Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. They belong to their respective owners. I make no profit from the writing of this FanFiction story.

A/N: I found out after the fact that I'm not supposed to upload stories early that I submit to the 'Deadliest Sin' contests. (*sheepish*) So before the deadline, I came up with this story to submit because the other I posted up too soon. In light of that, this is the second story I created for the prompt "February". I hope you all enjoy it. I do plan on continuing this in the future because it was requested, and, I have a few more ideas for this one. I'm not sure when it will be continued, but look for that in the future.

Thank you everyone for your continued support!

Title: No Words

Summary: Somehow, they understood one another perfectly, even if there was nothing perfect in either ones life.

Total Words: 8,025

Written for: 'The Deadliest Sin' Communities February 2011 contest – the prompt was 'February'.

No Words

For the first time, in a long time, Hiei was well, and truly, pissed. He was in the middle of the Makai, dressed in his usual black cloak and leather pants, tracking down a runaway thief, in the worst snowstorm that the demon realm had seen in ages. When he got finished with this mission, he was going to slowly, and painfully torture Koenma until he felt satisfied, and then he was going to take a vacation where not even Enma himself could reach him. He was sick, and tired of this bullshit.

Ever since Yusuke and Keiko had married, he and Kurama had taken up the slack that the detective left as he began the domestic plan. Normally, he wouldn't have given a shit about the toushin marrying, but from what he'd heard, the ningen onna was expecting, and he wanted to do his part to help support one of the few people he trusted. The oaf had already showed exceptional talent that none of them had seen before as he created a nice set of baby furniture for the future child. Kurama, of course, had been at the beck and call of the onna for whatever she needed, and the hiyoukai didn't feel comfortable doing any of the above, so he did what he did best; working alone to take some of the pressure off of Yusuke.

However, this was proving to be even beyond his tracking abilities. Some girl had escaped into the Makai with a powerful jewel that Koenma had wanted to put under lock and key. He had a vague description of the woman, and a brief history of the jewel in question. Of course, he didn't care one way or the other about the artifact – he'd learned his lesson before. The girl, on the other hand, was a complete mystery, and she'd seemingly vanished into thin air. His Jagan was no paltry thing, and yet he could only barely catch flickers of her energy. The first touch of her energy had halted him in his tracks. It was pure, and holy. He hadn't known he was coming up against a miko – just a thief. He hadn't even really heard the story of the theft. How could anyone get into the Reikai vaults? After the last fiasco he had been assured, alongside the rest of the Tantei that the vaults were secure, and that they were impenetrable. Apparently that wasn't the truth, unless there was something else going on; which, he also, didn't care about. All he cared about was finding that stupid woman, and taking back the item to take to the Reikai. He couldn't care less about taking the woman back personally. That would teach Koenma for sending him out on this wild goose chase.

His footing slipped lightly on a branch that he'd landed on as he continued looking in the blizzard-like conditions for the thief, and he fell back, unable to right himself as he collided with the ground. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it was enough to stun him momentarily. He'd have to stop soon – it was getting harder and harder to see through the snow, and his Jagan was only minutely helping. As he leaned up from the ground, he froze as he saw a rather short figure standing over him, glaring for all she was worth. His eyes darted up to meet dark brown eyes, and he couldn't hide his surprise for a moment. She'd gotten the jump on him, and he hadn't even noticed it. Who was she? And what in kami's name was she doing out here in the middle of this blizzard, unless…

He quickly darted back from her, surprised that she hadn't just attacked him. He barely caught the lingering traces of her energy clinging to her skin as if she were soaked in it. His eyes narrowed in mistrust, as she slowly sighed and brought her hand back to her side. Quietly, they stood there in the snow, with no sound heard between them except for the howling winds. Her eyes flicked to his, and his expression turned into a small scowl. There was a deep anger in her eyes, but she didn't look afraid. Those who knew him or knew of him were always afraid of him when they'd first met. The only person who'd been different had been Yusuke. His eyes flicked over her form, looking for any hidden weapons or anything that would indicate that she was more powerful than she seemed. From what he could see, she was a human woman; a miko, but certainly not a threat to the entire security of the Reikai – until he smelt the stench of death on her form and he nearly blanched. Only years of control over his expressions kept him from reacting. Who was this woman?

"Why are you following me, hybrid?" she questioned, her tone was dark, and low. It was clear that she wasn't about to back down from this confrontation.

His eyes narrowed before he spat, "The item you stole. I've come to retrieve it." His tone was darker with his ire. First he had to find this woman, and now she was coping an attitude with him. It was about to push him over the edge.

