Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

GENKAI'S LIBRARY

Airi took a moment to appreciate the sublimity of that morning, her feet propped up on Hiei's lap as she sipped her tea, watching the trees sway in the gentle breeze that followed the storm. They had opened the large double-doors that lined the dining area, and the dense, damp earth surrounded them. His hand over her crossed ankles was a thing of wonder. They'd made it through a night together, with nothing stronger than a cuddle transpiring between them. It had been difficult, though easier than she'd imagined, as there were so many different ways in which she could lose herself in him.

She hummed, some mystic and foreign tune stuck in her head. Without a clue as to where she'd heard it, it seemed to permeate her on a cellular level. In her past life, when she'd been another person, she loved to sing. All the screaming she'd done in the facility had scarred her vocal cords, so the best she could do now was a soft hum.

Hiei's eyes were closed, and she could feel a sense of peace about him. It had been difficult for him to share that memory with her. After he'd fallen asleep, she stayed up thinking about it. That quality in his voice, the one she could not quite place at the time, made itself known. It had been strained with the terror of rejection. He'd shown her, pushed her away, and come back to inspect the damage. Sometimes he reminded her of a child, wondering what would happen if they laid their hand against the hot stove.

All she could do was set aside her ego and try not to take his attacks personally. After everything he'd done for her, it seemed an insignificant task. Mori, curled into a tiny ball on the chair beside her, raised his head. She followed his gaze and put her feet back on the ground as Genkai entered, bowl of porridge in her hands.

"Mind if I join?" she asked sarcastically, settling down into the fourth and final seat at the small round table.

"How did you sleep?" Airi asked, worried slightly for her health.

"Like the dead."

She forced a giggle. Genkai's short stint in Spirit World somehow worsened her sense of humor. She had trouble picturing the brusque woman she knew cracking a joke like that.

"Are you ready to begin your training?"

Hiei tensed beside her.

"I am. What will we start with?"

"You'll both start in the library. Airi, you'll be reviewing some texts I've set aside. Hiei, the second floor is a disaster. You'll be organizing the books by year and title."

"No thanks," he said, crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat.

"You think you can decline? That's cute. It's in the contract with Koenma. Take care of it, or you'll be on the first bus back to Mushiyori City."

Since the moment they'd set foot on the ship home, Airi had been anticipating a great battle of wills. As much faith as she had in Hiei's ability to shed the responsibilities others thrust on him, she had more in Genkai's knack for gaining the begrudging respect of her students. The effect she had on Yusuke was astounding, and she'd been practicing it longer than Hiei had been alive. At least, she thought. She was not entirely sure how old Hiei truly was - time worked differently in Demon World.

Glancing over at him, waiting for his reaction, she was struck by the diffused light washing over his face. His profile, for whatever reason, always tied knots in her stomach. Once in a while, his otherworldliness truly shone. She was sure that no mere human could look the way he did, stealing her breath and her sanity in one fell swoop.

Genkai cleared her throat and Airi ripped her eyes away from him. She was unsure if their mentor knew of their relationship, and hoped that she would not try to keep them apart. It was easy enough to picture Genkai crediting a lack of progress in her training to Hiei distracting her. Maybe it would be true, too, but she would not relinquish even a minute with him for anything. She was in far too deep for that.