Warnings: minor angst, vampirism, shonen ai, lemon
Pairings: KuramaxHiei, vague reference to BiulaxHiei
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina (a) hotmail . com
Complete Archive: www . geocities . com / arigatomina
Blood Lust
Part 2
Kurama never sensed Hiei. Although he was in tune with Hiei's distinct youki, it was far too low for his human form to feel. Another youki signature screamed at him, strong enough to wake him from a dead sleep.
The house was silent, usual for the time of night now that his mother had moved in with her new husband. There had been no contact with the Makai for so long that it took seconds before Kurama knew for certain he wasn't imagining the dark youki.
He wasn't, and it emanated from beneath his bedroom window. A brief glimpse of something hulking and dark, glowing blue eyes, met him before the youki seemed to vanish suddenly.
Kurama didn't pause to wonder at his visitor. He threw the window open and lept lightly to the ground. His intention was to follow the demon since it had obviously sought him out.
He nearly fell over the dark form lying at his feet.
A burn started in his chest, radiating outward until his fingers tingled and he dropped to his knees, brushing past dark hair to touch a pale neck. A long minute passed where he couldn't find a pulse, but he heard a quiet bubbling sound and saw Hiei's shoulder shift, just a bit, as he took a short breath. The sound made his eyes widen more and jolted him into motion.
The slender youkai was wearing his usual cloak, but it was damp, dark red showing on his hand when he touched Hiei's arm. Ignoring the questions running through his mind, he turned his friend onto his back, lifting him carefully. He was almost grateful that Hiei made no sound of the pain movement might have caused, but he was sure the silence was a bad sign.
Inside was the normal place to take an injured person, but Kurama had walled in the garden weeks ago, and he knew he'd need easy access to nature if he were going to help Hiei.
His steps were graceful and quick as he tried not to shake Hiei, his eyes falling again to the dark patch over the demon's forehead. The jagan was closed, but the skin surrounding it was a bruised shadow, a small trickle of blood having caught in Hiei's eyebrow. That scared him more than anything.
.-.
His chest burned. That was the first thing Hiei registered. It wasn't a sharp pain, just heat, as if his chest were filled with acid. He didn't choke when he took a quick breath, and his eyelashes fluttered at the sound of movement. Then something squirmed against his hand.
Hiei's eyes snapped open, bright light wetting them until he squinted against it.
"Hiei."
Vivid red eyes flicked to him, and Kurama sighed. His hand fell to Hiei's shoulder, ready to hold him if he tried to move. Those eyes followed his other hand, watching him wave the plant away from Hiei's jagan.
Hiei turned his head, staring at the vines wrapped around his right arm, and anger rapidly replaced his confusion. He didn't have to ask what those vines were doing. He could feel them pulsing against his skin, the rest of the limb numb.
Of course, Kurama would heal him. Biula must have known that from the start, must have brought him directly to the redhead.
A dome of plants arched over them and Hiei wondered where they were. Not that it mattered.
His eyes turned back to Kurama, and he waited to see how much the youko knew.
"I'm not a doctor," Kurama said softly, his expression neutral for the moment, "but your ribs ripped through one of your lungs. And you nearly lost your right arm." Hiei didn't give any reaction and Kurama's eyes narrowed, a hint of fury sliding through. "Who did it?"
"Where are we?" Hiei countered.
He was frowning down at the tiny vines that seemed to be coming out from inside his chest. There was no pain, only that hot burn. He could handle heat.
"In my backyard," Kurama glared.
He took his hand away from Hiei's shoulder and folded his legs beneath him, sitting at Hiei's side. A bright plant curved over his shoulders so the small demon wasn't in his shadow. Kurama didn't pay it any attention. He might have had trouble calling plants from the Makai in the past, but he no longer even had to shift forms to do so, now.
"Someone brought you here," said Kurama. "Who?"
"You didn't see?"
Those green eyes glared at him. Hiei ignored them, closing his own eyes carelessly. Whether it was Biula's plan or not, he'd have accepted the healing if necessary. But it wasn't necessary.
His eyelids were heavy again and he could feel that throb in his forehead, strumming down his back. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, but his body was telling him it wasn't for long enough. The quickest way to heal now was to sleep and let his body recover on its own.
Something pressed on his closed jagan, a shard of pain bolting through his neck. Hiei jerked his head up, giving Kurama an incredulous stare.
