Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

FORWARD

Hiei sat on a stone by the edge of the forest, head heavy in his hands. The snow had melted in a three-foot diameter around him, and steam rose steadily from any flakes that fell in the area. It seemed right, after what he'd done, that he'd be forced to trudge through the snow. It had been there, physically or metaphorically, for all of his worst moments. Why not this one, too?

"Hey, mister right-hand-man!" Yusuke skipped towards him, with Kurama trailing calmly behind. "You ready for our big adventure?" He belched, loudly, and Hiei toyed with the desire to punch him. "Hey... where's Airi?"

"She isn't coming."

His laughter quieted as he realized it wasn't a joke. "What the fuck did you do to her?" When he didn't respond, Yusuke grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the rock. "There's no way she would have just decided not to come. What did you do?!"

"Easy, Yusuke." Kurama loosened his grip on Hiei's shirt and forced some distance between them. A shame. He deserved to be hit. "Airi is fine."

"She's never gonna get over this. You know that, right?"

Slipping his hands into his pockets, he shrugged. "At least she'll be safe."

"How do you know that?! Mukuro wants her, too. You don't think he'll come after her?"

"Unlikely," Kurama intervened. "It's Hiei he wants. Airi simply sweetened the pot. Now come on, we wasted enough time getting the vomit out of your hair."

The painstaking journey seemed to last all night, despite the portal being only a handful of miles into the woods. When they stopped to let Yusuke empty his stomach, Kurama snuck up beside him.

"So, when was it that you made this decision?"

The reluctancy he felt to share was overpowered by the need to get this burden off his chest. "She was injured a few weeks ago, while we were training. I couldn't stand seeing her in pain because of me."

"That's very noble of you."

"Who the fuck cares if it was noble? We don't know what Mukuro had planned for her, Kurama. At best, he'd use her for her powers. At worst..."

"He may have asked her there just to dispose of her. Yes. I thought of that, too." The fox's hand clutched his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. "You made the right call. Yusuke will see that when he sobers up."

It wasn't Yusuke he was worried about.

"She will come to understand, Hiei. It's not in her nature to hold this against you."

His words were true. That didn't mean anything, though, if he never saw her again. She hadn't been the only one likely to die on this excursion.

The jump to Makai was a welcome one, and he was more than happy to leave that god forsaken snow behind him.

"This is where I leave you," Kurama said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "I hope you arrive safely. We'll correspond through Botan. Do let me know how you are." As he took off in the opposite direction he added, "Don't kill him."

Hiei groaned, casting a glare at the red and blue heap on the ground. They'd stopped for two minutes and the idiot had already passed out. Cursing with every step, he carried the detective over his shoulder. He took advantage of the short trip to dream up Yusuke's punishment for turning him into a liar.

It was just his luck that Mukuro's fortress was located past Raizen's territory, forcing him to travel for weeks with this fool as his companion. This would be their only night spent in a familiar place, and he gladly dropped Yusuke on the doormat before stepping into Cirilla's shop.