“Let’s Fly as the Birds Do…” Chapter Six

5/1/01

By: Hikari

Site: http://www.geocities.com/hikari_nanase/

Notes: music theme to chapter: “Nightmare” By Ogata Megumi as Kurama

~*~*~*~

L'amour est comme la neige... Il est si merveilleux au début, cependant, la magie se fane. Pourquoi doit-elle être ainsi? Pourquoi l'amour ont-ils font-ils pour être si froid et pour chauffer ainsi en même temps? Je pas comprends... L'amour détruit moi, mais I puis pour ne pas vivre sans lui... Je suis un oiseau sans vol... Un oiseau barré dans un cage... avec des personnes riant de ma stupidité... Je suis famished pour l'amour...

~*~*~*~

“Ring around the rosies!

Ring around the Rosies!

A pocket full of posies!

Ashes! Ashes!

We all fall…

We all fall…”

*****

He shot up from his bed with perspiration gliding over his body- causing his blanket to cling onto him like a second skin. His hair matted over his forehead- every last strand sopping wet. The light from the night table went on, courtesy of Hiei, erasing the darkness from the hotel room. Kurama wiped his face with his palms, and found that he was noticeably out of breath. Without much delay, the youkai stood from his bed and sat by his friend’s side. The redhead had raised his knees from beneath the covers, and hid his face there. His back moved up and down, up and down in jagged and exhausted motions. He was terrified.

“A dream?” The other asked.

A curt nod was the only reply. Kurama lifted his eyes from their hiding, his whisper muffled by the sheets.

“It’s all right… I’m fine… Really…”

The demon’s eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t appreciate the way his friend would make false claims- especially when they were presented to HIM. His values regarding this matter contradicted his own actions, however, he was fully aware of this reality. Hiei lied all the time, yet a lie between him and the Youko was just… taboo.

Still, it didn’t seem proper to force Kurama into talking about things he wasn’t comfortable about. That was exactly how the redhead treated him- no force, only patience. It would only be fair, then, if he handled this situation in the same manner.

“Hn…”

Standing once more, Hiei unplugged the lamp and re-plugged it again at a socket in the wall. He then lifted the night table and carried to the other side of the room. As a final act, he padded to his bed, and pushed it until it met with Kurama’s. His friend squinted at this procedure- apparently groggy and not too sure as to what the smaller was doing.

“I’m going to sleep next to you. Now lay down and close your eyes...”

He obeyed, turning his head to the part of the room where the lampshade stood. The soft glow of it seemed to provide a sense of comfort. At that Kurama chided himself- depending on a ‘night light’, how childish. It was at that moment, however, that he later sensed Hiei’s body heat radiating from his side. Feeling that, the taller felt safe again. Safe from that nightmare…

Dawn was approaching. The earliest rays leaked through the sliding door of the balcony. The long white sheets that were spread over them outlined their bodies on the bedding- the fine cloth draping over every curve and contour… like a shield. It was just before the strike of four that Kurama found the pleasant slumber he so badly needed. The scent of Hiei’s hair, which was of cinnamon and spice, lulled him into a somewhat drugged state that made him forget most of what he dreamt. That was fortunate, for he had no desire in even trying to decipher the hallucinations message.

In the lapse of a few mere hours, the redhead found himself awake again- the dazzling sun glaring into his eyes. Indolently, he pulled himself up and headed for the bathroom. Turning the taps, he splashed his face with cold water- brushing his teeth next as a daily routine. Kurama loved getting clean in the morning. After rising to another day of the fast-paced world, he felt old and dirty. It was very much like a crusty feeling. He loathed that sensation. He had to be spotless… Fresh and unsoiled.

Through the vanity mirror- he spied Hiei wrapped up tightly inside the bed sheets, his black hair sprouting out of a small opening. The appearance of it was a reminiscent of an enchilada. Kurama laughed to himself, grimacing afterwards when he had swallowed some toothpaste. Setting down the toothbrush, he gargled and spit. As he wiped himself with a towel- he began stripping himself of his clothing, not at all shy of Hiei’s presence. Why should he be? They’ve… seen each other before. Besides, Hiei was still dead.

