Clear Skies and Shapeless Clouds

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Disclaimer: I don’t own them, so don’t sue.

Warnings: Yaoi, that one should have been a gimme, and sap. Dripping hand fulls of sap, oozing off of the walls and everything. Nothing too bad though...

Rated: PG...Wow it’s my first!!

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He fell, flipping in such away that his back hit the soft grass beneath him. He smiled, looking up at the clear sky, Inari himself couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day as this one. Only a few clouds dotted the blue sky. Being careful not to block the sun’s view of the earth as they made their lazy journey around the world. He closed his eyes; his smiled widened as he took in deep gulps of air to make up for lost breath.

“You know,” he said to the familiar feeling of ki in a near by tree, “’Kaasan once told me that every cloud takes a shape of something. Mainly animals and such, always wanting to be something that they aren’t. And if you look at one long enough it will weave it’s magic and become something that you desire most in life.” He sighed, blowing scarlet locks of hair that dared to rebel and escape the confinement of their lose ponytail.

Hiei jumped down from his hiding spot among the green branches knowing it was pointless to stay there a moment longer since the kitsune already new that he was following him. He walked to his fallen friend; hands shoved deep in his pants pockets. He stopped and stood next to him in such a way that his small frame was not blocking the Half-Youko’s sunlight.

Kurama stretched a small fleck of sadness crossing through his leafy green eyes. “Yet I have stared at the storm clouds for six years and have not seen what I desire,” he softly whispered, so quietly that the fire demon barely heard him.

He hesitated, not knowing weather to answer with his usual ‘Hn,’ or take the Youko by surprise. He smiled, almost, if it wasn’t Hiei it could have been a small half smile. He realized that he barely said anything that surprised the ningen. He always did what others expected of him; staying in the shadows and only speaking when much needed to. Always the quiet one, always the indifferent one.

He lay down next to his best friend, clasping his hands behind his head and squinted up at a random fluffy cloud. After several moments of silence Kurama’s Youko got the better of him. He turned his head, looking over at his long time companion with gold flecked eyes and found him glaring at the small cloud.

“Hiei,” his smooth throaty voice gently cutting the quiet blanket that was wrapped around them, “what are you doing?’

Hiei blinked, never taking his eyes off the sky, not even to look at his friend, “Hn,” he answered back, “isn’t it obvious.”

The kitsune started, but held his question on his tongue, waiting for the koorime to continue.

“I am trying to see what I desire, baka kitsune.”

He smiled again looking back at the heavens, “It never works,” he replied, “at least it never does with storm clouds.’

Hiei reached up and rubbed the tickle that developed right at the tip of his nose. When finished, he replaced his hand back under his head and grunted, “Then maybe you should try something not so dark. Try on these clouds.’

“What I desire, Hiei, is not so white – it is dark, it’s something dangerous. But yet I yearn for it to be mine.” The red-head paused, drawing a deep breath, “What do you yearn for, Hiei?” He asked, his voice taking on a thread of innocence. Yet at the same time he dreaded the answer, knowing Hiei the Forbidden Child wanted conquest of the three worlds, or just the Makai. He closed his eyes, swallowing the lump in his dry throat.

“I’ve thought about that before,” came the small demon’s husky answer, “first I wanted the Makai, then after a while the Ningenkai, then the Reikai. Now I am not so sure I want all those things. Now something’s happened inside of me that changed a part of me...” he drew a deep ragged breath, “Now what I desire is something so beautiful that no one, especially not myself, is worthy of it’s possession.”

Kurama looked over at him, treasuring what Hiei had just told him. His eyes widened in fascination and wonder at the sight that was before him.

Hiei was blushing.

Just a small tint of pink on his pale cheeks, almost as if he was out in the cold just a little too long.

“And...” the fire demon continued, “...something silver.” He stopped, his deep voice barely above a whisper.

Kurama reached out and brushed his fingertips down the koorime’s cheek, trying to make Hiei look at him. Yet he refused, his blood-red eyes still fixed on the passing cloud, “Something...” he reached up and pointed to the sky, “something I see in that.” The kitsune shifted his gaze from his friend to the cloud. To him it resembled nothing but a mass of cotton with strings coming out of one end. He squinted his green eyes, but when turned to left and glared just at the right angle perhaps it could have been...

“A deformed hand...?” he asked, hesitating somewhat, “Hiei, why would want your hand to look like that?”

Hiei snorted and sat up, looking dream at the red-haired boy. He reach over, twisting his body slightly and brushed his fingers down the half- ningen’s cheek, “Baka kitsune.”

Kurama blinked and opened his mouth, “Hiei, wha--?”

The koorime leaned down and pressed his lips against his, “You talk too much, Fox.”

His bright green eyes widened in surprise, his mind racing a mile a minute coming up with any reason to push Hiei away, but none satisfied him. He felt his small tongue brush against his lips and he gave into the most precious gift the one person that he could call his best friend just gave him.

Hiei pulled away and brought his long fingers up to his lips, gently touching them.

“Hiei, I’m - ” Kurama stopped and stared at the fire demon, not believing his eyes at what he just saw. Hiei was smiling at him, as much as Hiei could smile that is. His eyes gazing at the kitsune with complete trust shining out from the red orbs.

Hiei’s hand dropped and lowered himself to the ground, and curled around the redhead’s body. He reached across him and tucked his head under the fox’s chin, draping an arm around his shoulders.

Hiei closed his eyes and smiled again for the second time in his life, “I am content with you, Kurama.” He softly whispered as the Youko’s arms wrapped around his small frame and held on as if the tiny jaganshi was the last shred of life the ancient demon had left.

*owari*