Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Game ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

~Hiei's POV~

Kurama wrinkled his nose in disgust when we entered the old, rundown tavern, the designated meeting place with our informant. The fox was already wary when he realized what section of Makai the tavern was located in. The area was still undecided territory, perched precariously on the border between Mukuro and Yami's lands. Bloody fights were common when youkai of various loyalties clashed.

I couldn't blame Kurama for being nervous. His interesting past with Yami could put him in danger if we ran into the wrong group of demons. I was counting on the fact that no one would recognize him in his human body, but we'd decided beforehand that he would shield his youki, just in case. He would be mistaken for a human by most demons, and only the strongest would be able to sense his power.

The tavern was dark, rundown, and disgusting, so naturally it was crowded with low class youkai. No self-respecting demon would be caught dead in the place. There were several tables, which were all occupied, so I began walking confidently to the bar. Kurama followed, and I attempted to ignore all of the greedy eyes that followed him. I didn't need to make a scene, especially in front of the fox.

I sat down at the bar, and Kurama sat beside me, obviously disgusted with the lack of cleanliness in the place. I had a feeling that even when he'd lived in Makai, Kurama's thieving ways had allowed him to grow used to the finer things in life.

The bartender stood in front of us, cold gray eyes glaring wearily as he wiped his hands with a dirty towel. "You gonna order a drink, or just sit there?"

After receiving our drinks, we sat in companionable silence, waiting for the informant.

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" Kurama asked, obviously ready to leave.

I sipped from my drink. "I said he was reliable, I didn't say he was punctual."

The words were barely out of my mouth when a demon sat down at the stood beside Kurama.

"About time," I snapped when I recognized the demon.

He was fairly tall, standing a few inches above Kurama. He had dark hair that nearly reached his waist and dark green eyes. He would have appeared completely human, except for the long, catlike tail stretching out behind him.

He was glancing around cautiously, eyes nervous. "We can talk outside," he said, before turning and walking to the exit.

I stood from my stool and nodded at Kurama. We followed the demon outside.

Once out of the tavern, the youkai didn't stop walking. He went around to the back of the building, then continued until we were walking into the edge of the forest that would eventually lead into Mukuro's territory. He finally stopped when we reached a small clearing in the trees.

"How much is this going to be?" I asked as soon as we stopped.

He stared at me, eyes nervous as his tail snapped back and forth impatiently. "Five thousand. Up front."

My eyes narrowed, and I placed a hand on my katana. "We don't even know yet if you can tell us anything useful. I'll pay after you've told me what I need to know."

He shook his head, sweat beading on his forehead. "No. You pay now or I tell you nothing."

I reached up with my free hand and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him down so that I could look him in the eyes. "Look, you-"

"Hiei."

I stopped when I heard Kurama's soft voice pierce the night air.

"What?"

"Let me."

Reluctantly, I released my hold on the demon. Watching Kurama beat him to a bloody pulp might be more fun anyway.

Kurama strode confidently up to the demon, a suggestive look in his eyes that made me feel strangely warm. But it wasn't directed at me.

"We have no intention of robbing you," Kurama said, flipping his crimson hair over one shoulder. The youkai watched the movement with greedy eyes, his fingers twitching at his sides. "We just want to make sure we get our information," Kurama continued, blinking at the demon with large, green eyes.

The youkai was still for a moment, staring at Kurama in uncertainty, eyes narrowed. Finally, he said, "I'll give you the information, and you don't have to pay me at all."

I was taken completely off guard. That fox was good.

"On one condition."

I withheld the victory dance as I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. He was looking at me now.

"I get him." The youkai was pointing at Kurama.

"What?" I asked. Did he actually think I could just give Kurama to him?

"You're his owner, are you not?" the informant asked, businesslike.

I actually felt Kurama's rage at that statement.

That's when it dawned on me. The youkai had mistaken Kurama for a human slave. It must have been quite a blow to the youko's pride.

The slave trade in Makai was not what it had once been , mostly because both Yami and Mukuro held a particular dislike for it. It still flourished, however, in areas where their influence was not as strong. Only the most beautiful of humans were chosen, and most of them remained slaves their entire lives, bought and sold to various demons for various… purposes until they either died or became to scarred or old to be of any use.

I eyed Kurama hesitantly. Yes, he would be a rare beauty, even in a trade requiring exquisite looks. It was easy to understand why the demon had mistaken Kurama for a slave.

But that didn't make me feel any better about the idiot actually asking to buy Kurama.

"No," I said, clenching my fists in anger. "He's not for sale."

The youkai shrugged, eyes shrewdly roaming over Kurama's body. "Pity," he said. "You could have bought five slaves for the price I was willing to offer. I would have actually given you the information and payed you. But I can understand why you wouldn't want to part with him."

He reached up to stroke Kurama's hair with one hand, but stopped before ever touching it.

He fell to pieces right in front of Kurama, and the fox's eyes darted to my now drawn katana as what was left of the youkai fell to the ground.

I struggled to control the youkai instincts that had flooded my body the instant the demon had tried to touch Kurama. But one word escaped my mouth, despite my attempts to keep it in.

"Mine…"

And before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning toward Kurama, my katana forgotten on the ground.

~Kurama's POV~

I was completely surprised by the sudden sensation of Hiei's lips on mine, but I didn't pull away. Relationships between demons that were working together were fairly common, and while I hadn't yet considered the possibility of something like that between myself and Hiei, I wasn't about to turn down the opportunity.

I felt Hiei's tongue flit across my lips, and opened my mouth to allow him entrance, at the same time closing my eyes and losing myself in the flood of emotions pouring through my body. The moment was ruined, however, when I suddenly felt Hiei's hand grasp mine, and he began gently stroking my hand with his thumb.

