Name Game
by White Cat
Heh ... Snapshots is just barely done, and I have another one! Somehow, I'm on a roll here, and I don't know why ... ^.^;
Okay, I KNOW the continuity is off. Kurama is, at least, two hundred years older than Hiei, but I DON'T CARE. I changed it for this fic. All right? ^.^
Ucchan, feel free to foward anything I write to your friend ... I don't mind ... ^.^
You guys know the drill. Comments are wanted. Pleeease?
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Nekochan Press presents ...
Name Game
yet another really short YYH fic by WhiteCat-chan
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Closer ... closer ... it hadn't noticed him yet ...SNAP!
The boy stamped his foot angrily, watching as the rabbit he'd been tracking for the past half-hour startled, then vanished into the undergrowth. It looked like he would go hungry tonight ... he held back tears of frustration, heading back to his crude little camp ... when he felt another youkai approaching. He hid quickly, his dark coloring blending into the shadows, and waited, hoping the stranger was friendly - or at least someone he could beat in a fight ...
He didn't expect what he got. A little youko kit, one with his hair, ears, and tail bright silver in color, came tramping from the brush, humming an airy little tune to himself. He was barely older than the boy himself, and pretty - pretty in the way the boy half-remembered his mother being. But that wasn't what intrested him the most ... what had grabbed his attention so fully was that that little fox had HIS rabbit!
"Hey! Wait!" he cried, bursting free from his hiding place, scrambling to pass the fox. He stopped in front of the other, crossing his arms over his little chest and giving what he hoped was an intimidating glare. "I saw that rabbit first. It's MINE."
The fox seemed confused, tilting his silvery head to one side. "But I killed it!" he protested in a soft voice, one little hand going to his burden protectively, the little stub of his tail twitching nervously.
"So? It's still mine! I tracked it for a long, long time, so I get first dibs on it! Give it back!" The boy glared rebelliously at the kit, putting his hands on his hips and puffing out his little chest, trying to make himself look bigger. "I want it back! Now!"
The other considered it for a few moments, eyeing the boy with narrowed golden eyes, then his quarry. Finally, he shrugged, unslinging the rabbit from his shoulder. "Fine, ya greedy," he said sweetly, handing the prize over to the boy, who tried to hide his relief. Maybe he wouldn't starve tonight, after all ... he was about to leave when the kit's voice stopped him. "Oi! I gave you the rabbit, now you gotta give me something."
He turned slowly, staring at the fox; he had one of those awfully smug grins on his little face, golden eyes alight with mischief, ears flat against his skull in amusement. "What do you want?" he asked nervously, wishing he could just vanish, just leave - but the fox's golden stare held him.
"What's your name?"
He blinked. Frowned. Glared. "Don't have one. Can I go now?" he snarled in reply.
The kit looked surprised, then thoughtful, at his answer. "Really? That must be sad. Megumi-okaasan says everyone has a name. Want me to give you one?"
"Hn. Don't care," the boy grunted, trying to stay still, though his entire body twitched nervously, wanting to leave, wanting to get away from this crazy fox. The little one circled him a few times, golden eyes speculative and probing, studying the boy's bearing and face.
"Hmmm ... I know!" The small face lit up and suddenly, the fox's face was dangerously close to his. "Megumi-okaasan once told me that there's a mountain in the Ningenkai; very tall and well-known ... you can share a name with it!"
"I'm not a mountain," the boy said coldly.
His odd little companion shrugged. "So? Neither am I ... okay; I got a name for you, and it fits, too. Your name's now Hiei!"
The newly-christened Hiei snorted in disgust. "Okay, you've said your stupid piece. Now go away."
The youko shrugged. "If you insist ..." he turned to leave, then paused, looking over his shoulder and meeting Hiei's red eyes with his gold ones.
"My name's Kurama, by the way," he added cheerfully. "Ja na!" he called as he vanished into the forest, his bright coloring swallowed up by the forest's darkness.
Hiei stared after him for a while, then frowned. "Hn. Stupid fox," he decided, then turned to lug his rabbit back to camp.
"I remember that!" Kurama mused, rolling onto his back to stare into Hiei's face, blinking at him from an upside-down angle. "You were so *kawaii* when you were little ..." his voice trailed off, a silly smile on his face. Reaching up, he traced a finger down Hiei's cheek until his hand was slapped away.
"Hn. Stupid fox," Hiei growled in reply.
Kurama laughed, almost giddy. "I remeber *that* too -" he would have said more, if he hadn't been stopped by a hand clamping over his mouth, as Hiei's red eyes bore into his, promising pain and death if he went on. Kurama took a few deep breaths, calming his nervous, then regarded the Koorime seriously. "I find it somewhat hard to believe you kept the name I gave you for so long," he said softly, tapping Hiei on the nose.
Hiei shrugged. "You were right," he said calmly, deadpan. "The name fit."
Kurama's laughter echoed into the night.
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