Locke: *gasp* Gods, you’re writing something serious! Mina: Hai. I do that every now and then--just to throw you guys off ^_~ Disclaimer: Sue me. Please? I’ve been trying to get rid of these college textbooks for months… Notes: This fic has undergone a MAJOR overhaul. In the beginning, it was supposed to be based on the novel "Blindness". It has since been completely redone, and several of my ideas have changed--although it does still feature the White Blindness from the novel. Also, there is shounen-ai in this, folks. So, if Hiei and Kurama being more than friends bothers you, you might wanna skip this.

PART ONE
SIGHTLESS

"May I take your order, sir?" Keiko asked, her pen poised over the pad of paper in her hand. She kept her arms away from her stained white apron and fought the urge to glare at the man while he contemplated his decision. She cast a quick glance around the restaurant, noting how many customers she had yet to serve, and began to tap her foot impatiently.

"I think…" She returned her attention to the undecided customer at his utterance. "I believe… I guess I’ll take… No, I’m in the mood for… Wait a minute…"

I don’t have all day! she screeched in her mind, wiping her forehead with the outside of her wrist, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. It was uncharacteristically hot--even for a summer evening. Even rolling her sleeves up to her shoulders and wearing denim cut-offs did little good.

"I guess I’ll settle for a bowl of ramen," the man reasoned at last.

"My pleasure, sir," Keiko managed through clenched teeth, scribbling down the order as she made her way to the next patron.

After gathering several more orders, Keiko tore the sheets off the pad of paper and set them on the ledge of the window joining the kitchen and counter.

"Hey, lady!" a voice snapped.

Keiko looked over her shoulder and stifled a retort. "Yes, sir?"

"Where’s my food, anyway? I ordered ten minutes ago!"

Please kill me… "One moment, sir."

But before Keiko could shout to the cook to hurry up, the bustling noises of the shop were overrode by the sudden telltale sound of a stack of plates crashing to the floor. "Seung?!" Keiko called, rushing to the door leading to the kitchen. "Are you all right?!"

She gasped when she entered the kitchen. Shattered fragments of glass were everywhere. "Seung? What happened?"

The cook was hunched over in the middle of the floor, his entire body shaking with convulsions, whimpering incomprehensible phrases.

Keiko cautiously ventured closer, the clamor of customer’s impatient voices becoming a quiet buzzing in the back of her mind. "Seung? Speak to me?" She knelt next to her cook and gently touched his shoulder. "What is it?" She gasped softly when she realized he was sobbing, most likely in terror.

"I’m blind…" he whimpered, over and over again.

Keiko blinked. Surely she couldn’t have heard that right… "What did you say?"

"I’m blind," he repeated, and then, as though just then becoming aware of the fact himself, he started screaming. "I’m blind! I’m blind! I’m BLIND!"

Keiko started for a moment, frozen with shock, but quickly shook herself out of it and seized Seung’s shoulders. "Seung, calm down. Just try to stay relaxed."

"I can’t see anything! I CAN’T SEE!"

Keiko tried shaking him. "I can’t help you if you don’t stay calm, Seung."

"Someone help! Someone do something! I can’t see!"

Behind them, Keiko could sense the doorway filling with curious customers, eager to see what the commotion was about. "Call an ambulance!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Now!" she barked when there was no immediate movement. A plump, middle-aged woman jumped and scampered toward the phones. Keiko drew Seung into a comforting embrace and rocked the man back and forth. "We’re gonna get help, Seung. Just stay calm."

But her words did nothing to console the older man, and his shrieks continued to rip through the shop.

"I’M BLIND!!!"

"I’m sorry, Hiei… Really, I am." Kurama stifled a sigh when Hiei didn’t turn around. "Hiei…" The koorime folded his arms and lifted his chin defiantly. Kurama rubbed his temples for a moment before he slid toward him and leaned close to the youkai’s ear. "Can you forgive me?" he asked, making sure his hot breath was rushing past the Jaganshi’s ear.