The woman seemed to grow angrier at his statement, something which confused him. What would she want with some stupid bauble? From what he understood, it wasn't anything special – in fact, it was a recently acquired artifact. Someone had turned it into the Reikai for safe-keeping, and soon-after, it had been stolen. Koenma seemed reluctant to tell him any other information about it, but he cared not. As long as he could be of some help, even behind the scenes, then he wasn't about to question the mission. He was hoping that he'd run into some demons to kill, but even a koorime wouldn't be caught dead in this weather.

"You don't even know what it is, demon! Who sent you!" she shouted back, her eyes flashing pink with her power. He didn't step back, but it was a close thing. The miko had a guess, but she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She was on an important mission of her own, and no one, not even this demon, was going to deter her.

Her anger was inspiring his own as his Jagan flashed – it was already in the open, it didn't take much to inspire its own anger at the situation at hand. "You aren't very bright. It should be obvious." He said, his tone full of contempt as he smirked. He slid his sword from it's sheathe contemplating the best way to go about kicking this obstinate woman's ass and retrieving the jewel.

When he drew his sword the woman's eyes narrowed, if it was possible, even further as she growled out, "Koenma…or was it Enma, leader of the Spirit Realm, and murderer of innocents?" She turned her head to the side lightly, and once more, Hiei was downright confused. It seemed to be the theme of the day. What was she talking about? It wasn't as if he wasn't aware of the darker side of the Reikai, but this woman seemed to have a personal grudge. Had Enma killed someone close to her? Mentally he shook his head as he tried to push away his questions. It wasn't any of his business, really, and he just wanted to get the jewel, and go home. He was tired of the headache this mission was turning out to be.

"Koenma – the child ruler couldn't stomach death on his hands." He scoffed, unable to stop himself from his curt retort. It was true, after all.

The woman let out a harsh bark of laughter before she turned her head back down to meet the blood-red eyes of the hiyoukai. "Of course." Her expression softened for a fraction of a moment before it hardened again. "I can't let you take it." She stated, as she pushed a lock of her free-flowing hair away from her face. A second later a bow materialized out of what seemed nothing, along with a power-encased arrow. "I made a promise, and I won't let her die because Enma is scared. You obviously don't know what's going on, and I doubt that child ruler knows, either, or he wouldn't have sent you out here to follow me." The woman stated, waiting for him to make a move. She wouldn't endanger her mission, or the person she was trying to save by making a false step. Thankfully, she had plenty of experience in this department.

Hiei growled not because he was ready to attack her, but because she was absolutely right. He didn't know what the hell was going on. He was told to retrieve the jewel, end of story. For a second, he debated just attacking her and taking it from her, but he knew better than to be so rash, especially against such an opponent as her. It was clear she had purifying power, and she was quite in control of it. He didn't want to get himself killed over some bauble that he had no information about. "Damnit!" he cursed as he glared darkly at her. "Woman, I don't want to kill you, but I have orders." He growled out as he took a step towards her. It wasn't a large step, but it was enough to let her know he meant business.

"So you are a mindless drone for the Reikai? I didn't expect that." The woman replied, a dark scowl forming on her lips as she cocked the bow with her energy encased arrow. "Would you be responsible for an innocent girl's death?" she questioned, her eyes filling with anger, and a little pleading. She was trying to reason with him because she, too, didn't want to kill him. This wasn't his battle – it wasn't his fault that she was out here in the first place.

The hiyoukai froze as she notched her bow and he glared darker at her. The implication that he was anyone's drone made him see red – however, in that next statement from her he some of his ire faded. He wasn't much for killing innocent people. He had killed a lot of demons and humans alike in his long history, but it was for his own survival – he killed for pleasure during the days of his unrestrained youth, but he'd learned control and restraint since then. He had no taste for killing innocent people. Couple that with the fact that he had no idea what was really going on and it had him questioning the entire situation at hand. His expression lightened and he watched as she lowered her bow at the same time. He could race forward and kill her now, but he wanted answers, and she seemed fairly forthcoming with them. The death inner-mingled in her scent was an oddity, and he mentally questioned if he could, literally, even kill her. Those doubts and the uncertainty of the situation at hand had him standing down – at least for now. "Where are you going, miko?" he questioned, his tone still dark with the sudden adrenaline rush and his own irritation.

