recovered. Her health only went downhill after that, and now… she's dead." He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but found he couldn't; a tear trickled down his cheek. "Sorry," he choked out. He could dimly see his mother's old friends through his tears. "I… I can't," he mumbled apologetically, stepping down and going to stand beside Yukina again. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's OK, Hiei… it's gonna be all right…"

"I know… but it hurts!" Hiei muttered, feeling the tears trickling down his face.

Yukina wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. "Shh, Hiei… we'll be just fine, you'll see."

Hiei pulled away, brushing the tears from his eyes. "You're right," he said, sniffing. He grasped his sister's hand and the two faced forward to watch the rest of the service.

"Hiei… I have to go home," Yukina sniffed, as soon as it was over. Silent tears streaked down her cheeks. "It hurts too much…"

"I'll take you," Hiei offered.

"No, that's all right. You haven't finished paying your respects, have you? Kuwabara said he would take me home," she said, pointing to where the carrot top was standing in the crowd.

"All right…" He mumbled, watching as she left.

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Hiei watched as the coffin was lowered. "Goodbye, mother," he whispered, turning to leave.

"Hiei," came a voice from behind him.

He spun around, feeling his heart rate escalate. "Shuuichi?"

"I read about your mother in the obituaries… I'm sorry," the redhead mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Why? It's not like it's your fault or anything. I knew she'd die soon."

"Hiei, it's all right to cry."

"Yeah, I know. I've been doing it all morning."

"Oh."

"Everyone knew she would die. She was in so much pain at the end… it's better this way."

"But it hurts?"

"Well, it's supposed to hurt. If it didn't hurt, I'd be one cold bastard, wouldn't I?"

"Oh, Hiei…" Shuuichi leaned forward, pulling the younger boy into his arms. "You don't have to be strong all the time."

Hiei gasped in surprise, but slowly wrapped his arms around Shuuichi. He felt the tears pricking in his eyes, coming to fall on the redhead's shoulder. "I… I miss her… a lot." Hiei sniffled quietly until he couldn't anymore, and then pulled away from Shuuichi, wiping his eyes.

"So…"

"Here, let's sit here," he mumbled, walking over to a bench and sitting on it. Shuuichi plopped down next to him, pulling his coat tighter around him. "Well, I… I'm graduating this year."

"Still planning on taking my job?"

"Yes. And I'm going to be a better psychologist than you, so that I can point and laugh at you."

"That's not very nice," Shuuichi said.

"Maybe not, but you gotta admit it's pretty funny…" Hiei's expression changed to a somber one. "So… how are you and your mother?"

Shuuichi looked away. "She started drinking again about three months ago. She's back in rehab now."

"But I thought that you two had patched things up…" Hiei mumbled, staring pointedly at the redhead.

"We had, but… well, mom screwed up again. In my heart, I knew it would end like this, but… I wanted to believe she would be OK."

"I'm sorry, Shuuichi," Hiei whispered.

"Oh, I expected it. I'm not stupid; I just act like it sometimes. Anyways, I wasn't too sad. I was just angry… so angry."

"Well, you are a redhead. It's expected of you."

"Maybe. It's just that… I was tired of the cycle. So I broke it. She'll never bother me again."

"But doesn't it hurt?"

"A little, but it's worth it to not have to go through the pain," Shuuichi mumbled, staring into the distance.

"Do you really believe that?" Hiei asked.

Shuuichi shrugged. Hiei shivered. "Here," Shuuichi said, taking off his coat and scooting closer to Hiei in order to cover the both of them with it.

"Lately, I've been thinking about leaving Tokyo… I need to go somewhere else… where Shiori can't find me."

Hiei sighed. "Don't be a coward, Shuuichi. Running away won't solve anything. And besides, you said that she wouldn't bother you anymore?"

"I can say that, but… she's like a smacked puppy. No matter what I do, she'll always come back… as long as she can find me."

"Shuuichi… don't leave… please."

The redhead turned to him. "Why not?"

"…I'd miss you… I haven't thought about you too much this past year, what with my mom being so sick all the time, but… I still love you just as much as I always did."

"Hiei… you know that a relationship would never work out for us."

"Why not? I mean… you don't love me, but if you did, it could work, couldn't it?"

"My relationships always fail, Hiei. I don't know how much more heartbreak I can take…"

"What the hell has happened to you?" Hiei asked quietly. "The last time I saw you, you were so happy… what happened to change you so much?"

"I don't know. I just don't know…"

"I wish you weren't so screwed up and unhappy all the time," Hiei mumbled.

"I deal with it. Every day. And I must be doing pretty good, considering I haven't attempted suicide or taken up cutting… or anything icky and messy like that."

"But Shuuichi…" Hiei mumbled.

"Ne?"

"I want you to be happy."

"I will be one day," Shuuichi said, smiling.

"I want to make you happy."

Shuuichi wrapped an arm around Hiei. "Sweet of you."