"Don't you dare!" Kurama warned, wincing a bit since he knew he'd hurt him more. "You can't heal yourself like that, and I need you conscious."
Hiei still looked shocked. Kurama shook his head, brushing the bruised skin around Hiei's jagan with a soft, moist cloth. At least he could undo his own harm by numbing the area. "I know you think you can regain your youki like that, but you don't have enough blood to sustain you during such a deep sleep, Hiei."
Kurama was just grateful Hiei hadn't been comatose when he'd found him or he'd never have woken him, ever. His eyes narrowed again, his hand curling around the damp cloth. "Tell me who did it, Hiei. Now."
There was no way in hell. Kurama wasn't even supposed to know. As familiar as Hiei was with the human side of the youko, he was sure Kurama would rush out and attack Biula. That would make the pain for nothing, pointless.
Kurama's words did make him hesitate in going to sleep. He knew he'd lost blood, obviously, but his jagan was seldom wrong and it was the thing pushing him to close his eyes. He'd always recovered on his own, aside from the time Mukuro had brought him back from death. He was no where near that now.
Confident in his own abilities, Hiei gave a droll glare and firmly closed his eyes.
"Stop that!" Kurama growled, jerking Hiei's shoulders off the soft grass bedding. "You've lost too much blood. Do you understand? Even a youkai can't replenish that on his own."
Hiei didn't open his eyes, but his lips curved downward. "Let go."
"Hiei..."
Red eyes snapped open wide and Hiei stared at the silver-haired youko leaning over him.
Kurama knew better! While Hiei had been attracted to the youko since the first time he'd seen him, the forceful nature had turned him away. The thought of that one instance came too close with what he'd just gone through. Kurama had never shifted around him after that first and only time. He couldn't believe Kurama would use the form now, knowing he was defenseless and injured.
Hiei hissed through his bared teeth, his eyes narrowing to slits. "What are you doing?"
"You won't listen," Kurama murmured, golden eyes sliding over Hiei's bruised torso.
His gaze paused on the wounded arm and hand, a thought shifting the vines until the small demon was sitting up. Hiei's gaze was more than wary, it was bordering on stark panic. Kurama knew why, and it hurt to know Hiei expected an attack, even if it was his own fault.
Kurama frowned, his golden eyes dark. "I didn't want to force you. But you leave me no choice."
"You think I'll obey that form more?" Hiei growled, glaring suddenly. "Baka!"
"I never wanted you to obey me," Kurama frowned, shrugging the white cloth off his shoulders. "If you weren't so damned set against listening, you'd know there isn't another choice. I didn't choose this form because you dislike it, Hiei. I chose it because I'm stronger this way. You need more blood than my human form can spare."
Hiei's wariness turned to sharp anger. He jerked against the vines, barely wincing at the abrupt pain in his arm.
He could imagine now, what Biula was thinking, bringing him to Kurama. If the youko gave him blood, Biula could have both the next time. It was too much.
"I don't want it," Hiei growled, his left hand curling and pulling at the vines imbedded in the skin. "Let me go!"
The thin, living vines loosened a bit around his arm, but tightened when he tried to grab at the vines protruding from his chest. "Now!"
He was glaring downward, but his head jerked back when Kurama grabbed him. His breath caught in his chest, a sudden flashback stringing past his eyes as strong arms pulled him close against the youko's chest. For a moment he was completely frozen. Only when he realized the youko wasn't doing anything but holding him, did he breathe again.
"What are you doing...?" Hiei whispered.
"I never should have let you stay in the Makai," Kurama growled, a light hand brushing thick black hair. "I knew I shouldn't have."
"Kurama?"
"I knew you'd be noticed."
The back beneath his arm was tense and Kurama rubbed it slowly. Hiei didn't take himself seriously, didn't know his own worth. He was completely unaware of how much of a temptation he was to other demons, with his lithe masculine form, those wide animalistic eyes, and his daunting spirit.
Kurama knew he'd been one of the select few to ever get close to Hiei. He'd only let him go because to hold him would be to break that trust they had. Hiei wasn't one to be tied down, controlled, not by anyone.
Kurama had learned that the one other time he'd allowed his youko nature to dominate him in Hiei's presence. It had taken months and the death of a friend to get Hiei to trust him again. That was a mistake Kurama had been careful not to repeat. If there were another option, he wouldn't take the form now. But there wasn't.
"Who touched you?" Kurama murmured. Hiei's head was pressed to his shoulder and he held it when the demon tried to move.