She seemed to relax a moment before she glanced over her shoulder. "You've followed this long, hiyoukai. I hope you can keep up." She looked to him for a moment before she seemed to vanish into the snow. With wide eyes, he dashed forward, and this time she seemed for purposefully leave a trail for him to follow. He briefly wondered if she was tricking him somehow, but a half an hour later, he found himself at the entrance to a vast estate. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought it was the residence of one of the leaders of the Makai. Maybe it was; he had little experience with royalty.

The miko was waiting at the gates for him and he paused, again, wary of her intentions. He didn't want to walk into a trap, but he had a feeling that she was hiding a lot more than even he knew, and that ticked him off. Curiousness was the fox's thing, not his. He had little patience for games and secrets. The woman was quiet before she turned, and he looked behind her only to feel shock register on his face. It was rare, for him to be thoroughly thrown off balance, but it was hard not to. He'd never met the stoic Lord of the Western lands before, but it was easy to see that the rumors had some basis in truth. He looked as deadly as the stories told, and he was instantly on edge. The miko walked forward and he briefly caught snippets of their conversation over the howling snowstorm.

"…Koenma sent him…looking for the jewel…" the miko stated.
"…a threat?" came the broken reply of the Taiyoukai.

The woman shook her head and Hiei let out a small breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. His anger was placed at bay considering the growing situation, but he wasn't entirely happy. Did Koenma have any idea what kind of situation he'd placed him in? Did he know that somehow that jewel was connected to the Lord of the West? Somehow, Hiei doubted that, and it made him angry that Enma wouldn't have found it necessary to inform the child-ruler of what was going on.

He didn't move any closer through the open gate, but he didn't have to. Lord Sesshoumaru came to him as he strode over the snow-covered grounds and stood before the hiyoukai. Hiei felt incredibly inferior for a moment – it was clear that the Taiyoukai was at least three times taller than him, but he kept a blank expression as he looked up at the Lord's face. For a long minute, they stared at one another, not saying anything as they quietly assessed one another. Finally, Sesshoumaru nodded lightly, as if he approved of something before he turned and gestured for Hiei to follow him without a word. Hiei hesitated a second before he quietly followed him, his eyes flicking to the miko once more before he looked ahead and followed Sesshoumaru into the castle. He felt the instant reprieve from the storm as he stood in the large foyer in the castle. His eyes darted around lightly before he saw a clawed hand held out towards him and a white cloth was held between the fingers. "Cover the Jagan, hiyoukai. I cannot be responsible for any damage you receive if you leave that entity open." The Taiyoukai stated, as he waited for Hiei to take the covering.

Hiei lifted an eyebrow before he nodded solemnly. He could just activate it again at a later time if needed, and he knew that there was at least one miko in the castle – there could be more as far as he knew and it was better to be safe than sorry. Quickly he tied the cloth over his Jagan and glanced back up to the Taiyoukai's face, waiting for some explanation as to what the hell was going on. His eyes flicked back to the miko – the thief who'd gotten him into this mess. Now that the wind wasn't blowing her stench every which way, he could tell that she was nothing more than ash and clay, and that shocked him. How was she able to live? It was apparent that she wasn't a zombie or an animated corpse – a puppet on strings, but there was something else at work here that he wasn't aware of. It seemed the longer he was on this case, the more mysteries appeared. He was regretting not sending the kitsune on this mission.

Gestured once more by Sesshoumaru, he followed the Lord into what looked to be a study. There was a desk and comfortable chairs in the room, and at his prompting, Hiei took an uncomfortable seat. He didn't sit often – he would rather have kept standing but even he wasn't foolish enough to deny the Taiyoukai's hospitality.

"You followed Kikyou here on Lord Koenma's orders, is this, Sesshoumaru, correct?" The Lord knew that was the truth, but he wanted to hear it from the hiyoukai's mouth. He knew much about the demon before him but because he was a fire apparition, he was naturally volatile and very unpredictable, so he was proceeding with caution.

Hiei nodded quietly before he elaborated in a dark voice, "An artifact called the Shikon no Tama was stolen from the vaults of the Reikai and I was sent to retrieve it. I was following the miko's trail and she invited me here." He didn't say that he didn't know what was going on, because that was almost painfully obvious, but hopefully he'd get answers now – now that he was out of the blizzard his anger had lessened, and he was doing his own version of proceeding with caution.

