Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Stain ❯ A Lover's Fire - Section 1 ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Stain

Show: Yu Yu Hakusho

Pairing: OC/Kurama, Hiei+Kurama

Author: Green Bird

Disclaimer: I don't own this. You know I don't own this.

Rating: R+ (pushing it, but I still believe that it's R or 16+ material)

Note: Yay! Violence and romance! Bite me! Bite him! I don't know. God I'm tired. There's no excuse for how late this is other than the fact that I am so busy I always forget. I'm sorry I do all these things to Kurama… but it wouldn't have worked otherwise. This is a long one… get some chips and a beverage.

Part Three, Section One Notes: This last part was way long, so I needed to separate it into two sections for you. That and the final leg was giving me trouble.

Stain

Part Three: A Lover's Fire

Section One

"Crush the leaves, but only cut the root and boil it inside the cloth. I only require the extracts of the plant; not the flesh. That makes for something else entirely."

Kurama lay prone on the mat, giving directions to the bustling Jaganshi at the fire. Hiei complied obediently, doing the scullery-work as if it were the norm. The water hissed at the youkai's fingers and the tied cloth was pushed around in the small pot, tinting the water an ugly brown. There was a tart smell coming from the concoction, but when Kurama caught wind of it across the room he was pleased.

"It's coming along well, only a few more minutes."

The mood of the day had lifted considerably from the horror of that morning and in the afternoon's light things seemed to be mildly pleasant. Despite the new and irking fear of his situation, Kurama felt somewhat relaxed and definitely relieved by the progression of the anti-toxin.

However, Hiei was on a different limb and had remained stone faced and concentrated in his craft. He was meticulous over how he dealt with the small ground leaves and how he had cut the root. It was important to rid the fox of his vulnerability as fast as he could.

The truth was; Kurama's weakness felt as if it was his own. A fox without teeth posed little threat.

"That's about enough Hiei." The redhead's voice didn't hide his eagerness, and the darker youkai felt the same wash through him. Using a rather unattractive make-shift spoon, Hiei ladled the steaming medicinal tea into a bowl and walked it over to his unmoving ward.

Kurama tried his hardest to sit up, but the best he could do was prop himself on one arm. Now both of his limbs had gained enough movement to feed himself, and he was grateful for it. If the fire youkai needed to spoon feed him, he might have given up the antitoxin all together.

Hiei kneeled to his side, cradling the sloshing bowl as if it were a fragile possession. He set it in the fox's outstretched hand, cupping it enough to make it secure. The hot steam of the tea rose up into the fox's nose, and he fought against sneezing at it.

"This should work." Kurama breathed onto the liquid, making the steam turn in the air. By the look on his face, he was praying that it would.

As the liquid moved it's way down his throat it caused it to expand with it's warmth. The tart taste of the root attacked his tongue, but he swallowed it in indifference. Right now the kitsune could care less if it were blood; he would drink whatever he could to wash this paralysis off of him.

Ruby red eyes watched as their ward sucked down the concoction, emptying the bowl in one drawn-out drink. How fast the medicine worked, he did not know, but at least now there was nothing more they could do about it but wait.

Hiei felt as if a weight had been taken off of his chest.

As he set the bowl down on the stone floor, Kurama felt the swell of the medicine inside of him and his heart fluttered in excitement. In only a few minutes he would feel nerves awaken to their master's will and he would be able to move once more… his ki would be on it's way back, and his enslavement in weakness would be through. He would be free.

The thoughts were interrupted by the fire demon, who had moved away to fetch something. "When you gain your movement again, perhaps these would be appreciated." A bundle of white cloth was set to the stone at the fox's side. Kurama reached out to touch it with his one able hand. The garment shivered as it was stroked, sending a shimmer over its snowy folds. It was silk.

The fox spoke in a whisper, ivy eyes darting up to catch the dark one in them. "Where did you get this?"

Hiei shrugged. "Some foolish youkai left them on the bank of the river." Kurama's eyes widened and the fire demon smirked. "Don't worry, I left him his undergarments."

A smile graced the kitsune's lips and he was thrilled at the concept of clothes. If it were privacy in any form at all, he would take it.

