Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu Yu Hakusho. This takes place after the series finale.
Chapter One- Ice Apparition Secret
Hiei listened as Yukina related another story from her youth. He enjoyed listening and spending time with his sister. He had been content with never telling her that he was her brother but a visit a few weeks back negated that. He had dropped by just to see her and she had prepared the usual tea and sandwiches. He had waited for her to ask about her brother as she usually did as she didn’t believe he was dead but this time, she had asked a different question, though related to her usual inquiry.
“Hiei, you’re my brother, aren’t you?” she had asked.
Hiei had kept his face neutral as he said, “What makes you say that?”
“Well, everything I know about my brother fits you. You’re the same age, both fire demons, and the same eye color to match mine. Also, you visit me like a brother would visit a sister.” Her eyes shone with hope. “Please tell me the truth. Are you my brother?”
Hiei had shifted a little before exhaling and saying, “Yes. I am your brother. I had reasons for not telling you,” he had added quickly in anticipation of her next question.
“What reasons?”
“I had asked a surgeon for my Jagan to find the village and the stone that I had recently lost. He agreed after hearing my life story and told me that the price was that I could not tell you we were related. During my first six months upon returning to Demon World, I encountered the surgeon and he claimed if I could defeat him, he would release me from his price.”
“And you won,” Yukina had cut in. “Otherwise, you would not be telling me.”
“Actually, it was a tie, but he released me anyway.”
“And the other reasons?”
“I…didn’t think you’d be happy having a criminal for a brother. I know that’s a weak excuse when I thought back on it.”
“Yes, but your promise made sense. I’m glad you finally told me.”
I’m glad I told her, too, he thought as Yukina finished her story.
“Hiei, could you tell me about your childhood?”
“There’s not much to say. They are pretty much the same.”
“I don’t care. Tell me one.”
Hiei recoiled slightly at the harsh tone from Yukina and the hardness of her eyes. “Yukina,” he said in a softer tone than he usually spoke and was surprised by how…gentle it sounded.
Yukina blinked and sat back with worry and fear. “Oh, dear,” she said. “It’s happening.”
“What’s happening?”
“Every ice apparition goes through a brief period where she becomes a man. It starts in adolescence and occurs once every fifteen years. Rui told me about it but I haven’t gone through it yet.”
“A man?” Hiei repeated. “How brief a period?”
“A day or two. Hiei, you do have ice apparition blood in you so that means you’ll be female briefly.”
“I…will?” he asked faintly. “When?”
“Very soon. My tone is a warning to me.”
“Your eyes had hardened briefly also,” Hiei noted.
“Oh!” Yukina got to her feet and hurried away, confusing Hiei. After several minutes, she returned, wearing pants and a shirt tucked into it. She smiled as she sat down. “Now, I’m ready.”
Both siblings felt a feeling in their stomachs; a burning one for Yukina and a chilly one for Hiei. He shivered a little as the chill spread outward. He heard Yukina moan, her voice sounding lower meaning they were feeling their changes in gender. He gasped in a higher voice as the chill spread even faster. He felt his blood cool and his body altering into a different shape. The chilly feeling abruptly ended and Hiei looked down to see a female body, the shirt untucked to accommodate her breasts. She looked up at Yukina and almost didn’t recognize her twin.
Well, actually she did. The hair remained the same and the eyes were still red just not as wide or soft. His face were angles instead of curves. His chest was flat and solid muscles were over his torso and limbs.
“Hiei,” Yukina said in a tenor voice. “You’re lovely.”
Hiei chose to take his word for it and replied, “And you are handsome,” in a higher voice, somewhere between alto and soprano.
Yukina nodded in accepting his sister’s words. He lifted a hand to examine it. “Considering our race become male for a brief time, it definitely makes it wrong for them to banish you.”
“Perhaps, to them, they weren’t really male, despite their bodies,” Hiei suggested.