Sesshoumaru nodded gently before he glanced out of the window behind his desk. "The Shikon no Tama was not theirs to take." Hiei leaned back at the anger in the Lord's voice. It was clear he was not happy with whatever was going on. "They took what was never theirs to begin with and they were willing to sacrifice my Kagome for it. It is unacceptable. The fact that they sent you, one of their strongest detectives, to retrieve it, makes it quite clear that they are willing to go to war with this Sesshoumaru over the Shikon no Tama." His tone was clearly filled with anger, but he was calm, as if he were just talking about the weather or redecorating his castle.

It was obvious that the Taiyoukai didn't fear war – and he was willing to sacrifice his entire way of life for the life of this 'Kagome'. Hiei wasn't sure what to say; he still didn't know what was going on. What did that little bauble have to do with the life of the girl he mentioned? What had she done to earn such loyalty and devotion from the stoic, and cold-hearted Taiyoukai of the West? Loyalty from a demon was powerful – there were few humans who understood that anymore, so it came to reason that it was a demon that was in danger of losing her life.

Sesshoumaru broke the silence again as he stood from his chair and walked around the corner of his desk. "Will you continue to pursue the return of the jewel?" he questioned, his tone serious as he looked into the blood-red eyes of the hiyoukai.

Hiei frowned before he said, "I don't condone the loss of innocent life." He had his sister in mind as he thought of what he'd said. Sesshoumaru lifted an eyebrow before he said, "…but?"

Glaring slightly he continued, "…but I don't know what this jewel is, or what it can do. I don't know why it's tied to this Kagome, and I had no idea that it would lead me to your castle, Lord Sesshoumaru. I was ordered to return it. That's all." He finished as he kept eye contact with the Taiyoukai.

Silence filled the room once more before he seemed to accept that answer and nodded gently before he stood. "This, Sesshoumaru, understands your position, but I cannot allow you to take the jewel back. Your Koenma was grossly uninformed of its importance to this household, or I doubt he would have sent you to retrieve it. I will speak with Enma myself over this matter, however…" he paused as he moved around him and towards the doorway. "…I trust that what is shown to you here will remain private. If Koenma asks, you may explain to the demi-god that he shouldn't so blindly follow his father's orders. The next time he sends someone for the jewel, I will kill him." He stated, a little of that anger returning to his voice.

Hiei wasn't about to argue with him – if something that important had been stolen from him, he would have been pissed, too. He stood, as he turned to face him, and quietly followed him out of the meeting room. He didn't know where they were going but he hadn't felt the presence of the miko or smelt the scent of death in the air, so he was unsure of where she'd disappeared to. "Kikyou will be tending to Kagome. Replacing a soul isn't something I am versed with." The Taiyoukai informed him as they walked down one of the long, carpeted hallways. Hiei's eyes widened as he looked with incredulousness towards the Lord. Did he just say replacing a soul? Sesshoumaru continued on as if nothing out of the ordinary was occurring. "Somehow, a series of circumstances sealed Kagome's soul in the Shikon no Tama…the jewel that was stolen from here. Not only was it taken from here, it was cut from her very body – she nearly died then and there. I would have slain the entirety of Reikai, starting with Enma if that would have happened, and left the rest of the world to fend for itself with that jewel loosed upon it." He continued, as he paused at a closed door, unaware of Hiei's shock or confusion. He had no doubts that if the girl had died, he would have carried out his threats. The Lord of the West was one demon he did not want to go casually against. Koenma could have gotten him killed, he realized, which was something he was going to pay the demi-god back for in full when he got a chance.

This jewel was sounding more and more like a curse than anything else – he didn't know how close he was to that assumption.

The door was opened and Hiei waited outside – hesitant to enter the room, however, he didn't get much of a choice as he saw Sesshoumaru enter. Steeling his will, he moved forward and blinked when he was assaulted with the scent of miko energy, death, and something else…something he couldn't define. The miko, Kikyou, was kneeling beside the large bed in the room; upon the bed was a girl that looked eerily similar to the miko, and it was clear that she was a miko as well, as he witnessed the wisps of pink holy energy wafting off of her form. She was obviously human, but she did not smell of death as other humans did, and she did not smell of death like the miko he'd first met. Kikyou was hovered over her as she held a knife to the girl's side. Hiei blanked as he saw the woman cut a large gash into the side of the girl's abdomen and the rush of fresh blood welled to the surface of her skin. A sheen of sweat covered the immobile girl's face and her upper body was free of any clothing. Her skin was pale and unhealthy, and it was clear that she was suffering. Sesshoumaru stiffened beside him and didn't move forward, while Hiei could only look on in quiet horror. He didn't torture people, and in this instance it looked as if they were torturing the girl that they were supposedly trying to protect. He didn't know what was going on but his glare and anger grew as the miko continued to cut a long gash into her pale skin.