Kurama stepped into the shower- pulling the curtain briskly and taking satisfaction in the steam the hot water gave. Covering his whole form with soap, he thought of how Saturday would be spent. Without a doubt his lover would be on the verge of hunger at this hour… Perhaps a hearty brunch would be a good start. Where though? Korean? American? French? What about Persian?

Funny how the little things occupied most of the mind- in this case, what kind of food to eat. It was those insignificant particulars that appeared to make all the difference in the world. That was no understatement either; the redhead knew how poorly humans did with separating roots from leaves. He was also aware, conversely, that those humanly habits were rubbing on him. Although this wasn’t such a dreadful thing, it did bother him when he, from time to time, would slip into the shallow pool of conformity. Hiei was accurate on one remark- humans were into nit picking. It was plainly a common trait.

When did the demon notice? When Kurama couldn’t decide whether to get carnations or lilies. Carnations came in a more diverse range of colors, but Lilies were simple and could live for quite a long time. The internal dispute was pacified once Hiei’s patience had almost literally melted. ‘Get them BOTH!’ He ordered, and that was that.

“Ah!”

Suddenly the water went cold. No, that’s inaccurate- the water nearly became ice. Kurama turned the taps quickly, mumbling something to himself about hotel policies and billing. He grabbed a soft towel, and gingerly stepped out of the tub. His skin was reciprocating from the abrupt change in temperature. Although the redhead had always been in good temperament, one must learn to NEVER interfere with his enjoyable grooming. Drying off, he paced to his bag on the floor and jerked his khakis on, a suitable red t-shirt for his top. Glancing at the mirror, he noticed that Hiei hadn’t moved at all in the past twenty minutes. Who knows… Maybe he WAS dead.

“Hiei!” Kurama whispered on a pitch. “Hiei! Time to get up! Hiei!”

‘No movements…’ The redhead thought. ‘Time for plan B.’

Walking to the bed, he sat on its edge and carefully pinched the smaller’s nose with his fingers. For a moment, Hiei seemed to be suffocating, but then his natural bodily responses kicked in, and so his lips parted for air.

“You’re so lazy…” Kurama said with an ending chuckle. “What should I do now? Give you a kiss or fill your mouth up with water?” Green irises dart for a filled glass not far away. He grinned naughtily. “No contest…”

His arm stretched over for the cup, spilling a little on the carpet when he retrieved it. Gradually, then, he slipped the tip of the glass to the lower part of the lips- pouring ever-so-graciously. The result of this was imminent…

Hiei thrashed about, water overflowing from his mouth and splattering all over the comforter- eyes widening in total surprise. Rising swiftly, the bed shook- and his arms flailed around as though attempting to swim. He inadvertently hit Kurama across the chest and face a few times, but all the other could do was try and restrain the youkai and hide the growing smirk on his innocent face. When Hiei finally tired out and came to his senses, his frank reasoning had completely bombarded his speech.

“What the HELL did you that for? Were you trying to drown me? Shit, Kurama!”

“That’s what happens if you don’t get up… You miss out on a LOT of things… Including fair warning…”

Angrily, Hiei smudged away the drops of water on his chin with his forearm- his stare sharper than ever. In return, Kurama smiled gently- stroking the smaller down the back to appease him.

“Let’s have brunch,” he started optimistically. “We have to check-out of the hotel by three in the afternoon, but I’ll extend our stay by three hours so we can have-”

“Fun?” The demon finished.

“Yes. Fun.”

“Hn…” He looked away- doing so in an obviously over-dramatized manner to get the redhead’s attention. “You need to find some synonyms… Every time that word comes out of you, I KNOW it’s going to be bad.”

In response, Kurama false-pouted. “You mean you didn’t have a good time yesterday?”

“Depends upon your definition of ‘good’…”

His friend brightened. “So you DID have fun!”

“No! I said no such thing! You’re putting words in my mouth!”

“Yes! You’re in denial because you know you’re too ‘bad’ to have fun!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!” Hiei paused. “Stop! Don’t mess with my head at this hour!”

“Hiei! It’s already ten!”

“Exactly my point!”

The other grabbed a fluffy pillow and clobbered his love across the face. He reeled backwards, and fell off the other side of the bed. Struggling to get up with a wandering arm- Hiei threw back a pillow that was flung so hard goose feathers exploded from the casing. Kurama ducked, allowing the pillow to hurdle into a decorative planter.