Slowly, the control came back to his legs and Kurama pulled them up near his chest, ignoring the pain of the way his back stung as the skin was drawn taught. Strengthening his back, the youth struggled to push himself up to sit. Hiei watched Kurama sway for a moment as he sat, a look of satisfaction on his face, then turned as the redhead pooled the cloak over his waist and reached for the garments.

The shirt was white and silvery, laced with patterns of bamboo stalks and leaves in gold and green embroidery. Clothing like this was uncommon for many in the Makai, but the one demon who could afford it normally wore it with grace and pride. Hiei had not just stolen him these because they would cover him, but because the fire demon knew that it would suit him well. The fox almost smiled at the idea of it and held the garment out for further inspection.

All traces of contentment vanished and Kurama cursed inwardly. Although the tails of it were long, as if mock Chinese tradition, the neck of the shirt was far too low to cover his wound. There was a good chance that it could easily be spotted under his hair. But, before he could even have a small tirade in his mind over it, something small and distracting fell from the garment.

It was a flower. A petite, gentle, white-pedaled blossom that seemed to hold some sort of innocent grace to it. It was exact in it's perfection; each petal identical and symmetrically curved to match its mates. He twisted the minute stem in clasped forefingers and looked over to the fire demon curiously. Hiei looked back, spotted the flower and shrugged.

"I picked the wrong one."

Kurama creased his lips and left it at that, bringing his gaze back to the bloom. Perhaps it was some sort of apology, or maybe a sign of reassurance. Maybe Hiei did just pick the wrong plant… but wasn't the flower he requested for blue? He didn't take Hiei as one for colorblindness.

The feeling of the silk was like cool water on his skin and he breathed deeply. There was a wild scent to the fabric, which made him curious to the former owner. Hiei had, just as he said, taken no undergarments, as it was actually seen as a very ningen practice to wear them. Instead, the fox surveyed the pants to the outfit; loose, soft and a deep green in color and puzzled on how he would get them on. Even though his movement and control was so close to being fully restored, he knew that if he tried to stand for the action, he would crumble. The only way to fit the pants over him was to lie down and pull them up over. How embarrassing and clumsy!

At that precise moment, the fire demon across the chamber walked out without so much as a look back. Sometimes Hiei knew exactly the best course of action.

. . .

The late afternoon found Kurama walking, which, due to the previous hours, was a sizable feat. Walking lead to the need to go outside in the light, which lead to a rather annoying tailing by a certain fire demon.

There was a stream only minutes (in the smaller one's case, seconds) from the shelter. It was no sizable thing, nor was it breathtakingly beautiful. It was a creek; a simple bubbling stream of water that ran haphazardly through a network of rocks to relax in a shallow pool before joining with a larger companion stream a few minutes down. There was mud against one bank in the more stagnant area of water and insects swarmed in it. The other side was laced heavily with reeds. The fact that it was fresh water was enough for Kurama.

Sitting sideways on one hip, the fox graciously scooped the cool shimmering liquid into a bowl and greedily downed it. After the drinking of his antitoxin, the water was twice as delicious. To his right, Hiei stood upon the rocks above the pool, gazing in some obscure and far off direction. Hoping that the youkai would not catch the action, the redhead dipped his fingers into the cool and pressed their dampness against the burning mark of his neck.

Under his fingers, the wound reminded him of the horrible, rotting one in his dream and Kurama blanched at the thought. The mark repulsed him; he could feel the impressions of his attackers teeth in the bruise still, feel where his blood had been drawn.

It was the damned blood that made the bond so difficult to break. Laws stated that one must obey the blood-drawer and the blood-letter could not oppose until he himself drew his mate's life from them. Until Kurama returned the mark, he would not have any right to refuse Tsurenai; he had given his defeat to the kitsune and the lech was now his master.

The concept was almost too revolting for him and suddenly Kurama felt immensely better that Hiei had not noticed or mentioned the scar. Even if it were already noticed, as soon as the fire demon spoke of it, Tsurenai would find himself dead in a matter of hours… and without a mutual bond; Kurama would be in danger himself. Damn demon laws of loyalty.