Sesshoumaru turned his head as he felt Hiei's energy spike. For some reason, it didn't surprise him that he'd reacted this way – it was surprising though that he would react this way over a human. It was no secret that the hiyoukai wasn't a fan of the creatures – much like he'd once been so long ago. He watched as the demon's youki energy surrounded him and began radiating off of him in dangerous waves, but as it looked as if he would attack Kikyou, Sesshoumaru held out a hand in front of him. "It is necessary. They took the jewel from her body…it has to go back. We have to put her soul back." He stated, his tone sharp and cold. It was the only way he could even be in the same room and watch this spectacle. He had worked for centuries to protect Kagome, and one error on his part had nearly cost her her life. It was unforgivable and unacceptable. He would never forgive himself for leaving her unprotected. He expected it of Inuyasha – not of himself.

Hiei glared darkly as he looked up to the Lord before he marched forward around him and came up to the other side of the human girl's bedside. If possible, she'd grown even paler in the past minute. "You are killing her." He stated, as he reached out a hand to place over the girl's pale one. She didn't stir, and her eyes remained closed, but it helped ease his own anger – that is, until Sesshoumaru spoke again.

"They are the ones who endangered her in the first place! The so-called Spirit Detective Force…" he spat, with a voice full of pure venom, "…of Enma's came here and attacked her with no provocation because of the jewel – if it was not for them then she wouldn't have to suffer as she is now!" he shouted, his anger no longer contained as he stepped forward only to wince as he saw the blood-coated hands of Kikyou. The un-dead miko was trying to place the jewel in the girl's body, but she was no surgeon – it was all she could do to keep the jewel pure with her paltry power and keep Kagome from slipping away completely.

"Will you two shut up!" she shouted at the both of them, earning growls for her efforts. "I can't concentrate with you two bickering at one another!"

Hiei's eyes widened as he saw a fresh wash of blood come from the wound and he dashed around the side of the bed to place his hands over her flesh. He didn't know why he even bothered – but if what he'd been told was true, she'd been left for dead by the SDF, and it was common knowledge that that was no feat, to not only survive them, but to be targeted. She was a human, a miko, but nothing more seemed special about her except the lack of death in her scent, and the purity of the power he felt. It was like Kikyou's power was alcohol, and Kagome's was 100 proof. His hands were quickly covered in blood and he looked with wide, scared eyes to her closed ones. Not many died in his arms – he didn't wait to watch his prey die, most of the time he didn't leave them alive. He typically didn't make it a long process unless he was angered, or they'd done something particularly menacing to him – this girl was fading before his very eyes and he could feel bile rise in his throat at the circumstances he'd been drug into, and the suffering that she was so obviously going through. He was going to kill Koenma. Her breathing was shallow, and it was clear that she was fading from the world, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Without thinking, he poured some of his youki energy into her – he was no healer, but the koorime race had the natural ability. Some were better at it than others, like his sister, but he hadn't taken the time to master that feat. Why would he? He was never close enough to anyone to warrant learning that particular skill, but in this second, he was regretting not learning some of his native abilities. He had been so angry and vengeful against his people that he ignored and denied anything that had to do with them – he hoped that this strange girl didn't have to pay the price for his stupidity.

Waves of light slowly came from his hands and started to bring the large gash closed together when he felt something beneath his hands – it was that jewel, that small, spherical jewel that had been ripped forcefully from her, stolen, only to be returned to her like this. It was cursed; he just knew it. Without thinking, he pressed his hands harder onto her skin, ignoring her whimper of pain as the jewel navigated through the wound, and deep into the cut flesh. The blood poured around the jewel and he felt a rush of dark energy hit him, almost as if a tank had knocked into him. Only his strength and sheer force of will kept him standing as Kagome's body purified the jewel and it slipped back into that resting space inside of her body.

Kikyou had since pulled back when Hiei's hands covered the wound. When she felt the darkness being purified by the jewel, she gave a knowing look to Sesshoumaru, who returned it with narrowed eyes. The previous guardian of the Shikon no Tama would have gotten Kagome killed, if it hadn't been for Hiei and his rashness. He couldn't fault the hiyoukai – his actions had just saved her life. With her soul now rooted back into her body, and her powers at full capacity, she would heal.