Hiei made a snubbing sound and didn’t reply. Kurama pressed a soft kiss to the flesh behind his ear before trailing feather-light kisses down to Hiei’s neck. He reached up to begin removing the white scarf. "I’m so sorry, Hiei. Honestly, I didn’t mean to. I’d never do anything to hurt you…" The scarf came off and was thrown to the floor, and Kurama slid his hands up Hiei’s arms and began kneading the Jaganshi’s shoulders. "Can you ever forgive me? Please, Hiei?"

"Fox."

"Hm?" Kurama asked, catching Hiei’s earlobe between his teeth and nibbling on it.

"I’ve put up with you embarrassing me…"

"Hmmm…"

"…forcing me to participate in senseless human activities…"

"Mmmm…"

"…and making me wear human clothes…"

"Mm…"

"…but eating my sweet snow is unforgivable."

Kurama sighed out loud and rested his forehead on Hiei’s shoulder. "It’s called ‘ice cream’, Hiei, and I said I was sorry. I didn’t know you were coming. I didn’t mean to eat the last of it." He turned his face into Hiei’s neck, tongue darting out to trace wet patterns on the Jaganshi’s skin. "Please forgive me, my love," he drawled.

"Why should I? It’s hot outside--I was looking forward to that…ice cream."

"I know it’s hot--that’s why I had it! I’m sorry, Hiei. Please forgive me? You’re being ridiculous."

Hiei was silent for a long while. Kurama kept up the massage in hopes that softening his lover’s tense muscles would help soften his stubbornness. "Fox…"

"Yes?"

"…You owe me a large carton of sweet snow."

Kurama grinned. "My pleasure." He dropped his voice to a whisper, even though he and Hiei were the only ones in the house. "Shall we make up now?"

"Now? No. I’m too hot."

Kurama let his lips curl into a smirk. "Maybe you’re wearing too many clothes," he suggested, tugging gently on the black cloak.

"Fox," Hiei protested lightly, "it’s too hot."

"Not hot enough," Kurama retorted, pushing his lover against the mattress.

Yusuke walked briskly through the entryway of the hospital, wincing internally at the wave of heat that hit him. The outside air wasn’t much cooler, but the defunct air conditioning had made the hospital stuffy and humid. Yusuke made his way to the waiting room, trying to ignore the way the way his sweat-coated skin caused his jeans to cling to the contours of his body.

His eyes fell on Keiko as soon as he turned the corner. Her gaze locked on his and she stood from her chair, a faint suction sound filling the air as the plastic chair fought to keep contact with her bare legs.

"Yusuke!"

"Keiko," he greeted her, taking her hands. "What’s this about your cook going blind?"

"That’s what we’re waiting on," she replied. "They’ve been keeping us waiting for half an hour. All they did was test him. The doctor isn’t in yet."

"Of all the…" Yusuke shifted his gaze to the sleeping Seung, who was taking up the three seats next to Keiko. "Poor guy…that’s just not normal…going blind?"

"I convinced him to get some rest. But I just don’t understand…" She frowned and looked into his eyes. "Yusuke…when you go blind…aren’t you supposed to see darkness?"

Yusuke narrowed his eyes. "Keiko…I wouldn’t know…but I think so. That’s what everyone says, right? Why?"

Keiko started chewing her lower lip. "Because Seung doesn’t see darkness. He says…that everything is white."

"White?"

"Miss Yukimura?"

Yusuke turned at the voice. In the doorway stood Dr. Ikari. [1]

"I am she," Keiko intoned.

"I’d like to speak with Mr. Seung now, if you could bring him?"

"Right away." Keiko turned to shake Seung’s shoulder, and looked over her own at Yusuke. "Come with me?"

He nodded.

"So, Seung," Dr. Ikari continued. "You say you see whiteness?"

Seung nodded.

"No colors at all? No blackness?"

A shake of the head.

"And this happened all of a sudden? There were no warning signs? Your eyes weren’t sore before? No unusual sensations?"

Another shake of the head.

"You were just making ramen and soup and everything just went white?"

A "so-so" gesture of the hand.

"Can you elaborate?"

