~Once Burned~

I know, I know, I've been gone for a loooooong time, but I have a reason! True story: I was helping my dad move some bookshelves he made from the basement to the upstairs living room of my parents' house. Now, as we all know, bookshelves are heavy at best and monsterously, back-breakingly, elbow-poppingly, arms-being-yanked-out-of-their-sockets heavy at worst. The bookshelves my dad builds are the latter. So there I was, straining to keep my grip on my corner of the home-made bookcase from Hell (a *smooth* corner with no actual place to grip, btw), and we're going up stairs. Not too many stairs, 'cause Dad's house ain't that big, but stairs nonetheless.

So then Daddy-yo is all like, "Have you got it?" and I'm like "Yeah." and he's like "You sure?" and I'm like "Yeah, Dad. I've got it." and he's like "Okay, I'm gonna set my end down for a sec." Now mind you we were still on the stairs when he did this. The theory he was operating on at that moment must have gone somthing like this: put my side of the bookcase down ever-so-carefully so it's resting on the stairs, rest my arms and let my offspring do the same, pick up bookcase and continue on. Unfortunately, that isn't quite how it happened. My old man did indeed rest his end of the bookcase on the stairs, allowing us both a moment to relax, however, when he went to pick up his end again he lost his balance, bumped the side of the case against the stair railing along with his fingers, and let. Go. Of the bookcase. He yelled something foul that I will not repeat here, and I struggled to keep from dropping my end too. This would have worked fine except that without two people holding it, the case was too heavy for short-ass me alone. Down went the bookcase, down went me, and I ended up in the hospital with a twisted ankle and several bleeding scrapes. I hit my head on the way down too, but I didn't end up with a concusion, for which I am extremely grateful. After that, I just wasn't in much of a mood to write for a while, in favor of being fussed over by my friends and treated like I'd survived World War Three instead of just a bookcase running me over. Sooo, that's my reason for the lateness of this update! And now that I've rambled so long this could be a story by itself, why don't I let you get on with the *actual* story?

This is the long awaited lemon chapter, and while it may start out a tad slow, let me assure you that I think the good part will be worth it. I hope I've used enough imagery to satisfy the masses, 'cause that's what I was aiming for!

There were three things that could catch Yusuke Urameshi off his guard. One was Keiko’s “power slap.” He never saw it coming even when he deliberately brought it on himself, and it always seemed to hurt like more of a bitch than one of Toguro’s punches. Sometimes he could swear he wasn’t the half-demon one at all in their relationship. Still, her inherent power over him was one of her charms, and what hero *didn’t* bow to a woman somewhere?

The second thing that could take him unawares was himself. Even he didn’t understand how his mind worked half the time, or wherefrom he whipped the spur-of-the-moment moves to total his enemies. By all accounts he was not particularly brilliant (one had only to look at his test scores to know that), so when an idea that actually worked popped into his head, it surprised him. If he was a genius, he was a mad one for sure.

The third thing that could get him was having short, black bundles of katana-wielding demon badassness drop nearly on top of him from trees as he walked to school.

“WAUG! Damn it, Hiei, hasn’t anybody ever told you not to sneak up on a guy packing spirit heat!?”

Hiei stared at him coolly as he tried to slow his rapid heartbeat back down to normal. The fire demon seemed unconcerned for the rudeness he had just displayed by sneaking up on said spirit-heat-packing detective. In fact, though his face remained expressionless, his eyes were clearly smirking as if to say, “It’s your own fault I got the drop on you.” Which was precisely what Hiei was thinking at the moment, unless Yusuke missed his guess.

Once his pulse returned to its regular rhythm, the hanyou fixed his “stalker” with a glare. “Don’t think I forgot that little stunt of yours,” he growled, “You nearly gave me a heart attack with that.” /Not to mention a slew of other problems which I will not mention for the sake of my pride. At least he didn’t notice what he did to me before he left that time./

“Did I now,” Hiei replied, lacking any semblance of remorse, “I didn’t know I was that good. Nice to know that even without much experience, I can still cause a ‘reaction.’” It was clear from his tone that he wasn’t talking about what the stolen kiss had done to Yusuke’s heart.

/God fuck it,/ Yusuke thought, cringing inwardly, /he noticed./ Outwardly, he maintained his ‘tude. “That’s real cute, Hiei. Really mature. You didn’t have to do that, you know! You could’ve just asked!”

The Koorime-boy quirked a thin, black eyebrow. “And you’d have let me?”