The redhead was distracted by movement at the top of the small rock formation above the pool and heard a quick swish and plunk into the water. The glass surface rippled as whatever had pierced it disappeared beyond the illusion-like surface. Green eyes focused on the maker of the disturbance; Hiei was poised a bit oddly, as if he had just fallen slightly forward and caught himself. The fire demon's bare arm fell down to his side from where it had been out before him and his red eyes flashed expectantly at the water.

It took only a second for Kurama to see it; a fat, pink fish rose to the surface of the pool where it bobbed awkwardly. Hiei's sword stuck out of both sides, neatly skewering it.

"Dinner." The fire demon darted down to the opposite bank of the pond, reaching out to grasp his sword and lift it out; fish and all. It gave a flop and shuttered on the cold metal that had pierced it and a large, oval mouth gaped in dumb surprise. Kurama felt the need to see that look on another's face.

~Soon. Wait a while longer.~ Youko whispered behind his ears. ~You must gain strength.~

The redhead fretted with his hands, stroking the stolen silk in his fingers. This situation was difficult; Hiei must stay out of the kitsunes' bonding. Mutual demon mates were fiercely loyal and absolutely devoted in the time of marking. After the mark faded, often so did the relationship… but even though the wound on his neck would heal, the stain would still linger for some time. Perhaps even years. Kurama's mind had not been willing, but his body had… that was all the binding needed. Until he broke it or the mark faded; he was Tsurenai's.

The kitsune stared into the water, thinking desperately. Marks were a blood contract and could not be broken by an outside force, even in death. That was what made this so very dangerous. If Hiei discovered that Kurama had been bitten, he would think that it was forced… thus void, and destroy Tsurenai. One mate can not survive without the other; if the fire demon killed Tsurenai, he would kill Kurama.

There was one way out of this: he would have to kill Tsurenai himself. If their mutual blood was spilt by one of the pair… Kurama could live. Maybe.

A groan swelled in his throat and he pressed one thin, scratched hand to his cheekbones. But in order to have such power over the auburn one, Kurama would need to return the mark… a near revolting task to contemplate.

And yet, there was another catch… Hiei himself. Youko had said the truth; Tsurenai Fuyukasi was a collector. Despite the bragging rights with Kurama, Hiei was quite the prize. If the fire demon did attack Tsurenai, the dark kitsune would threaten the smaller youkai with Kurama's life.

Hiei would give nothing up for me.

He felt the Youko's voice grow slightly optimistic. ~He might; why would he be caught in that situation unless he was willing to? But, if not; he would not leave Tsurenai unpunished.~

Kurama pushed his fingers into his hair, flipping the blood-colored bangs away from his face. Then what can I do? If Hiei goes to wreak my own revenge… he could kill me. A broken mate cannot live… Could I tell him of the binding?

A vision of the Youko flickered on the back of his eyelids. ~It is better now to wait. You must make this a matter of pride and claim it is your right to undo this catastrophe… then your demon will not interfere.~

The redhead furrowed his brows and let his head fall forward in a nod. This was a horrible situation. He would have to hold Hiei off long enough to do the job himself. Although the fire demon was not one to break into Kurama's business, he had become involved the moment the wounded kitsune cried out to him. Now that he was entwined within the web, it would be hard to untangle.

It was too much to swallow now, and other things acquired attention. The redhead wobbled awkwardly as he stood, the weak ankle quailing under his weight, but only for a second. His movement did not go unnoticed by the fire demon, and Hiei eyed him from where he sat upon the stone bank. The fish lay, unskewered at his feet, flopping noisily.

As Kurama turned to look for a place of privacy, he heard the gentle tap of boots on the shore to his left. Hiei had leapt the water and looked sideways at him, waiting for the fox to move. The redhead ignored it and began to walk down to the small outcropping to find a decent spot. The darker youkai tailed.

If his situation hadn't been so urgent, Kurama would have been amused at his keeper, but now he was mildly annoyed.

"Hiei…" he muttered, giving the demon a look, "you don't need to follow me."

"Hn…" was the only reply he received. Kurama took a few steps, hoping that the youkai would catch on, but Hiei was a bit of a blind lookout when it came to the obvious.

"No really." Kurama sighed when he saw a decent bush a few steps away. His babysitter ignored him.

