Happy New Year! I bring the fic(let) in!
Title: Between Here and There
Pairings: Hiei+Kurama
Warnings: I wrote this in three sittings of about a half an hour each, all of them taking place between the hours of 2am and 5am. Therefore...yeah. Beware. Probably some OOC-ness.
Notes:This is for nightwalker and also because of her. Because I said "Challenge me!" and she said "Write about Hiei and Kurama as they travel to meet Yuusuke before the Four Beasts arc." I added the additional challenge of making this at least 1000 words long and mostly in dialogue.
Summary: See above challenge.
"Do you have anything resembling a plan?"
"I thought schemes and plans were your department."
The glare Hiei sent in his direction could've melted Korime glaciers, and Kurama felt sure the fire demon had practiced it with that specific reason in mind.
"My 'department' is to reap revenge upon those who have wronged me."
"Er...really, Hiei...I'm sure that's quite a large number of--"
"Kurama. Do you have any idea how close you are to the top of that list right now?"
"Fairly...close...I would guess."
"Very very close." The glare had upped a few notches. A few feet away, a small woodland creature froze in terror and passed out as it was caught in a brief, sidelong moment of that dark look.
Kurama darted a tongue out to wet dry lips. "When I explained my reasons to you in the holding cell, you seemed to take them in stride."
"What makes you think I'm not here simply because I got tired of your talking and knew that, with even limited freedom, I would have an exponentially greater opportunity to kill you?"
"...You won't kill me."
"Oh?"
"No."
"Why do you believe that?"
"Because, though you may not admit it aloud, I saved your life, fire child. I argued with the God of Death for an easier sentence. I--"
"You argued with the son of the God of Death to lessen a sentence that I wouldn't have had to face at all if you hadn't turned traitor on me, and made a devil's bargain to chain me to a weakling demon hunter as repentance. As if I owed some sort of allegiance to the infant god of worthless souls. How is it that I should forgive you for your betrayal because of this?"
"The sword was not what you wanted."
Hiei, who did not trip on things, nearly stumbled. "What?"
"The sword. It didn't turn out to be what you wanted. I know you, Hiei. I know you would never fall into such a stereotypical villain's role if you were actually trying to be evil. You didn't want to keep the sword, and you'd have stabbed yourself before selling it to the black market where it might come back to hurt you some day. You couldn't find a graceful way of giving it back. I gave you an opportunity."
"We have been lukewarm allies only twice in a handful of years which is barely an eyeblink in demon time, in case being human has muddled your senses. Do not assume you 'know' me."
"Three times."
"What?"
"Three-time allies. If you count this." Kurama's elegant gesture encompassed himself, Hiei, and the Makai forest they were running through to reach the home of the Four Beasts with the intent of intersecting Urameshi Yuusuke, the new Reikai Tantei.
Hiei let that curdle in silence for a few minutes, before growling, "If that was your idea of helping me, either you and I have very different definitions of the word 'help' or you're an idiot."
"I told you that plans and schemes were your department."
Hiei snorted, which was almost as good as an acceptance of a sort-of apology.
"Don't think I'll let you go that easily, rogue." Or maybe not... "You made a very risky gamble as far as I'm concerned. I'm not sure how warm and fuzzy you think I am, but I will remember what you did. There will come a time when--"
"Oh no you don't."
Kurama stopped, and Hiei almost tripped on something again, as he realized his conversational opponent had halted some few feet back. The fire demon paused and turned warily. Kurama met his gaze with an even one of his own.
"If you're going to 'reap vengeance' or whatever, it's not going to be when we're in the middle of a battle when your help is desperately needed, or on a quiet night when I feel like watching the stars. No. It will be now."
Ruby irises almost disappeared behind lashes as the fire demon narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think you can demand that of me?"
"I saved your life," Kurama insisted steadily. "You may not like me very much, but you at least owe me this."
Hiei's hand tightened on his sword.
"I admit," Kurama continued, keeping his own hands loose at his sides, "that my methods of aiding you were not exactly…typical. So, I will agree that you deserve some sort of retribution for my deceit." It was incredibly difficult to hold himself still as the fire demon deepened his stance for attack. "I don't suppose it would matter if I said I was sorry."
"Are you?"
"...not particularly. Though this is good motivation to find a more subtle way to become involved in your affairs next time."
"Next time?"
Kurama gave him a very kitsune smile, which was immediately answered with a scowl.
"Did you really think I was going to leave you alone, sword master? You sought me out for a partnership. And now you have me intrigued. No, I think I'll be sticking around. Although, officially, just to keep you out of trouble, you understand."
"I am not your plaything!" That was said angrily enough that even the hardy Makai birds prudently took flight to find a safer roosting place.
Kurama couldn't stop his smile from curving slowly, his head tilting to one side as he studied Hiei's tense form.
"You walk a dangerous path, kitsune."
"Of course."
"But you are not as clever as you think you are." The sudden drop in the level of Hiei's anger was far more alarming than the anger itself had been.
Kurama almost took a step back. "No?"
"No." Dark amusement, which was far more vicious than the earlier fury, lit dark red eyes.
For the first time in their, admittedly short, partnership, Kurama felt off balance. So when Hiei moved with that lightning speed of his and closed the distance between them Kurama really couldn't have been blamed for lashing out instinctively. He was badly startled when, instead of jumping back properly as the unspoken rules of battle dictated, Hiei grabbed onto the rose whip near the handle where there weren't spines, and pulled Kurama in.
And then they were kissing. Not a chaste-mother kiss or a clumsy pre-teen kiss or even a soft and lingering kiss goodbye--which had been Youko Kurama's last proper kiss.
It was a Hiei kiss, fierce and somewhat inexperienced, but not at all shy or embarrassed about it. It was an up-on-tiptoes, bent-down-at-a-slightly-awkward-angle kiss, because their height difference and the haste of it made the arrangement of their bodies a bit ill fitted.
It was a little painful in the crush of mouths, but sweet in the small taste of tongue and small exhale followed by quick inhale as Kurama kissed back.
It ended almost as abruptly as it began, Hiei suddenly standing a safe distance away. Kurama became aware of the weight in one hand, the rose whip, useless in a weak grip. And he became aware, with a dawning horror, that he'd let a potential hostile--it didn't matter that they were supposed to be allies--far into his personal space without doing anything...
The fire demon was going to pay.
"What...why...?" As soon as Kurama's brain stopped spinning in the slippery mud of utter confusion.
Hiei answered with just three precise, very deliberate movements: he licked the tip of his index finger, raised his hand, and added a point to his side of the invisible scoreboard.
Kurama bristled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means I win this round. It means I get to see you squirm, which is something I don't think many people have seen. That is my revenge. And unless you'd rather have a taste of battle before we take on the Four Beasts..." Hiei's eyes slid to Kurama's rose whip, still clenched in one hand. "I suggest you leave it at that."
The kitsune glared for a long moment, and then forced himself to relax, smiling with a brittle pleasantness. "All right." He turned his back on the fire demon, flicked the whip back into a flower and then into his hair, and continued through the forest.
His quick capitulation may have thrown Hiei, because there was a hesitation before the fire demon followed after him. And then there was a very satisfying yelp and thud, as the seed Kurama had planted on Hiei's shoulder burst to life.
"Though," Kurama threw over his shoulder cheerfully, "you may want to remove that strangle weed before we continue. Also," he continued, raising his voice over Hiei's creative cursing, "we still need a plan."