YYH ficlet: Twelve Days (7/12)

[darlingfox]

Twelve Days

On the first day Kurama catches a rabbit.

He does not cook it and neither does Hiei. They could because hey, they have their very own campfire with them in the form of a pale and silent perhaps-fire-demon. Or perhaps not, he’s not sure and doesn’t particularly care. Anyway, they don’t bother with roasting or brewing, and in all honesty it’s pretty near that they don’t gut it either. They do, because Kurama insists on the account of still having his human body. After three decades of Youko’s influence it can handle raw meat but draws the line at intestines.


On the second day Hiei accidentally pushes Kurama into a pond.

Well, at least he claims it’s an accident and it certainly looks like one. The ground is bumpy and anyone could stumble a little and shove his careless companion. It’s just bad luck that Kurama happens to stand next to a deceivingly small puddle. It is small but unfortunately quite deep, too. There is no way Hiei could have known it, Jagan or not. He doesn’t use it for such mundane things as teasing others. Kurama splashes water on him and can’t decide whether to be angry or laugh.


On the third day Kurama dances on a clearing.

Hiei is quite amused but admits that yes, sometimes it feels good to unwind a little and be absolutely free for a moment. Not that he joins Kurama, even when the latter asks him nicely. Fighting Hiei can do but the point of dancing is completely lost on him. But he enjoys lounging on a wide and sturdy branch and looking at it, especially during the faster movements when the red hair shines so brightly under the sun and the slender body bends in all sorts of interesting and thought-provoking ways.


On the fourth day Hiei proves that he’s the better fisher of the two of them.

He doesn’t even cheat which, Kurama thinks, is unfair. No, he uses his bare hands and speed, and the latter doesn’t count because that’s who Hiei is. He takes off his coat and shoes, rolls up his pant legs and steps into the river. Then Kurama’s eyes widen and jaw drops because the fishes come to Hiei. Soon there’s a shoal circling around his feet and it has to have something to do with pheromones. Hiei chooses the biggest and throws it at Kurama.


On the fifth day Kurama gets sick.

They don’t notice the symptoms because they are arguing over their next camping place. Hiei would be happy to sleep on a tree, and Kurama thinks he’s just being a pain in the ass or trying to annoy Kurama. Or possibly both, sometimes it’s hard to tell. Kurama is willing to ignore it this time because he’s winning, the reason being that he can point out the virtues of sex on the forest floor. Hiei is as quick to change his mind as he is to catch Kurama when the latter suddenly faints.


On the sixth day Hiei tells a story.

Nothing fancy because he isn’t a talker and his vocabulary is somewhat lacking in the happy-department. But he doesn’t think Kurama minds, and he is trying to keep the other awake. If it requires voicing some of his thoughts, so be it. Hiei gathers Kurama against his chest and raises his temperature; the skin under his hands is hot but the weak voice complains of cold. The story isn’t a story but a little piece of Hiei’s life he hasn’t told anyone. Nothing important but something he wouldn’t usually consider worth sharing.


On the seventh day Kurama considers killing Hiei.

Seriously, the fire-demon watches him like a hawk and that makes him nervous. And seriously pissed off. It’s understandable after the night before but still, Kurama is fine now if a bit dizzy and murderous, and the latter is nothing new in any case. On the other hand, Hiei would make an excellent cook if he’d ever decide to change his career. The chicken-soup - and Kurama is using a very loose definition because he hasn’t seen a chicken for weeks – is delicious and Kurama forgets his diabolic plans for a moment.