Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Requited Fluff ❯ Decisions and Developments ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter 4

“WHAT?!” Yusuke exploded, jumping to his feet. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, `I HAVE TO GO'?! ARE YOU COMPLETELY NUTS?!”

“No. Practical.”

“How the hell do you figure?” Yusuke snapped. “That would be throwing your life away! It's suicide!”

“Well, that messenger said that his boss would go to any lengths to get what he wants. And that could mean he'd go after all of you, and kill you to get to me, or capture you as bait. I just want to protect you all,” Hiei said quietly, not meeting Yusuke's eyes.

Yusuke froze. Out of all the explanations he'd expected to hear from the cold Jaganshi, this was about the last on the list.

He was about to reply when Shiori breezed into the room. “Hello, Suichi! Hiei! I'm so glad to see you awake!” She looked around at Yusuke, Kuwabara, Koenma and Keiko, all of whom were staring at her in shocked silence. “Friends of yours, dear?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“So what are you all talking about so excitedly in here?” Shiori asked, folding her arms and leaning against the wall.

“Um…we were just talking about…erm…basketball! Yeah! Basketball!” Yusuke said, his face red.

“He's lying?” Shiori said to Kurama.

Kurama gave a forced laugh, though he had gone pale at Hiei's pronouncement. “You'll have to excuse him, Mother. He's a bad liar. Actually, we were discussing Hiei's capture in Makai, and what to do about it.”

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, and Koenma almost fell out of their seats in shock.

“YOU TOLD HER?” Koenma said loudly, shocked out of his silence.

“AND HOW IS SHE WALKING?” Kuwabara shouted.

“Yes, I told her, and Hiei healed her. And yes, he does have healing powers, before you even ask. He just didn't know it. No one did. But we can talk about that later. Let's get back to the subject at hand.”

“I'm not changing my mind,” Hiei told him softly, without looking up from his knees.

“But Hiei…”

“No, Kurama! I have to go!” Hiei said, looking sad. “I don't want to leave you—that's the last thing I want to do—but I won't have you hurt for my sake!”

“Uh…where are you going, Hiei?” Shiori asked.

“He's not going anywhere,” Kurama insisted.

“Yes, Kurama I am,” Hiei said gently. “I'm going back to Makai,” he told Shiori.

“What? Why?” Shiori demanded.

“To protect you, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, Yukina, and Kurama,” Hiei said. “There's someone after me, and he'll do anything to get what he wants. Including capturing or killing Kurama and everyone else I care about. And I won't let that happen,” Hiei said.

“Hiei, you don't have to go!” Kurama said desperately. “We can protect ourselves…”

“You heard Koenma. This guy will do anything. And if he's powerful…”

“He is,” Koenma interjected. “His messenger said we had no hope of defeating him. He had the A-class running scared, and even the S-class are beginning to seek alliance with him rather than fight him, though I'm not sure if they're afraid or just greedy.”

“You see?” Hiei said. “He could kill you, and it would be my fault!”

“Hiei, you can't go!” Shiori said.

“I can and I will.”

“Hiei, please! Don't you understand?” Kurama asked, slightly hysterical. “I wouldn't be able to live without you! I would die even if you left to protect me! Beloved, please…stay.”

Hiei shook his head. “No, you'd be all right. You don't need me, fox.”

“Yes, I do!” Kurama said. “You're the most important thing in the world to me! You're everything…my happiness, my light, my heart…all the things I need to survive. Without you, it's just…dark.”

“Kurama…” Hiei began, but Shiori interrupted.

“There's only one solution,” she said quietly, as if forcing the words out with everything she had. “Suichi, you'll have to go with him.”

“WHAT?!” Kurama, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yusuke and Koenma said at once.

“No. It's too dangerous,” Hiei said immediately.

“Less dangerous for him that for you, am I correct?” Shiori retorted. She cut Hiei off when he opened his mouth again. “Hiei, I know my son. He's telling the truth—he would die if you left him. But if he went with you, you could be together and protect each other.”

“Are you certain, Mother?” Kurama asked.

“No. But you have to go with him, regardless of my worries. There seems to be no other way.”

“But…” Hiei tried to come up with something to convince them. Then he gave a defeated sigh and said, “You'd just better not get yourself hurt, fox.”

“Hey, wait a second! I haven't authorized any of this!” Koenma protested.

“Shut up, toddler,” Hiei snapped. “We don't care. We never have.”

“Hey…” Koenma began hotly. But he was cut off by Kurama.

“It's settled, then. When should we leave?”

“Soon. Before out enemy makes the first move. I assume we have changed the agenda to killing him, instead of trying to make a deal with him?” Hiei asked Kurama.

“Of course. We'll leave tomorrow, then.”

“Cool,” Yusuke said. “What time should we be here?”

“You're not going,” Hiei snapped.

“WHAT? BUT HE GETS TO!” Yusuke said.

“That's because he's a persistent annoyance, as well as the love of my life. You are the former, but I can shut you up. He, on the other hand, is like a constant buzz in your ear—impossible to shut off or tune out.”

Yusuke glared at him. “Koenma, tell the shrimp that we can go!”

“No. You and Kuwabara will stay here and watch over Shiori.”

“WHAT? WHY?” Yusuke demanded, turning on Koenma.

“Because Hiei's enemy may try to harm her, as she's become so important to Hiei lately,” Koenma said simply.

“But I don't want to,” Yusuke said.

“This is not a choice, Yusuke. It's an order. Follow Kuwabara's example for once, and follow orders,” Koenma said. “Besides, it's for your own good. You know what Makai is like. The discussion is closed, Yusuke.”