Yukina lowered his hand. “Yes. That makes sense.” His eyes quickly looked Hiei up and down. Her body had lost some muscle, but there was no denying the strength she still had. Her eyes were wide and soft with a gentle curved face. Her breasts were small and her torso was slender. The bandages around her fingers and arms were loose which exposed some of her dragon tattoo on her right arm. Her pants were loose around the waist but the hips kept them in place. “Hiei, you’re welcome to stay until you’re male again.”
She nodded and said with relief, “Thank you. I don’t want anyone else to see me right now.”
Yukina nodded in understanding. He didn’t want anyone to see him either. My first change to male and I feel…embarrassed. Funny. One would think I would be less emotional but then again, it’s only my body that’s changed, not my mind. Although, I may experience male tendencies later on as I have just changed.
Hiei tightened her belt to keep her pants from slipping down. She felt grateful that she had hips to keep her pants from completely falling down. She then tucked her shirt in to keep her breasts from moving too much. They put a little weight on her chest that felt uncomfortable and was glad that it would only be one or two days every fifteen years. I can keep coming here to change and no one will ever know about this, except Yukina. I would like some guidance in being female and more about this gender switch.
“Yukina, did Rui tell you anything else about this change?”
“Yes. She said that no one acted violent or cruel in her male state but did act like a man due to some hormones as that is related to the body. The mind remains unchanged. I have seen Rui change once which was how I learned about this.”
“So, we’ll act like our current gender because of hormones, but still think as usual.”
Yukina nodded and held up a hand palm up. A puff of ice plumed up briefly. “Still ice. I would have thought with you being my twin, I would have fire powers while male.”
“That is an interesting thought.” Hiei held her hand up, focused, and a ball of ice appeared. Hiei blinked before dissolving the ball. “Ice. Why do I have ice powers?”
“You are female right now. Perhaps, the fire is tied to your male form.”
“And since you have never used fire, your powers are still ice.”
Yukina silently agreed with her and wondered how he would act when his hormones surfaced. This will be an interesting experience.
Chapter Two- Hormonal Impulses
The first hints of their hormone change occurred hours later. Yukina sat on the porch while Hiei was standing on the ground, practicing sword maneuvers. Hiei found that her female body was faster and figured it was because she was lighter. Her movements were smooth and sure but found herself losing interest in her practice. But, why? I haven’t been practicing all that long and I can usually practice for hours. Is it…my female hormones?
Yukina felt bored as he watched Hiei practice. He found it curious as he loved watching Hiei move swiftly, the sword moving so quickly it was just flashes of light. But today, he didn’t want to watch, he wanted to join in. He hopped off the porch and approached Hiei who had the sword pointed down. “Hiei?”
“I think my hormones are influencing me,” she said as she looked at him. “I have no interest in practicing.”
“I’m having similar thoughts. I’d rather practice than watch.”
Hiei smiled in a way that lit up her face. She passed the sword to Yukina. “I could give you a lesson.”
“I’d like that as I’ve never used a sword before.”
“Trust me, when I’m done, you’ll be able to fight with one anytime you want.”
Yukina tried a smirk on as he held the sword up the way he had seen Hiei do it. Hiei looked his stance over before using her hands and feet to move Yukina’s own. “Try this stance; it’ll be harder for an opponent to push you back.”
Yukina mimicked the pose. “There’s a lot to coordinate when sword fighting,” he muttered.
“Yes, but with practice, it becomes second nature.”
Yukina practiced for an hour before stopping for the day. “Yukina,” Hiei said as she sheathed her sword. “Could you…help me in preparing tea?”
“Sure, but it’s not that hard.” Yukina led his sister to the kitchen and spoke of how he usually made the tea. As was done with the sword training, Yukina did the instructing while Hiei handled the making and setting up.
“You’re right. It’s not that hard,” Hiei commented as she set the cups on the tray before opening the cabinet where Yukina had said the tea was stored. She stared at the boxes of teabags and tins of tea leaves. “Whoa. There’s so many of them.”