“Well, no,” the detective admitted sheepishly, “I mean, not that you’re a bad kisser—‘cause believe me, you’re not—it’s just that I really don’t like you like that.” Then a hint of confusion and curiosity crossed his face. “Why *did* you kiss me, anyway? I thought you were interested in Kurama.”

Hiei shrugged. “I needed a comparison to confirm a question of mine. You were available, and you were already helping me.”

Yusuke sighed. “Well damn. I guess I can’t stay mad at you if that’s all it was. Still, next time you need a comparison, use somebody else for a stand-in, will ya? I have a girlfriend; I don’t need to think about you snogging me when I’m trying to get close to *her.* It’s disturbing.”

“Who else do you suggest, Detective? You’re the only person in our group I can stand besides the fox.”

The retired tantei grinned devilishly. “What about Kuwabara? Is he not man enough to be a good comparison?”

Oh, for a camera at that moment! It wasn’t often Yusuke got to see Hiei’s face turn green and one of his eyes bug out while the other seemed to shrink. It was priceless, and if anyone nearby had been in the possession of a Kodiak disposable, the Japanese boy would gladly have borrowed it.

Still with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust contorting his features, Hiei snarled at Yusuke, “If you ever make that suggestion again, I will rip out your larynx and feed it to one of Kurama’s killer plants!”

“Okay, okay! Take it easy.” Yusuke grinned even wider than before. “I’m just saying that he’d probably be glad to help you, seeing as you and Yukina are twins and all—”

It was the last thing he saw for at least ten minutes after that: a small, ward-wrapped fist coming right at the place between his eyes. *POW,* and the lights went out. All right, he mused once he woke up and cleared the stars from his head, so maybe he shouldn’t have said that. Still, it was fitting revenge, and now pinecone-head would have a “wonderful” image to chew on for a while, just like the half-human had after that kiss. “It serves him right,” Yusuke said to no one in particular (Hiei was long gone), “I hope it keeps him up late tonight.”

It did, but only until Kurama destroyed the disquieting image with a somewhat more delightful kiss. After that, any thoughts of being anywhere near anyone but the kitsune fled from Hiei’s mind like birds startled from their perches. He spent that night wrapped firmly in the redhead’s arms, unable to escape if he’d wanted to, which he didn’t.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Over time Kurama and Hiei were learning more about each other. It wasn’t just the physical things they were learning about one another, either. They were learning what they each liked about each other and what they did not, what would make them each happy and what was likely to ruin a moment by setting one or the other of them off, what they each needed to feel wanted and secure. There were still a few small difficulties in their budding relationship, as was to be expected, but all in all things were going well.

Patience was something they both needed when dealing with one another, of course. Kurama, for one, was ever wary of pushing for too much, too fast, because with Hiei, a great deal of persistence was required to break past the walls of self-deprivation the fire demon had erected over the years. Kurama knew Hiei did not truly believe he deserved to be loved or to feel good, and that would prove the biggest obstacle to be overcome. Overcome it the kitsune would, but it would take perfect timing and a whole lot of luck. He was also a bit concerned that if they stayed in the safety zone for too long, their romance would stagnate, and that would be just as bad as scaring Hiei off by going too fast.

Hiei needed patience simply to keep himself from bolting every time something happened between them that either angered or frightened him. He knew it was a two-way street, and that he was going to have to put something into the relationship as well, and he worked at it with his usual amount of stubbornness.

So Kurama chipped away at those emotional barriers little by little, over the course of the next month, and Hiei did his best to be receptive to the fox’s love and appreciation. Slowly their efforts began to bear fruit, and Hiei opened up more and more often to Kurama, though he was still nearly as distant as always toward everyone else. Kurama vowed he would work on that too, in time. One day he hoped for the doors of Hiei’s heart to unlock at last, and be opened to all the people who cared about him.

News of their involvement stayed mostly under wraps. Only a few people knew about it, including and limited to Shiori, Yusuke, and for some reason, Koenma. Niether the fox nor his mate knew how the demigod had gotten hold of the information, but a few days after the confession to Kurama’s mother, Koenma was bellowing at them both over the compact communicator. Something about “working relationships and how this had better not affect the way they reacted in battle,” if Kurama recalled correctly. The kitsune had assured Koenma that his and Hiei’s relationship would in no way hinder their fighting, as they had already been good at (and prone to) working in tandem. The pacifier-sucking godling had been satisfied by that, if not pleased about it, and had reluctantly wished them happiness.

