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Disclaimer: Any characters created by Yoshihiro Togashi remain his. Any ideas or characters that I bring into this story are copyrighted to me, so NYAA NYAA NYAA NYAA NYAA :P!!
Chapter 6
A few days later...
It took a full day for Hiei to regain enough strength to stand, and another for him to be able to walk. But his ki was still low. Even the kokuryhurra had never drained him like the youkai who attacked him had.
It had been rather quiet for a few days. Kuwabara was bored because Hiei was too tired to argue with him, so he couldn't pick fights with the fire demon. Yuusuke was bored because there wasn't any action. Kurama and Midzuho spent most of their time watching over Hiei and giving him extra ki to help speed his recovery. Hiei, for the most part, was too drained to do anything but sleep.
Finally, Koenma called a meeting to solve the problem of Hintoshu. "We've already established that Hintoshu is going to be very hard to beat," the demi-god stated. "The question is how are we going to beat him? He's got an army to fight for him."
Yuusuke grinned ruthlessly. "Well, we can fight. And your army is there...It shouldn't be too hard to beat him. We probably won't even need the army!"
"Wanna bet?" Hiei spoke up. "He's a formidable opponent. He won't be that easy to beat unless he gets too full of himself." The fire demon sighed. "I can't stay here. He's more likely to attack the temple if he knows that I'm here. I need to `disappear.' Otherwise, he'll kill everyone here to get me."
Yuusuke stared at him. "Where're you gonna go?"
The fire demon shrugged. "I don't know. I'll figure something out." He wasn't too bothered by the fact that he didn't have anywhere to go.
Hiei supressed a smirk as Kurama said what he'd expected him to say. "You can stay at my apartment. Hintoshu won't expect you to be there."
Hiei shrugged again. "Whatever." He settled on the windowsill.
Koenma continued. "Now that that's settled, we need to go on the offense." Kurama groaned inwardly. He was really starting to wish that Yuusuke hadn't gotten the demi-god addicted to basketball. "We have to attack Hintoshu, and catch him off guard."
Kurama nodded. "That's a good idea. But how are we supposed to attack him if we don't know where he is?"
The demi-god smiled slightly. "We do know where he is. One of our scouts found his hideout yesterday."
Yuusuke cracked his knuckles. "Great!! So we get in, beat the crap out of them, and get out."
Koenma raised an eyebrow. "Essentially, yes."
Kuwabara grinned idiotically. "Awright then! Leave it to me!!"
"I've heard that before," Hiei snorted from the windowsill. "If he's the brains of this mission, consider it failed."
Kuwabara glared at him angrily. "You're always such a jerk!!"
"At least I'm not an idiot, unlike some people."
"Hey!!" Kuwabara lunged at him.
Hiei flitted across the room and smirked as Kuwabara fell flat on his face. "Clumsy oaf." Kuwabara pulled himself off the floor and opened his mouth to say something that undoubtably have been rude...
...If he hadn't been interrupted by Kurama. "Come on! We have more important things to do than listen to you two bicker all night." But even Kurama was having a hard time keeping a straight face. At least Hiei was feeling better.
Koenma cleared his throat, and everyone shut up and settled down. "I guess it's settled then. Hiei will stay at Kurama's apartment for a few days, and, after he's regained enough strenghth, we attack Hintoshu."
Yuusuke looked around. "Okay...Whadda we do 'til then?"
Koenma shrugged. "I don't know. I suggest that you rest up. It's going to be a hard fight." He sighed. "Boton, Hinigeshi, and I will have to be leaving soon to go back to the Reikai. We'll come back in a few days."
Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Well, I need to get some seeds from my apartment. I figure I'll just spend the night there."
Yuusuke shrugged. "Fine. We'll stay here and make up the battle plan."
Hiei snorted. "With Hintoshu, you don't need a battle plan; you need a miracle."
Hiei didn't particularly feel like running to Kurama's apartment, even though he knew how to get there. As much as he hated to admit it, he was still weak after being drained of all his energy.
He glared up at Kurama as they walk. "You need to stock up on seeds, huh?"
Kurama looked at him innocently. "But I do need more seed." Then he leered at the fire demon suggestively.
Hiei scowled at him, disgusted. "You're perverted."
The fox's grin grew. "Only when it comes to you, love."
"Baka!!" Hiei snarled. "Don't call me that!!"
