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By Rose Thorne
A Star Trek: Voyager/YYH crossover
~~STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY!!~~
Hiei glanced at him. "'Morning." Kurama stared at him for a moment, surprised that the fire demon was talking. He had assumed, obviously incorrectly, that his friend would be in a bad mood for a while. "What?"
Kurama sat beside Hiei. "Nothing . . . Just a bit surprised that you're talking . . ."
The fire demon blinked at him, truly confused. "Why?"
The fox sighed. "Because of what happened yesterday. I assumed you would be upset . . ."
Hiei shrugged. "It happened. It's not like it hasn't happened before. This time I was lucky, I guess. You were there." Kurama stared at him. The Jaganshi sighed, sipping at a cup of what looked like hot cocoa. "Fox, you know how the Makai works. It's a show of dominance. You just have to get away, get stronger, and kill the bastards who do it. I didn't exactly have an easy childhood, so it happened."
Kurama nodded. "I know how that goes . . ." Hiei raised an eyebrow. "The childhood thing." The redhead chuckled bitterly. "Why do you think Youko Kurama was such a cold-hearted bastard?"
Hiei smiled slightly, bitterly. "I guess that's something we have in common, then." The fox nodded. Hiei sighed. "Thank you. Nobody's ever . . ." he trailed off.
". . . Given a damn?" Kurama smiled at the fire demon. "Well, that's what friends are for, Hiei. It's one of the things I learned in the Ningenkai. Something that Kuronue was trying to teach me before he died."
"You know . . ." Hiei looked away. "I never really thought of it before . . . but life in the Ningenkai is so much easier than in the Makai." The sanjiyan sighed. "In the Makai, it's survival of the fittest, and if you're abandoned as a kid, tough. You stick it out or you die trying." Kurama winced inwardly. "But in the Ningenkai . . . people help each other. Kids who aren't wanted by their parents are raised by someone else who wants them . . . They're safe and protected . . . Not like in the Makai."
Kurama frowned. Hiei's eyes had gotten a faraway look that he didn't like very much. "I know, Hiei." He leaned forward and hugged his friend gently.
Hiei stiffened immediately, his mind returning from its momentary trip to the past. "What are you doing?"
"Giving you a hug," Kurama replied, still hugging him.
The fire demon relaxed slightly, knowing that he could trust the fox. "Why?"
"Because you look like you need one."
"Hn . . ." Hiei relaxed. Kurama's answers were always simple, yet complex in their own way. "Why do you care?" The question was toned in a curious, non-hostile way. "I've never really done anything for you . . ."
Kurama let him go and looked at him for a moment. "I don't know why I care, Hiei. You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but . . .you have so many good qualities." Hiei blinked at him, confused. "For some reason, I know I have to care about you. Like Fate wants me to. And I know you need it, because no one has ever cared about you before." Hiei looked away. "You're my friend, Hiei, and nothing will ever change that."
Hiei nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you . . ." Kurama nodded, picking up his nearly-forgotten bowl of ramen and vegetables and starting on it. He watched silently as Hiei got up and walked to the bed, sitting down on it and picking up the stuffed bear. "What's this?"
Kurama swallowed his ramen. "It's a teddy bear. Tom said that Naomi brought it to Sickbay for you when she heard that you were hurt." Hiei looked up in surprise. Kurama smiled. "It seems that you've made a really good first impression here on Voyager."
"Aa . . ." The fire demon lay down, curling around the teddy bear as he had the night before. Kurama finished his ramen and yawned, deciding to join his friend. Hiei's eyes opened as the fox layed down. "Hn. 'Night . . ."
"Goodnight to you too, Hiei." Kurama's reply fell on deaf ears; Hiei had already fallen asleep. The redhead yawned once more before joining his friend in slumber.
Kurama woke to the comm unit's beeping. He glanced at Hiei to find the fire demon curled up, still sound asleep, right beside him, closer than he had been when the fox had fallen asleep. "Kurama here," he called to the darkness.
"Kurama, it's the Doctor." Kurama sighed softly. "Would bring Hiei to Sickbay so I can talk to him?"
"Sure. Just let me wake him up. We'll be there in about ten minutes." The fox yawned softly.
"Thank you. Doctor out." The comm unit fell silent.
Kurama turned to his friend. "Hiei-"
"I know. I heard." The fire demon opened one eye. "Prolly wants to 'talk' about what happened." Hiei sat up, running a hand through his hair and yawning. "Might as well get going." The Jaganshi got up. "Wish I had a change of clothes . . ."
Kurama stretched as he rose. "I replicated you some new ones. They're in the closet."
Hiei blinked at him. "When did you find time to do that?"
"Well, you were asleep for several days after the Gaki attack . . ."
"Oh." Hiei stretched, almost cat-like. "I'll wait. I only slept in these, and I need a shower anyway. I don't feel like rushing."
Kurama chuckled softly. "You're the strangest fire demon I've ever known, liking water."
The Jaganshi smirked. "That's probably because I'm not fully fire demon."
Kurama rose and opened the closet, pulling out a pair of slacks and a plain green shirt. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."
Kurama sighed, annoyed. He'd accompanied Hiei to Sickbay, only to find out that he had to sit outside the office while the Doctor had a "private chat" with the youkai. I forgot about that stupid doctor-patient confidentiality thing . . . He settled down to wait. At least I'm here if any of the Meikai's minnions try to attack again . . .
"You're sure you're okay?"
Hiei sighed in annoyance. "Look, like I told Kurama last night, it's nothing new. It happens all the time in the Makai as a show of dominance. I was lucky this time--Kurama was there and he stopped it. Big deal. The bastard who tried it is dead, so you move on."
The Doctor frowned, but nodded. "I understand that, but I don't have to like it."
The fire demon snorted. "No one asked you to. I don't like it much either."
The Doctor sighed. "Fine. Moving on, there's a medical issue I wanted to speak with you about . . ." Hiei raised an eyebrow. "It seems that you contracted a parasite from that 'Gaki.'"
Hiei's eyes widened. "What?!"
"We got rid of it, but you may experience some slight side effects . . ."
"Like what . . .?" Hiei asked suspiciously.
The Doctor smiled slightly. "Increased appetite and exhaustion. Perhaps a slight loss of control for a few days."
Hiei nodded. Explains why I almost started crying when Kurama hugged me . . . "Anything else?"
"Don't use the sonic shower. Your implant may have a bad reaction to the sonar."
"Hn. That all?" The Doctor nodded. "Good. I'm tired." He blinked. I wasn't going to say that . . . The loss of control thing. The fire demon got up and left the Doctor's office.
Kurama smiled at him. "How'd it go?"
"Hn. I can't use the sonic shower because of the Jagan, and that damned Gaki gave me a parasite." Kurama stared at him for a moment. "They got rid of it, but I'm supposed to be tired and hungry for a few days. And this 'loss of control' thing."
Hiei glared as Kurama chuckled. "That explains a few things."
"Let's go, baka. I'm tired," the fire demon muttered.
Okay . . . Very tired. College tutition for exams: $22,000 a year (and rising). Books for classes: ~$600 a semester. Internet service: $50. Having a fic that people like so much that they send death threats to you if you don't write more IMMEDIATELY: Priceless. The best things in life, money can't buy. For everything else, there's parents.