One day, Yusuke called Kurama at his house and asked if he wanted to come on a picnic with him, Keiko, Kuwabara, and Botan. Hiei was naturally invited as well, assuming Kurama could drag the little sociopath along. The fire demon resisted the idea at first; never having been one for social outings, but Kurama recognized the potential for strengthening the bonds of camaraderie in the group and would not hear of Hiei not going. He rode out a brief spat wherein Hiei accused him of trying to dictate his actions like he was “some gods-damned kind of female,” pushed his seduction advantage, and after a long few minutes of heady kisses later, finally convinced the half-Koorime that maybe a picnic with the others wouldn’t be so bad.

And there they all were, together again at last. “So,” Kurama asked once greetings were done with (Yukina had made a surprise visit, as had Genkai, and Koenma, and even Shizuru), “What’s the occasion, Yusuke?”

The reikai tantei flashed the victory sign with both hands. “I’m done with all that make-up work! I finished all my missing courses at home by busting my ass day and night, and now I’m done!”

Impressed, Kurama congratulated him. “Well done. I haven’t finished all of mine yet, and I wasn’t even gone as long as you were. How did you manage it?”

Yusuke smirked like he’d just defeated all three of the Makai’s emperors. “Well, it’s not like I had that many subjects to begin with. You’re the overachiever, Kurama, not me. Besides, I wasn’t ‘distracted,’ like somebody else I know.” He winked, and the fox had to quell the urge to laugh and maybe smack him at the same time. He settled for covering his embarrassment with a light cough and looking elsewhere.

Hiei glared at the group, daring anyone to even *think* about approaching him. “Can we get on with the ‘socializing’ or whatever this is? I don’t want to be here all day.”

Yukina smiled when she saw him. “Hiei-san, I’m so glad you made it.”

People watched with varying degrees of amusement and confusion (Kuwabara) as the Koorime-boy mumbled something in an embarrassed tone and stared at his boots.

Kuwabara shrugged off the incident. “The shrimp’s got a point. Didn’t we come here to eat and have fun? Let’s do it already. We already know everybody here, so there’s no reason to introduce ourselves.”

The rest of them seconded the notion, and the picnic began in earnest. Hiei nicked a sandwich and zipped up a tree, thankful at least that they were in a secluded area of the park where the picnic was taking place. He didn’t think he would be able to stand strange girls flocking around Kurama as they usually did when the redhead went out in public.

“Aw, Hiei,” Yusuke pouted, “It’s not a group activity without the whole group! Get your ass down here with everyone else!”

The short demon’s response was a silent scowl. The tantei pestered him for a few more minutes before giving up and settling down on the picnic blanket to eat. Kurama, meanwhile, wondered how he could convince his lover to be more people-friendly. He waited until everyone else was chatting and laughing actively, then made his way over to the trunk of the tree.

“Hiei,” he called up softly, “Won’t you come down? It’s not as though anyone is asking you to share personal stories or laugh at their silly jokes. They just want you to be near the rest of us.”

“I don’t do well in crowds, fox. You know that. Besides, I’m here, what does it matter whether I’m on the ground or in a tree?”

“Being up a tree instead of down here with everyone else makes you seem like you don’t enjoy their company.”

Hiei plucked a nearby leaf and studied it before answering. “I don’t. That’s the point.”

Kurama sighed. “You don’t really mean that. Hiei, please, come down and just be near us. For me?”

Ugh. The blasted kitsune was pulling the “do it for me” card on him. The fire demon scowled again, but already his resolve was wilting. It got harder and harder these days to say “no” to Kurama, especially when he stared so imploringly with those big, green eyes of his.

“Fine.” he grunted at last. He jumped down from his branch and followed Kurama to the blanket, where he proceeded to sit with his back to the group and sullenly eat his sandwich. Kurama did not push for more, satisfied that Hiei was at least with the group now.

Once everyone was finished eating, Yusuke retrieved a large duffel-bag from his car (yes, he had a car now, though only because Keiko had reminded him that he would need one later in life, and motivated him to take the driver’s test).

“What’s that, Urameshi?” Kuwabara asked.

The black-haired boy grinned evilly, and unzipped the bag. Inside were several squirt guns of various sizes. “Just a few toys I brought from home. Who’s up for getting wet?”

