Guard

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: Long time no see, huh? Sorry about that. Lots of other stories were pestering me. In any case, I'm glad everyone liked the previous chapter. Thanks go out to shiorifoxiesmom, fringeperson, Kurama no Miko2003, SanguineFox, KyoHana, Dragon77, Chaseha-Wing, CatOfTha'Dune88, Anonymous Reader, Yuki, If The Bunny Was Dead, DarkAnubisAngel, The Fire In Your Skin, lesfriendly, Kazuya Arsashi008, DarkDragonDreamer, DolceNeko, and femme Kitsune for your feedback. Phew, what a list!

Part 3

Hiei woke feeling better than he had in a long time.

He yawned, stretching out his arms and legs. Last night had done Hiei a world of good. It had taken nearly two hours, but with the help of that ever-so-useful plant he had managed to excise all the stress he'd been under in the past week. The time he had spent in the bath had left him with chafed skin and aching muscles, yet these things gave him a sense of pride not unlike battle scars. In any case, being a little sore now was a small price to pay.

Ending his stretch with a sigh, Hiei sank bonelessly into his chair. He spent a few minutes basking in pleasure. He could certainly see why Kurama had resorted to the plant—it was far more practical than a lover—but if Kurama was using the plant as often as Hiei suspected, it was a bit of a mystery why he wasn't in a constant state of euphoria.

Eventually, Hiei felt pangs in his stomach and decided he should start making breakfast. All that…exercise…had left him hungry, and besides, Kurama would be waking up soon and would need tea for his cramps. No sense in making him wait. Hiei left his chair and rose to his feet, giving his youki a leisurely flex as he did so. Flames burst into life in the fireplace, and Hiei nodded his approval before crossing the room and opening up the pantry.

As predicted, a door soon opened and shut quietly. By this point Hiei was crouched in front of the fire, a tray spread out beside him and a pot of water heating over the crackling flames. Barely audible footsteps crept down the hall, paused, and cautiously resumed. Hiei heard the footsteps come closer and caught the fruity fragrance in the air behind him.

"Good morning," Kurama said tentatively.

Hiei didn't say a word. He didn't even look at Kurama. He knew he would reveal too much—that his voice would be too soft and warm, that his eyes would look at Kurama too fondly.

There was a long stretch of silence as they stared at the flickering flames. Hiei was poking some glowing embers around with his fingers, and Kurama was smoothing his hands over his silvery hair. Neither noticed how the other was fidgeting.

"How is your shoulder?" Kurama tried again, a little more direct.

Hiei raised his hand to the area in question.

"Fine. Better than it was, at least," Hiei said. "You said we could remove the bandages today, didn't you?"

Kurama nodded and reached up to undo the wrappings. While the youko was absorbed in this task, Hiei managed to sneak a glance at him. Kurama's fever seemed to have gone down, but there was a subtle tint of color to his cheeks and mouth. And the scent of that plant's sap was definitely encouraging… Hiei remembered the peachy apricot taste and licked his lips. He was sure he would taste it again, if he just leaned in and caught those tempting lips with his own…

"It does look better," Kurama said, too focused on the wound to see the look on his guard's face. "You should be fine as long as you don't move around too much."

"Guess you were right about that youkin plant after all," Hiei said casually. Kurama flinched at the reminder.

"Hiei… I'm so, so sorry. For everything—for saying those things about you, for taking advantage of your trust, for hurting you. For how I've been acting. I've been completely out of control." Kurama clenched his hands into fists over his lap, now glaring at the floor beside him as if it were the one at fault. "Believe me, I don't want to act like—"

"Like a bitch in heat?" Hiei supplied. Kurama's face flushed. "You do realize that's exactly what you are, right?"

"That's no excuse!"

"How is that not an excuse?"

Kurama frowned resentfully at the floor.

"I'm…supposed to be better than that," he muttered.