The redhead gave him a mock-hurt look. "Call you what, love?"
"You are really annoying sometimes. You know that?" "I try, love," Kurama said, still smiling. Hiei decided to ignore him.
A few minutes later, they reached the apartment complex where Kurama lived. Hiei jumped up to Kurama's window, and, finding it unlocked, as usual, let himself in.
A few minutes later, Kurama came in through the front door to see Hiei sitting on the couch, his eyes closed, but his body tense and unrelaxed. Kurama locked the door behind him and sat beside him.
Kurama smiled at the little youkai. "Can't sleep?"
The fire demon opened this eyes briefly, flicking them in Kurama's direction. "Hn," Hiei sniffed and closed his eyes again. After a few minutes, he sighed disgustedly and opened his eyes. "No."
Kurama pulled Hiei toward him. "Just relax." The fire demon didn't, the muscles in his back tense, coiled and ready for a fight. The redhead began to masage his back gently. After a few minutes, Hiei began to purr softly, half asleep and totally relaxed. Kurama smiled, picked the Jaganshi up carefully, trying not to wake him, and transferred him to the bed, removing the fire demon's cloak, boots, and katana before covering him with a blanket.
Then the redhead changed into a pair of aqua-blue pajamas and crawled in beside Hiei, pulling his lover close. He was soon asleep.
Hiei awoke in Kurama's arms. It was still dark outside, and Hiei lay still for a while, listening to the kitsune's soft breathing. After a few minutes, the Jaganshi snuggled closer to his fox and closed his eyes, quickly succumbing to sleep.
Nearby, a dark, mysterious youko watched his prey as he slept. He had been ordered by his master to infect this youkai with a disease of the mind. He had the ability to play with others' mental biological controls to weaken or kill them. He had been sent to kill this one.
This prey would be extra hard to deal with, for he had a Jagan. Fortunately, the youkai was already weak, so the youko would be able to affect his mind with little difficulty.
Smiling at the thought of pleasing his master, the demon began working.
The kitsune stared in shock, uncertain of what to do. Moments later, Hiei's back arched and he cried out in pain. Then he went limp.
"Hiei..?" Kurama gently touched his face. It was burning hot. Literally. The kitsune quickly pulled his hand away. "K'so!" He ripped the covers off Hiei's body and quickly stripped down to his boxers.
Then he ran to the kitchen and called Genkai's temple. Yuusuke answered. "Yuusuke..."
"What happened?!" Yuusuke interrupted, immediately sensing that something was wrong.
"It's Hiei." Kurama whispered. "He's running a very high fever. I don't know what's wrong with him!" The kitsune took a deep breath. "I need Genkai, Yukina, Kuwabara, and you to get here now!"
"Right."
Kurama hung up the phone. He wet a washcloth and hurried back to the bedroom. He felt Hiei's forehead again. His temperature's going up! He put the washcloth on his lover's forehead. Hiei was immediately awake. "Cold!" He pulled the washcloth from his forehead. "K'rama?" The kitsune nodded. "Cold."
"I know, Hiei. You're running a very high fever."
"Mmmm..." the Jaganshi closed his eyes again.
He wasn't truely awake. Kurama nudged him. "No, Hiei. You can't go back to sleep. I need you to stay awake. Can you do that?"
Hiei opened his eyes again and stared at Kurama without really seeing him. He mumbled something unintelligable.
"You have to stay awake, Hiei." Hiei nodded slightly, keeping his eyes open with effort. Kurama helped him sit up, propping him against some pillows.
The Jaganshi shuddered and mumbled something again. Then he cried out. Kurama furrowed his brow. Hiei was delirious. "I know, Hiei. It's going to be okay. Yukina's on her way." he whispered, hoping that somehow the little fire demon would hear him.
The doorbell rang. "I'll be back in a minute. It'll be okay." Kurama hurried to the door and opened it. Yuusuke came in, along with the others, including Keiko and Shizaru. Kurama greeted them, then closed and locked the door again. "Come on."
They hurried to Kurama's bedroom. Hiei had passed out, his face flushed with fever. Kurama frowned. "He has a very high fever. He was delirious a few moments ago..."
Yukina walked to the bed and felt Hiei's forehead. She pulled her hand away quickly. "With this temperature, he should be dead!"