The answer was a resounding cheer, and everyone who knew what squirt guns were for grabbed one and went to fill it at the public fountain. Even Genkai had a malicious gleam in her eyes that warned the younger people in the group that she would show no mercy.
Yukina had to be told what to do with her gun, and Kuwabara was more than happy to help. Kurama handed a squirt gun to Hiei, and explained that the object of this activity was to get as many people as wet as humanly possible.

“Aim well, and don’t let getting hit stop you. It will be more fun if you don’t mind getting soaked.” the fox told him.

Hiei glanced down at the squirt gun Kurama had acquired and filled for him. A small smirk came to his lips. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all, if he got to shoot people.

Soon after, everyone was running and laughing and screaming and getting very, very wet. Yusuke, not surprisingly, was getting the most people. His aim had definitely improved thanks to his years of being a spirit detective, and he seldom missed any target, moving or otherwise. Hiei was doing a fair job of not getting hit, though he was surprised at how oddly entertaining being shot with a freezing-cold stream of water could be. Kurama cheated a little, using his youki to grow walls of grass to shield himself as well as large, tube-like flowers that spouted big streams of water at people. One such flower very nearly drowned Koenma, who was already trying to defend himself from Botan. The ferry girl laughed herself silly until the flower’s head swung around and drenched her as well. Both demi-immortals yelled in mock-outrage and fired off rapid bursts at the kitsune, who didn’t quite get his grass wall back up in time to avoid major soakage.

It was insane, Hiei mused, how much he was actually enjoying this. There was a certain, maniacal glee to be found in such a simple thing as getting the fools good and wet, and in getting wet himself. It was fun. He was actually enjoying playing around with a bunch of people for a change. It was a new experience, and he couldn’t help but like it. He would have to thank Kurama for dragging him out here against his will.

The fun lasted a good couple of hours, until everyone was too dripping wet and cold to continue. Then Keiko brought out a frisbee, and proposed that they all run around some and dry off. The plastic disc got thrown haphazardly around for a while, with no one keeping score and no teams organized. Several grass-stains from slipping on wet grass, accidentally hitting each other in the head with the frisbee, falling down, knocking people over, and otherwise having a ball later, the whole group collapsed onto the large picnic blanket, tired and smiling. Some of the girls were still giggling from the excitement, and for once no one had any complaints.

“That was great.” Yusuke offered once he caught his breath.

“Thanks for stating the obvious, dimwit.” Genkai replied, and though her words were biting, everyone knew it was her way of showing her student she was fond of him.

“Well,” Koenma said ruefully, “Not that my first vacation in over a hundred years wasn’t nice, but I have to get back to work. You never know who might try to destroy the world again. See you all later.”

“Yes, we had a wonderful time. Goodbye!” Botan added. She waved once, produced her oar, and she and her boss were off for Reikai.

“I’ve gotta get home and help my folks with dinner.” Keiko told them. Yusuke bid the rest goodbye as well, packed up the blanket and cooler, and went with her to walk her home. Kuwabara offered to walk Yukina back to Genkai’s place, where she was staying temporarily. The ice maiden accepted, and the two of them, along with the old woman, left.

“So long kiddos.” Shizuru said to Kurama and Hiei. She left, cursing under her breath as she tried to light a cigarette with a damp lighter.

Kurama waited until she and the rest were out of sight, then turned to the fire demon at his side. “Did you have a good time?”

“It wasn’t bad,” Hiei admitted, “I didn’t think I’d ever enjoy being around all of them at once, but it was all right.” He looked down at himself and grimaced. “All that running around didn’t help as much as I thought it would. I’m still wet.”

“Let’s go home,” Kurama suggested, “I’ll find us something to wear while I put our wet things in the dryer.”

They went back to the kitsune-boy’s house, where Kurama discovered that apparently, no one else was home. He pondered the implications of this unusual opportunity as he stuffed wet clothes in the dryer, tapping his fingers absently on the machine as he stood in the laundry room with a pale-green bathrobe wrapped around him. On the one hand, who knew when he would have this chance again? On the other, was it too soon? He had never had a lasting relationship before, so he wasn’t sure how long a wait was required before he was allowed to go all the way with a person.

He mulled it over in his mind for a long time before he realized that he was just making things more complicated than they needed to be. Hiei was no human. He wasn’t some ningen female to cry about losing his virginity or worry about waiting until after marriage. Kurama hadn’t told Shiori, but he suspected Hiei wouldn’t go for the human definition of “being married” anyway. In the Makai things were simpler. Two demons meet, discover feelings for each other, mate and, depending on whether one partner is female or not, have children. No ceremonies, no fuss, no strings attached. Kurama could have laughed at himself. He had been thinking too much like a human where Hiei was concerned, and it was not going to hinder his decisions any longer. If the fire apparition responded favorably to the idea, then Kurama fully intended to make full use of the absence of his family today.