A few more tendrils of healing energy came out to wrap around the wound from Hiei's hands, but they slowly dwindled. Trying to control a power he'd never mastered was no walk in the park – he wasn't pleased with the damage that remained, but it was a start, and he could see that her own energy was coming back to help heal the wound.

He didn't move away as he stood at her pale, perspire-covered face. She probably wouldn't wake for a long while, but he couldn't help but wonder what color her eyes would be. Naturally, one would have thought that his eyes would have been glued to her chest, and though he noted that she had a pleasing figure, his mind was far more occupied with keeping her alive. He was going to kill the bastard that had dared lay a hand on her. He couldn't help but imagine how scared she was, and how much pain she had to endure for them to rip that stupid tiny jewel from her body. That's when his eyes seemed to focus and he noticed how many small scars littered her skin – what he could see of it anyway. It was clear that this wasn't the first time that the jewel had been pulled from her body – there were large teeth scars around the slowly sealing wound on her body. It was obviously an old wound, and Hiei couldn't help but wonder what this girl had been put through for one small jewel. If only he knew that this wasn't the beginning, he'd have been far more astonished than he currently was. Few things astonished him – angered, yes, but not astonished, or even impressed. He was a little of both right now, because even when it looked as if she would, indeed, die, she had held on and continued to cling to her life, even if she had no soul within her. He still didn't know the story behind that one, but it didn't matter.

Quietly, he pulled back from her and looked down at his hands. They were stained with her blood and he growled under his breath. He had never meant to interfere, but he would be damned if he didn't act after she had held on for so long – had Kikyou steal back the jewel, only to die before it got placed back within her.

Sesshoumaru walked forward and placed a light hand on Hiei's shoulder to get his attention before he spoke quietly in the still silence of the room, "This Sesshoumaru, owes you for your assistance. You may clean up in one of our springs, and then…we will talk." He said quietly. Hiei didn't ask what about – it was clear that the Taiyoukai was going to compensate him in some way, but the entire thing was distasteful. Not only at himself for losing control like that, but at the Taiyoukai, for not jumping in sooner to protect the girl. He glared up at the Lord before he shot daggers at Kikyou – she would have killed the girl and he didn't think she would have cared. He didn't know about their history, or he wouldn't have let the woman within a mile of Kagome.

"Hn." He replied curtly before he moved towards the door. He paused as he glanced back quietly for one moment to catch another glimpse of the sleeping girl before he left, and was greeted by a maid who had come to lead him to a spring.

Less than an hour later he was back in the meeting room that he'd first been taken to when he followed Kikyou to this castle. He was leaning against the wall – he had no one to impress this second, and his mind was drifting towards the girl. He wondered if she were awake; more likely than not she was asleep still and he didn't know why he even spared a thought towards her. He barely knew her name: Kagome. He knew nothing about her, but he had learned of her tenaciousness in those few, tense minutes in her room. Few humans had that anymore, and his own opinion of humans had improved over the years that he'd spent around Yusuke, he had to begrudgingly admit. The door opened and he leaned up from the wall, expecting Sesshoumaru or a maid.

He received neither, and instead, was frozen in place as Kagome walked gingerly into the room. Her hand hovered over the door handle as she looked around slowly before her eyes fell on the small demon in black. His hair was tall, and was held in an unnatural position and style – 'Probably because of his youki…' she thought lightly before she quietly closed the door behind her. Hiei was still for all of ten seconds before he moved towards her.

"You should be resting, onna." He said harshly, his irritation over her being up already being clearly evident. Kagome nodded gently before she gave him a soft smile. All other arguments died in the back of his throat as he looked into her eyes. 'So…her eyes are blue…' he thought momentarily before she said, "I will…I wanted to make sure that I got a chance to thank you for what you did." She walked a step closer to him before she bowed deeply. "Thank you, for comforting me…and saving my life." She said softly before she leaned back up. Hiei's hand was held out towards her. No one had bowed to him like this before – as if he had done something worthy; that he had done something to be thankful or grateful for. He wasn't sure how to take it, and it was clear that he was uncomfortable. How had he comforted her?

"Lord Sesshoumaru told you?" he questioned, wondering if maybe the Lord had embellished in the telling of the story.

She shook her head, before she smiled. "No…I felt your energy." Her expression softened as a little pain entered it. He reached for her again before she held out a hand and placed it over his lightly. "I'm okay now…thanks to you. I'm sorry if I worried you." She said. The pain she felt was because she had worried him so much – she hadn't meant to ever worry anyone again, and again, the Shikon changed her plans. The demon before her seemed so strong, and brave. There was also warmth as she looked at him, and she was saddened that she had dragged him into her tumultuous life. If she would have known anything about him, she wouldn't have been so harsh on herself.

