Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

THE DAY BETWEEN

Taking a deep breath of the cool, morning air, Airi looked around the nearly empty stadium. Her hands grasped the metal railing in front of her, and she leaned against it and tilted her head towards the sky. It was one of those glorious mornings - the whole world seemed to sparkle. There was a magical quality to it, and it gave her hope.

After watching the first three matches, she truly began to understand the raw power of her teammates. They were no mere humans, drafted into this tournament against their will. They were warriors. Much to her dismay, she had begun to find the fights exciting. A part of her even itched to get in the ring herself. She longed for another opportunity to unleash the full scale of her powers, to feel that incredible sensation pulsating within her.

Hiei and Kurama stood to either side of her, and they watched as the crowd filled into their seats. Early risers, the three of them had set out at dawn. Airi trailed a few paces behind, not wanting the awkwardness between her and Hiei to disrupt an otherwise pleasant morning. The boys spoke quietly as she appreciated how ethereal the island looked without the harsh glare of the sun.

Somehow, she'd found a sense of peace in the wake of the unimaginable events that had taken place over the past two days. Try as she might, she could not remain furious with Hiei forever. Each time the hurt flared over the awful things he'd done, she was brought back to the night she first saw his memories. She had intimate knowledge that beneath his brutal exterior lay a tender spirit, a small child who had never known what is was to be loved.

Someday, perhaps, she would get to experience that gentle soul fully. Until then, she was committed to remaining neutral. His harshness towards her was fading, and she could not forget his subtle attempt to comfort her when they were within Ruka's grasps. Standing next to him now, she could still feel his warmth, wrapped around her like pale mist.

The match began, and she wondered where the rest of the team was. They were all supposed to meet here, to gather information on the team they'd be fighting the next day in the semi-finals. Her confidence faded quickly, as Team Uraotogi obliterated their opponents within two minutes. Each of their matches had lasted nearly a full day...

"The fight is over," Kurama said, drawing her attention.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and the masked fighter approached, joining them.

"What? It's over?" Kuwabara yelled. "I can't believe we missed the entire fight just because I took a couple of extra minutes to brush my teeth."

"It was an impressive sight to behold," Kurama replied.

"Though I'm sure your minty fresh breath was well worth the delay." Hiei said. He turned to Yusuke. "What is that ridiculous appendage growing out of your head all about?"

Airi couldn't help but giggle, stifling it with her hand. He looked at her curiously, for just a fraction of a second. She had not been ready to laugh with him just yet. Embarrassment filled her. Pretending to be uninterested in the person you loved was not for the weak of heart.

"It's a puberty thing," Yusuke said defensively.

She laughed again, reaching out to scratch Puu under his beak. Though everyone teased Yusuke mercilessly, she was enamored with their new little friend.

"So Kurama, how's the wound treatin' ya?" Yusuke asked, changing the subject.

"It will be fine. I will be fighting again tomorrow."

"Hm" Hiei said. "Seems it's not as bad as you made us think."

"Compared with your energy loss, no it seems it's not."

"Hn."

Tuning them out, as she always did when they bickered, her mind drifted to the fight tomorrow. She wondered which of those intimidating teammates Hiei would be facing.