“I like to try out different flavors,” Yukina admitted. “Kazuma is kind enough to buy them and bring them here.”
Of course he was, Hiei thought. She knew the teen was in love with her brother, but Yukina seemed oblivious to it. Someone should tell him and it’s usually the sibling who speaks of it.
“Yukina, I’m not sure if you know this, but…Kuwabara loves you. He has for years.”
“He loves me?” Yukina’s cheeks went hot; a female reaction despite his current gender. “I…had no idea. I just thought he was that friendly with everyone.”
“Well, it’s not.” Hiei selected a rosemary tea and put a bag in each cup and some extras on the side. She put the water into the teapot and then carried it all to where they had tea earlier. She poured the water into the cups and passed one to Yukina. They dipped the bags into the water to mix them before carefully sipping the tea. “Hmm,” Hiei said. “This is good.”
“Yes,” Yukina agreed. “What was it again?”
“Rosemary.”
“I’ll make a note of that and then give Kazuma a list when he comes by next time.”
Hiei nodded and took another sip to gather her thoughts. “Yukina, I would like some guidance on being female. I mean, my body feels a bit uncomfortable or it could by my clothes.”
“My body feels uncomfortable too and the hormones are driving me crazy.”
Hiei giggled a little. “Perhaps, that’s the answer. We let our hormones guide us until we change back.”
“Yes, that’s the perfect answer. I was going to tend the flowers. There’s this particular one that thrives on ice and it’s due to get some.”
“I’ll tend to them. Just show me the one that needs ice.”
Yukina guided Hiei to the garden and pointed out the special flower before leaving her to take care of them. He returned to their tea spot and saw Hiei’s katana lying on the floor. He went over to it and picked it up. Hiei won’t want to practice until she changes back. So, I could borrow it for the time being. He stepped outside, unsheathed the sword, and began to practice again.
Hiei smiled as she placed her hands around the flower. She recognized it as one she had seen in the village on that one and only time she had been there. This flower thrived in the bitterly cold winds and blizzard-like conditions. It wouldn’t survive without an ice apparition to keep it cold. She slowly exhaled and willed her ice to come forth. A small, thin layer appeared and then sank under the soil to the roots. Another layer appeared and began to thicken. Soon, a blanket of thick ice surrounded the flower and the isolated patch around it. Hiei nodded in approval as she dusted off her hands. I did a good job there. It feels good using my ice powers. She moved on to the main garden to tend to the flowers there.
Yukina moved the sword the way he had seen Hiei do it when she did what she called warm-up exercises. They started off slow but gradually got faster until Hiei was a blur. Yukina didn’t have the confidence to move that quickly, so he focused on his swings and stance. He stopped when he smelled food cooking and surmised that Hiei was cooking. It has to be her as we’re the only two here. He sheathed the sword and headed in to have dinner with his sister and share their afternoon experiences with each other.
Hiei laid in the guest room that night, re-living her day. When she had finished the gardening, she had gathered up the tea tray, saw her sword missing, and suspected that Yukina had it. She looked out the door to see her brother working on swings and stances. She then decided to fix dinner as she knew sword practice works up an appetite. Yukina loved the dinner. It seems I have a talent for cooking, at least in my current form. I have to admit, I am getting comfortable being female, but I will be relieved when I change back. She sighed as she rolled onto her side and fell asleep.
Yukina felt sun on his face and blinked against it as he awoke. He sat up and as he stretched, he felt his shirt come untucked. He looked down and saw breasts, the reason for the untucked shirt clear. Yukina was female again!
If I’m female again, then that must mean that Hiei is male again. She rose from her futon and dressed in her kimono before heading down the hall to the guest room Hiei was using. She knocked on the door. “Hiei, are you awake?” She heard a grunt and smiled. “It’s over, brother. We’re back to normal.” She heard Hiei moving around and approaching the door so she stepped back as it slid open. She blinked in surprise. Instead of a male Hiei before her, there was a female one!