Yusuke glared at him and sat down on the floor, muttering to himself. Keiko smiled at him. “I wouldn't have wanted you to go anyway, Yusuke.”

Yusuke brightened visibly at the smile, and changed the subject. “So, Kurama, how does your mother know about Makai, anyway?”

“AND WHY DIDN'T YOU SEEK MY PERMISSION BEFORE SPILLING THE BEANS?” Koenma demanded.

“Because you would have told me not to,” Kurama said simply.

“Damn right I would have. HUMANS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT US! REMEMBER?!”

“Shut up,” Hiei said. “She deserved to know.”

“SHE'S A HUMAN!” Koenma snapped at him.

“Please, sir,” Shiori said, standing, her eyes blazing but her voice calm. “Don't blame my son. I would have found out anyway, after the demon attack…”

“What? What demon attack?” Koenma asked. “No one informed Reikai Intelligence of that!”

“That's because Hiei and Suichi killed him before he could do any damage,” Shiori said proudly.

Koenma groaned and put his head in his hands. “Oh, if my dad finds out…” He sighed. “But why did you have to tell her, Kurama?”

“Shut up,” Hiei snapped again. “He told her because he was tired of keeping secrets from his mother to protect your lazy ass.”

“You know, Hiei, I could easily have you killed for your disrespect,” Koenma said mildly.

Hiei smirked and opened his mouth to reply, but Kurama beat him to it. “Go to hell, Koenma.”

There was shocked silence in the room.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?” Koenma exploded finally.

“I told you to go to hell,” Kurama answered calmly. “You have got to stop threatening my love. And Hiei, please, try to tolerate this oh-so-holy King of All That is Crap.”

It seemed that Koenma was finally working Kurama's last nerve.

Hiei smirked up at him. “Well, fox, it looks like you've finally lost it.”

“No, I haven't,” Kurama said. “I just think he needs to come down off his royal high, and learn that there are some things other people consider more important that keeping his secrets.” He smiled at Shiori. “Like being honest with the ones you love.”

“Aww…” Keiko said, smiling.

“It's so sweet I'm getting cavities,” muttered Koenma, his face still red. “Fine, whatever. Just don't tell anyone else, all right?”

“Who am I going to tell?” Kurama asked rhetorically.

“Now leave,” Hiei added to the rest of them. “You interrupted something important when you barged in, you know.”

“Hiei!” Kurama said.

“No, no, it's fine,” Kuwabara said, grinning.

“Yeah, we gotta go anyway,” Yusuke added.

“Later,” Keiko said, putting her arm around Yusuke's shoulder. “Have fun.”

“Listen,” Koenma said quietly on the way out. “I've got a bad feeling about this guy. Watch your backs, be careful, and…don't get killed, all right?”

“Nice to know you care,” Kurama teased.

Koenma snorted. “Yeah, right. Not likely. I just don't want to have to deal with your paperwork. Do you have nay idea how hard it would be to figure out where to send you two?”

XXX

“Are you worried?” Hiei asked Kurama later.

“Mm…a little. I don't want to leave my mother, but…”

“Well, no one's making you come. If you'd rather stay…” Hiei trailed off, sounding hurt.

Kurama hugged him tightly. “No. I'd definitely rather leave my mother for a little while than risk never seeing you again.”

Hiei smiled. “I have to confess, I'm glad I'm not going alone. I'd miss you like crazy.”

“Why, do my ears deceive me, or is Hiei Jaganshi actually showing vulnerability?”

“Only to you, fox.” Hiei pulled Kurama close and kissed him gently. “And Kurama?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

“For what, love?”

“Just…everything. Loving me, making me happy, maybe for the first time in my life, for…for giving me a family.” Hiei reached up to touch the Hieroseki around Kurama's neck. “I've never had that…it's a nice feeling. I love you.”

“Me too, Hiei. So much.”

XXX

It was still night when Hiei woke. Moonlight streamed through the window, spreading silvery light over the floor.

At first, Hiei wondered what had woken him. But then he noticed the absence of a certain warmth next to him. He turned over.

Kurama wasn't there.

Probably in the bathroom, Hiei thought, curling up again and closing his eyes.

But though he waited for a long time, there was no sound at all, from Kurama or anything else. After about a quarter of an hour, he sighed and got up to go find the fox himself.

That was when he saw the Hieroseki on the floor under the window. Its band was broken. He snatched the gem up and stared at it, a feeling of sick horror rising in him. There were words written on the band. You will never see the Forbidden One again.

And then were written in blood.

XXX

“Shiori! Shiori, wake up!” Hiei called, pounding on the door to Shiori's bedroom.

“Hiei? Is something wrong?” Shiori asked sleepily, poking her head out.

“Yes! Everything! Look!” Hiei shoved the necklace he held into her hand. As she read the words on the band, her face paled. “They have him,” Hiei said. “They have Kurama.” His voice trembled. “We've been wrong the whole time. It wasn't me they wanted. It was Kurama.”

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Author's Note: There you have it! End chapter four. Review, please! Oh, and by the way, I know the ending was a little rushed, but I wanted to set up for the next couple of chapters, so just bear with me, all right?

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Reviewer's comments:

IceDragonKatana: I STILL am not sure exactly WHO the figure is…I have some ideas rolling around in my head but I haven't gotten one pinned long enough to decide yet. So you'll find out when I do, I guess! Thanks for reviewing and keep on reading!

FluffysBijin05: Thanks for the review! And I'm not exactly sure who the new guy wants…or who he is…like I told IceDragonKatana, I have some idea, but…we'll just have to wait and find out, no?

darkspirals: Thanks for the review! And to answer your question, demons canmask their ki, so that's why he wasn't sensed. See? And I hate stalkers, too…they are creepy.