"Stop asking that," Hiei muttered.
If he weren't so tired he'd have bitten the damned youko. He didn't know what Kurama was thinking, but he didn't like to be held, certainly not like this. Hiei knew from his time in the Ningenkai that the embrace was a way of showing affection, so he supposed he could put up with it. If only Kurama would stop asking questions he refused to answer. "I want to sleep..."
"Soon," Kurama promised, his fingers threading through thick, velvety hair as he lifted Hiei onto his lap. "This won't take long."
Hiei had realized he was naked the moment he woke, but he hadn't thought anything about it. It wasn't as if he and Kurama hadn't been lovers, and it was easier for the fox to heal him without clothes to get in the way. Now he felt incredibly vulnerable, mostly because he was sitting on the youko's lap while slender fingers slid over his thighs.
Hiei's left hand clenched around the vines holding him still. "Don't!"
Kurama's voice was low, whisper soft, but radiating the fury bubbling beneath his cool exterior. "Why do you think he raped you while he drank your blood? It's common practice to steal youki at the same time. I'll give you mine."
"I don't want it!" Hiei spat.
Those vines held him still, more circling his waist and lifting him until his face was above Kurama's pale, muscled shoulder. "I don't need it, blood or youki!"
"Calm down," Kurama murmured, pressing a soft kiss on the adamant demon's bruised chest. "I'll be careful, I won't hurt you. I've already healed most of the damage, so it shouldn't hurt."
"Will you listen?"
A hand caught his chin and Hiei glared into mellow golden eyes, baring his small fangs. "I said no...!"
This was why he despised the youko, the cool expression in the face of his anger. The youko wasn't just a predator who'd rape him and have done with it, he was a twisted bastard who'd torture him until his own body betrayed him. He was the dark side of someone Hiei trusted completely. Kurama would have listened, he was sure of it, if he didn't have the youko's mindset.
Lips brushed over his, and the youko leaned forward, pressing against his cheek.
"Hiei," Kurama murmured, "I am listening. It won't be like last time, I promise. And it'll be nothing like what he did to you. You need this, whether you believe it or not. I know you do..."
He could feel it now, the low hum of Hiei's youki, so low his human form couldn't even catch a breath of it. How much of that small reserve would the jagan suck up in order to replenish the blood loss? He shuddered to imagine it. Hiei might have confidence in the implant's ability, but Kurama was well aware that it fed off Hiei's own power. Hiei couldn't heal on his own. But Hiei wouldn't thank him for this.
Hiei didn't know what the vines were doing besides holding him. He assumed from the burn in his injured areas that they were healing at the same time. But when his head shifted down against his will, he realized those tiny vines served another purpose.
He found his mouth pressing against Kurama's shoulder, his face hidden near the youko's neck. His eyes widened and he made a muffled sound of protest. His teeth sank down without hesitation, a slight cut in the pale skin. And he began drawing the blood out in a slow and steady stream, his mind flying at the thought of those vines somehow controlling his entire body.
Kurama gave a soft groan, and Hiei glared against that pale skin. He wondered if the blood loss hurt the youko as much as it had him. He almost hoped it did.
The burn made Kurama tilt his head back. It wasn't painful so much as uncomfortable. He knew it felt much better for Hiei. Youko blood was as close to a natural aphrodesiac as it came. He could feel the proof pressing close to his stomach.
He distracted himself by shifting Hiei down onto him, his eyes closing at the tight heat. An involuntary moan passed his lips, and he relaxed his control enough so Hiei could pull his face away for a quick gasp. Kurama knew the sudden entry hadn't hurt him, but it was rather abrupt.
Red eyes glared at him, and Kurama pressed a quick kiss to Hiei's lips, not minding the hateful expression. He had a hand buried in Hiei's thick hair and he pressed him down again, wincing when those small but sharp teeth latched onto him.
The vines held Hiei's arms back, out of the way so the healing wouldn't be interfered with, but those strong legs were mobile enough. Despite the protests and glares, Kurama knew Hiei didn't mind the sex itself. His lover was supporting himself and moving with him, rather than against him.
Hiei's stomach rebelled against the taste of the coppery liquid. It wasn't his own, and his body knew it. But his veins were throbbing pleasantly, warmth rolling over him.
Suddeny, drinking was necessary for his survival. His instincts surged to the surface and silenced any protest he might have thought up. He found himself growling against Kurama's pale skin, pausing only for an occasional breath. And he thought again of what he'd known before. Youko blood was intoxicating, but not poisonous, not now.
