~Tried...and True?~

~Tried…and True?~


Notes/Warnings: NC-17? You betcha. Turn back now, kids, seriously. No readers under eighteen, and please be mature with your criticism. That means no flames (but please do review; it really does help).

Ahem, anyway, you asked for it in your reviews, you sang praises for the original, now here it is: the sequel to Once Burned! Hold onto your butts people, and let’s hope (pray) that this one will be just as good as if not better than the first installment! And please don’t kill me if it isn’t; I’m a little rusty. *sheepish grin*

Summary: A year and a half into new school, new life, and new love, Kurama and Hiei continue the journey begun with a single kiss. But new complications arise as well, as Hiei suffers fresh doubts, and Kurama discovers that it was not only Hiei who needed to learn to trust. With danger threatening, Koenma is forced to recall his spirit detective team, and enlist the help of an old enemy to prevent a possible invasion! A whirlwind of trouble is headed the team’s way; will the love between two of their own survive the inevitable storm?

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

“Wake up, Hiei. I’m going to be late.”

Kurama frowned at the bundle of sleeping fire youkai attached so doggedly to his waist. It was sort of endearing that Hiei had grown so accustomed to his presence that he clung to it even in sleep, but it was very inconvenient on mornings when Kurama had class. Like today.

“Come on now,” the redhead coaxed, gently prying at the smaller demon’s exasperatingly strong arms. “I have to leave. I can’t be late again, or it will affect my final grade.” The spirit fox sighed. “Honestly,” he murmured, a hint of a smile finding his lips, “how can he be so hard to wake? During the Dark Tournament, anyone only had to think at him too loudly and he’d be halfway across the room.”

A wicked grin came to his face, and he traced his fingertip along the edge of his lover’s ear. Hiei twitched a little, a bit of a frown pulling at his mouth. Kurama ghosted his finger all around the shell-like shape of the fire demon’s ear, tickling gently, willing the sensation to break through Hiei’s subconscious. At last, with a snort, Hiei started awake and fixed him with a groggy scowl.

“What the hell are you doing?”

The kitsune smiled, and ignored the irritable question. “Good morning, Hiei. Would you be kind enough to let go of me so I can get ready for class?”

Hiei stared at him blankly for a moment, then glanced down at where he still had an iron grip on Kurama’s waist. He slid his arms from around his red-haired lover, rolled over, and with a soft “hn” closed his eyes again, with every intention of going back to sleep. “You go to your mundane human classes, then,” he muttered. “Though I can’t see why a demon of your experience has to bother.”

Kurama chuckled softly, rising and going about his morning routine swiftly and efficiently. “It’s true I have a great deal of knowledge stored away,” he admitted as he pulled on a clean shirt, “but it’s hardly the sort of things that will help me get along in this world. Someday I’ll need to find a decent career, and for that I need a human education.”

Hiei opened his eyes and gazed unseeing at the wall. Many times he’d heard Kurama talk of the future like it was a certain thing. The future was never certain, he knew, but that wasn’t what bothered him. It was the way the fox spoke as though he intended to stay here, in the human world, forever. He had chosen to risk losing his mother’s love to be with Hiei (though in some small part, the fire demon was glad that hadn’t come to a bad conclusion), but now Hiei had begun to wonder what else might come between them.

He didn’t belong here, surrounded by humans. This was Kurama’s place now, but it wasn’t and could never be his. If he stayed, he knew it would not be long before his soul called for home again, the world of his birth. Though his people had cast him aside from the beginning, though their ice-covered land could never be his home either, he could not see a future for him in the Ningenkai. He belonged where the sky raged always with storms, and the wind carried the scent of blood and battle, and his every waking moment was one of danger. That was his life, and he would long for it too soon if he tried to forget it.

If Kurama asked him to stay here, he would try, but he knew a small piece of his heart would always name him a traitor. He only hoped that the time never came when he would have to make that decision.

“Hiei? I’m going now.”

Hiei turned his head to receive Kurama’s parting kiss, the soft brush of lips a promise to return. If his thoughts showed on his face at all, the fox made no comment, only looked back at him with deep green eyes, and that familiar, warm smile.

“Will you be doing anything today?” Kurama asked as he straightened, all set to leave.

“Perhaps.”

