When You Wish Upon A Star

Pale moonlight softly caressed raven black hair and fair skin as Hiei lifted his face to the night sky. Cat-shaped, garnet eyes scanned the diamond-dusted heavens from his perch on the branch of the oak tree that stood outside the window of Kurama’s apartment.

Once, long ago, Kurama had told Hiei that humans believed if they wished upon a star, whatever they wished would come true. And though at the time he’d scoffed at the ‘sheer idiocy of the human species’, Hiei found that, for some inexplicable reason, tonight he could not prevent his eyes from settling upon one of those tiny points of light billions of miles above the earth and silently sending his own heart’s desire winging toward that small beacon of light. Of course, he would deny to his death that he’d allowed himself to indulge in such an absurdity as this.

*****************************************************

His communion with the stars at an end, Hiei dropped his eyes from the sky and silently cursed his own stupidity. Why had he allowed himself to succumb to such weakness – and human at that? Still he hadn’t been able to stop himself from making the wish, and even now, in the deepest recesses of his heart, he clung to the small hope that the wish he’d made might, indeed, be granted this night. The reality, at least in his own mind, was that the gesture had been pointless, even foolhardy.

With one last curse and a heavy sigh, the small demon leapt from his branch onto the windowsill, raised the window that was never locked, and entered Kurama’s bedroom. Quickly shutting the window behind him, he bent down and removed his boots. He then unclasped and removed his cloak, tossing it carelessly on the bed. He stood there a moment, relishing in the warmth of the room before going in search of his fox.

*****************************************************

Kurama smiled as he felt Hiei’s presence within the small apartment. He continued with his preparations, glad he’d been able to convince the petite Koorime to celebrate the New Year with him.

He was just finishing when a deep voice spoke from behind. “Feed me, Fox, I’m hungry!” the hiyoukai growled.

“Your wish is my command, Blackfire,” Kurama laughed as he turned, two plates laden with food in his hands.

Hiei followed the fox to the small table nestled in the tiny alcove Kurama had affectionately dubbed his ‘dining room’. On the table, which was covered in a cloth of deep emerald green, sat three simple yet elegant glass candle holders, white tapers burning in each, and a basket containing slices of crusted French bread along with a small china bowl filled with tiny globes of chilled butter. Beside the table sat a silver bucket on a stand, a bottle of wine wrapped in a white cloth nestled within.

Kurama set the plates he carried down on the table then motioned for Hiei to take the seat across from him. While the fire demon busied himself looking over the meal Kurama had prepared, the fox set about opening the wine and pouring them each a glass. The plate Hiei was now examining contained a perfectly roasted, boneless chicken breast that had been wrapped around a homemade bread stuffing, and parsleyed red, new potatoes cooked to perfection. Asparagus with a delicate lemon, butter cream sauce completed the menu, and Hiei’s red eyes widened at the bounty laid before him.

“I’ll take that look to mean you’re pleased with the meal.” Kurama smiled as he set Hiei’s filled wineglass down next to his plate.

“Hn,” was the only response he received as Hiei reached for the glass, lifting the delicate crystal to study the pale, amber liquid within. He raised it to his lips, and they parted slightly as he sampled the wine. Again, crimson eyes widened at the familiar taste of the rich, sweet, honeyed nectar.

“Makai mead, Fox?” Hiei asked. One slender, black eyebrow rose in query as he glanced over at the redheaded fox who’d taken his own seat across the table from the little fire demon.

Kurama beamed and nodded; glad he’d been able to surprise his friend with what he knew was Hiei’s favorite wine. “A gift from Yomi,” he replied, picking up his own glass.

He contemplated the diminutive demon across from him for a moment as he swirled the glass beneath his nose, savoring the smell of the wine. “I was saving it for a truly special occasion, and I think this qualifies, don’t you?”

“Hn,” Hiei replied and a mischievous grin lit Kurama’s face.

Leaf-green eyes twinkled merrily as the fox held out his glass. “That’s my Hiei.” He saluted his friend with the glass. “Always so quick with a witty rejoinder.”

If only I truly was yours. The hiyoukai thought of the wish he’d made mere minutes ago, yet aloud, all that was heard was a muttered “hn,” followed closely by “stupid fox,” and Kurama laughed.

“A toast,” the half-human spirit fox proposed. “To the New Year and to you, Hiei. May all of your dreams and aspirations be fulfilled with the dawn of this new year.” Reaching over, he touched his glass to Hiei’s, ignoring the look of surprise on the small Koorime’s face.

“And yours as well, Fox,” Hiei responded softly before following Kurama’s lead and taking a drink from his glass.

Again the fox smiled. “Thank you, Blackfire. Now, shall we eat?”

*****************************************************

The dinner progressed in companionable silence. Hiei was intent on savoring each delectable morsel, while Kurama basked in the hiyoukai’s obvious enjoyment of the meal.

When they had eaten their fill, Kurama cleared the table, taking the dishes and silver into the kitchen and piling them into the sink. He then bustled about the small room, taking something from the freezer as well as the pantry and one of the cupboards. Hiei’s eyebrow rose in curiosity as to what the fox was up to, but Kurama had forbidden him from entering the kitchen on pain of death. So the demi-Koorime busied himself with another glass of mead as he waited for his fox to return.

It was not long before the fox returned, a tray with two bowls in his hands. A grin lit Hiei’s face as Kurama set the tray containing their dessert on the table. Each bowl was filled with vanilla ice cream over which the fox had crumbled pieces of rich chocolate brownie. On top of that, he’d poured a generous amount of hot fudge and finished the whole thing with a dollop of whipped cream.