"What are you even doing?"

The kitsune faked a smile and began to rock back and forth in discomfort. "I'm trying to go to the bathroom!"

The look on Hiei's face caused the faux grin to become real and the youkai changed expressions from slight surprise to dull irritation. "Stupid fox, why didn't you just tell me that?!"

"What did you think I was doing?" Kurama laughed as he spoke, the action not helping his bladder.

"I don't know…" the dark youkai turned back to the pool, trying to recover from his mistake, "fox things… sneaking…" Hiei's voice turned to a mutter and he darted back to deal with his abandoned fish, ignoring the chuckle coming from Kurama.

. . .

The water was cold, but good to wash his sore hands in. Hiei stabbed experimentally at the fish, reveling in the dumb thing's fear. Kurama looked to the water instead of the scene, seeing the blue reflection of the sky above. He was pleased that it was not red or purple, as the sky often became. The stand of bamboo that enclosed Hiei's shelter extended into a small forest down the stream's bank and rustled to his back, whispering in the wind. The fox listened to the stalks discuss amongst themselves when he heard it.

The forest was literally talking. When the wind forced it's way along the lean posts, the leaves spoke, their voices mirroring one he had grown to loathe.

- Healthy now Youko?- Kurama's eyes widened as he felt the small breeze push to his back. Blood began to rush faster and he grew hot in rage at the sound of Tsurenai. -Have you nursed your wounds half-blood?-

"Vermin." Kurama seethed. He knew he shouldn't have the second he did. Hiei's stoic face looked across at him from where he now took to cleaning the fish, curiosity shining in ruby irises as the half gutted animal wriggled in his grasp. The kitsune coughed lightly, ducking his head further and avoiding the glance. Inwardly, he boiled in rage as Tsurenai's call continued in his ears.

-I wish to see you. Your cries always brighten up this dank wood.- Kurama's face contorted in a scowl. Fisted hands, lying on his lap, began to tremble as his own soft nails dug deep into the heel of his palm. - I cannot wait for long for you. Know now that you have no choice in this. You bear my mark Youko.- The breeze pulled at Kurama's hair, throwing the long tresses away from his shamed head. The purpled bruise stood out like a splatter of ink upon clean paper. He shuddered as the wind touched it's cold fingers to it and rose a hand to protect himself. -You have one day. Come to me.- The wind fled, but it's command lay strong.

Kurama shook in anger and felt his heart sink. So, that was the plan; Tsurenai would not give him the time he desperately needed. The auburn one knew that he was still without enough energy to prove a challenging fight… and by calling Kurama to him in intervals would prevent that from ever happening.

Across the small pond where he knelt, Hiei swung his sword down hard, finally decapitating the writhing fish. It's pink pearled body twitched once in reaction and then stilled as the crimson of its blood began to pool around it on the rock.

. . .

Not much time had passed when Kurama decided a very unusual thing for him; he wanted to go inside. He felt uncomfortable now, as if endangered by the open space and the unfamiliar territory. For once, he would rather be away from the vast sky and sharp air. It felt as though a thousand eyes were drilling into him as he stood to leave, when in reality, only three were.

Hiei waited a moment to make sure that he would not make the former mistake by following Kurama when it was not needed, but when the kitsune turned down the path that lead to the shelter, he faithfully darted afterward. A scowl pulled at the fire demon's lips as he felt the discomfort radiating off his companion. It took something strong to make a kitsune uneasy in his own element.

The trail was not a difficult one but it wound oddly around through the stand of bamboo. Tall, swaying stalks towered up to twenty-five feet above his head, their branches blocking nearly all of the light from the day and tainting the remainder a green hue. Oddly enough, his patterned shirt mirrored them to an art.

As Kurama traced the trail, he tried to see if he could command the plants to obey him. At his request, a few bowed in his passing, but did not knot around each other like he had asked. Kurama's ki was there, but by no means strong. He cursed it. He was absolutely helpless to the darker fox. There must be another way to beat him…

Tsurenai was not as physically strong as Youko… nor did he have the control that the silver fox had over violent plants. The darker kitsune only excelled in one thing; toxic plants, thus he relied on one thing… paralysis and inebriation. Kurama needed to figure out a way to avoid being poisoned. The plant was a sedative that drained his energy enough to make him helpless. It was like a spider's bite.