He had left Hiei sitting on his bed, wearing a second, white bathrobe and kicking his feet in boredom. That was where he found the crimson-eyed demon when he returned, wearing a towel on his head and with another in his arms. Kurama sat down on the bed behind the halfbreed and proceeded to dry his black, spiky hair which no amount of water seemed to be able to tame. He roughed the smaller demon’s mane into a wild, raven mess, laughing quietly while Hiei swore at him for being so “violent” about it. After drying his own hair, the fox took a brush out of his robe pocket and went to work on Hiei’s unruly strands.

Hiei had disliked having his hair dried, but having it brushed was sort of nice. He relaxed, leaning back against Kurama’s chest and closing his eyes, and didn’t move again except to let the kitsune get the hair at the back of his head. He almost regretted it when Kurama finished and went to work on his own hair.

A sudden impulse took him, and he easily swept the brush out of Kurama’s hand. “Let me.” he insisted when the redhead protested. Kurama settled down, and the fire demon moved around so he could return the favor. He brushed until he was sure there were no more tangles, and then kept brushing a little longer, simply for the feel of the bright-red stuff running through his fingers as they followed the brush’s path.

“Thank you for convincing me to go to that stupid picnic.” he said.

“You’re perfectly welcome, Hiei. I wanted you to enjoy yourself around other people for a change, and I’m glad you did.”

Hiei wasn’t expecting it at all. The minute he put down the brush, Kurama, in what seemed like a single movement, turned, knocked the hairbrush off the bed, and pounced on him. The fire demon yelped in shock, the sound quickly muffled as the fox’s warm weight pressed him down and Kurama’s mouth completely dominated his own.

It was different this time. Always before, Hiei had sensed that Kurama was holding back. He had known it just as he always knew when they sparred; the kitsune was not doing all that he was capable of. This time, however, something had changed. The mouth on his was more insistent, the hands wandering over him more bold. Whatever had been holding the demon fox back before was no longer an issue.

When they parted to breathe, Hiei looked up and saw dark emerald eyes reflecting a hunger he had never seen so much of in the kitsune before. “Kurama?” he asked, uncertain.

Kurama smiled at him, and that was familiar; it was the same, warm smile that he trusted and had come to…love. “Are you afraid?”

“No.” the fire demon replied stubbornly.

“It’s all right to be,” the redhead told him, “I think everyone is the first time. I want to make love to you, Hiei. Do you know what that means?”

Hiei hesitated, then nodded slowly. He knew what it meant, in theory. He wasn’t crystal clear on the specifics, but he knew it meant a level of intimacy he and Kurama had never yet had together.

“Will you let me?” Kurama asked, his tone making it clear that this was all Hiei’s choice. What happened here today was all up to the smaller demon to decide.

“Will it hurt?” the Koorime-boy asked seriously.

“Yes, some. But I promise it will feel good once the pain fades, and it will fade.”

Good. At least Kurama was being honest with him. Hiei would have said “no” in an instant if he had thought the fox was lying to him. This way, his trust in Kurama was maintained, and anything else that happened from this point on was fine. “I’ll let you. I’m not afraid.”

There was that smile again, the one that made him believe that Kurama really did love him like the fox claimed to. Kurama lightly kissed his temple. “Just tell me if you want me to stop.” They were merely token words. Both of them knew Hiei wouldn’t tell him to stop now that he’d made up his mind.

It started out slow; Kurama took his time kissing everything he could reach while Hiei still wore his white robe. Hiei was far from idle; he caressed the fox with eager, katana-worn hands, reclaiming territory that by now was quite familiar. Even with the hours they had spent learning each other in the past, however, *this* was still new, still exciting. The anticipation itself made the whole experience that much more exhilarating.

Soon the bathrobes became unnecessary, and indeed, unwanted. They hit the floor one after the other with a soft ‘whump.’ Bare skin came together at last, heat against heat, passion against passion. Reality seemed to soften and melt, narrowing down until there was nothing at all but them.

Never mind that Hiei was a fire demon; every time he and Kurama were together like this, he always felt so hot. It was as though the youki that he used to defeat his enemies was burning him from the inside out, but it did not hurt him. Instead it made him sensitive to the fox’s touch, causing him to breathe harder and squirm like he was trapped in a wall of smoke, struggling to make sense of up and down and fighting for the air that the nearby flames consumed. But there was no fire, just the blazing red of Kurama’s hair falling around both their faces, forming a soft, vermillion shield against the outside world.