"But… Shuuichi…"

"Aw, Hi-chan… don't worry. I'll be fine, you'll be fine… we'll all be OK in the end. It's the way the world works. Life screws you for a little while, but then things get fixed in the end."

"…Mou," Hiei mumbled, latching on to Shuuichi's waist. "I love you…"

Shuuichi smiled sadly, patting the top of Hiei's head.

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"Hey, Shuu? Shuu!" Hiei called, wandering through the house.

"Ne?" Shuuichi asked, appearing from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Aah! Don't do that, Shuuichi!" Hiei cried. "Where were you?"

"Me? I was under my bed, reading yaoi doujinshi."

"Really?" Hiei asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No. I was just looking for something in my closet… there are a lot of interesting things in there, you know."

"Oh," Hiei said, sounding slightly put out. "Well, anyway… I was wondering if I could borrow your history notes… the final is coming up soon."

"Oh. Right. I probably have them around here somewhere," Shuuichi muttered, retreating to his room. He plopped down on the floor, crawling under his bed. Hiei sat as well, peering into the dark depths of the space under the bed. "Let's see… Gravitation manga, doodles from philosophy class, random weird stories I wrote about gay people when I was twelve… ah! Notes!" Shuuichi declared, and Hiei had to duck to avoid being knocked out by a speeding binder.

"Wow… that's a lot of history notes."

Shuuichi grinned. "Four years' worth. I figured I'd sell them on E-bay to some stupid kid who likes cheating, but I guess I forgot to… eh heh." He handed them to Hiei.

"Thanks. I guess I'd better start studying, then…" Hiei made his way to the living room.

"Need any help?" Shuuichi asked.

"Emm… if you're not busy."

"I'm not. After all, unlike you, I'm doing well in college!" Shuuichi said, grinning cheekily.

"Hmph. At least I'm a good psychologist."

Shuuichi stuck his tongue out playfully. "Well, you have low standardized test scores!"

"You're supposed to be helping me, not making fun of me."

"Oh. Right! Well… what class do you have now?"

"Ancient history."

"Ah! That was a fun class. Well, it's just memorizing facts, isn't it? Is there anything you have trouble with?"

"I have bad study skills."

"Yeah, well… `tis a little late to be correcting that. Just make flashcards for the tough stuff."

"Flashcards? That's so ninth grade…"

"You're an idiot sometimes, Hiei."

"You're an idiot all the time, Shuuichi."

Shuuichi's eyes narrowed. "I set myself up for that, didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"Hmph. I'm going to go read my doujinshi, then."

"But you said you didn't have any!"

"Meh," Shuuichi said, walking to his room.

"That's mean, Shuuichi. You should share."

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"I'm so tired…" Hiei mumbled, collapsing on the sofa next to Shuuichi. "Been studying all day long…"

"I'm sorry," Shuuichi said mock-apologetically.

"Meh. Whose turn is it to cook supper again?"

"Yours," Shuuichi declared. Hiei groaned. "Luckily for you, I ordered pizza a little while ago. It's supposed to be here in thirty minutes, but it probably won't actually get here for another two hours…"

"All right," Hiei said, stretching out on the couch. "What's on the idiot box?"

Shuuichi picked up the remote and flicked the power button. "Whose Line… Pokemon… Queen of the Damned…"

"That was such a creepy movie," Hiei shuddered.

Shuuichi nodded in agreement. "Interview with the Vampire was good, though… Lestat and Louie rolling around on the ground… that was great!"

Hiei sighed, shaking his head at Shuuichi. He glanced at the screen. "No, Shuuichi. We are not watching Cops."

"Oh, why not?"

"PORKY! MEMORIES OF PORKY!"

"That's because you're a bad boy."

Hiei glared and tackled Shuuichi.

"Hello," Shuuichi said sweetly, waving.

Hiei stole the remote.

"You're no fun, Hiei."

"Hn. If you don't start being nice, I'll make you watch a documentary on conservative speeches."

"You're a cruel person, Hiei."

Hiei shrugged. "…Reality TV… that's what's wrong with the world today," Hiei said, as he found nothing to watch.

"You know… they should make a gay Bachelor show… I might watch that."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "You'd probably sign up for it."

"Of course I wouldn't do that, Hiei! I have you!"

Hiei pushed the power button and threw the remote across the room, where it slammed against the wall and sank to the floor.

"Aww, poor Hi-chan." Shuuichi pulled Hiei's head into his lap, running fingers through his hair. "Your hair is very large," he remarked.

"Hey, Shuuichi?"

"Ne?"

"…are we together?" Hiei asked uncertainly.

Shuuichi's fingers stilled as he thought. The redhead bit his lip. "I dunno… we live together… and there have been moments… what do you think?"

"Well, you know how I feel."

"We'll figure it out sooner or later, I guess." The doorbell rang. "In the meantime, our pizza is here."

Hiei looked up at Shuuichi put the box on the table. "What'd you get?"

"Garbage."

"Huh?"

"Supreme."

"Oh. All right." Hiei opened the box and grabbed a piece. He watched as Shuuichi picked all the meat off of his slice before taking a bite. "…if you didn't like meat, why'd you order a supreme?"