It was such a tender action; sweet, and completely contradictory with demon nature. Demon relations tended to be rough and meaningless, a simple `for the moment' type of thing.

I also became aware of the fact that behind the urgency of Hiei's kisses was something stronger, something beyond the simple need that he was showing.

Oh Inari.

I broke the kiss, pushing Hiei away as I wiped my mouth on my sleeve.

"What?" Hiei asked, sounding a little indignant as his red eyes stared at me, still roaming over my body.

"I… I can't," I said, stumbling back into a tree as I tried to put as much distance as possible between myself and Hiei.

The half-Koorime raised an eyebrow, completely at ease. "What's this?" he asked. "A youko, turning down an offer of… entertainment?"

I knew exactly what he was offering, and I shook my head. "It's just… I know you feel… and I don't… I'm not…"

Hiei's eyes widened. "So you finally figured it out?" he asked.

I nodded, but I still didn't understand how he could have developed these kinds of feeling for me so quickly. After all, I'd only known him for a few days.

"I was watching you long before you ever came to the Ningenkai."

Of course. I may have just met him, but Hiei had been watching me for years.

"I tried to fight it, of course," Hiei said, lost in his own memories. "The very thought of love. Hn. A weak human emotion, and a liability. Attachment to any other youkai is likely to result in death. But I couldn't get rid of it."

He paused, seeming to collect himself before continuing. "I wanted you for so long. You were in your youko form when I first saw you. When you took a human body, I thought my feelings for you would fade. I was wrong."

He took a deep breath.

"I hated it," he said, his voice weary and frustrated. "I still do. It makes me feel trapped."

"And your human form only served to attract me more," he said. "The subtle change in your personality, the newfound kindness. The past few days have been hell, trying to control myself. And you weren't making it any easier. The way you so easily agreed to keep the secret of my past, risking your life to save me from that demon, then admitting that you were looking for some good in me."

He looked away. "No one has ever thought to search for such a thing as good inside of me."

I listened to him, my eyes wide and my head spinning. He loved me.

My youko side wanted to take him, right here and now. But I couldn't. I didn't love him. That never used to matter to me before, but it just felt wrong now, to break this little demon's heart.

It would be nothing to me, just one more conquest among dozens of others.

But he loved me.

"I… can't," I said again, when I realized that he was still watching me expectantly.

He nodded, but the fire in his eyes smoldered as he looked down at my chest. I realized that he must have started unbuttoning my shirt when we were kissing. I saw the visible effort it took for him to look away.

I knew what he was feeling. It comes with being a demon. While being youkai gives us heightened strength and senses, it also gives heightened emotions. Feelings like anger, hatred, lust, …love, as rare as it is. They're all far stronger in demons than in humans.

My hands gripped the rough bark behind my back as I watched Hiei silently fight for control, turned away from me, his hand balled into fists at his sides.

Finally, he turned back around, though he didn't look at me and his hands were still clenched.

"Fine," he said. "I can wait."

I didn't like the way that sounded, but I couldn't exactly complain. After all, wasn't I the one that had wanted to steal Hiei in the first place? Well, I'd gotten what I wanted.

I cursed my youko side as I stood up straight and tried to change the subject.

"So, does this mean we're going to need a new informant?" I asked, pointing to the shredded body lying in the grass at our feet.

Crimson eyes glanced down at the body as if seeing it for the first time.

"Oh," he said, actually managing to look sheepish. "Yes, but I'll take care of it later. Let's get back to the Ningenkai."

Hiei followed me back to my house, and was waiting on my windowsill when I climbed the stairs and entered my room.

"How's your mother?" he asked, obviously aware that I'd stopped downstairs to use the phone to call the hospital.

I sighed. "No better, but no worse, either. I need to get that mirror quickly."

Hiei watched me, his eyes carefully devoid of emotion. "Do you really plant to go through with it?"

I felt a familiar tightness in my chest, and sat down on my bed heavily.

Could I do it? Could I really give my life for that woman? I never would have before. But I owed her, and I always paid my debts.

"Yes," I said, locking eyes with Hiei. "I do."

"Why?" he asked, genuinely curious.

I flopped down on my bed, staring at the ceiling as I spoke. "Never, in all of my years, have I stooped so low in my thievery as when I stole that woman's son. I stole him from her, and replaced him with a demon. And in return she raised me and loved me. I owe her."

Hiei was looking out the window now, an unreadable expression on his face. Perhaps pained.

"But you love her, too."

I was surprised at his forwardness, but reluctantly nodded. "Yes, I guess I do." I didn't like being forced to reveal what I considered to be a weakness.

"I'm new to this emotion called… love," Hiei said. "I recently found my sister, and I suppose I love her, though it's different form what I feel for…"

For me.

He had trailed off, obviously having said more than he'd meant to, but his meaning was clear.

Hiei seemed to break off from that train of thought as he asked, "Is love what makes you willing to give your life for another?"

I stared at him for a moment before answering, trying to decide if he was trying to tell me something.

"I'm not sure," I said. "I guess I'm still new to love as well."

Neither of us spoke for a long time, and I was almost asleep when Hiei said, "You should go visit her."

"What?" I asked, snapping awake at the sound of his voice. Did I really trust him enough to fall asleep in his presence?

"Go visit your mother at the hospital," he said softly. "I know you haven't been there in a while."

I sat up on the bed and stared at Hiei, eyes wide. Was he actually trying to be kind?

"I won't have you blaming me if she dies and you don't get to see her one last time," he said harshly before disappearing out the window.

I stared out of that window for a long time, a small smile tugging at my lips.

I could still feel him watching me.