"Yes, well, I'm sure everyone thinks they're better than that," Hiei said, well aware of the irony of his statement. "Then they find out that like it or not, they do have hormones."

"But I should have more control over myself. I shouldn't be letting every little thing get to me. I know better, I really do, but I can't stop myself. It's ridiculous." Kurama sighed. "What I did to you with the youkin plant was…rash. I could have used another plant, but I was so angry with you and I—" Kurama closed his eyes and shook his head. "I shouldn't have done it."

"You're right, you shouldn't have. You're lucky it was me and not someone else, or you'd probably be dead now," Hiei said bluntly. He paused for a moment to let that sink in. It was true, after all. Provoking a strong youkai was the stupidest thing Kurama could do in his condition, and Hiei didn't want him repeating the mistake. "That said… It wasn't only your fault. I was trying to push you, it's only natural that you'd push back. So let's just call it even and put it behind us."

Kurama stared at him, looking taken aback. Hiei quirked an eyebrow and Kurama smiled.

"I never expected to hear something like that from you," he said lightly. "You sounded very mature."

Hiei snorted and rolled his eyes. "Hn."

The youko broke into laughter, and the sound rolled over Hiei as surely as the waves of hot water had last night. He wanted to stay here, let Kurama's laughter pour over him and warm him to his bones in a way he had never felt before. This was the way it should be between them—no tension, no angry outbursts and power plays. Everything was right again. Perhaps more right than it ever had been, Hiei realized with surprise. Had he felt this comfortable with Kurama before?

The lid of the pot started to rattle around, and Hiei reached forward to retrieve it with his bare hands. Kurama quickly looked down at the breakfast tray sitting nearby, picked up the teacup and held it out. Hiei ladled in some water over the bag of raspberry leaves.

"Thank you," Kurama murmured.

"Pass me the plate," Hiei said, nodding at the plate on the tray.

Kurama set his cup down again so the tea could steep and gave Hiei the plate of cold rabbit and root vegetables. While Hiei used a knife to push the plate's contents into the pot, Kurama's tail batted peaceably against the floor.

"You know, I'm not sure I even need the tea anymore," Kurama spoke up in a conversational way. "I'm feeling well today."

Hiei almost dropped the knife and plate into the pot.

"I…I see," Hiei rasped, his mouth suddenly dry. "Good. That's good…"

Kurama smiled a little and Hiei felt heat creeping up his neck. He hastily looked away from the youko, instead devoting his attention to stirring curry into the pot. He did his best to focus on making breakfast, but he couldn't keep his mind from wandering to what Sonomi had said. 'Kurama's cramps should ease up around the same time she starts running clear, and then she'll be in a much better mood. In fact, you probably won't be able to keep her off you…'

"Hiei?"

The fire youkai jerked and glanced at the pot to make sure he hadn't let it boil over. Seeing that everything was under control, he sent a confused look at his partner. Kurama tucked his chin down the way he always did when he was trying to look cute enough to ask for something.

"I was wondering," Kurama said with a shy tone in his voice, "if you would mind if I went outside with you today." Hiei's face darkened, and Kurama quickly elaborated. "I know it's dangerous for me to go out in my condition, but I'm sure it would be safe if I stayed with you."

"I don't think so."

"But you didn't even consider—"

"What's there to consider? Kurama, even hidden away in here, your scent has got every youko within a hundred miles after your tail. Imagine how many more would come if you went outside. It would be like inviting them right into the den."

"I understand that," Kurama said, his coyness giving way to a hint of his true desperation, "but I haven't left all week. You know foxes don't do well in captivity, and that's exactly what this feels like."

A frown tugged at Hiei's lips. He knew there was truth to Kurama's words. Kurama, like most youkai, hated being chained down. It was sheer survival instinct. Still, when they both had been relatively rational, they had agreed that confining Kurama to the den was the best course of action. It was the only way to keep him safe. They had put up with it for the past week because they knew it was the safest option, and it would all be wasted if Kurama left and got himself caught now.