Kurama let out a small laugh. “Never one to make promises. All right, I’ll see you later. Try to stay out of trouble. Of course, knowing you, I should know better than to ask.”

“Tch. You’re going to be late.”

“Well, that is what I’m trying to avoid. Goodbye.”

He grabbed his books and was gone, and Hiei restrained the uncharacteristic urge to sigh. This love business was making him think depressing things; maybe what he really needed was to find something to entertain himself with.

I wonder what the Detective is up to. I think I overheard him telling Kuwabara he didn’t have any morning classes this semester.

The half-Koorime smirked. If that was the case, maybe he would have to drop by and say hello.

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

Steel cut through the air, and narrowly missed cutting skin. Energy crackled, threatening at any moment to explode. There was no blood yet, but Hiei was hopeful.

It hadn’t taken much persuasion to get Yusuke to agree to a sparring match, particularly after the fire demon had torched his notes from a previous class. After that, the retired spirit detective had been more than willing to take a stab at kicking his diminutive demon friend’s ass. They had “taken it outside” as it were, and in fact taken it well outside any suburban area to reduce the potential property damage. Now it was a no-holds-barred grudge match, and the grudge was Yusuke’s.

“You are so toast for that shit you pulled with my notes, Tiny!” the half-human teen roared, his punch so powerful that Hiei could feel the wind of it across his back, even when it missed him by a mile. “I have a frickin’ test in two days, damnit!”

“So dedicated to your higher learning,” the full-blooded youkai retorted. “It’s such a change, don’t you agree? Keiko must be dogging you day and night for you to be so well-behaved!” He darted in for another swipe of his sword, but Yusuke deflected it bare-handed, ducking slightly and slapping the broadside of the blade away.

“That’s none of your business, Charcoal Breath!” the hanyou growled, attempting a right hook and barely missing his mark this time.

Charcoal Breath? Hiei thought, half incredulous and half amused. “That’s funny, I don’t remember ever getting any complaints about my breath before. Is it possible you’re just reaching?”

Yusuke grinned sadistically. “Maybe. But I can’t say I’m as fond of your mouth or anything that comes out of it as Kurama.”

Hiei actually balked at that one, still not used to being teased about his relationship with the kitsune. Yusuke took full advantage of his hesitance to land a solid punch right to his cheek, making bones creak and Hiei slide back several feet.

“Bastard,” the fire demon spat. “You’ll pay for that.”

“Sorry, Hiei,” the taller male replied cheekily, “I’m all outta cash. Just put it on my tab.”

His vertically-challenged opponent snarled and attacked with even greater speed, and the fight was on once more. Several scrapes, bruises, and narrowly-not-broken bones later, they took a brief time-out in hopes of each catching his second wind.

“So,” Yusuke managed once he could breathe a little easier, “what brings you around? Don’t tell me it was just to pick a fight.”

“Actually,” Hiei replied, a little out of breath himself (none of the other’s strength had waned in the last uneventful year, he was pleased to note), “that is about what I had in mind. I just didn’t expect to have to destroy some of your precious ‘homework’ to get you to spar with me.”

“Priorities,” the former tantei replied with a shrug. “I got ‘em.”

“Don’t we all,” Hiei muttered. His mind dragged him unwillingly back to his thoughts of earlier that morning, and he frowned. I wonder what Kurama’s priorities are....

Yusuke cocked his head curiously upon noting his comrade’s dismal expression. “Hey, everything okay? You seem kinda down. Not that I’m Dr. Joyce Brothers, or anything, but you know I’ve got good ears if you feel like spilling.”

“You’re nosy, like always,” the fire youkai told him gruffly.

“Yeah, but that’s why you like me, right?”

“Who the hell said I like you?”

The mischievous grin on the human teen’s face said he wasn’t buying. “You talk a good game, but we all know you’re a big softy on the inside.”

Hiei scowled at him. “Do you all know you’re fools?”

Yusuke just grinned. It was disturbingly impossible to stay irritated at him, Hiei thought with something like despair. Had he actually come to value the idiots around him as friends? Good lord. The world was ending, and he hadn’t even had the pleasure of causing it.

He felt that urge to sigh again, and quelled it viciously. Then again, it had occasionally helped to unload his concerns on the detective. Not that he was going to ask for advice, or any such silly thing. Still....