“Hey! That’s going to go on my bill!”

“Too bad! That’s what happens if you drag me out of bed!”

Kurama dove across the joint beds, his arms missing Hiei and catching only air. The smaller dashed down the room, grabbing a pillow and blanket from the carpet in the blinding process. His friend heaved himself from the mattress, glaring at the youkai intensely.

“You are NOT going back to sleep again!”

“We’ll see about that!” He jumped onto the counter top of the kitchenette and found himself a nook large enough for him to lay in- high above Kurama’s reach, of course.

Putting his hands on his hips, the redhead shook his head. “You’re impossible!”

Hiei smiled. “So you DO know me…”

His friend frowned. “More than you THINK!”

Running to the dining area and climbing up the shelves, Kurama tugged as much as he could at Hiei’s locked body- trapped within he open cupboard.

“Ever since… You lost your diffidence around me… You’ve shown sides… I’ve never… never seen before… and this is… one of them! Ugh!” He pulled harder, but as soon as he did, Hiei had released himself from the nook. Kurama fell backwards and landed on his rear, catching his friend in a harsh collide simultaneously.

Shaking his head, the taller later rubbed his bottom- slightly out of pain on impact. Hiei, on the other hand, sat cross-legged at his friend’s haunches- a long blanket spooling around the both of them.

“Is that bad?”

“No… But I think my bottom will be a little bruised…”

“That’s not what I mean…”

Kurama blinked. “Than WHAT’S bad?”

He glowered. “…Bad that I act differently around you?”

More blinking. “No… Why?”

Contemplative. The fire demon turned contemplative. Shades of it hovered over his eyes- a furtive and solicitous look. Hiei seemed to be gazing idly at the folds of the sheets around them, unmistakably trying to sort things out.

“Are you alright?” His lover asked as he cupped his shoulder with a cool hand- face drawing nearer to examine the youkai’s countenance.

“…I’m… going to take a shower…” He said quietly. “Where are my clothes?”

“In the open closet- by the bathroom.

Hiei nodded tersely. He then stood and lent his hand to help the other to his feet..

“I’m fine… I got it.”

Pulling back his hand, the shorter softened and seemed to be unable to focus his vision on anything besides the tiles on the flooring. “ I won’t take long. We can meet in the lobby to save time…”

“Sounds good…” Kurama straightened the crinkles in his pants, adjusting the rim of his twisted shirt to at least APPEAR tidy. “I have a plan for today… But I’m not going to tell you about it until we have something to eat…”

The demon agreed to that, scratching the back of his head without much thought. “The lobby, then. Where are we going to have brunch?”

He beamed delightfully. “You’ll see…”

*****

“Bonne journée, monsieur. Comment est-ce que je puis vous servir?”

The redhead flipped through the finely made menu. Its cover was thick and covered with shiny black leather. There were so many choices, he was unsure of what to order. He wanted Hiei to get to know something new… Something he had never tried before… Given the circumstances his friend had, this dining would prove to be very out of the ordinary- if not utterly interesting.

“Bonne journée.” Kurama began, as the lovely waitress had already addressed him. “Je me demandais ce qu'était la maison spéciale?”

The blond smiled, rolls of curly air bouncing about with fervor. The youkai scowled at her inwardly, assuming her to be one step too flirtatious.

“Ce serait squab au-dessus des saumons ceints d'un bandeau. Vous m'aiment passer une commande de deux?”

He bowed his head in understanding- peering at Hiei at the same time to catch a confused look painted adorably all over his handsome face. “Est-ce vraiment tastey?”

“Ah! Oui!” The waitress enthused. “Le meilleur dans le restaurant sans compter que truffled des oeufs!”

“Alors nous aurons cela, et un côté des oeufs spéciaux! Retentit merveilleux!”

By this time, the shorter was already rubbing the temples of his head. He was able to make out a few words here and there out of pure logic, but he was simply at a loss for the important details.

“Oui, monsieur. Pour boire, monsieur?”

“Un verre de jus de canneberge pour moi. Je voudrais également un autre côté de cantelope et les fraises satisfont.”