Seung swallowed before answering. "It happened…between blinks," he said at last.

Dr. Ikari frowned. "Between blinks?" Keiko exchanged glances with Yusuke.

"Between blinks," Seung confirmed. "One second I was carrying a stack of plates, the next time I opened my eyes, everything was white. I haven’t seen anything since. Just…white."

Dr. Ikari kept frowning as he scribbled some notes. "Seung, this is very strange. I assure you, it is just a passing virus of some sort. People don’t just spontaneously lose their sight. It just doesn’t happen that way."

"So…it will go away?"

"I’m sure it will. Just go home and get some rest. Your eyes must be under a great deal of stress, and this is simply their way of recuperating from it." He raised his eyes to Yusuke. "Mr. Urameshi? Would you please escort Seung to a wheelchair and we will have him driven home."

Yusuke nodded and took Seung’s arm. "Come on, Seung." The two men slowly made their way out of the office. Keiko made to follow, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"A moment, Miss Yukimura."

"Yes?"

Dr. Ikari exhaled heavily. "I have not seen anything like this before. I’m not sure what it is."

Keiko blinked. "But then why did you say…"

"So he wouldn’t panic. I will look into this further. Seeing as how he has no known relatives, when I find out what ails him, I will be sure to contact you, all right?"

Keiko nodded. "All right."

At that moment, Yusuke returned. "Coming, Keiko? It’s best we head home."

"I’m coming," she replied, lacing her fingers into her boyfriend’s and letting him lead her away. "Good night, doctor."

"Good night, children."

She smiled over her shoulder and then leaned closer to Yusuke as they walked. What’s happening to Seung? she wondered. People just don’t go blind like that…

She was a beautiful woman. Her skin was the color of cream; her eyes a deep, sapphire blue; her hair tumbled past her shoulders in red-gold waves… A tiny smile played across her lips as she stood against the stone wall in her sky-blue dress. Never before had a more beautiful female graced any of the Three Worlds. So gentle, so kind, so loving, with a touch that could both soothe and excite you. She…she was everything to him…

"Lord Jumon?"

Reluctantly, he lowered the picture and set it on the table, running his fingers along her face one last time before turning to face the intruder. "Speak."

The short, brown youkai bowed before proceeding. "The Lord Itsuwari has discovered the first, my Lord."

"Excellent," he breathed, unable to suppress the sudden rush of excitement that overtook him. "Tell him to proceed."

"By your leave, my Lord," the youkai murmured, and quietly left the room, bowing on his way out.

Jumon turned his gaze back to the picture lying face-up on the table. Soon, my love… It won’t be long now. It has begun. Soon, we’ll be together again…

Everything was white. The world was composed of a murky, pallid cloud--rather like being submerged in the grayish milk left behind after a bowl of cereal. What did cereal look like? …Gods, he was forgetting already…

"Seung?"

He heard the voice, but couldn’t see who had spoken. It made him uneasy. Very uneasy. "Yes?" he asked warily.

"You’re home. Hold out your arm, please."

He did as the man requested, and the attendants who had accompanied him from the hospital aided him as he climbed the front steps--what color were they again?--to his home. He fumbled for his jacket pocket and groped inside for his keys. The key ring jingled out and he began feeling for the right one. He struggled for several moments when he felt a touch on his shoulder.

"Seung, let me--"

"No!" Seung snapped, more harshly than he intended. "I can do it," he added in a calmer tone.

It took him several minutes to feel the correct key on the ring, and even longer to fit it in the keyhole, refusing all offers for help made by the attendants, shoving away their supportive hands.

When at last he had the door open, he carefully slipped inside. "I’ll be fine from here," he uttered.

"Are you certain?" one of the aids asked. "It would be possible for one of us to stay--"

"No," he interjected quickly. "I’ll be fine." He closed the door over. "Thank you for everything, but…I’d rather be alone right now…" And with that, he shut the door.

He turned around slowly, half-hoping to see his leather living room set, his dark carpet, his television…but all he saw was white. He started walking towards the kitchen, one tentative step after another, his hand sliding along the wall for support. He was thirsty. He needed a glass of water.