“Kurama…does he ever discuss his future plans with you?” he asked, trying to sound as though he didn’t really care.

The sienna-eyed teen thought for a moment. “Uh, not really, no. I mean, whenever we talk about stuff, it’s usually when you and Kuwabara are around too. Actually, we don’t talk a lot at all, what with him going to a different school.” He leveled a contemplative look on his friend. “Why, has he said anything?”

Hiei drew his sword, shifting into an attack stance. “If we’re going to chat, we might as well fight too.”

“Suits me,” Yusuke replied, obtaining his own stance.

Their sparring match resumed, and with his focus mainly on the fight, Hiei found himself able to more comfortably speak his mind. “He talks about this world like it’s the only thing that matters. I sometimes think he has no intention of ever retaking his true demon form, and returning to the Makai.”

Yusuke’s energy-surrounded fist met Hiei’s hand as the fire demon blocked a punch; the energy crackled between them for a moment before they disengaged. “Well, he lives here now. He probably wants to see how long he can be happy with life as a human. Is that a bad thing?”

“Kurama is not a human, not entirely,” Hiei shot back; his next sword slash would have taken an arm if Yusuke hadn’t slipped out of its path. “He’s a demon like me, but I’m starting to believe he’s forgotten that. His very existence in this world is an accident, but he’s adapted to it so fully that he may now wish to live out the remainder of his human life here.”

“So Kurama likes it here; why is that a big deal?” the half-human questioned, taking a rapid series of powerful jabs at the smaller fighter. “You’re talking like you wish he wasn’t what he is, but he can’t help that. Isn’t Kurama being Kurama what made you fall for him in the first place?”

Heat flared around the combatants as Hiei’s aura roiled. “That’s not the point! How is he to know whether his demon soul will live on after this, or whether it will die with his human body? Does he expect me to wait to find out? What if it turns out to be the latter? And in the meantime, what am I supposed to do? I don’t belong here, and I don’t know if I…should…stay!” A sword slash accompanied each of these last words, and each one left a nick where it grazed Yusuke’s flesh. The spirit detective backpedaled, and ended up slipping on the grass, wet from nighttime shower. He went down with a yelp, and Hiei’s sword was at his throat in an instant; the fight was mutually understood to be over.

The fire youkai stood over his defeated sparring partner, chest heaving slightly not from the fight, but from the turmoil his questions had kicked up inside him. Until he had given them voice, he hadn’t even known quite how deep his doubts had run. I already resolved to stay…didn’t I? But I can’t have, if I’m still having second thoughts.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Yusuke admitted, breaking Hiei from his thoughts, “Kurama asking you to stay here, that is. That’s probably why he hasn’t. He thinks of those things; I’m sure.”

Hiei sheathed his sword with a ‘snap.’ “He won’t ask, but the problem remains. I can’t live here as he does. The Makai is my home.”

“Why can’t you just go and then come back? It’s never been a problem for you before.”

The spiky-haired demon shook his head. “Do you think it would bother me if it were that simple? This ‘peace’ between the demon world and the human one is not guaranteed to last, in which case the barrier would be necessary again, thus preventing my casual crossing. Besides,” and here he frowned deeply, his crimson eyes troubled, “it’s not only whether I can come back here. I don’t want to watch him live out his natural life in a place like this. I don’t…want to watch him die. If he won’t come with me now, while he still can, the chance may be lost.”

He’ll grow old as a human. He’ll die as one too. I can’t wait around while that happens. I can’t chain myself to this world, but if I leave, even to come back later, I may lose time with him I can’t get back.

He clenched his fists, wishing he hadn’t spoken of such things with the detective. If he’d never revealed this weakness, it wouldn’t be getting to him so much now. “I shouldn’t have brought this stupidity to you,” he muttered harshly. “It was none of your business, and I was a fool to make it so.”

“Hey, don’t start regretting it now,” the human teen protested. “I’m not judging you, you little punk; I’m just listening, like I said I would.” Yusuke got up off the grass where he’d taken a more comfortable sitting position, and brushed damp pieces of green turf from his jeans. “I don’t mean to sound mushy and drive you off,” he said carefully, “but it means something that you can even open up to me this much. Hell, if you’d been able to do that a few years ago, we all could’ve avoided some seriously nasty in-team arguments.”