“Aucun problème.” She scribbled down the order on the small sheet of paper at hand. “Et pour votre ami?”

Kurama turned to his companion seated in front of him. His menu was tossed lazily to the side of the glass table. The youkai gave up. He had an easier time trying to understand the strange language rather than reading it.

“What do you want to drink, Hiei?”

He sighed. “A glass of red wine.”

“Un verre de vin rouge. Ne vous inquiétez pas, il est vieil enought à boire.”

She bobbed her head, and hastily took the last request. The blond smiled at the both of them congenially, but her attention was centered more on the tall longhaired pretty boy than anything else. Hiei soothed his own fumes by chewing on a breadstick. As she turned to leave, her short skirt- with bloomers underneath- bobbed airily along with her sectioned hair. He chewed harder on the stick- crumbs breaking off violently.

“Jealous?”

His friend snorted. “Maybe…”

“Don’t worry…” The redhead assured. “She’s too flirtatious… I’m not fond of girls like that. Besides… I’m taken remember?”

“Oh?”

Kurama took the small desert menu and tapped it on Hiei’s head playfully. “Yes.”

“Hn.” Hiei relaxed immediately. While is protectiveness was excessive, his trust balanced everything out… Most of the time… “What did you order? And what kind of tongue were you using? I was beginning to wish my jagan came with subtitling…”

“It’s French. I’m sure you can master the language if I give you the textbook to study. I give you one night, and you’ll get the language. It took me a while at school, though…”

The waitress came back with a small tray loaded with drinks- two glasses of iced water, a glass of red wine, and the cranberry juice. She bent down low to serve the drinks. She went particularly low in front of Kurama to impress him with her upper physiology and low-cut laced top. He didn’t notice, and Hiei had disregarded the sexual attempt at the sight of it. When the blond had gone again, they continued where they left off.

“I ordered squab over filleted salmon. For sides, an order of truffled eggs, cantaloupe, and strawberries. We shouldn’t eat too much because we’ll be walking around after this…”

The demon fingered for his wine, sipping it slowly and letting the liquid saturate into his tongue. “What’s squab?”

Kurama stirred his juice unflappably. “Roasted pigeon.”

Hiei set his glass down. “PIEGON?”

“Yes, it’s a delicacy- like frog legs, goat eye, or snails… I didn’t order any of those because I thought it may be too bizarre for you.”

“Is it good?”

“The pigeon? Yes, it is. It has a very fine taste to it… finer than chicken- much finer. Frog legs are hard to describe, so it’s like chicken too- only the texture is more unique… Goat eye, well it has a salty taste to it, but it’s not so gross if you don’t think about it. Snails… It’s not slimy when it’s cooked- you just have to pry them out of their shells…”

The smaller’s stomach turned… Two or three times at best.

“Just try it, Hiei. It’s delicious. For now, we’ll just take it easy with the squab…”

“Then… What are truffled eggs?”

Daintily, the other slid a straw into the glass of juice. The glass was already causing moisture to condense on it’s cold surface- giving the impression that it was perspiring. “Truffles are a sweet fungus in Europe… It gets put into lots of the chocolates you like to eat… I think the Tobleron brand has it. Anyway, they put it into the egg. The egg isn’t separated from it’s shell though- it actually gets cooked there. You see, the chef stirs the crème and truffle into the egg while it’s heated. He has this special cutter to make a perfect hole at the top of the eggshell- so you can eat straight out of it.” Something caught the corner of his deep emerald eyes. “Oh, here they are…”

Three eggs each were presented before them. They were seated on quaint looking stands that held the shells perfectly upright. The shells weren’t the usual white, they were peach colored and appeared warm in hue. One of the eggs, already had a small, tiny spoon readied within the hole.

Without hesitation, Kurama stirred the treat to ease the steam rising from it and finished one of the eggs in more or less ten quick shovels. Hiei stared at his eggs, somewhat tentative about the experiment.

“If it bothers you that much, pretend it’s like the first time we went on the roller coaster…or when you tried cotton candy…”

Again, he discerned into the egg… and took a bite.

“How is it?”

A smile was breaking through… It was controlled at first, but in the long run, he couldn’t stop it from emerging.

“You like it?”