Kurama moved his hips, and Hiei's eyes closed tight at the pleasure on top of his thrumming blood haze. He growled around the youko's neck, pressing his chest closer to that warm skin. The movement inside him spread the burn, and his hands twitched, longing to grab Kurama's shoulders.
Gasping a quick breath, Kurama tightened his hold in Hiei's hair. His eyes closed to slits and he hissed at the fiery burn throbbing in his veins. "Easy, Hiei, easy..."
A small sound rose in his throat and he winced from it, his voice a bare whisper. "You're...going too fast..."
He didn't think Hiei would hear him, but the teeth clamped on his neck loosened a bit. The burn in his veins immediately calmed back to a steadier ache.
His body was trying to rebel against the act, his instincts telling him to pull Hiei's head back and simply thrust into him until he found release. Only that would be enough to repay the youko for what he was giving here.
Kurama crushed that indignant protest. It didn't matter if he enjoyed himself, it wasn't for him. Hiei needed this, whether it hurt his own pride or not.
Heavy breaths threw his hair and Kurama closed his eyes, listening to the tiny growls Hiei emitted. He'd never heard Hiei make that sound before, but it sent warm satisfaction through him. That almost made up for the loss of youki.
The blood he gave without expecting a return, but it was against his nature to release youki willingly. No demon could simply pour his life energy into another the way a human could. As a youko, it was like cutting off his own tail and using it as a throw rug. Kurama was certain, he'd only have done it for the young demon pressing against him, for Hiei, only for his mate.
The light weight lifted from his shoulder and Kurama smiled, not stilling his arms as he continued the slow thrusts that were lulling his defenses just enough for the youki transfer.
"Daijoubu," Kurama whispered, sighing when a warm tongue brushed the small wounds. "I've more blood than you...Hiei. You know how much you need..."
Hiei should have reminded the youko that he didn't want it, and he would have, if he'd been capable of rational thought. His legs matched Kurama's hips, and he growled at the hot current, his tongue rubbing the soft skin of the youko's neck, carressing it, worshipping it.
He turned his head slowly, his eyes half-lidded with passion as he stared up at the youko's face, willing those pale eyes to open. And they did, golden eyes dropping to pass a heated gaze over his lips. He opened his mouth and pushed upward, meeting the kiss halfway.
The tempo shifted immediately. Kurama moved harder into him, faster, deeper, and Hiei groaned as his tongue roved the youko's hot mouth, memorizing the flavor and relishing in the freedom. A part of him wondered that he was allowed to initiate the kiss, that he wasn't being overwhelmed or mauled. But he couldn't find the will to care.
Hiei pulled away, his mouth seeking a warm path down Kurama's neck before settling on that slight wound again. Something had changed inside of him. He found his body craving the youko's blood, wanting to feel that heady intoxication that let him forget any and all discomfort.
Intoxicating, he thought, wincing at the tight grip on his hips, it was almost too intoxicating.
He pulled back again, licking his lips as he stared at the bite mark. "Kurama?"
"Finished?" Kurama asked, his hips stilling as he paused, embedded in the little demon. "Do you want me to stop, now?"
Every part of Kurama cried outrage at the very idea, threatening to boycot him from ever again profaining a youko with such mindless submission. Kurama clamped down on that furious protest, ignoring it as he turned his calm eyes on Hiei. His lover blinked at him for a second before frowning sharply.
The youko was asking him? The same youko who'd spent hours doing his damnedest to reduce him to tears, him, for whom to cry was to die...
Hiei shifted sharply, his muscles clenching tight around the hard length inside him. He closed his eyes and ducked his head.
"A stupid question," he muttered, his forehead resting on Kurama's shoulder. "Why would you ask me that...?"
"I told you," Kurama said solemnly, fingers curling in Hiei's hair. "I'm only doing this to give you what your body needs to live. I'd never take advantage of you when your youki is so low, Hiei, never. You should know better than that...I thought I'd regained your trust in that..."
"Ch'."
Hiei tightened his muscles again, drawing a soft growl from the youko. "Finish it."
"Gladly," Kurama breathed.
Being very careful, Kurama lowered Hiei onto his back, vines churning to get out of the way and holding the demon's injured arms held out to either side. His hand slid down, feather light over the red scratches on Hiei's stomach. He'd stopped the bleeding earlier, and they were already starting to heal now that blood was available to close the wounds.