He felt around the cabinets above the counter, and swung two of them open. He reached up to get a glass, but must have misjudged the distance. He cried out in surprise as glasses and cups clattered to the counter and tumbled onto the kitchen tiles. Seung cursed and felt around, trying to pick up the precious pieces of shattered glass, and yelped as he cut himself on one of the jagged shards. He whimpered, feeling the blood trickle down his hand, and grabbed for the rag he always left by the sink, wrapping the wound quickly. He stumbled back, sobbing in frustration, and hating himself for his weakness.

He didn’t believe Ikari’s claim that the blindness was temporary. He was going to be blind forever. He’d be forever lost in a sea of whiteness.

Seung sank to his knees and wept.

Hiei’s eyes snapped open and he felt his body tense. He frowned. Had he Seen…? Or had it been a dream? It was often difficult to tell. He was not a natural-born Jaganshi. He lacked the ability to distinguish between what was prophetic and what was simply a realistic vision.

A gentle hand ran through his hair. "Firefly?" the sleepy voice asked. "Are you all right?"

He forced himself to relax, concentrating on the beating of Kurama’s heart beneath his ear. "I’m fine."

"Sure?"

"Yes." He tightened the arm around Kurama’s waist and rubbed his cheek against his lover’s chest. "Just a dream," he decided. He didn’t See very often, and he couldn’t think of a reason why he would have Seen what he had.

"Oh?" Kurama sounded intrigued. "Was I in this dream of yours, Quickfire?" He dropped his voice to a low, seductive whisper. "Were you doing naughty things to me?"

Hiei chuckled. "Sorry, Fox, not this time." He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Kurama’s skin. "It was a strange dream, though," he continued sleepily, remembering the vision. "A white crystal… It was very beautiful…"

Kurama sighed dreamily and brushed Hiei’s hair with one hand. "More beautiful than you?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes," Hiei replied, and then licked the spot over Kurama’s heart, "but not as beautiful as you."

The youko snickered and traced a finger over the band that hid his Jagan. "Since when are you romantic?"

"I’m not. I just throw one at you every now and then--to keep you on your toes."

"I see," his lover laughed, closing his eyes once again.

"’Night, Fox," Hiei yawned, burrowing further into the youko’s chest. Sleep returned easily.

Seung slammed his fist against the kitchen tiles, his shoulders heaving with heavy sobs. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. What had he done to deserve this? He was blind. Blind.

"What’s wrong, human?"

Seung froze, muscles tensing, sobs ceasing, and eyes widening. He spun his head out of habit to see who owned the deep, powerful voice, and was greeted with the same, ever-present whiteness.

"Oh, poor human… Are you frightened?"

He felt the blood drain from his face. "Who…who are you?"

"Who am I…?" the voice mused. "Well…I suppose I am the last thing you’ll ever see." There was a pause, and then deep, rich laughter. "I’m sorry. No pun intended, little human."

"How did you get in here?" Seung demanded, staggering to his feet and groping for the back of a chair for support.

"I don’t have to answer to you."

The voice was closer. Seung seized the chair and swung it wildly, not caring that he would likely break something. "Stay away!"

There was more laughter, and then the chair was plucked out of his hands. "Silly human… I can commend you for your efforts, though."

"Don’t hurt me!" Seung cried, backing away and nearly stumbling. "Plea--ARGH!" He hit the wall with a pained grunt, wailing at the agony the flying chair had caused. "Stay away! Take what you want, but just stay away!"

"Take what I want?" the stranger echoed. "Why, thank you. I think I’ll do that just that."

Seung yelped as he felt a hand grasp his shirtfront and roughly tug him forward. "Please don’t hurt me!" he pleaded once more. "Please…"

A hand patted his cheek before resting over his eyes. "Don’t worry, human. This won’t hurt…much."

The hand over his eyes started to get warm…

When they started to sizzle, he screamed.

[1] No, this is not a crossover with EVA— I just needed a Japanese name and this is the first one that came to mind ^_^;;;

PART TWO - UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
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