Seeing the hiyoukai’s grin, Kurama handed him one of the bowls and a spoon. “Dessert, Hiei?” he asked with a grin of his own.

“A foolish question, Fox!” Hiei retorted digging his spoon into the bowl to scoop up a large portion of the frozen treat, which he promptly popped into his mouth.

*****************************************************

Once dessert had been eaten, and the dishes washed, dried and put away, the demon friends retired to the tiny living room. Hiei sat on one side of the small sofa, reclining into the soft cushions while Kurama took the seat opposite him.

On the low table that fronted the sofa sat a small box wrapped in silver foil paper. Kurama leaned forward slightly and picked up the small box. Straightening, he turned to face his small friend.

“Happy New Year, Hiei,” the fox said, holding the box out to him.

Hiei blinked. “What’s this, Fox?” he asked.

“Open it and find out,” Kurama replied.

Carefully, the little fire demon tore the wrapping from the box. When he’d finished, he opened the lid and drew out his gift.

It was a fire-dim cut in the shape of a rose blossom in full bloom. Expertly mounted, it hung from a thin chain of the finest silver. The fire-dim was exceedingly rare within the Makai. Not only was the gem difficult to mine, it was even more difficult to cut. Thus, only the truly wealthy were able to afford the exorbitant fees the gem merchants charged for the jewel.

So it did not surprise the fire demon in the least that the legendary ‘King of Thieves’ would possess something this rare, and idly, he found himself wondering from which great house the fox had stolen this particular stone.

Hiei stared at the gem in his hand. As the tiny rose-faceted gem caught the light from the lamps, it seemed to glow with its own inner fire, almost mesmerizing Hiei with its beauty. Finally the small Koorime broke the spell and raised his eyes from the necklace to meet the fox’s gaze.

“Why Kurama?” he softly questioned.

“Why what, precisely, Hiei?” Kurama returned.

Hiei held the necklace up. “Why give something like this to someone like me? I know how rare the fire-dim is, Fox.”

Kurama gave the small demon a soft smile. “Just as you are, Hiei,” he replied, his voice as soft as his smile. “More so than that stone you hold.”

“That’s not an answer, Fox,” the hiyoukai retorted.

“Perhaps, not completely, I’ll grant you that, Blackfire,” Kurama acquiesced with a nod, crimson tresses swaying slightly as he did so.

“Then make it complete!” Hiei shot back, though there was no force behind the demand.

Kurama sighed. “If you insist…..” he began.

“I do!” the fire demon broke in.

“Very well.” Again, the kitsune nodded then paused a moment as if gathering his thoughts. Slowly, he began to speak, choosing his words with the same care as he had the gift for his beloved fire demon.

“It is customary among humans in Japan to give gifts for the New Year to family and friends. But that isn’t the only reason I’m giving you the fire-dim, Hiei. Just as that gem,” Kurama nodded at the necklace in Hiei’s hand, “is precious in the Makai, so, too, are you to me… far more so, in fact, than any jewel or treasure I could possess… even more than life itself.” Another soft sigh escaped those petal-soft lips before the fox spoke again.

“Did you know,” he asked, “that in the ancient tongue of Makai, the fire-dim is called ‘Heart’s Flame’?”

Not allowing Hiei a chance to reply, the fox hurried on. “That’s what you are to me, Hiei… my heart’s flame. That gem,” he nodded at the necklace in Hiei’s hand, “is a symbol of all that you are to me. It is my gift to you because I… I love you, Hiei.”

As he finished, Kurama closed his eyes and bowed his head, waiting for the rejection and then the inevitable heartbreak he was certain would come at his confession. Instead, he heard a soft ‘hn’, and then the back of a small, sword-calloused hand was felt, gently caressing his cheek.

“I think I owe those idiot humans and their stupid beliefs an apology.” Hiei spoke with a tenderness in his voice Kurama had never heard before, and he raised his head, emerald eyes, ripe with unshed tears, meeting soft, wide ruby.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Hiei. What do you mean?” Kurama quietly asked.

Hiei answered the fox’s question with one of his own. “Do you remember when you once told me that humans held some ridiculous belief that wishing on a star could make that wish come true?”

“Yes,” the fox nodded. “And I remember you scoffed at the very idea. But what…..”

Quickly Hiei spoke again, before the fox could finish his question. “Well tonight, I decided to test that theory… to see if this foolish notion could, by chance, be true.”

“You wished upon a star, Hiei?” Kurama couldn’t hide the incredulity in his voice.

“Yes,” the fire demon affirmed, “I did. And the humans were correct because I got my wish, Fox.”

“What did you wish for, Hiei?” Not daring to hope, Kurama asked the question so quietly Hiei almost didn’t hear it.

Yet he had, and the fire demon smiled. Two small hands reached out and gently drew Kurama’s face to his so that they were almost at eye level. “This,” Hiei said, pressing his lips to those of his fox in a tender kiss.

Kurama melted immediately into that kiss, his arms going around the hiyoukai’s slender waist to pull him closer. Hiei’s own arms wrapped around Kurama’s neck as he deepened the kiss. Time seemed to slow and then to stop as the kiss continued until finally, breathless, Kurama pulled back to gaze at a smiling Hiei.

“Hiei?” Just that one word, but Hiei immediately understood and answered the unspoken question.

“I love you, too, my Fox,” he said, giving his beloved another smile.

Kurama returned that smile just before he drew the fire demon close again. It was then that bells began to chime, ringing in the New Year. But the two demons heard nothing as they celebrated the start of their own New Year; lips pressed together in yet another, though this time far more passionate, kiss.

Owari