Once Kurama was satisfied with the impromptu inspection, he moved his hand lower, long fingers curling around Hiei's arrousal. His lover's eyes were closed when he leaned down, but they flicked open as his face neared, red eyes boring into him. There was no hint of the wary distrust he'd seen before, and Kurama blamed it on the blood.
A youko was a sensual demon by nature, and his blood had many redeeming qualities. He never planned to have it taken again, but he knew this might be the only time Hiei would accept his youko form so eagerly. He had no choice but to take advantage of that.
Hiei's small mouth opened beneath him and their tongues twined, red eyes hidden by dark lashes. Kurama didn't pull away until his lover gasped against him. He ducked his face down, his forehead pressing Hiei's shoulder as he kept his weight off the slight demon.
Hiei wasn't growling any more, but the quick breaths ended on a slightly higher note than Kurama remembered. He smiled against Hiei's skin, moving faster into that delicious heat. He'd missed this, missed him and everything about him.
.-.
The sun was up by the time Kurama woke, but it barely filtered through the nest he'd made, and he knew no one would be visiting so early.
For a moment, he was surprised he'd fallen asleep, but it made sense. He had lost a lot of blood and youki the night before. He felt normal enough after his long sleep. He didn't have Hiei's injuries to compound the loss, so his body was quick to recover.
Soft breaths fell on Kurama's chest, and he smiled. He turned his head a bit without opening his eyes, just to feel the light tug on his long red hair, the living warmth spread out on his chest.
In the past, Hiei would never have fallen asleep on him. It had taken forever just to get Hiei used to sleeping in the same bed with him. Hiei had kept waking up to fight against the thing touching him. Kurama had carried various bruises for months before the involuntary attacks faded away, and not once had he regretted the effort. It was worth it to feel Hiei sleep, warm and peaceful against him.
Kurama's smile turned into a smirk as he remembered how a particularly violent wakening had changed into as sweet an apology as Hiei could give. He'd woken to find himself wrapped around his lover, and Hiei had woken to find himself held down by an unknown enemy. That wakening had been quite painful, but the appology had more than made up for it.
Hiei had his quirks, definitely the pickiest of Kurama's lovers. But he was also the only lover Kurama had ever been so eager to please, the only one he'd given free access to his body and his heart.
He'd given up the youko for him, after finally regaining the form. That spoke of how strongly he felt, if only Hiei took the time to realize it.
Kurama lifted his head, his smile fading as he looked over the slender demon sleeping on him.
He must have disengaged the vines last night, though he didn't remember doing so. Hiei's arm was dark with bruises, but the bone was back in place, scabs having formed sometime during his sleep. Even the black tattoo had somehow grown back, no longer torn.
That caught Kurama's eye, and he glared at his thoughts. He couldn't imagine what sort of demon would be so strong as to tear Hiei up that much. Hiei had visited him, not too long ago, and he'd been as strong as ever, at least a lower S class. The demon responsible had to be horribly strong to best Hiei.
Kurama wanted the murder for himself, but he was not beyond seeking assistance if necessary. If he couldn't take the demon himself, he'd do it with a team. Either way, as soon as he got a name, that demon was dead.
His fingers brushed Hiei's left hand, touching the indentions where teeth had cut through. That would take longer to heal, and he hoped it wouldn't scar. It had been a semicircle of holes when he'd first seen it. He was just glad Hiei's hand hadn't been bitten in half. That spoke of large teeth, meaning the demon probably wasn't humanoid in appearance, at least not much.
Kurama wasn't sure yet if the demon who'd dropped Hiei off was the culprit, but if so, it certainly explained the strength. His little lover was able to absorb incredibly strong impacts, but his ribs had been broken completely, shards stabbed through his lung. And all that from the same spot, the large fist-shaped bruise told him as much. Large hands were also needed to explain the spread of the claw marks on Hiei's stomach.
The injuries gave Kurama features, but he'd need a name to find the demon responsible.
His eyes dropped to Hiei's relaxed expression, and he gave a silent sigh of resignation. The name of Hiei's attacker wouldn't be given without a fight, and he knew it.
Kurama rubbed the back of his hand over Hiei's soft cheek. Then he lowered his head again. Hiei's sleep was not jagan-induced, but natural. He'd wait until his lover woke on his own. The moment he was up, Kurama would get his answers.
PREQUEL 2: Insatiable
YYH Index
Home