“Wha-?”” she gasped. “You’re still female?”
“Clearly,” she said. “Perhaps, I’ll change back tomorrow.”
Yukina shook her head. “Twins change for the same amount of time. It is rare to have twins but there is precedence.”
“Then, why am I still female?” Hiei asked, confused.
Chapter Three- Research
“I don’t know,” Yukina said as they stood in her room and she shuffled through some papers she had taken with her when she left the village for good. “This kind of change with twin girls states both change to male at the same time and change back together.”
“Well, we’re twins, but one boy and one girl. It would seem a different set of circumstances apply to us.”
“Yes, it does. I just wish I knew but the papers don’t mention our kind of twins. Any aspect of ice apparitions concerns only girls and women.”
“Of course. Any males born are banished or killed so any studies on them are non-existent.”
“Perhaps not,” came a new voice and both spun around to see Kurama. His green eyes calmly assessed the situation before adding, “You are a lovely girl, by the way, Hiei.”
“Thanks, Fox,” Hiei said grudgingly. “But what did you mean by perhaps not?”
“I should be able to find some files in Yomi’s library and have some answers to why you are still female.”
“Still? Fox, how do you know about this?”
Kurama chuckled. “I studied Yomi’s files during my time as his second-in-command though I admit I didn’t dig too deep into them, but I intend to this time.”
“I would appreciate that.” As Hiei locked eyes with Kurama, she felt her breath catch and her heart actually beat. Whoa. I’ve never really noticed how handsome Kurama is, especially in his human form. She tried to banish these thoughts, convinced that her hormones were affecting her thoughts. They likely are as they did guide me in my actions yesterday. But I must not let them influence my thoughts. I will not let myself be more female than I’ve allowed myself to be.
&&&&
Kurama went through the files of Yomi’s library, the owner still traveling with his son to get stronger. He found the file on ice apparitions and opened it. He allowed it to fully download and, while he did, reflected on what he saw today.
He had come to the compound to see Yukina and ask if she had seen Hiei recently. It was the fire demon he wanted to see for he had a confession to make: He had fallen in love with Hiei. The friendship they had had for years had been enough for Kurama until a couple of months ago. He knew a little about Hiei but it was enough for him to be attracted to him. He had been hoping to tell Hiei how he felt today but his confession would have to wait.
He had been surprised to see Hiei female, but covered his surprise well. He truly did find Hiei lovely in her current form. Her hair had flattened to lay down against her back and her eyes were wide and a softer red that complemented her curved feminine face. Her voice was as attractive as her body was. I had read that ice apparitions turn male for a day or two every fifteen years and that twin girls do have the same time period with the change. So the question is, why didn’t Hiei change back when Yukina did? The download was finally finished and Kurama eagerly read the file.
The file was long, much to his surprise as most ice apparitions don’t leave their homeland. Perhaps Yomi had captured one and tortured her for information. It was the kind of thing he would do. Some of the information he already knew such as the Hiruseki stones, having daughters on their own every 100 years, and able to conceive with men whom they despised as a whole.
He located the section on the gender change and read it carefully. When a woman became a man, the stone they wore identified them as an ice apparition and not a male intruder and yet they tended to stay in their houses until they were female again. Signs of the change occurred hours to minutes before it happened. These signs were simply acting in a manner contrary to their normal behavior so they didn’t change without warning and cause a momentary panic in public. Twins were rare but they did occur and they also experienced the change. They became men at the same time and returned to normal at the same time as well. The change also happened to any boy born to an ice apparition. Most boys were banished or killed since men weren’t allowed on their world. Some mothers went into hiding with their sons until he reached the age when the change would occur. The hiding aspect was the mother simply claiming to be moving to another village so her actions wouldn’t be viewed as suspicious. A boy who goes through the change tends to remain female and can blend in with the rest of her kind and become male once every fifteen years, at which point she and her mother could return to the village. A rumor had persisted that if the boy acted female and received love from another and returned those sentiments, then he would return to his original gender. After that, his change would be just like the women…or be able to change whenever they wanted but had to do the fifteen year change. Kurama stepped back to take it all in. So, some boys do survive and change into girls when they reach the age of the change. They then remain female, only being male every fifteen years. Well, Hiei certainly does not want to go that way. She wants to be male again and luckily the file holds the solution. But Hiei does not indulge in the type of love necessary to regain her original gender. I would guess that she has fifteen years to return to her male state before the change reverses the gender switch. I will tell her what I have learned, but not my guesses.