He felt his heart drop into his stomach as she touched his hand. He was prepared to see revulsion or hatred in her eyes. She was a miko; she should have hated him, even if she was surrounded by demons. He wasn't like other demons; he was a forbidden child, a hybrid, and yet there was no malice in her eyes, and no hatred in her scent. She was really, and truly grateful for what he'd done. It was a sensation that he wasn't accustomed to. "I wasn't worried." He said gruffly, reacting to her gentleness the only way he knew how, with aloofness and scorn.

Even when he said that, Kagome's smile never wavered as she nodded. "Of course." Silence fell between the two of them again before her fingertips brushed along his hand and a shift of power alerted him mere moments before he was drowned in her calming, warm power. His expression, so stern, broke as his eyes widened at the sensation. It was warm, gentle, and, dare he say it, loving. He hadn't experienced anything like it before in his life. His mother had abandoned him at birth, and no one had ever showed him any sort of affection before – the only person who was mildly close to that softer emotion had been Mukuro, and even then, it was more lust than true affection. Without realizing it he had leaned into the power, unable to not embrace it. It was real – it wasn't a lie and she wasn't trying to trick him. Though he knew little about this emotion, it was impossible for anyone to fake what she was giving him in this moment. No one had given him a gift so precious before – so impossible. He had grown up thinking that it was impossible for anyone to love him, to care for him, to show him affection such as what she was showing him in this moment. He hadn't done much – if Yusuke, or Kurama, or even the oaf were there in his place, they would have done the same thing. It wasn't anything special, but to her…to her he had done something amazing, something worth earning her affection.

Tears clouded Kagome's vision as she felt how much pain and suffering he had experienced in his life. Her power was a double-edged sword, and in the centuries she'd been alive, it had grown in ability – for her to comfort someone like this, she had to take on their inner demons. His were almost too much to bare. There was so much pain…how could he stand it? There wasn't even a speck of love or gentleness to find, except for the brief feeling of friendship in the sea of raw pain. Slowly, she withdrew her hand but before she withdrew it completely, Hiei trapped it in his own. Words weren't needed – it was there in his expression. His eyes were intense, as if he were seeing her for the first time.

Slowly, she smiled, before she reached her other hand forward to pat his lightly only to wince at the action. His eyes flickered to her white nightgown and when he saw fresh blood on the fabric, he growled and drew her forcefully forward to pick her up in his arms. "Stupid woman! I told you you should be resting!" he barked out, even as he held her tightly to his form. For a moment her anger flared as she muttered back, "My name is Kagome."

He glared down at her lightly and noted when she glared back before he shook his head and walked her out of the room and down the hall. "I don't care if your name is Lord Sesshoumaru, you need to rest."

Her eye twitched lightly before she said, "I'll be fine!"

"You're bleeding again! You're not fine!" he shouted back at her. She was far more peaceful when she was sleeping – right now she was being a willful pain in the ass.

"I've had worse than this!" She retorted, though she didn't explain further.

"That's not the point!" He roared back lightly at her, as he came closer and closer to her bedroom.

"Damnit, put me down!" She shouted back.

He smirked before he said simply, "No."

She huffed and crossed her arms lightly over her chest but made no attempt to break away from his arms. "Jerk." She muttered before he smirked wider and seemed to relax when she finally backed down enough to just accept his help. He nudged open her bedroom door and walked inside with her to find that Kikyou was in a little bit of an uproar, trying to find out where she'd gone. Kagome sighed softly before she leaned her head lightly underneath Hiei's chin. She really didn't want to have to deal with Kikyou's lectures – it was clear that she still blamed Kagome for the strained relationship between herself and Inuyasha, even though that ship had sailed long ago between the young miko and the inu-hanyou. There was so much tension between the two mikos, even though Kagome hadn't forcefully taken back her soul when she easily could have. The previous miko was living on borrowed time that Kagome gave her, and she still didn't feel the need to help her or ease the relationship between them. However, Inuyasha wouldn't allow anyone else to get a hold of Kikyou, and Sesshoumaru's hands were tied because Inuyasha was the prince of the West.

Hiei frowned gently when she leaned into him, and then he lifted his head to glare at the other miko. "Shut up, woman." He ground out at Kikyou before he moved forward to place Kagome underneath the now clean covers of her bed.