"Can't you wait a few more days?" Hiei said finally.

"But I need it now."

"I said no."

"Just for an hour?"

Hiei turned to glare at Kurama, but when he saw his friend's face he couldn't help but flinch. Kurama was giving him that look: longing, pleading, like he would waste away if Hiei didn't give him what he wanted. The little youkai scowled and turned back to the fire. He was susceptible enough to Kurama's influence without that look.

"Please, Hiei," Kurama said again, the rawness of his voice making Hiei's stomach twist. "Please."

…Damn it.

"One hour," Hiei said, sounding much weaker than he'd expected. He felt like a pushover. When Kurama's face broke into a grateful smile, he felt even worse for taking pleasure in Kurama's happiness. He coughed and said in a firm voice, "You're coming right back here after that, and I want you in my sight at all times."

"That's fine," Kurama agreed. He sat quietly after that, his tail thumping happily beside him as he watched Hiei prepare their breakfast.

They took their time eating. Kurama came back for seconds—he seemed to have a healthy appetite this morning—and he praised Hiei's cooking so highly it was almost indecent. Once they had finished their meal, Hiei put on his cloak and went outside to check if it was safe. The heavy snow that had accompanied yesterday's battle had stopped; only a few lonely snowflakes drifted down from the trees. Hiei didn't see any tracks in the snow other than his own. Frowning, he did a quick sweep of the area with his Jagan and sensed nothing but harmless animals.

Strange… There should be at least a few youkai lurking around… Red eyes stared suspiciously out at the white and black landscape. Something about this put him on edge.

"Weren't you supposed to stay inside until the coast was clear?" Hiei said when he sensed the shift of Kurama's delicate energy behind him. The last of the raspberry brambles bent out of the way, curving to form an easy path for their master.

"Do you see anyone?" Kurama asked.

"…No," Hiei grudgingly admitted. "But there could have been."

"Perhaps you scared them all away," Kurama suggested brightly.

Possible, but not probable. Hiei turned to his partner and opened his mouth, but one look at Kurama made him forget what he was going to say. He was too distracted by Kurama's eagerly flushed cheeks and shining, slightly dilated eyes.

Damn it! Hiei cursed himself, frustratedly looking away. What is wrong with me? Am I going to cave every time he so much as bats an eye at me? He tried to hold onto this feeling, to stay tense and fortify himself with anger, but it soon gave way to the heavy sigh and slumped shoulders of resignation.

Who was he kidding? He had always been easy prey. He would give anything for the people he loved—it was hardwired into his system as surely as his attraction to the color red—and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he couldn't resist. Kurama knew it and manipulated him to no end, sometimes just for fun; Yusuke took advantage of him whenever he needed it; he was putty in Yukina's hands, too, though she was too kind to use him the way Kurama and Yusuke did. So many people knew his inner weakness, it scared him.

"Hiei, we're not going to stand here the whole time, are we?" Kurama asked.

Hiei shoved his hands in his pockets. "Go where you like. I'll follow you."

Kurama's tail flicked—no. It wagged.

"Try to keep up," Kurama smirked, eyes glittering. Then that tail very deliberately swatted Hiei in the face, and Kurama was off in a flurry of white robes and silver hair.

Hiei wiped a hand over his face to remove a few strands of fur.

Someone's feeling playful, Hiei thought, darting after Kurama. He didn't really understand why the youko wanted to race with him. Kurama knew perfectly well that Hiei was faster than him, so what was the point in running at all?

But then, Kurama had said many times that the journey was more important than the destination. Perhaps Hiei was too focused on the end result to appreciate what it took to get there. Hiei decided to slow down, just enough that he didn't immediately catch Kurama, and tried to enjoy the chase the way Kurama obviously did. There was no need to rush, anyway: Hiei didn't even know what he'd do with Kurama once he caught him. It wasn't like he would exact any real revenge for Kurama's playful tricks. So Hiei let the youko lead him, zigzagging through the forest, Kurama running across the snowy ground and Hiei flickering between tree branches above him.