Kurama hurried to the bathroom and filled the tub with cool water. "We did this for my little brother once when he was running a high fever. It brought his fever down." The half-youko picked Hiei up and walked to the bathroom. "Yuusuke, I need you to use your reiki to soundproof the bathroom."
"What?! Why?"
"Because this is going to be very painful." Yuusuke threw up a reiki shield around the bathroom. "Good." Kurama lowered Hiei into the water. Hiei's body jerked and he screamed in pain. Kurama held him down as he thrashed wildly, trying to escape the water that felt painfully cold against his burning skin. Then the Jaganshi went totally limp. Kurama carefully held the fire demon's head above the water.
"Holy shit!" Yuusuke yelped. The water was evaporating. Kurama glanced at him, then turned on the cold water.
Genkai and Yukina entered the room. The Koorime touched Hiei's chest. A blue light surrounded her and the fire demon, gradually fading. "This can't be right! I can't find anything wrong with him!"
Genkai looked at Kurama meaningfully. "That leaves his mind."
"Waitaminute!" Yuusuke said. "You're saying that someone affected his mind?! They can't! His Jagan prevents that..." Genkai looked at him. "...doesn't it?"
The old woman sighed. "In his weakened condition, a powerful youkai could have affected his mind. It would have been difficult, but it could be done." She paused, considering. "We need Kuwabara." Yuusuke left the room, then returned a moment later with Kuwabara. "Kuwabara, I need you to look into Hiei's mind. Look for any tampering."
Kuwabara glanced at the unconscious fire demon. "It would be easier if I had Shizaru's help."
"Help with what?" Shizaru asked, entering the bathroom. Genkai explained the situation to the ningen. Shizaru looked down at Hiei. "Poor kid. 'Course I'll help!" She grabbed Kuwabara's hand, then put her other hand on Hiei's forehead. Everyone held their breath for a while. After a few moments, Shizaru came out of her trance long enough to say. "Found it." Everyone sighed in relief.
Thirty minutes later, Shizaru removed her hand from Hiei's forehead. "There. Whoever did that was a professional. There were a lot of safeguards against us undoing the tampering that was done." She looked at the unconscious Jaganshi. "He'll be fine."
Kurama looked up. "His temperature's going down." He glanced at Shizaru. "There are some towels in the hallway closet. Could you get a few of them?" Shizaru nodded and left the room, returning a few minutes later with three towels. Gently, Kurama lifted Hiei from the bathtub and wrapped him in the towels that Shizaru gave him.
Genkai looked at Kurama meaningfully. "Hintoshu knows that he is here. He would be safer at the temple."
"I know. Let me get my seeds." He put Hiei down on the bed and opened a drawer, taking out a few packages of rose seeds, and some Makai seeds as well. Then he realized that he was still in his pajamas. "I'd better change..." he said, blushing a little.
Shizaru grinned, then picked up Hiei and dragged Kuwabara from the room. Everyone else followed her. Kurama dressed quickly and put the seed packages in his pocket, then grabbed a backpack and shoved Hiei's clothes and boots into it, along with some clothes for himself and Hiei's katana.
When they got outside, Shizaru gave Hiei to Kurama and walked beside him. They fell back from the others. The group headed toward Genkai's temple in silence.
"Kurama..." Shizaru started, then stopped. While she had been in Hiei's mind, she had seen most of his memories. She'd shielded them so Kuwabara wouldn't see them. Pulling out a cigarette, she began again, in a whisper. "I...I saw a lot of Hiei's memories...And...well..." She lit the cigarette and took a long puff.
"You saw our relationship," Kurama finished for her.
Shizaru nodded. "I'm sorry." She felt as if she had intruded on their privacy. "I made sure that my brother didn't see anything."
"It's okay. I knew that someone would find out eventually. I'm just glad that it wasn't Yuusuke or Kuwabara. They wouldn't be as nice about it as you're being."
The ningen girl blushed fiercely. "Thank you."
"So...you don't really care about this?" Kurama looked surprised.
"Not really. I'm not very surprised either. You always take care of him, and he'll put up with you more than anyone else." Shizaru grinned at Kurama. "Besides, you two look so cute together!"
Okay. This is the last chapter that I've written so far. If anyone wants me to write more, please e-mail me (AiShiteruHiei@chichiri.com) and ask me. Thanx.
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