Long fingers rubbed the small demon’s nipples, scratched lightly down his chest and stomach, and finally touched him where he wanted it most. For a moment he forgot everything but the jolt of bliss that pried a ragged gasp from his throat and made his hips jerk up into the taller male’s caress. No matter how many times he was touched there, it never failed to feel wonderful. It was something that would never get old, that a person could never tire of. There was also a definite satisfaction in returning the sensation.

Kurama gave an exclamation of surprise and pleasure when the Koorime-boy reached between them and wrapped a hand around the kitsune’s sex. He could see in the other’s expression a sort of pleased fascination at drawing out such a reaction. He bit his lip as Hiei stroked him, a quiet moan making its way from him. With Hiei having such an aggressive personality, it was a wonder that he even had the fire demon under him at all, rather than the other way around. Still, that was how it had turned out, and he would not have that minor bit of control stolen so easily. He gently pushed the hand on him away, and resumed his earlier course of action. He wanted to move beyond foreplay eventually, and he did not wish for this opportunity to pass him by because he had waited too long.

A tad confused at Kurama’s resistance, Hiei nonetheless did not protest when the demon fox stopped him. How could he, when Kurama immediately went back to fondling and caressing him? In moments he was all but senseless with desire, able to do little but lie there and enjoy it. Immensely. He was so busy focusing on the lovely torment the fox was inflicting on him that he almost didn’t notice when three fingers were pressed against his lips. He automatically nipped them, then allowed them to slip into his mouth where he sucked eagerly on them. He needed *something* to do other than writhe and try unsuccessfully to form a coherent thought, and this served his purposes well enough.

When the fingers left his mouth he was fairly drowning in the sensations Kurama gave him. He surfaced rapidly when he felt a wet touch at a place the kitsune had never ventured before. The initial panic passed quickly, and though the feeling was strange, it was only another of a long list of feelings that were just as odd. He had learned from experience that such things usually turned out to be very nice.

That first digit sliding into him was hard to describe. It was uncomfortable, yet it wasn’t. He let out a small sigh and his eyebrows drew together in a somewhat bewildered expression. It almost felt ticklish in a way, but the more he thought about it the less he disliked it. His every nerve stood at attention, and the soft rub of that finger against his inner self was almost soothing after a while. It was sort of like the massage Kurama had done on him a few days ago, in an effort to show him how to really unwind. The sleepy, heady feeling of that time returned now, accompanied by tentative sparks of pleasure that traveled to his arousal and made it twitch. Just when he was used to it, it stopped, and Kurama got up and and started to leave the bed. Thinking he had somehow done something wrong, Hiei sat up and caught the taller male’s arm, a flicker of alarm in his wide, red eyes.

“I’m not leaving,” the demon fox assured him, “It’s only that I’ll need something better than saliva to take you with. Wait here.”

Hiei’s eyes narrowed a little and he growled. “If you think I’m going to just sit here and wait while you turn the house upside-down looking for whatever it is, then you’re sadly mistaken. If we’re going to do this I don’t want to have to think about it too long. You’re killing my mood as it is.”

Kurama leaned over and kissed him, erasing the dark frown from his lips. “It won’t take long, Hiei, and you’ll definitely thank me later for using proper lubrication.”

The expression on Hiei’s face was as close to a pout as the mean-spirited demon would ever get, and Kurama wisely held back the laugh that threatened to end it all right here and now. He was a little angry with himself for leaving the lube in the bathroom drawer to begin with; he thought he ought to have foreseen this happening and been better prepared. Oh well, he’d get the mood back soon enough if he played his cards right.

Hiei waited. He wasn’t happy in the least, but he waited. He had to admit it to himself at least; the main reason he was angry at Kurama for leaving in the middle of everything was that he knew if he thought about it too long, he might change his mind. The thought of being that vulnerable literally terrified him. He had always been strong, or at least strong enough. Now, though, that strength meant nothing. He was powerless when he was with the kitsune, brought down off of his self-imposed pedestal as an angel is dragged from its cloud by the need to walk instead of fly. Kurama made all his arrogance, all his attitude, all his cold distance seem like nothing, and truth be told that scared him now and then. But what made him tremble, deep inside where no one could see, was the way Kurama’s quiet strength sometimes overwhelmed him and made him feel like the child he had never truly been. That feeling was always strongest at times like these, when he forced himself to open up and let the redhead see him without all of his barriers. Not even Mukuro had ever made his soul feel so bared. And not even she had made him want it this badly.

