Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

THE PROPHECY

He'd done it. Survived two weeks with Yusuke without removing any of his limbs. After the shock of Airi's visit, Hiei threatened to unleash the dragon on him if he uttered so much as a single word. It was comforting to see the detective still feared him on some level.

When the dust settled and his ban lifted, he actually felt grateful for the company. Once the kid stopped running his mouth, he wasn't half bad. Yusuke still did most of the talking, but much of what he said Hiei found to be quite relatable. Growing up alone, a mother who never did right by him, an absent father.

It was of the last he spoke about now, swirling a syrupy, dark brown liquid in his glass before throwing it back. He'd acquired a taste for Makai rum.

"I mean, I've never had much luck with father figures. You've seen it. Any guy I've ever looked up to turned out to be worse than the last. What if Raizen hates my guts?"

"What if he does? Learn what you can from him then leave. You aren't a prisoner." Like some of us.

"Imagine how long he's been waiting for this?! Then some mangy kid comes along just to let him down..."

"Enough." He paused as the bartender filled Yusuke's glass, not intending for everyone at this inn to know of the power behind the boy sitting at the bar. Surely, at least one idiot would try to start a fight, and his idiot lacked the foresight to turn it down. "You are Mazoku. Do you have any idea what an honor that is?"

"Not really, honestly."

"They're spoken of at every drunken bonfire, whispered to children as cautionary tales, revered as legends by the warrior clans. Raizen is the only known Mazoku left, and still, they are feared beyond comprehension. The moment your identity leaks to the public, you will become one of the most powerful demons in the world. Without lifting a finger."

It was impossible not to notice the venom in his own voice. They may have shared similar struggles, but fate chose to deal them vastly different hands. His own meager reputation had been built brick by brick, on a foundation of blood and gore.

Desperate to end his ruminating, Hiei gave in the next time the bartender offered him a drink.

The night passed quickly after that. A troupe of musicians climbed up on stage, and though they were deep in their cups, played well enough to capture his attention. Music always reminded him of Kyoga, of his lost family singing around the fire. He'd never joined in, though the sound had carried him off to sleep many a nights.

Through the haze of the whiskey, Airi pushed her way to the forefront of his thoughts. His eyes closed, and he remembered the sound of her humming while they wandered through the woods. He wondered what her voice might have been like, had she not spent half a lifetime screaming for help.

Too late, he noticed the pooling in his eyes. As a solitary drop escaped, he swatted it away and finished his drink in a single swill. "I'm going to bed," he announced. This is why I don't fucking drink.

"I'm coming. I don't like the way that guy's lookin' at me."

The room they secured last minute had ample space for the both of them, and a private bathroom – a testament to the state of tourism in Makai at present. Hiei threw himself onto his cot with little regard for much else, and sleep took him quickly.

Music still shook the walls when he woke up screaming. His first thought upon waking was that he'd been stabbed in the chest, but as he scanned the room and found it empty of enemies, another, more likely scenario came forth.