Latitude By Silver Shuriken

Part nine

It was almost sundown, but the graceful redheaded figure in the
middle
of the ningenkai forest was oblivious to the coming darkness.  The
youth slowly took out a couple of seeds from his hair and watched
with
satisfaction as they blossomed into hungry looking giant critters. 
The youko took out a single rose from his hair, pausing only to smell
its scent before brandishing it into the air.
"Rose whip!"  He shouted in a calm voice and smiled for the first
time
since he began practicing to get his skills back.  He told no one
about his self-training.  He wanted to relearn everything he knew all
by himself.  Sometimes Yusuke treated him like a porcelain doll, a
delicate, weak figure meant to be guarded and protected most of the
time, but the youko knew better. He was beginning to understand who
he
was and what he was made of.  He watched the rose whip transformed
back into a delicate rose and the demon plants became seeds once
again.  He shifted on his feet and stared upwards.  The sky was
beginning to darken.  No doubt Yusuke would be mad at him again for
failing to disclose his whereabouts.  He sighed and stopped on his
tracks.  There it was again, the dark ki he knew could only belong to
Hiei.
"Come out!  I know you are there!"  The redhead whispered in a cold
voice, the tender lips formed into a hard line.  He knew Hiei had
been
following and watching him whenever he was practicing, when he
thought
he was alone.  But the fire youkai had never appeared before him,
seemingly satisfied just observing him from a distance.  He was a
distant presence that burned persistently on Kurama's consciousness. 
The youko waited tensely until the black-clad figure settled on the
ground from across him.  The two eyed each other silently, Kurama
with
perplexity and Hiei with hostility on his face.  Then unexpectedly,
Hiei nodded with approval at the youko.
"You're getting better."
The youko stared at him wide-eyed.  His spine tingled when the little
youkai suddenly took out his katana and moved fast toward him.
"Now let's see how good you really are!"  Hiei shouted.
A short green appendage suddenly sprouted from Kurama's tightly
closed
fist and transformed into a stunted blade.  The redhead deftly
blocked
the fire youkai's fierce thrust and pushed him away.
"Rose whip!"  The redhead grasped the whip tightly and leaped agilely
when Hiei disappeared and appeared very near him.  The fire youkai
was
fast!  And Kurama was having a hard time seeing his fleeting
movements
with his human eyes.  Finally, the youko took out a couple of seeds
from his hair and threw them on the ground, watched them bloomed into
tall slender stalks.  The stems emitted a smoke that swiftly
encapsulated the whole area.  The redhead smiled when a movement
caught his peripheral vision.  He tightened his hold on the whip and
leaped nimbly into the air.  Brandishing the whip, the youko pulled
hard and the landed on the ground gracefully.  He watched in
astonishment when the swearing fire youkai came falling fast and hard
down at the exact from where he stood.  The youko reflexively held
out
his arms to receive the fire youkai before both fell rolling on
ground.  And then all movements stilled.  Kurama panted for breath
and
opened his emerald eyes to stare in shock at wide ruby eyes.  Their
faces were very close, breaths coming out harshly.
"Get that fucking whip off my leg!"  Hiei suddenly muttered harshly.
Kurama blushed and commanded the whip to slither off the little
youkai's limb.  Hiei grunted and stood up swiftly, cursing under his
breath.  The youko got up shakily.  He grabbed the whip with an angry
gesture.  That was a dumb mistake!  How the hell did he miscalculate
the distance between Hiei and himself?
"Hn.  You are good."  Hiei admitted quietly and turned his back on
the
youko.  Kurama watched the fire demon left with mixed feelings.
There
was something that drew him to the fire demon.  And he found the fire
youkai... beautiful.  The youko finally admitted and then felt guilty.
"Yusuke.  Think of Yusuke."  The redhead murmured to himself.  He
knew
why he was out here in the middle of the forest; he wanted to see
Hiei
again.  The youko began walking back toward Genkai's temple, weary of
heart and empty of soul. 


Hiei had moved as far away from Kurama as possible.  He wanted to
think clearly about his feelings for the stupid youko.  Kurama had
angered him, the night he had seduced him.  And when he discovered
that the youko lost his memory, he got confuse and mad at Kurama at
the same time for forgetting what had happened between them.  And
then
that damn youko blurted out that he already had a new lover and to
realize that the said lover was Yusuke made him see blood.  He had
really wanted to kill Yusuke then for daring to touch Kurama.  Later
when he had time to think things over, he regretted it.  Because as
possessive as he was of the youko, he could not get himself to agree
to have a relationship with him.  Relationships were a complete
mystery to the fire youkai and for him they only meant trouble.  He
had told himself over and over that he was fine with the idea of
Kurama and Yusuke together.  And yet every time he saw the redhead,
the need to have him and be with him surged forth again.  Before
Kurama had lost his memory, he was sure the youko wanted him, but now
that he had Yusuke, his probable chance with the youko was slim.
"Shimatta!"  The fire demon snarled and punched the branch of a pine
tree.  The fire demon gazed moodily into the gloomy landscape. 
Genkai.  If he wanted Kurama back, Genkai was the only one who could
help him.

Continued...