Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ This I Promise You ❯ This I Promise You ( Prologue )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sitting at the window, Hiei watches his fellow Reikai Tantei as they laugh and joke, carefully staying out of the way, knowing he's not wanted. He knows that none of them consider him a friend. Kurama, the former partner in crime, whom he had accidentally attacked when they had first met, believing him to be an enemy. Yuusuke, his former enemy, against whom he vowed revenge, though he knew he would never take it. Kuwabara, who hated the fire demon the instant he saw him, and whom Hiei has insulted over and over again. They beckon him to join them, but he knows it's just to be what ningens call polite. Why would they care about him after his crimes? Liars. That's what they were. Liars. The fire demon ignores their beckons, leaving into the stormy night. Kurama frowns as Hiei ignores them, seeing the pain in the youkai's eyes. He excuses himself from the conversation he was having with Yuusuke and Kuwabara and follows the little demon as he leaves. He knows that Hiei is lonely, but the fire demon ignores all of his offers of friendship and support, and the fox can't figure out why. Hiei always comes to him with injuries, but it is painfully obvious that he does that only because he has no where else to go, not because the fire demon trusts him. Hiei starts as Kurama calls up to him softly. He realizes that the fox followed him, and wonders why. Kurama is always so...persistent. Always kind. But why? Hiei flinches as the youko jumps up to perch beside him on the wet branch. The fire demon decides that the best way to be rid of the fox is to ignore him. After all, this is Hiei's tree. However, Kurama says nothing, which perplexes Hiei even more. They sit in silence for a moment, before the fox finally asks a startling question. "Why do you hate me?"

Momentarily forgetting his decision to ignore the fox, Hiei stares at him in shock, speaking impulsively. "I don't." He curses silently at his lack of self control and leaves, deciding to find another place to sleep rather than embarrass himself.

Kurama watches Hiei leave, surprised by the youkai's momentary openness. He shakes his head slowly, wondering what Hiei meant, for there was always a hidden meaning to the youkai's words. Why did the fire demon reject him if not for hate? Kurama had betrayed him to Yuusuke, so Hiei had a reason to hate him...Kurama jumps down from the tree, his heart aching to hold Hiei and take his sorrow away. He sits on a park bench for nearly an hour, wondering what to do. The fox comes to a decision and follows Hiei's ki again. Kurama soundlessly jumps up into the tree where Hiei sleeps, careful not to shake the branch he is on. He watches the fire demon sleep for a while. Suddenly, Hiei twitches in his sleep, then shudders, caught in a nightmare. Kurama stares at him for a moment, then carefully runs his hand through the demon's hair, trying to sooth him. It doesn't work. Hiei whimpers softly and jerks away, still caught in a nightmare, unable to wake.

The fox frowns and shakes his friend. That doesn't work. Frowning, Kurama picks him up and heads toward his apartment to see how to help his friend. By the time he gets there, Hiei is shaking violently. Kurama wraps him in a blanket and holds him, knowing that he can't do anything until the fire demon wakes on his own.

Kurama frowns in concern as Hiei's nightmare seems to intensify. It's been going on for hours, and the fox is becoming frantic. He doesn't know how to wake Hiei up without terrifying him further. Touching his friend's forehead, he pulls away in shock. Hiei is running a very high fever. Kurama hurries to the bathroom and back. He gently mops Hiei's sweaty face with a cool, damp cloth, fear gripping his heart as Hiei cries out softly in his sleep. More now than ever, he wants to take the fire demon's sorrow away. In his dream, Hiei sobs in frustration. He's had this nightmare before, but now it won't stop. It keeps repeating itself, over and over again. Even though he knows it's a dream, a memory, it hurts just as much as if it were really happening again. As if the Koorime were throwing him away again. Surrounded by cold, he shivers, then cries out as he is thrown over again, the scream cut off by his impact with the ground. Then the dream rewinds and starts over again.

Suddenly he hears somebody calling his name from a distance. Somebody with Kurama's voice. Hiei's consciousness tries to follow the voice, but the dream happens again. The fire demon hears his name again and wrenches toward the voice, grasping for it. He jerks awake to find himself in Kurama's arms, being held gently. Kurama smiles at him gently. "Welcome back, Hiei." That is the last thing the sanjiyan hears before he passes out with exhaustion, knowing somehow that he'll be cared for.

Kurama holds Hiei gently, relieved as he feels that the fire demon's temperature is going down. Hiei sleeps peacefully, his head resting near Kurama's heart. The fox caresses Hiei's cheek lightly, wishing he could stay this way forever, holding Hiei close. But he knows that it will never happen. He knows that Hiei hates him. Hiei wakes slowly, still feeling extremely tired after what happened. He opens his eyes to find himself in Kurama's arms, nestled against the sleeping fox's chest. He knows that moving would wake Kurama, but he also knows that he's too exhausted to move, even if he wanted to.

The fox remedies that by waking. He looks down at the fire demon curled against his chest, and Hiei is suddenly lost in those beautiful green eyes. He sees Kurama's brilliant smile through the fox's eyes. "Ohayo, Hiei. You had some sort of Makai bug last night. You're lucky I found you."

Hiei tears his eyes away and frowns. "Why did you bother?" he asks softly, knowing that the fox doesn't care about him.

Kurama stares at him for a moment, shocked at the fire demon. "You're my best friend, Hiei! Why wouldn't I?!"

The little youkai averts his eyes. "I've nearly killed you twice, Kurama. Don't make me spell it out." He waits to be pushed away at the reminder, but gasps as Kurama hugs him instead.

"Hiei, that doesn't matter. It was in the past, and the past is over. I care about you a lot."

Kurama suddenly realizes why Hiei stays away from him. He believes that people hate him for his past mistakes. Slowly, their heads move together, almost of their own will, and their lips brush.

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Okay, I used a different style this time, but I didn't like it all that much. I'll go back to my original style. I hope somebody likes this one...