CHAPTER 8
Gone For Ever
"KURAMAAA!!!" Dimly, he was aware that Hiei had screamed his name in a high, anguished tone utterly unlike his normally deep voice. Then a strong, familiar ki flooded him with warmth, soothing the throbbing tissues in his skull, and a hand cupped his head, stemming the flow of blood from the gash in his skin. As his grasp on consciousness strengthened, he became aware of being tightly hugged against a small body. Hiei was staring at him with an expression alarmingly close to panic on his normally scowling face, which was as white as chalk. Kurama suddenly realised the arms that held him, the body that he was pressed against, all were trembling violently.
"Gods, Kurama, I'm never gonna do that again! You - you're all right, aren't you?" Hiei implored, as if he couldn't trust what his now-calm jagan showed him. Kurama nodded - then winced. Yes, he was less hurt than Hiei had feared: the fire demon's ki eased the pain from blow on his head, helped him master the pain that had made him insane for those too-long moments; but no power on earth or in the Makai was going to stop him having a splitting headache for the next couple of hours - and the gash on the back of his head would be sore for days.
Right now he wasn't even aware of his aches and pains, for Hiei - surly, unresponsive Hiei - was kissing him urgently and passionately, a kiss that felt like it had very little to do with lust (for once), and a great deal to do with love.
"Does this mean I'm forgiven, then?" Kurama asked when they broke the kiss at last. The teasing expression in his eyes belied the worry in his heart.
"Forgiven? I should beg you to forgive me!" Hiei responded hotly. "If only I'd trusted you, I wouldn't have put you through that."
"What did you see?" He looked away for a moment, blushing. "I'm not proud of what I did: I didn't really want to remember it...."
"I saw everything: every feeling you have in your heart.... You did it because you thought you wouldn't be good enough to win me.... " Hiei's voice was almost tender. "Stupid fox! It isn't bedroom tricks that keep me here: it's you. Just being with you." A touch of the usual scorn returned to his voice for a moment, before it softened again, and Kurama didn't think he'd ever hear anything more lovable, or more expressive of his little fire demon's affection.
"If you don't want to remember it, then don't! For me, that question's gone for ever. Now I know you need me, and everything I want is right here in my arms." Kurama's eyes widened at what, for Hiei, was the equivalent of a two-hour speech and a book of sonnets; then he smiled happily up at his lover.
"Kiss me again..." he gently pleaded.
Hiei did.