Where's a giant rolled up newspaper when you need it? He joked, trying to lighten his own spirit, but failing. Green eyes darkened in severity. There's got to be something…

Kurama's concentration was broken as a shadow darted over his head, bounding between the strong stalks on opposite sides of the path. It stopped merely meters ahead and waited, perching in the canopy, for him to pass under it again.

"I'm not going to be kidnapped Hiei." The redhead tiredly called as he strolled calmly under the crouched shadow. Even now when he walked it caused considerable pain, so he kept the pace slow.

There was the heavy sound of Hiei hitting the ground by him, and the smaller figure hovered only a few steps behind him in his stride. "You can't say that." The Jaganshi carried his sword over his shoulder, the blade stuck with pieces of white fish flesh. "You don't have your ki fully returned." Rusted brows knitted in response to the comment, but the darker one ignored it. "Besides, I'm not worried about you being carried off."

Focusing his eyes on the gleaming tops of the swaying stalks and long chute leaves, the kitsune watched the far-above canopy light. "What are you worried of then?"

There was a pause of silence and Hiei moved next to Kurama on the trail, walking slow enough not to challenge the fox's reasoned pace. The youkai's tacit nature was eradicated with his statement. "I'm concerned about you going off to Koshokuki."

Kurama did not falter but did bring his eyes back down to the trail to make sure it would not happen. "I don't know what you mean."

"I heard it," the fire youkai side-glanced the taller one quickly, catching the wince that passed over his visage, "back there…"

"You're imagining things." The redhead blinked calmly, secretly praying for him just to have misheard the statement. If Hiei knew…

But the smaller demon did know. "Am I?" A purple oval glowed under it's wrapping, insulted at the idea that a Jagan would ever miss something like that.

Kurama felt a small amount of panic rise in him, and he shook his head. "Hiei…" the voice was pleading on the edge of irritation, an odd combination, "just leave it be."

"Fine." The youkai rolled his shoulders, as if their conversation was really nothing important. "Consider it unspeakable."

Kurama let one shaky sigh pass his lips, not caring if Hiei heard it or not. So… he knew about it. Now he would need to convince Hiei that this was his fight, this was his problem. He needed to keep the youkai away from Tsurenai and the bond. The kitsune felt his legs quiver once as he stepped and he became angered at it; if he was not truly physically exhausted, he was mentally.

Perhaps it was the combination that got him and despite how he avoided the stones and roots in his path, the enormous wound in his ankle stung under his weight. Finally, it did what it, and every piece of him, had wanted to ever since Kurama stood; it collapsed.

It felt as though his stomach had dropped when he fell and the roll of pain that surged up his leg, nauseated him. Kurama let a small cry pass his lips in the surprise of it and stumbled, reaching out to clutch to a bamboo chute. The redhead looked down to see his foot hanging limply at the injured joint. Perhaps the thorn had punctured a tendon. If that was the case then the kitsune was condemned to damage in that foot for a long time… and without the use of his ki, permanently.

His vision was obscured by a bristly black-haired head that ducked under his arm. Hiei's narrow shoulders offered themselves as support for the lame leg. But because the fire youkai was so short he was more use as a cane.

Kurama did not like the idea of using Hiei like this, but the smaller one seemed to not even notice as they worked their way along. The fish blade was held out in front of them slightly, the meat dripping. Ahead, the trail was coming to an end. The fox looked blandly on, the dull hope of faux safety coming into him. It was then, undetected, that Hiei turned enough to see it; the mark on Kurama's neck. For a moment he simply stared at the thing… a bite mark, just like he thought. The fragments of words we had heard at the pool stuck to him, and the darker youkai knew immediately.

Someone owned Kurama.

He knew what needed to be done… The fire demon drew his eyes away, trying not to tighten the grip he had on his sword on impulse. Instead, he reached to the pocket of his pants, feeling the bag of herbs he had collected earlier that day. Red eyes focused on the fish meat dripping on his blade as the shelter came into view.

He would need to spice up that night's fillets with a new sort of seasoning.

Section II to Come…