Once in a while Hiei left the trees and took to the ground so he could talk to the fox.

"You know you can't run forever," Hiei called as he ran alongside Kurama. He was so close he could reach out and touch him, and they both knew it. They could have ended this chase a long time ago, but Hiei was starting to understand why it was so fun for Kurama and wasn't entirely sure he wanted to stop.

"I'll run as long as you chase," Kurama answered, "and I'll stop as soon as you catch me."

"Back to stating the obvious, are you?" Hiei scoffed.

"You'd be surprised how often the obvious eludes us."

And so their conversation went. As he followed the swirls of silver and white, Hiei had the feeling that he really should end this soon—because it was starting to feel like there was something more important that would come when he did. Objectively speaking this was just a game of tag, but somehow it felt…preparatory. Like it was a prelude to something else. Hiei felt his pulse speeding up as it truly dawned on him that he was not simply running, but chasing. And more and more he wondered, just what would happen when he caught his prey?

Hiei let Kurama run for a while longer, as long as it took for him to gather his courage. The pursuit was familiar and what lay beyond was a mystery, but he wanted to face it. By the time Hiei leapt down from his branch and tackled his friend to the ground (hadn't he dreamed about this once?), he was flushed and panting. But he was ready for whatever might happen.

"Got you," Hiei rumbled low in his throat.

Kurama's body shook beneath him. Hiei blinked uncertainly, not sure what this meant. He set his hands on the ground so he could push himself up and give Kurama some room to move. The fox buried his fingers in the ground, digging into the snow beneath him, and let out a tiny whimpering growl.

"Kurama?"

The growl turned into a moan, and Hiei found Kurama's body moving under him, pushing up against him, onto hands and knees. Hiei carefully slid off Kurama's back and stared at him. He recognized the position they had just been in and he wondered if Kurama had done it on purpose. He watched that beautiful, trembling body and felt something in his own body tighten with anticipation. He wasn't imagining it; this was really happening between them, finally, finally…

"Hiei…"

When Kurama turned his head to look at Hiei, his face was flushed and his eyes shining. The youko looked like Hiei's reflection in the mirror had last night. Eager, wanting, ready.

"Hiei," Kurama said again, his voice reverberating through the little youkai's whole body.

Caught up in the moment, in that seductive voice and those molten gold eyes, Hiei might have done exactly what they both wanted him to do. He might have leapt forward, tackled that beautiful and infuriating youko to the ground a second time, and acted on every single desire that had crossed his mind since that first sticky wet dream so long ago. He might have given up, given in, given it all to Kurama then and there—regardless of what he and Kurama had agreed upon when they both had been rational enough to think things through.

But this was not to be. At that very moment, fate crashed in on the two youkai in the form of a large swordhilt. The blow to the back of his head knocked Hiei unconscious almost instantly, so he didn't have the chance to make his second mistake of the day.

The first, of course, had been letting Kurama out of the den.

End Part 3 of "Guard"

A/N: So, there we go. I hope this chapter was okay, even if I cut it off before any of the good stuff could happen. Sorry, but I promise there will be at least one real HieixKurama lemon before the story ends (along with lots of other citrus along the way). Hang in there!

-I kind of hate myself for using the old 'romantic pursuits as a chase' metaphor, but I was listening to "Wild Wind" and couldn't get the image out of my head. So, crappy metaphors it is.

-Why is Hiei attracted to the color red? Well, the spirit of Mt. Hiei is said to favor the color red, which symbolizes life, fertility, and protection from sickness. He is also the patron of childbirth and associated with the number three. I think it's pretty reasonable to say that Hiei would favor red since most of the other lore applies. …And it just happens to back up my theory that Hiei has a thing for redheads. :P

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