Kikyou glared at the hiyoukai before she said, "I'll do no such thing. I listen to no demon, especially one such as you."

Kagome frowned before she placed a hand over Hiei's as he placed the covers over her – she didn't want the two getting into a fight. "Kikyou, knock it off." She said wearily, as she closed her eyes and lay back on her pillows. A maid came forward to help change her soiled bandages, leaving Hiei free to deal with Kikyou. Before he could say anything though, Sesshoumaru spoke up from the doorway.

"Leave us, miko." He stated coldly, earning a glare from the woman before she left the room without a word. She knew better than to pick a fight with Sesshoumaru. He had made it no secret that he would destroy her clay and ash form with the slightest bit of provocation.

Hiei's eyes locked with the golden ones of the Taiyoukai before he glanced back to Kagome, whose eyes were still closed. She was obviously in pain but she was trying to hold it in so she didn't worry anyone. It made Hiei proud, but at the same time, it pissed him off. Sesshoumaru saw the various emotions cross the elemental demon's eyes but he didn't comment on it.

A moment passed before Kagome's eyes opened and she gave another weak smile to Hiei before she looked to Sesshoumaru. "Be nice." She warned, before she let out a soft breath and drifted off to sleep.

Hiei lifted an eyebrow before he looked back at the expressionless Taiyoukai and couldn't help but smirk. Apparently, the girl had him wrapped around her proverbial little finger. Sesshoumaru glared before stating, "Later."

The so nick-named 'killing perfection' turned and left the room before another word could be said, leaving Hiei with that smirk on his lips – what a strange turn of events. His smirk faltered as he thought of Koenma, and what had happened since he had left on this mission. In the quiet of the room, he scowled before he felt Kagome's familiar power wash over him again and he glanced to her. She was still asleep, but even in sleep she worried about him. It was disconcerting. Taking a seat in a nearby chair, he watched over her before his eyes drifted to the blizzard still raging outside.

A few hours later, he hadn't realized he'd dozed off. Using his Jagan for such an extended period of time had exhausted him; using power that he hadn't trained had made it worse. When he lifted his head, he noticed the bed was empty and Kagome was standing near the window in the room. Her hand was placed on the glass, but she wasn't smiling. In fact, there was sadness in her features, and that irritated him, though he couldn't explain why. He didn't say anything, as he watched her. After a few minutes, she turned her head and blinked lightly in surprise when she realized he'd been watching her.

"Did you sleep well?" She questioned softly.

"You should still be resting." He replied, his tone pointed as he looked at her.

"You're like a broken record." She muttered back as she sighed, a little irritation in her voice, but there wasn't any strength behind it.

He moved to stand at that, his look clearly saying that if she didn't rest he would make her rest. Kagome glared lightly at that look before she looked away back towards the window. She could feel the pain that he had endured – it crawled over her skin, and seeped into her brain. It had bothered her so much she'd had a nightmare about it, which was why she was awake in the first place.

He watched as even more strange, and unusual emotions crossed her face; ones that he didn't understand or comprehend. Quietly, he moved around the bed and came to stand behind her, a frown on his face. He didn't get her – he didn't understand her compassion towards him, an almost stranger. He didn't understand her immortality, or how her soul was trapped in a jewel. He didn't understand where she came from, or where she'd been. He had no idea what she'd been through, but to be honest, she didn't know a thing about him either. It was an odd feeling, but, he was comfortable with her. She had never questioned him, or pressed him to open himself up to her, and it was clear that she was comfortable with him.

Kagome didn't turn around to look at him, but a gentler look came to her eyes before she said softly, "Thank you." There were a million things she could thank him for – for saving her life, for caring for her when he didn't have to, and finally, for staying, when he could have left. She knew though, instinctively, that she didn't have to mention a single thing – Hiei understood.

The two softly whispered words barely reached his ears, but he heard them nonetheless. His expression tightened for a fraction of a second before it eased. She wasn't trying to lure him into a false sense of security. Her power, her warmth, the love, tenderness and compassion he felt wasn't a lie. What she was thanking him for, he didn't quite know, but it was clear again, that he'd done something that she appreciated.

Finally, he just stopped over-thinking it as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He didn't reply, but then again, he knew, instinctively…that he didn't need to.

Somehow they understood one another perfectly.

/end

A/N: Now that everyone has had a chance to read it, I'll let everyone know that this story won first place! I'm my own worst critic, and I would appreciate feedback. Reviews, and favorites are love!

Thank you all!
Kudos!
Sayuri-chan aka animeinvasiongirl