“It’s… It’s sweet… and a little buttery… I didn’t think FUNGUS would taste like this…”

“See? It may be different, but if you try it- you may find it to be a lot better than other things…”

It wasn’t long before the main course arrived, and, as Kurama had promised- the dining was different, but nonetheless exquisite. Every bite was a burst of flavors. Spicy. Sour. Sweet. Mixtures of every possible combination. All together- rich. The strawberries and cantaloupe had arrived together as one. The melon served as a bowl, and the strawberries were cleverly placed within the edible dome. On top of the fruit, was French chocolate syrup and whipped crème.

Kurama raised his hands to signal for the check, and left a generous tip for the love-struck service. Together, they walked out of the elegant restaurant, and onto the sidewalk.

“Kurama…”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t you have a plan?”

He shrugged his fists into his loose pockets, closing his eyes and striding onward coolly. “Yes, I did. Just follow me…”

“Where are we going?”

“The Zoo.”

Hiei frowned. “Zoo?”

*****

Loud roars and monotonous moaning escaped from some of the cages and exhibitions. Enormous lions paced and prowled around their dens. Tigers lazed amongst tall grasses- effectively camouflaged by the shadows and coloring. But they were there, Hiei knew it, and so did his partner. They could sense it breathing- sleeping. Further off there were gorillas, sitting on fake stonewalls or fighting with the contending male. The elephants showered themselves with the water provided in their ponds- loud sprays heard clear across the park. Birds fluttered in the caged aviaries- clinging onto the crossing wires with their talons. For a second, Hiei almost pitied them. Instead, however, a creature he had never seen before came into view. Its neck was long. Extremely long. It stretched out and reached in all directions- the movements slow, but eternally graceful. It was spotted with rich brown- covering a beautiful shade of yellow-gold. When it ran, it galloped- long legs seemingly prancing around and cantering. Dust puffed into the air as the hooves pounded on the hard ground- tail swinging from side to side with unseen charm.

“What’s that?”

“A giraffe… I want to get a closer look… Aren’t they stunning?”

They strolled towards the black fence that overhung the station. The giraffes were eating. Some were playing, especially the youths. One of the tallest spied Kurama, and walked slowly to where he and his lover were. Its eyes were big and deep, surrounded with long bursting lashes- looking so sad. Its narrow face gave it a mystical sense of beauty- its smile contradicting the hopeless gleam in its eyes.

“It’s… coming toward us…”

“I know…”

Crowds of people around them gasped in astonishment at the sight. A giraffe… going to a human being! Without fear, without suspicion, without hostility or anger. What was there, in each coming stride and step, was recognition- or something parallel to that aspect. Welcoming. It was welcoming them, as though they were friends or those of the same understanding…

It looked politely at the redhead, cocking its head to side every now and then as if holding a conversation with the young man. Kurama laughed, and patted the youkai close to him on the back.

“Ms. Giraffe, this is my best friend, Hiei…”

The creature turned to the other, cocking its head in the same fashion as it did with Kurama. It lowered and lifted its eyelids lightly- extending its neck as much as possible to get closer to him. On his own, Hiei lowered his palm. The animal nuzzled against his hand- taking some of the scent there- and then rubbed its forehead along his fingers.

People from behind were whispering and pointing. A few of the guards were worried about safety, but a few tourists impeded in their decision to break up the bonding taking place. The children of many families ‘ooed’ and ‘ahhed’, passer byres took a quick glance and raised their eyebrows, and yet others just stood in awe.

“Shuiichi! Hey! Shuiichi!”

They turned, and found Shidou sprinting up to them. His camera swung about his neck- hitting his chest and whatnot as a response to all his erratic movements. When he came to a stop and leaned against the bar of the fence, the giraffe lost its confidence and trotted cautiously away from the new visitor. At the sight of this, many sighed in disappointment and departed from the group encircling the two friends. Slowly, the majority had degenerated to five or eight guests.

“Shidou… What are you doing here?”

Guilelessly, he pointed to the camera. “Photo project due two weeks from now. I STILL haven’t found anything appealing to do… What period is your class again? Mine’s third…”

“Fifth… Oh, by the way, this is Hiei. Hiei, this is Shidou, a pal from school…”

“Hi!” He extended his hand for a shake, Hiei accepted it stiffly. “So are you here for the project too, Shuiichi?”