“Hn.”

Yusuke grimaced. “Damnit, you know I hate it when you pull out the monosyllabic stuff. I never know what’s going on in that prickly little head of yours.”

Hiei turned to go, having had decidedly enough of “sharing time” to last him the next decade. “I’ve said what’s on my mind. I wasn’t asking for sympathy, or to have all my questions answered.”

“Look…if this stuff is bothering you, then you know who to talk to about it,” Yusuke told him by way of parting advice. “Your issue is with Kurama; now that you’ve practiced on me, maybe you can finally talk to him.”

The fire apparition glanced over his shoulder at the hanyou, and smirked a little. “I think Genkai’s special brand of wisdom might be rubbing off on you at last, Detective. You already had the abrasive attitude, but these days you’re actually beginning to make sense.”

Yusuke grinned broadly. “I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Guess it’ll depend on how the old hag treats me the next time I visit her. Take care, ya little firecracker.”

Rolling his eyes at the nickname, Hiei vanished in his usual fashion, the ‘crack’ of displaced air the only evidence of his departure.

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

It was getting dark as the former spirit detective made his way home from the arcade later that day. Classes had ended prematurely due to a mysterious explosion in the chemistry lab, and after pleading with a classmate for their copy of the notes Hiei had destroyed, and copying them quickly into his own notebook, Yusuke had decided to do the opposite of the responsible thing and go out for some fun. Being mature was all well and good, but this was Yusuke Urameshi here; he could only take so much do-gooding before the old habits kicked in. He’d spent some of his pocket money on a vending machine soda, and the majority of the rest had gone into wrecking virtual opponents at the local gaming parlor. What was left over had been enough for a quick meal, and now he was ready to go home and get some good old shut-eye.

As he passed by the shadowed space between an apartment building and a darkened grocery store, a sound caught his attention. It was like a soft hiss, and after a moment he realized it was directed at him.

“Psst!” The sound came again, and this time Yusuke looked. A hand waved at him from the alleyway between the two buildings, and for a moment he juggled curiosity and that little instinct that told him not to do anything reckless. Curiosity won, and he approached the beckoning hand. The moment he was in range, it grabbed him and yanked him into the alley; his squawk of surprise was cut off by a second hand, and he let out a muffled curse before the voice that had initially caught his ear spoke.

“Quiet, will you? Or maybe you want the people tailing me to find us.”

Yusuke’s eyes, enhanced since his demon genetics had awoken, adjusted to the darkness, but he could only stare in puzzlement at the person who had spoken. It was a young man, perhaps a little older than him, and about five to six inches taller[1]. The stranger had short, black hair with longish bangs, and dark sunglasses obscured his eyes, certainly odd for this time of night. Nondescript street clothes gave little clue about what sort of person Yusuke was dealing with, except that maybe the guy had some good money to be able to afford the nice leather jacket he was wearing.

The stranger let the spirit detective go, and the first thing the teen demanded was, naturally, “Who the hell are you?”

The man gave an exasperated sigh. “I leave you in peace for less than a year, and you’ve forgotten me already? That’s just lovely, Yusuke.”

The dark glasses were removed, and a pair or amber eyes gave the detective a familiar, imperious stare. “Am I more recognizable now?”

“Koenma!?” Yusuke exclaimed, flabbergasted. “What are you doing here!?”

“Shhh!” the young ruler of Reikai hissed frantically. “Keep it down! My dad’s spies are somewhere out there looking for me, and I don’t have much time, so listen!”

“Wait, wait, are you in trouble?” Yusuke asked, eyes narrowing in concern. Just because he didn’t always like his former boss didn’t mean he didn’t give a crap what happened to the guy.

“No,” Koenma answered, glancing over his shoulder nervously at an unidentified sound, “but I will be if they know I contacted you like this. Remember after the Makai Tournament when I told you that you were fired, permanently?”

“Yeah, I remember something about that. You also said I’d never see you again until I died, but you’ve kept in touch, sort of.” The half-demon quirked an eyebrow. “Is that why you’re being so paranoid? Is King Enma gonna have kittens if he knows you’re talking to someone who isn’t on your payroll anymore, so to speak? Not that you ever paid me....”