&&&&
Hiei, despite her resistance, indulged in her female behavior. She assisted Yukina in her chores and provided a delicious lunch for both of them. It was during lunch that Hiei brought up her actions and her feelings about them. “Yukina? I’m…a bit afraid.”
“Afraid? Afraid of what?”
“Of how I’m acting. I mean, I’m a man in a female body and it’s influencing me to act like a woman. I want to fight it, but I find it difficult to do so.”
“Hiei, there’s nothing wrong with acting female right now. Don’t be afraid to act like one, especially since you’ll go through it again in fifteen years.”
Hiei gazed down at her plate in silence for several minutes. Finally she said, “You have a point. I should act like a woman at this point so that when the time comes again, I won’t be fighting them again. I do hope Kurama finds a solution.”
“I hope so too.”
“I found a solution but the file called it a rumor,” Kurama spoke up from the outside door.
Hiei startled at Kurama speaking up and then fixed a stern gaze at him. “Damn it, Fox. Don’t do that!” Hiei inwardly frowned. She had been having trouble sensing others and wondered if some of her powers had weakened due to her change. She hated being weak and desperately wanted to be herself again.
“Kurama, what did you learn?” Yukina asked.
“There have been boys born to ice apparitions and some survived by the mother going into hiding with him and waiting until he experienced his first change. As long as he didn’t give or receive love, he could act female and stay that way. Then, he would only be male every fifteen years.”
“I don’t understand,” Yukina said. “A mother loves her daughter and vice versa. So, the new female would turn male again once the one or two days have passed.”
“Ah, yes. I forgot to clarify. I meant to say romantic love not family love. In order to return to her male form, Hiei needs to act female, receive love from another, and give that love in return. When that occurs, Hiei will be male and will change every fifteen years. The file speculated that the man would be able to change between male and female whenever he wants once the solution has occurred. The fifteen year change will occur regardless.”
Love? Hiei thought. I have to love or be a female who changes to male every fifteen years?
Chapter Four- Confession
“Hiei, this is great!” Yukina exclaimed happily. “You’ve already been acting female. All you have to do is love someone and have him or her love you back.”
“Hopeless,” Hiei stated. “No one would love me that way and I…I-have-no-romantic-interest,” she spoke the last part in a rush.
“If that is so, then why are you blushing?” Kurama asked.
“Because I’m being female, that’s why,” Hiei snapped, the blush fading.
“Hiei,” Yukina said gently. “Do you love someone?”
“N-n-no,” she stammered as the blush returned.
“All right,” Kurama said, thinking that Hiei might love him and decided to make the first move. “You do not love someone, that’s fine. Just let me say this: Hiei, I love you.”
Hiei blinked and gaped at the fox. “What?” she managed to get out.
“I love you. I have for two months now. I came over today to tell you and I do not care what you think. I wanted to get it out in the open so that I can think in peace.”
“Your love for Hiei was disrupting your peace of mind?” Yukina asked before smiling softly. “That’s so romantic.”
That’s pathetic, Hiei thought. The way he talks, it sounds like what humans call lovesick. Why is Kurama allowing himself to fall prey to such human nonsense?
