Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

*THE FIRST STEP*

Hiei had trouble coming back into his body, confused by the presence of the setting sun as he opened his eyes. He'd slept so deeply that, when he first woke, he thought he'd been back in Demon World. It was the petite, scar-laden limbs draped over him that helped piece the present back together. Those final bits of sunlight all seemed to shine directly on her, as if someone, somewhere, was trying to tell him how important she was. The reminder was unnecessary.

His mouth contorted into an amused smile as he noticed the small puddle of drool she'd left on his chest. If it were not for that, and the sound of her steady breathing, he may have thought her dead. She was so still, her body so heavy, that he suspected she might continue sleeping through the rest of the night.

Perhaps it had not been wise to engage in such athletic behavior with her so soon after two monumental, back-to-back excursions. Her power, and her stamina in the bedroom, often made him forget that she still inhabited a frail human body. He would need to be more careful with her, even if she did not seem to want that in the slightest.

Running his tongue along his teeth, he took the time to contemplate what the hell had happened to make those fangs come out. Only able to ignore a good mystery for so long, his thoughts raced, but did not arrive anywhere helpful. He recalled a conversation with Kyoga, by the firepit one night when he was a boy. The man spoke frequently of his long-lost mate, and how he'd known she was the one for him by the presence of his fangs at the mere thought of her. She was a demon, a commanding one. It simply did not make sense.

"Are you two still breathing?"

Hiei growled at the sound of her voice, and anger blazed in him as he felt Airi stirring. She needed rest. Genkai had no business trying to rouse her. Slowly lifting her head, she noticed the wetness on her cheek and went to wipe it. A horrified look crossed her face as her eyes drifted towards the source. He chuckled, using the corner of the sheet to dry his skin.

"Sorry," she said, blushing.

"Don't be. I'm glad you slept so soundly."

She yawned, and he wrestled with the desire to kiss her.

"Did I hear Genkai?"

"Yes," he said, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"What... what time is it?" She turned her head to look out the window. "Did we sleep through an entire day?"

"It appears so."

Still dazed, she attempted to crawl on top of him, and his hands helped pull her up. The weight of her was always just right – there was something incredibly soothing about her laying that way, her body flawlessly aligned to his own. As per usual, bare skin touching bare skin proved to be too much, and blood rushed to fill him.

"Mm," she moaned sleepily. "I want you."

Her forthrightness had his ears burning. Who was he to deny her what she craved? When it became clear that she would be nothing more than a passive participant, he reached down, trying to position himself properly. With her motionless form in the way, it was no easy task. Feeling grateful for his long arms, he finally felt himself brush against her and let out a deep sigh, not expecting her to already be so wet.

He pushed in slowly, and her arms slithered under his neck. Certain she was still half-asleep, he thrusted gently, haphazardly.

"Perfect," she whispered, nibbling lightly on his neck.

Understanding the assignment, he kept it up, enjoying every second of the intimacy. It was such a vast contrast to the way things had gone last night, and the change had his head spinning. He would never know what to expect with her, though it did not matter. He loved it all. Knotting his arms around her back, he tried going a bit harder, unsure if the current pacing would bring either of them to completion. Her breathy moans served as confirmation that it had been the right decision.