The soft roll of thunder gently stirred the sleeping fox awake. As his eyes adjusted to the pre-dawn light, he inhaled deeply the musty smell the Earth made as She accepted this gift of moisture. Perhaps it was the botanist inside him, but Kurama always loved listening to the rain, especially early in the morning, as he lay quietly with his fire demon safely snuggled in his arms.
Kurama carefully moved his arms away from his lover and slid to the edge of their futon. Hiei resnuggled himself around Kurama's pillow and sighed. The kitsune tilted his head as he smiled, looking down at Hiei's peaceful, child-like face. He then glanced up at the balcony sliding door, who's glass was streaked with tiny rivulets of rain that bounced off the deck like dancing wood sprites found in the Makai. He rose and quietly padded over to the door, opened it just a crack, and leaned on the doorframe, letting the damp breeze brush against his naked body and lift a few strands of crimson away from his face and neck.
Hiei slowly opened his eyes, having felt the sudden change of air in the bedroom. He looked first at the pillow, then realizing it wasn't Kurama, looked up to see the sensual vision of his lover, long red hair cascading down past the small of his back. The Koorime smiled as the early morning shadows played with the outline of Kurama's body. He pushed aside the covers as he got up and walked up to the kitsune. He nestled his face into Kurama's silky tresses and reached his arms around to hug his lover tightly about the waist, letting his body mold into the fox's. Kurama closed his eyes and smiled, letting his head fall back as he covered Hiei's arms with his own, and squeezed back.
"What's goin' on?" Hiei whispered.
"Hm? Oh, nothing, koibito," the kitsune answered, rubbing his hands over the fire demon's. "I just..." he took a deep breath of moist air and sighed. "I just like the rain."
"Hn," Hiei chuckled into Kurama's back. "You're the only one." He pressed himself tighter against Kurama's body, spreading his fingers across his lover's stomach, one hand sliding a little lower to tease the soft crest of curly hair that crowned the kitsune's shaft. He kissed Kurama between the shoulder blades, feeling the fox's backside rub against his belly. Kurama smiled as he felt the warmth of the Koorime's body.
"Come back to bed, fox," Hiei commanded softly. Kurama closed the door and turned around, gathering his lover in his arms. Hiei looked up into Kurama's eyes and frowned.
"There is something bothering you. I can always tell."
"Oh? Can you, now?" Kurama replied with a half-smile, as Hiei pulled him by the hand back to bed. "And how can you tell that, little one?"
"By your eyes."
As they settled back down unto the futon, Kurama lay on his back, with one arm tucked under his head. Hiei propped himself up on his elbow so he could touch his lover's face.
"I can always tell if something's bothering you, kitsune. Your eyes tell me everything." Hiei began to gently stroke Kurama's cheek with his thumb.
"Honto ni? Am I that obvious?"
"Well, maybe not to anyone else," the Koorime said, pushing aside a few red strands from Kurama's forehead to better see the subject of his observation. "Didn't you once tell me that 'the eyes are the windows to one's soul'?"
Kurama's eyebrows arched up.
"I'm impressed, Hiei," the fox commented with a chuckle. "You remembered what I said."
"I remember everything you say," Hiei replied softly, suddenly finding a need to study a small bit of crimson hair.
Kurama rolled onto his side so he was facing his lover. Hiei continued stroking the youko's cheek.
"And what do my eyes tell you, koibito?" Kurama grinned as he snuggled into the pillow.
Hiei studied his life-partner's face for a long time, occasionally tilting his head, frowning, squinting, moving more hair away. Kurama just smiled sweetly, enjoying the attention and the examination.
"I see a lot of secrets, hidden from the rest of the world...." Hiei began, barely audible. Kurama stopped smiling, and his brows knitted together.
"Do you?" he whispered back, feeling his cheeks flush the tiniest bit.
"Hai," Hiei answered very softly, running his thumb lightly across Kurama's eyebrow, causing his fox to close his eyes. "I see dark secrets that are centuries old, hiding in the shadows of your soul." Hiei paused to take a deep breath, then continued. "When we fight, I see a spark of light I never see at any other time, almost like a...a hatred, so deeply routed that it makes me really glad we're on the same side." Kurama opened his eyes with a chuckle.
"Then there are times, when I look in your eyes, that I see a warm glow of peace, like when we're with Yukina or Yusuke and Keiko. There's a calm in your eyes that's really nice. I know nobody else notices this but me, kitsune, but it's there just the same." Kurama's emerald orbs were moving, looking at every nuance of Hiei's face as his lover spoke, almost as if he was trying to remember this moment and this conversation forever.
"What's your least favorite look, koibito?" Kurama nuzzled into Hiei's ear, giving the lobe a slow lick before resting his head against Hiei's shoulder.
"My least favorite look, huh?" Hiei lifted Kurama's chin with his finger, looking deeply into the bottomless green depths.
"You might not like this, kitsune, but...my least favorite look in your eyes is when we come back from your kaasan."
Kurama frowned as Hiei caressed his cheek, gently running his thumb over the smooth, pale skin.
"I saw you try to hide it last night, but there was so much pain in your eyes when we left. I wish I knew what I could do to ease this pain, but I don't understand it. I can't fathom it. I guess having never had a mother to love is easier than having one, and then having to leave her. " Kurama's eyes began to fill with tears.
"Shit. I knew I shouldn't have told you that, kitsune. Gomen nasai." Hiei leaned forward and kissed his fox between the furrowed eyebrows.
"No, that's okay," Kurama sniffled, with a catch in his voice. "I thought I was fooling you, but I guess you caught on. But it's not entirely what you think." Kurama sighed deeply as he rested his head back on his youkai's shoulder. "When I see Shiori I think of all the things I wish I could tell her. I wish I could tell her all about our lives in the Makai, and my life with you there, and even my life before...but... I'm too scared."
"You? Scared? You're the bravest, meanest, most rotten demon - after myself - that I know," Hiei commented with a fierce hug around Kurama's back. Kurama sniffled as he laughed softly.
"I feel like I'm gonna' bust if I don't tell her something, someday, Hiei. She still thinks you have your own place somewhere in the city."
"I could take her to my tree in the Makai, if you'd like, kitsune," Hiei said dryly. Kurama looked up and stared at him for a moment, then snorted.
"Yeah, right, Hiei," Kurama chuckled. "I'd like to see the look in her eyes then!" Kurama smiled up at his lover with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Now, that's almost my favorite look in your eyes, kitsune. When you smile." Hiei pulled Kurama close and began kissing his damp lashes, letting his mouth brush against the moist lids.
"What's your favorite look, koibito?" Kurama whispered in a husky voice. He looked at Hiei with half-lidded eyes that only meant one thing.
The Koorime swallowed hard as he felt his body begin to tremble in anticipation. He wet his lips and let the tip of his tongue touch the tip of an exposed fang.
"This is my most favorite look in your eyes, fox. I can tell just what's on your mind."
"Oh. Can you, now?" Kurama whispered as he captured his lover's lower lip with his mouth. He reached his arm around Hiei's neck and pulled him on top of his body, as the rain continued to tap softly against the balcony window.
The End
Copyright 1998 Julie Farel
Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Togashi Yoshihiro and Jump comics and Studio Peirrot.