"Because you like that kind, silly!"

"Aww, you're nice sometimes!"

Shuuichi narrowed his eyes. "Only some of the time. Don't start getting ideas."

"Oh, I won't."

"Tee-hee… I have fun when I'm with you, Hiei!"

"Yeah… OK."

"But doesn't that make you happy?"

"Sure."

"Hiiiiiiiiiii-chan…"

"Ne?"

"Happy Saturday!" Shuuichi yelled, glomping Hiei.

Hiei sweat-dropped. "What did I tell you about eating sugary cereal?"

"…I haven't been eating sugary cereal. The last time I ate cereal was nine days ago, and it was the nasty, healthy kind with no carbs or sugar or taste…" Shuuichi said, pouting.

"Oh. Then what's wrong with you? Did you make brownies again and `forget' to let me have any?"

"No! I'm just happy! See, happy," Shuuichi said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Being happy makes you act like an idiot?"

Shuuichi nodded. "The only time I act smart is when I'm depressed!"

"Heh. No wonder your IQ dropped ten points after I moved in with you."

Shuuichi glared. "Idiot." He smacked Hiei over the head with a throwpillow.

"Hn."

"By the way, how are Kuwabara and Yukina-chan?" Shuuichi asked, out of the blue.

"Well, Yukina had to repeat a grade because of all the school she missed while she was sick… but they say they'll get married after college."

"Aww, poor Hiei. Does that make you sad?"

Hiei shrugged. "Not really. As long as they love eachother… it's fine with me," Hiei said grudgingly. "I mean, if Yukina is happy, I can't argue with it."

"You're so cute, Hiei. You pretend you're tough, but you're really just a… small, gooey, black-haired marshmallow."

"Yeah, well… marshmallows can be very deadly!"

"You know, Hiei… I think we will be together someday," Shuuichi mused, staring into space.

"Really?" Hiei asked, trying not to sound happy and excited. He was failing miserably.

"Yeah… I mean… well, I can be myself around you… and I feel happy just being near you… and you're just such a cute little uke!" Shuuichi yelled, pulling Hiei into his arms and giving him a noogie.

"Uke? UKE?! What makes you think you'd be the seme, huh? You're just a little girly boy, you know! You couldn't dominate anyone!"

Shuuichi smiled evilly. "Hi-chan… you're pathetically short compared to me, you know."

"Size doesn't matter!" Hiei cried. "And besides, I haven't finished growing yet!"

Shuuichi rolled him eyes. "I have more experience," he pointed out.

"So!"

"And prowess."

"You don't know that!"

"It doesn't really matter right now, Hiei. After all, I don't suppose we'll know for sure for quite some time…"

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest. "You are mean."

"Why, thank you."

"I would be better off being in love with Eiri Yuki."

"Well, he is very pretty. Of course, he smokes and is mean to cute ukes… oh, and he coughs up blood."

"Or… Sesshoumaru."

"He would pick me over you any day."

"Maybe even… Strongbad!"

Shuuichi blinked. "All right, Hiei. If you have fantasies about Strongbad, it really isn't my business, but… let me remind you of a few things. First, he has no hands. Secondly, his face is a mask. And third… he's not even remotely gay."

"But… but what about Pom Pom?!"

"Homestar is the one who started that. If you've been listening to what he says, then you're an idiot."

"…"

Shuuichi yawned. "I think I'll go to bed now…" He stood up, stretching. "Night, sweet uke. Have pleasant dreams," he said sweetly, bending to kiss Hiei on the cheek. Shuuichi giggled and walked to his room, leaving a dazed Hiei on the couch.

Hiei finally left Shuuichi-land ten minutes later. His cheeks still felt hot as he went to his room. He sighed, staring at his blushing face in the mirror. "I love you too, Shuuichi," he said to no one, and climbed into his bed.

In his own room, Shuuichi continued to giggle at Hiei's expense.

Finished on 11/23/04

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AN: Wow, it's finally finished! I'm glad… mou. This chapter was just… very odd. I hope you weren't too confused by the scene changes, although I bet some of you were. In other news, Eiri Yuki belongs to Maki Murakami, Sesshoumaru is Rumiko Takahashi's, and Strongbad, Pom Pom, and Homestar belong to The Brothers Chaps (I strongly advise going to homestarrunner . com-remove the spaces-and watching Strongbad emails).

I will repeat: the story is finished. No more.

Oh, and to those of you who might have been wondering… this story has nothing to do with Codependency. It was itooshi's idea to call it that, and I figured that it was such a cool title that nobody would notice the fact that it didn't fit at all. -_-;;

Mou.

Oh, and to my die-hards fans (I laugh at the thought), the next fanfic will be a YGO one. BxR. Unfortunately, I'm going on an updating hiatus for a little while. I need a break. However, I'll still be writing. And if I do that, maybe I'll update on time. -_-;; you know, as opposed to two and a half weeks late. Heh heh.

Ja!