Firsts and Lasts
 by Rose Argent

Hmm. Here's my latest little fic. Yaoi is only breifely mentionned. Not at all accurate, Kurama and Hiei's ages and personalities are way off I think. Oh well. Standard disclaimers, yadda yadda yadda. -- 


Rose Argent -^.^- 

http://www.oocities.org/Tokyo/Flats/5117//rose1.html 

http://www.oocities.org/Tokyo/Flats/5153/ 

http://www.oocities.org/Area51/Lair/3868/ 

"I had thought you nothing more than a mere meal, boy. Congratulations, you've just been upgraded to bait." 

"Life's a bitch. Now so am I." 

Firsts and Lasts 
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Kurama stared down at the dirty, battered little youkai who had dared to attempt to steal from him. The youkai stared back at him, face set in a defiant scowl, but a small flicker of fear was visible in the blood red eyes. Kurama swished his tail and swept his silver hair back from his face. He debated what to do with this... child. It was too small and skinny to be worth anything on the slave markets, and it wouldn't do to let it get away with trying to steal from the best thief in all the Makai. He supposed that he'd have to kill it. The tall youko wrinkled his nose and frowned. He'd kill it, but first he had to get it cleaned up, there was no way he was laying hands on such a filthy little thing. Any number of plants could kill it from a distance, but a would be thief deserved a more... hands on approach. 

He scowled imperiously down at the tiny little mongrel and snarled "Get up you little shit. You got caught, and now you have to pay the price." Kurama tossed his long hair over his shoulder and glared harder at the unresponsive little... just what was it anyway? It wasn't any kind of youkai that he had ever seen before, and he'd been alive for just over three centuries. He kicked gently at the little brat, noting that its defiance had evaporated, and only the fear remained. 

The huddled ball of matted hair and dirt streaked skin whimpered and curled tighter in on itself, seemingly trying to vanish altogether. Kurama looked closer, wondering how a youkai who was so easily intimidated was still alive. 

The youko's golden eyes widened slightly as he realised that this youkai couldn't be more than a year or two old. It was not a child, but an infant!! Kurama frowned slightly. What was it doing out alone? Even in the Makai children generally stayed with their parents for at least five to ten years before they had to strike out on their own. From the looks of it, the kid had been alone for most of it's short life. Kurama wondered again how it could still be alive. Must be tougher than it looks. 

Kurama prodded the shaking youkai with his toe again, trying to incite some sort of reaction. "Look, brat, I know you got stuck with a real shitty life, but you tried to steal from me, and that means you have to pay." The youko shrugged eloquently "That's the way of things. There's nothing you can do about it, so stop that pathetic whining and get up." 

A pair of bloodshot ruby eyes looked up into Kurama's golden stare. The child looked back down at the ground and sighed resignedly. It slowly sat up, wobbling slightly and obviously weak with hunger. It struggled to it's knees and sat back on its heels. The youkai unknotted the frayed rope that served as a belt and began to slide off the trousers that were several sizes too large. 

Kurama's eyes widened and he reached down to grab the child's wrists. "What the fuck are you doing?" 

Two crimson eyes peeked out at Kurama from behind limp strands of white and black hair. The child blinked a few times and then said, in a voice hoarse and rough from disuse, "But that's what everyone always takes as payment. I just thought that was what you meant too." 

Kurama let go of the boy's wrists and stood back, a shocked expression on his face. Had the youkai been older, he would have understood why some might have chosen to use it rather than killing it, but it was an infant! A tiny, frail little infant! Kurama cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, child, that is *not* what I had in mind. I was actually planning on killing you." The blood-red eyes that seemed almost deep enough to drown in widened and the little boy hissed sharply. 

For some reason he couldn't understand, the look of utter defeat on the child's face tugged at something inside of him. "But I don't think I'm going to kill you now." 

What the Hell?!' Kurama thought. Where did that come from?' He looked down at the pathetic little youkai and sighed deeply. He was going to regret this. He was *really* going to regret this. "Instead, I want you to give me four things." 

"I don't have anything" the child whispered. 

"These things you do have. First, give me your name." 

".....Kuro." the boy said without meeting Kurama's eyes. 

"You're lying. But it's a good name for you, so I'll accept that for now. Second, you have to give me your word." 

"My word?" 

"Promise that you'll never, ever try to steal from me again." 

The tiny youkai nodded almost imperceptibly. A look of confusion on it's filthy face. 

"That'll have to do I guess." Kurama snorted "Third. You have to start bathing more regularly, because if I see you again and you're still filthy I *will* kill you." 

Kuro blinked, then muttered "Crazy fox. Fine, I promise." Kurama nodded and then took a deep breath. He was really, really going to regret this. 

" Fourth, you must also give me your word that what I give you won't go to waste." The child looked up sharply, its huge eyes growing even larger. The corner or Kurama's mouth twitched upwards slightly at the look on Kuro's face. 

He turned to his bag of loot and pulled out a very good, very valuable short sword. The leather sheath and belt were traced with the twining forms of dragons. He held the sword out to the boy, hilt first, and said "Take this, and make sure that no one *ever* hurts you again." 

Kuro took the short sword hesitantly, its weight making his arm tremble slightly. He wrapped the belt twice around his waist and buckled it tightly. A minute smile spread across his face as he felt the weight of the sword settle on his hip. Kurama blinked. For some reason, despite the ridiculous size of the belt, and the fact that a short sword seems as large as a broadsword when compared to the little child, it looked... right. Kurama fought down a feeling of foreboding. That kid was going to be good one day. 

Kuro looked up at Kurama and nodded once, signalling that he would indeed keep his word, then he turned and left. As the little brat slipped off into the shadows Kurama shook his head ruefully, silver strands of hair flying around his head as he moved. He walked over and picked up his bag, annoyed that he'd have to work doubly hard to make up for the loss of that sword. He looked back over his shoulder, wondering if he'd ever see that kid again. 

****** 

Kurama smiled to himself and hugged Hiei to him. The koorime was fast asleep, exhausted after a night (and a day, and another night) of passionate lovemaking. He stroked the fastidiously clean black hair and slid his fingers along the flawless white skin of his lover's cheek. He wondered if Hiei remembered that first meeting. A century ago. Not long for Kurama, but more or less the entire span of Hiei's life. A century ago; the very first time Kurama had ever done anything unselfish. The first time anyone had been kind to Hiei. And, most important of all, the very last time Hiei had kneeled before anyone. 

Kurama sighed and sank back onto the pillow, letting sleep slowly overtake him. In that last moment of clarity before slumber took hold, Kurama frowned and thought to himself I wonder what ever happened to that sword.' Then he fell into a deep sleep, where he dreamed of a beautiful pair of deep red eyes. 


The End.... 


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