Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The youkai and you by me, Kita! ❯ Child ( Chapter 8 )

Thanks to all six reviewers of my fic ^-^;;

Your nicey-nice comments are very much appreciated =^-^=

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"And how exactly did you come to meet Hiei?" You look away again, but can't help but give Kurama an answer.

"I found him in the woods. He was injured. I helped him." He is silent for a moment.

"What happened after that?" You look up at him, surprised he knows that you didn't tell him everything. Still meeting his gaze, you reply.

"Then . . . these two demons came." You look down again, cursing your weakness and embarrassment for running away. "He told me to run. I did. He came back injured. I helped him again. When he woke up . . . he told me he was a demon. I . . . I saw his third eye. Then he left." You pray silently, hoping that the redhead will be satisfied with this answer, and not ask you what happened after THAT. He seems to understand and stops his questions.

"I see. I have been asking a lot of you . . . do YOU, by chance, have any questions?"

"Well . . . I was . . . sort of wondering . . ."

"Yes, Maki?" Your eyes flicker up to him briefly, then instantly return to the sheets you're sitting on.

"Well . . . he just seems so . . ."

"Cold?" He supports helpfully. You look at him for a moment, then nod.

"Yes . . . but he's a fire demon . . . I don't understand . . ." You look back down to the sheets as you continue.

"Sometimes . . . I think he's so afraid . . . but then, other times, he acts like he's a block of ice . . . with no feelings . . . or . . . or . . ."

"Family?" Your head jerks up, and you find yourself staring at Kurama. His face is somber. There is silence before you work up to courage to speak to him again, though your voice is very soft.

"What happened, Kurama." He sighs.

"I'm not sure you want to know-"

"No. Tell me." He sighs again.

"Very well. Hiei was born in the Ice World . . . as a both a twin and a fire demon."

"A twin? What's so bad about that?"

"In the Ice World, when a boy and a girl are born on the same day, from the same mother, it is considered a curse. One of them will be accepted, taken in by the village, the other . . . cast out."

"Oh my God . . ." You whisper, realizing.

"Yes. Hiei was the outcast . . . the Forbidden Child."

"But . . . why?!?" You say suddenly, bringing Kurama's sad gaze to you.

"Why was HIEI cast out? What about his twin?!? Why wasn't SHE-"

"She was an ice apparition. Hiei was a fire demon. They were born in the Ice World. Do you honestly think that the village of ICE APPARITIONS would cast out someone who was like them, even if she WAS a twin? Hiei was different. He was fire, and fire was the bane of all ice. They cast him out, because . . . he was born in the wrong place at the wrong time." You curse under your breath, anger leaking out in your voice.

"D-n it . . . that's so STUPID . . ."

"Yes, it is. But-" He gets up, making to leave. "That's what happened." He starts to open the door, but you call to him before he leaves.

"Kurama?" He stops, and looks over his shoulder at you.

"Yes, Maki?"

"Could I go for a walk? I need to . . . think about stuff. Plus, some fresh air would really help me clear my head . . ." He smiles, letting your voice trail off into nothingness.

"Of course. I'll leave a coat by the door." You return his smile, though it's dampened by a little twinge of embarrassment . . . it wasn't his intention, you think, but this guy makes you feel so . . . second-class . . .

"Arigato, Kurama." He nods to you once, then turns back around and casually disappears into the hall, closing the door behind him.