It was that last thought that shattered the fear, that thought that allowed him to smile at Kurama when the fox returned to him, that made the resistance vanish at the first slick touch to his entrance. Whatever Kurama had found, it warmed quickly when it made contact with his skin, and it let the kitsune’s finger reenter him with breathtaking ease. The first was quickly followed by a second, and that stung a little. His hands clung to Kurama’s arms and he inhaled sharply, wincing more at the bizarre nature of that feeling than at any pain it caused. After all, what was pain to someone who had a jagan implanted? Slow, flexing motions gradually made the tight muscles within him loosen their death-grip on the slender digits, and he loosened his hold on Kurama’s arms as well, sliding his hands up into the reincarnated fox’s hair instead. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of its silky feel; it distracted him enough that the third finger working into him barely even made him bat an eyelash. And once he was used to it, it felt pretty damn good. Soon he was moaning quietly and subconsciously tugging on the ruby strands in his hands. Normally a demon of few words, he was never particularly loud. One or two louder shouts might escape him from time to time, especially if Kurama did something new to him.

Like *that.*

“Guh-AH!” The strangled, breathless cry barely even sounded like him to Hiei, and he blinked in wild amazement as whatever that had been shot a searing arrow of seventh heaven straight to his brain, as well as somewhere quite a bit farther south. Nothing had ever felt like *that* before. “Wha-what was—” The hell with it; he couldn’t even voice his thoughts after that. Still, Kurama seemed to know what had happened (good for him, because Hiei certainly did not), as the fox’s smile became sly.

“That, Hiei, was the gods’ way of saying they’re all right with homosexuality.”

“I don’t care *what* it was, Fox,” Hiei managed to snarl, “Just do it again!”

Kurama laughed and kissed him avidly, at the same moment obliging the smaller demon’s request. Hiei shuddered against him, and a moan rumbled between them as the fire demon voiced his delight. He was reluctant to let Kurama go, even when the need for air became something neither could ignore. He did, though, and the kitsune looked down at him with glittering eyes.

“Are you ready?”

“If I’m not now,” Hiei answered, trying not to pant, “I never will be. Do it.”

A moment of cold-seeming air between them as Kurama pulled away and coated himself with the lubricant, and then his welcome warmth lay over Hiei again. For a moment they merely hovered on the brink of the action, frozen not by hesitation but by the simple desire to remember this, the way they felt right now while they were still two, before they became that whole they had been unconsciously seeking ever since they had first met. Then Kurama moved, or Hiei did, or they both did, and it hurt, they kept on, and two identical gasps punctuated that last, long push, and they were joined, and it was over, and it had only just begun. They stilled, trying to breathe, trying not to close their eyes because they wanted to see each other. An unspoken signal flickered in the fire demon’s countenance, and Kurama moved again, and this time it was a rhythm of in and out that drove them both all but insane with its slowness, but neither was inclined to speed up just yet. They wanted it to last, even if it meant eventual lunacy. Wasn’t that what this was? Wasn’t lunacy the word that described this weird, wonderful, hot, slick, sliding, grasping frenzy that had hold of them? It was almost brutal, the way they needed each other now, even though the movements of their bodies against one another were easy, unhurried, gentle. And still it wasn’t enough.

“Slower,” one of them breathed, and neither was certain who, “Not so fast....”

They set a leisurely pace, perhaps afraid that if they went any faster, any harder, they would break the fragile thread that was busily winding itself around them, binding them, unifying them. Kurama kept sliding over that place deep inside of Hiei that made the fire apparition’s breath hitch and his hips jerk up against the kitsune’s own. A deep, clawing urgency made him shake from the effort of moving so very slowly, but this was the way he wanted it. Anything more and he would shatter for certain. He was already cracking; he could feel it, hairline fissures tracing spider-web patterns throughout his soul. What would happen when those tiny cracks finally split? He didn’t know, but he knew it would happen. He just didn’t want it to happen *yet.*

“Kurama....” he whispered, though he did not know what he intended to say. The word simply floated in the air around them, a culmination of all that the redhead was.

“I love you,” Kurama murmured back, his normally steady voice quivering with feelings both physical and emotional.