“It’s not talking to you that’s likely to cost me my hide,” the godling told him crossly. “It’s what I’m about to say. You’re still retired, and you’re going to have to stay that way until my father quits being a hard case about me having a demon Spirit Detective. If I’m caught telling you any of what I’m about to, you’ll probably be killed, and I’ll be confined for as long as my dad’s temper lasts, which could be a while.” He glanced back the way he’d come again, and for the first time Yusuke noticed he wasn’t sporting his blue pacifier. Enma’s son was really worried about being recognized if he wasn’t clenching the spirit-powered binky between his teeth. Not that the hair dye and the civvies weren’t drastic measures too, for someone as vain as Koenma could be.

“Now pay attention, please, because I don’t know how soon I’ll be able to go over this with you again,” Spirit World’s junior ruler pressed. “Like I said, you’re retired. Unfortunately, just because I haven’t found anyone to replace you doesn’t mean chaos and disorder have taken a vacation too. I hate to put it this bluntly, but something potentially disastrous has come up, and I need you.”

“Disastrous how?” Yusuke asked, curiosity piqued. If his life hadn’t been so frigging normal lately, he probably would have told Koenma to stop right there. Solving the problems the young god came bearing tended to almost get him killed. Hell, with Sensui, it had gotten him killed.

“I’ve received intelligence that a large group of demons, into the hundreds, are planning a get-together. I don’t know for sure what they’ll be doing there, but the rumor is they’ll be plotting out some kind of invasion. Of the human world, of the spirit world, I don’t know. All I know is that this is big, and it could be bad. I need you to round up the old team and go investigate.”

“Why do we need the whole team for this?” Yusuke questioned. “Wouldn’t just one of us attract less attention? Heck, why not just have Hiei give them the old Jagan Eye from a distance and see what they’re up to?”

“The Jagan isn’t attached to his ears, you nitwit,” Koenma growled. “I need someone in there to watch and listen to the going’s-on, and bring me back a detailed intelligence report.”

“I still don’t see why you need all of us.”

“Because it’s too risky to send just one of you. Didn’t you hear me say there’d be demons ‘into the hundreds?’ You’ll have a greater chance of success in larger numbers. Besides, to be honest, your firepower will be useful if things get nasty, but it’s Kurama I really need for this mission.”

Yusuke gave his former employer a confused look. “Why?”

“Because the demons who are gathering will all be kitsune.”

The hanyou’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then he frowned. “Wait…you want us to infiltrate an enormous group of fox demons? I hate to tell you this, but we’re not exactly going to fit in. Kurama, maybe, if he can reach his fox form and stay in it the whole time we’re there. The rest of us, not so much.”

Koenma smirked, his expression nearly at ease for the first time that night. “Actually, I’ve done some thorough research into that very problem, and I think I might know a solution.”

“What, you’re gonna glue ears and tails on us and hope Kurama’s relatives are all really stupid?”

“Even better, Yusuke. Even better.” The godling tensed briefly, and his gaze shot skyward. “They’ve locked onto me. I have to get out of here before they see me talking to you.” He placed the sunglasses back on his face, and dashed over to the brick wall blocking off the other end of the alley. “I’ll contact you again as soon as I can. Get the rest of the team together as soon as possible tomorrow and tell them what I told you. Now go, and try not to look conspicuous as you leave, all right?”

“Yeah, sure.” Yusuke watched his old boss scale the short wall and disappear. Once Koenma’s unique energy faded from his perception, the teen left the alley and was on his way back to the college dorms. He grinned to himself as he went; it looked like life had just taken a turn for the more interesting.

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

[1] Koenma looks approximately five to six inches taller than Yusuke in certain shots where they stand facing each other. I can't say for certain whether this is true.

To my best friend and soulmate whom I know loves Kurama but is not particularly a huge fan of non-canon yaoi, I have but one pathetic thing to say: Pleasedon'tkillmenooooooooo. T_T I love you? *cringes*

To everyone who was a fan of ~Once Burned~, I have but one pathetic thing to say to you as well: I AM A WORM AND HAVE LIKELY DEPARTED FROM THE IC-NESS I PROMISED YOU IN THE FIRST INSTALLMENT. PLEASE REVIEW NICELY ANYWAY.

That is all.