By Die Before I Wake
(Part 3 of 5 of the batch fanfics.)
The pup finally stopped when she tripped over a fold in the blanket of the bed. She lifted her head and began licking the wound on Hiei’s arm through the bandages. Eventually she crawled up into his lap and began to try and clean the wound.
What the...Why is she acting like a dog? Hiei thought, staring down at the small silver wolf pup. He picked her up by her armpits and held her a few inches in front of his face and looked her in the eye. She whimpered and squirmed to get down and then stopped. She tilted her head to the side and whimpered. Then she leaned forwards and licked the tip of Hiei’s nose. She pulled her head back and looked at him, with her little pink tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth.
Hiei stared at her blankly. She trusts me? She wants to be near me? Why? She’s a wild animal, shouldn’t she hate humans and demons? he thought. Is something wrong with her?
“Kuwabara, you can’t keep that lynx kitten here,” Kurama said to the taller orange-haired boy as he looked up at him, holding the wild kitten that he found roaming the living room.
“Why not? It’s just the same as any cat, only a little bigger.”
“No, it’s not. It’s a wild animal. It obviously has a family looking for it at such a young age. How would you feel if someone were to come along and take your child away?”
“I...I wouldn’t like it, I guess,” Kuwabara said.
“And what would happen if you kept it here until it grew. What if something happened and we had to get rid of it? It would be so used to getting fed by us that it wouldn’t know how to hunt, and eventually it’ll starve to death out in the wild. Or it might keep and follow its instincts and hurt someone, like Puu. Lynxes are used to hunting birds and rabbits, and Puu looks like a mix of the two. You wouldn’t want Yusuke’s Spirit Beast to die, would you?”
“...No...”
“Then put this kitten back where you found it, Kuwabara,” Kurama said, handing the small brownish-grey, spotted kitten to his friend. Kuwabara nodded and took the kitten outside to put it back in the woods.
Hiei got off of the couch and walked up to his room.
Is that what’s going to happen to her? Hiei thought. He looked at the pup. But I can’t just put it outside in this condition. That isn’t right. What if its pack attacked it? Also, dogs are basically trained, evolved wolves. She’ll be fine indoors for now. If Kurama doesn’t see her, that is.
Hiei put the now squirming pup down and she toddled over to his pillow and curled up in a ball on top of it. He watched her fall asleep and frowned. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and grabbed her quickly, making her yelp out in surprise. He ran to his closet, put her on her blanket, put the box over her, and turned his light out and closed the door.
He walked back over to his bed and sat on it, grabbing a Jolt and opening it. The door opened soon after and Kurama walked in.
“You actually ate?” he asked, surprised, upon seeing the empty plate lying on Hiei’s bed. The fire apparition shrugged and took a sip of his drink. The kitsune sighed. “You know, Hiei, constantly drinking those things can’t be good for you.”
“They’re the only thing in the human and spirit worlds that I enjoy the taste of,” Hiei replied.
“And what if you drink yourself into a diabetic coma?”
“Then I’ll be in a coma and possibly die,” Hiei replied. “Anything would be better than being stuck here.”
Kurama said nothing and took the empty plate off of Hiei’s bed and walked out of the room. At least he ate breakfast today. Come to think of it, I don’t ever think I’ve seen him eat anything. I hope he’s not one of the demons that hunts and eats raw meat, Kurama thought. He shuddered at an image of Hiei crouching over a freshly killed deer and eating it raw that popped into his head. No. Not even he would do that. Right?
Right after the door of the room closed, Hiei heard the familiar scratching and whining noises of the small pup in his closet. Is the thing really that pathetic? Is it going to cry whenever it thinks it’s alone? He sighed and walked over to his closet and opened the door. This time the pup came running out and started licking the tops of his bare feet and trying to jump up at him. I’m stuck with her now, aren’t I? he thought. Wonderful. Just f***ing wonderful...