Hiei arched, gasping loudly as the words sent a thrill unlike anything before through him. For the first time, he believed it. Oh, he had believed it before, but now it was different. Not just his mind was telling him it was true, and it was not just his heart that knew it. Every fiber, every atom of his being down to the last faintly gleaming mote that made up his *self* believed those words. He was not forbidden. He was not unwanted. He was loved, and the one who loved him would never cast him aside. It was the first time in his entire life when he felt, no, *knew* that he could accept that love, because it reflected the shining ray that had taken up a feeble residence in himself. Not only was he loved, he also loved in return, and everything up until now was meaningless next to that monumental discovery. His hateful birth, his bitter childhood, his angry ascent into life as a warrior, none of it mattered anymore. All that mattered was this.

“I love you.” It emerged so softly that Kurama almost didn’t hear it. Then it came again, and it was almost a sob. “I love you, Kurama!”

And there it was, the truth at last. Kurama did not look in the least surprised to hear it, or that it had come out sounding so weak and fearful, yet so full of relief. It was all right for Hiei to have this moment of frailty, because once it passed it would leave him even stronger in its wake. That was what love was, and what it did.

The kitsune kissed the corner of each dark-red eye, feeling the thick lashes[1] brush against his lips as Hiei blinked reflexively. Still the Koorime-boy did not weep; Kurama was not sure he even knew how. That was all right too. Tears were not the only sign of sorrow or joy. Enough of both were expressed in the way those small, calloused hands clutched at his shoulders as though he were a lifeline, and in the way Hiei continued to press against him as though seeking to become a permanent part of him before this was through.

Passion flared, and slow was no longer so much of an option. The thread that bound them was strong enough now that it would hold. The lines blurred again until they weren’t certain who was Kurama and who was Hiei, who had made that moan and who had voiced that whimper, who was claiming whom and who was really in control. It didn’t make sense and it didn’t have to. All that had to happen now was for that final shred of restraint to snap and let them fall. One last, jarring thrust struck that delicious spot inside, and Hiei was yanked back into himself just in time to be swept under by a tidal wave of ecstasy. For a blinding instant he couldn’t make a sound, and then it seemed as though he couldn’t stop. The first, hoarse shout dwindled into a series of incoherent moans, and he knew he was broken, that he had shattered at last. It was a comfort that Kurama broke with him, crying out as though he were in pain, a good pain, the kind that a person seeks out intentionally because it is also the greatest pleasure they have ever known. Liquid heat flooded Hiei’s inner walls, and he thrashed briefly, gasping, as it prolonged his own release. Movement continued for its own sake for a few more seconds, as they fought to calm down and piece themselves back together. Gradually the frenzy faded, the frantic feeling dwindled, and they were content to lie still for the most part. Hands wandered idly, kisses were exchanged with tender eagerness, but mostly the passion had taken a back seat until a time when they would need one another this way again.

Exhausted beyond belief, Hiei made no move to get out from under Kurama after the fox collapsed onto him. Frankly, the weight on top of him was warm, and solid, and it felt too good to try to remedy the situation. Besides, Kurama wasn’t that heavy, even if he was taller. Hiei was just grateful that the kitsune did not ask any stupid questions like “how was it,” or “how did I do?” Kurama ought to know damn well that it had been mind-blowing, and Hiei was not about to give him a performance grade. The fire demon smirked tiredly. As if the beautiful redhead didn’t already know he was good.

“What’s that about?” Kurama asked curiously.

“Just thinking about how it’s a good thing you’re not asking questions.”

The kitsune smiled and did not press any further, taking the warning for what it was. “I love you, Hiei,” he said instead.

“I know, Kurama. I love you too.”

Both of them smiled. Would a “happily ever after” be too cliché here? Perhaps, but that was just about the feeling they were both getting. And “happily ever after” really did have a nice ring to it. So maybe, just this once, cliché was all right.




[1] Okay, I'm trying not to romanticise this thing too much, but I have to use the details that are actually there. Hiei has freakishly thick eyelashes for a man. They're all long and they make his eyes look pointy at the corners, and they were insanely hard to do when I cosplayed as him last year. Do any of my male readers (if any!) know how hard it is to apply mascara? Especially when mascara isn't meant to go on a guy? Well, it's hard. I'll stop now; I've made my point.

Wow, that was a long chapter. I thought I'd never get it written and done with! Review if you like, laugh yourself silly or whatever if you don't. :) Thanks for reading! I adore you all! There will be one last chapter to this, an epilogue of sorts. That should come soon, I hope.