After a few minutes of making yourself more presentable, finding the coat Kurama mentioned would be there for you, and stepping out the door, you're on your way to the park. For some reason, the aura of trees always calmed you (a.n./ hey! THAT'S why you were hiking in the woods in the very first chapter!!! ^-^ hahaha!! It makes SENSE!!!!!……………wow, that's a scary thought…….one of my plotlines actually making sense…….*shivers*…….freaky…….), and you just felt like you needed to be . . . away . . . just to relax a bit. Amazingly, you DO find the park (a.n./ hey, this is Tokyo, remember? Nothing is as it seems!!!! Muhahahaha!!!!!……….0.0 whoa. Where'd THAT come from, I wonder? ^-^;;;;;;;; ok, I'll shut up now ^-^;;;). You find a nice little spot on a park bench, and watch as little kids and their friends race around, dogs and their owners play with a frisbee (a.n./ hm. `frisbee's a strange word, isn't it? Hm…….*lightning strikes her*…...@.@…....*she twitches*….oro……ok, I get the message, kami…….no more a.n.'s for a while!!! ^-^;;;) . . . some people on bikes ride by . . . families are picnic-ing (a.n./ is that even a word? *thunder rumbles above her, and she sweatdrops, running away* nevermind!! ^-^;;;). . . kids are throwing bread to ducks and fish in the pond . . . it's all very peaceful.

That is, until it starts to rain.

Everyone's running around all of the sudden, the calm moment's shattered . . . and you sigh, wishing you had brought an umbrella . . . ah, well. It's too late now. You get up and begin to make the trek back to Kurama's house, the rain's really starting to come down . . . HARD. Despite the coat (which is, sadly enough, NOT a raincoat), you're completely soaked in less than ten minutes. Shivering as you walk through the misty streets, you wonder where you're going . . . then stop. -_- You have no idea where Kurama's house IS.

BAKA!!!!! . . . . . you curse yourself . . . . . . . baka baka baka BAKA!!!!! ARRRGH!!!!!! Kicking some small stone out into the street, you continue to just wander along, fuming at your own idiocy. Why didn't you get Kurama to come WITH you? He's knows this town better than you do . . . a rush of wind chills your soaked body just before you hear a voice at your side.

"Hn. Lost, ningen?" You glance to your left, and there he is!

"HIEI!!" You cry, embracing him, and catching him off-guard. He struggles in your grip.

"What are . . . you DOING . . . baka!?!" Realizing your overreaction, you quickly let go. His cloak is wrinkled, and he looks down at it with a frown. You sweatdrop. ^-^;;;

"Um . . . sorry about that . . . I just thought, that . . . you know . . . I'd never find my way back . . . and . . ." You stop stuttering out your explanation when he looks up at you with those fiery red eyes of his . . . you could lose yourself in them . . . if he'd let you . . .

"Hn. That's why I'M here. Kurama didn't want you getting lost." . . . 0.0 . . . (<<you)

"Oh. That was nice of him." Hiei starts to walk away

"Hn." You trail behind him, still shivering at the rain. The drops just seem to slide off his cloak, and, though his hair is soaked, it isn't plastered to his head like yours is . . . in fact, it's just sort of . . . lost its . . . spikiness. You almost can't help yourself . . . but somehow manage to suppress the giggles coming from the sight of Hiei's normally straight-up, gravity-defying hair looking a bit . . . droopy . . . (a.n./ heeheeheee!!! ^-^), which causes you to start shaking . . . what with the force of the laughter that's BARELY being held in check . . .

He glances back and sees that you're (from his POV) shivering. Something flickers in his gaze, and you find yourself ignoring his limp hair for the moment, entranced by the crimson eyes. He walks back to you, and uncharacteristically puts a hand to your face. He frowns at the touch, his warm fingers moving softly over your cheek.

"Ningen. You're cold." Then you realize he's pulled you down to him, putting his arms around your back. Instantly you feel a warm, dry feeling emanating from his body . . . so . . . you think . . . THIS is what it feels like . . . to be embraced by a fire demon . . . then, he pulls his head back from where it rested on your shoulder, and you can't resist. You try to give him a small peck on the cheek, but he turns his face slightly, and you end up hitting . . . lips.

Embarrassed that it ended up being something more, and figuring it was just an accident, a reaction to you leaning in toward him, you start to pull away, but then . . . a hand comes around your neck and he kisses you back. You close your eyes as you return the show of affection, and, not long afterwards, the two of you are strolling back to Kurama's . . . hand in hand.

For the next chapter, go to '12. Rain'

~ E TSUZUKU ^-^ ~