He shook his head. “No, just visiting- for the weekend. I’m not worried about the assignment…”

“With no wonder… It’s probably a whiz course for you.”

The shorter had reverted back to watching the animals. Even at a far distance, he could tell the giraffe that visited them was still eying them curiously.

“Well, I DO like that class…”

“Yeah, just wish the due dates weren’t so crucial…” Shidou glanced at his watch, some long strands of dark green hair limping over his eyes. “I don’t believe it. I’ve got to jet- mom asked me to be home by four… MAX. My English scores are dropping- you know how it is… Well, you DON’T but…”

“I understand… See you at school on… Monday?”

“Sure thing. Bye then…” As quickly as he had arrived, Shidou was running down the pathways and was gone. Kurama smiled to himself- almost laughing at his friend’s eccentricities. That was just the way he was… ‘Hi!’ ‘Bye!’ and gone. It wasn’t such a bad habit, it was actually explicable. Shidou traveled life with a high velocity, and from judging things, he liked living that way…

“He runs rather quickly…” Hiei commented as he leaned apathetically against the metal bars. “… For a human…” He added.

“I know… I guess he’s just the type of guy who doesn’t want to be at any form of ease… That’s probably why he and Arisu get together so well… They’re total opposites…”

Straightening, the shorter motioned to continue on their independent tour of the park. Naturally, Kurama followed him by his side as they walked calmly on the concrete. Their shadows were due behind them- extensive silhouettes wandering together in a peaceful journey…

“Are you still happy for Arisu?”

With no thought at all, his friend replied openly. “Yes… I am… She’s… She’s a good friend, I’m glad things worked out the way they did…”

Not wavering, Hiei asked again. “Are you?”

“Very.”

That answer was firm… regretless- the way the demon wanted it.

*****

Shidou peaked through his window- seeing that the daylight was already swallowed up by the dark blue of seven. He shrugged, frustrated. No pictures. Nothing. Even worse, he couldn’t bring himself to read a word in his English book. As much as progress allured to him, he despised working on something he wasn’t into. Cracking his knuckles, he laid back on his swivel chair and stared blankly at the glowing computer screen in his bedroom. Poetry assignment. A photo project, English review, and NOW a poetry assignment- of all things.

Pulling out the keyboard from the rolling drawer beneath his desk, he ‘tacked’ away at the keys- making up phrases of no value to him…

“Look at the sky-

it’s just so high!

Look over there!

A bird is flying by!”

He rolled his eyes at that. Pathetic, simply pathetic. Without delay, he deleted the first and only two stanzas written on his word program. Resting his cheek in the pool of his palm, he blew up his lip- causing his hair to fly up messily. It was time to try again…

“Do you know why?

We all laugh and wonder?

His fingers grabbed a mechanical pencil and began drumming it repeatedly over his table. This, by far, was the hardest thing he ever tried to achieve. Either he hated words, or words hated him. Now, conscious of the fact that he liked talking so much- he figured words were tired of HIM, and hence ran away when he needed them most… Such as now…

Again, he deleted the stanza.

To the lower right-hand corner of his computer screen- he took notice that his e-mail box was glowing. Lifting his eyebrows with appeal, he minimized his window and clicked on the icon.

His mouse momentarily transformed into an hourglass, fading away after a few seconds once a box appeared. Clicking on his account and inbox- he scrolled down the letters until he found the ones in bold. Fifty-seven messages today- most of which were Spam mail, homework help requests, chain letters, and adds. It was depressing- to open a mailbox, only to delete useless junk for half an hour. What a waste of precious time.

Finally, he came into contact with something intriguing… It was labeled: “Shuiichi’s Love”. Shidou smirked. This certainly wasn’t the first time that there was gossip about his friend. Clicking on the mouse, the letter loaded- revealing an eternal list of forwarders and recipients. The teen sighed in semi-pity. This was bad- it had to be. Judging by some of the e-mail addresses- chains went all the way to Kyoto and further. There was no message on the document- just a simple code name from an anonymous person. It didn’t take long at all before he discovered a highlighted paperclip on the note. It must be an attachment. He pressed on the icon and waited for the attachment to materialize… Then he dropped his pencil…

“Oh my God…”