Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

*DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME*

Waking up with Hiei, his body and hers engaged in an intricate waltz with the sheets, it felt like she was still dreaming. Airi had pictured the events that took place the night before a thousand times, and the reality blew her fantasies to pieces. Running her thumb across her lip, just as he had, she remembered how it had felt. She'd been possessed by passion, encapsulated by utter gratification. Being with him that way was a spiritual experience.

The sight of him on his back beside her, one arm stretched above his head with a hand beneath the pillow, and the bare, muscular expanse of his stomach laid bare, she was struck deeply by the undebatable fact that she loved him. She didn't know when it had happened – perhaps the first moment they'd met. There was not a minute she'd known him that she hadn't cared deeply for him, as if somehow she'd understood him long before they'd ever spoken.

Wanting to touch him, but preferring that he get every ounce of rest he could manage, she brushed aside the drapes and drank in the high treetops of the forest beyond. They'd pushed the bed up against the window ledge, both feeling trapped by the four walls around them and wishing instead that they slept out in the woods. The large expanse of glass and greenery almost convinced her they had. Based on the position of the sun in the sky, it was almost time to depart for the tournament.

Deciding it was probably time to wake him, she traced her fingers along his chest, his neck, and finally his face. His eyes opened slowly.

"Morning," she said, dusting a kiss across his lips.

His hand wrapped behind her neck, pulling her closer. The taste of him in the morning was different - sleepy, somehow. She reveled in it.

"Are you ready for today?" he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"No," she answered truthfully. "I'm scared for you. I'm scared for everyone."

"You don't have to worry about me," he said. "There is only one weak link on this team. Worry about him."

She shook her head out of loyalty to Kuwabara, but knew deep down that Hiei spoke the truth. What he lacked in talent, though, he made up for in heart. Maybe that would be enough to make the difference.

Holding onto him until the last possible moment, hoping that something miraculous would happen and the tournament would be cancelled, Airi's anxiety grew and grew. By the time they heard the sounds of conversation from the living room, her palms were covered in slick sweat. With a long, deep kiss, he snuck out to join the others.

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The stadium around her shook as thousands of creatures stomped and screamed in anticipation. Hidden away in a tunnel, Airi stood with the rest of the team as they awaited the announcement to enter. Vile words rang in her ears - the fans were ferocious and full of malice. Hands shaking by her sides, she looked to Hiei, hoping he would offer her some words of comfort. His gaze was fixed on the opposing team across the arena. Kurama appeared beside her and squeezed her hand tightly. It dawned on her then that by now, he had certainly wizened to their rendezvous.

Unable to hear over the roar of the crowd, she missed the announcement, but followed her team out onto the grass. A large platform stood at center stage, where the fights would take place. She stopped as the rest of them mounted it, Kuwabara carrying a still-sleeping Yusuke on his back. As the alternate, she was required to hang back. Given the intensity of the looks being exchanged between her team and team Rokuyokai, she did not mind.

Without warning, her friends were engulfed in a circle of flame. She gasped and searched for the source, but the fire blocked her view. It shot up into the stands, scorching members of the audience. Only when the blaze retracted was she able to make out where it had come from: Zeru, the man who had come by their room last night to intimidate them. He stood, power surging, encased by the fire of his own creation.