Kurama felt disappointed. He told Hiei how he felt and she said nothing. She does love someone. Her blush was proof of that. Why is she denying it? Does she want to stay female?
“Hiei, don’t you want to be male again?” Yukina asked, sounding a bit confused.
“Of course I do.”
“Then, tell the one you love how you feel. He or she many love you back.” Personally, Yukina was sure Kurama was the one Hiei loved. She had happened to see Hiei practically staring at Kurama this morning. It is possible that Hiei’s hormones are making her think she loves Kurama and that would be why she’s denying her feelings. She shouldn’t deny them. The solution states that she should act female and she’s been doing that so declaring and receiving romantic love is all that remains to it.
Hiei lowered her gaze to her lap. She did love Kurama, or at least she thought she did. She was sure her hormones made her see Kurama in a different light. She then thought back over their years as teammates and came to the realization that there had been subtle hints of attraction on both of their parts. I’ve always been attracted to Kurama. My current form just brought it out into the open.
“I should add that you’ll have until sunset tomorrow to regain your male self. After that, you’ll be trapped as a woman and change to male every fifteen years,” Kurama said. It was a lie, of course but he felt the pressure of a deadline would prompt her to act. He was about to fabricate an instance of such an occurrence when Hiei put up a hand.
“Fox, there is no need to say anything more.” She looked right into his eyes. “I am happy to hear that you love me. I had thought that I didn’t feel the same way, but I thought back over the years and realized that we both gave subtle hints of attraction to each other. My being female just brought it out. Kurama, I love you too.”
Kurama smiled gently at her. I knew she loved someone and I’m glad it’s me. Perhaps, we could begin a true relationship from this point on. He moved closer, leaned down, and kissed her, feeling Hiei wrap her arms around his neck. Her soft lips suddenly became less soft and Kurama opened his eyes to see a male Hiei.
The feel of Kurama’s lips on her own was warm and gentle and she savored this feeling even as a burning raced through her body and the absence of her female hormones indicated that she was male again. He opened his eyes to see Kurama’s eyes were open and when they parted, both smiled slightly at each other.
“We beat the deadline,” Hiei said, his deep voice sounding strange after almost two days of speaking with a higher one.
“Hiei, there was no deadline mentioned in the file,” Kurama admitted. “I made it up.”
“What? You…lied to me?”
“Yes. I had hoped that the pressure of a deadline would prompt you to act. You did say you wanted to be male again.”
Hiei felt his anger fade at Kurama’s easy response and he smirked. “All right. I did say that and it’s fine that you lied like that.” He patted the floor and Kurama knew that was an invitation to sit and he did so.
“So, what else wasn’t true? Like maybe the ability to change genders when I want?”
“No, that’s true. You can be female when you want.”
“I don’t intend to until I have to.” Hiei felt his true personality resurface and he welcomed it happily. His time as a woman had been forced and he didn’t like being forced to do what he didn’t like.
Kurama kept his disappointment buried deep down. He had hoped that Hiei’s time as a woman had broken down his emotional barriers in both forms. It would seem his hope was in vain. Hiei is a fire demon with a cold heart, an icy one. It is possible that his past influenced his heart. He only knew a life of fighting and any other aspect of life is an alien concept and one he pushes away as it is unfamiliar to him. I can show him love as he has already shown me love. I can accept his decision to never voluntarily be female. I fell for Hiei before he became female. His female side, while attractive, is not the side I fell for and I will not. Out loud, he said, “Of course.”
Yukina silently watched the exchange and interpreted the body language of the two men. She listened to Hiei’s refusal to use his new ability and while his voice and face supported this statement, Yukina saw the opposite in his eyes and the slight clenching of his fists. He would prefer to deny his ice apparition side except when he has to take it. I can understand that but if I could change genders, I would use it and enjoy what I learn about being male. I would have a unique perspective of both genders. I would know what men want from women and that would help me be a better woman.
Yukina had an easier time reading Kurama as his eyes spoke of his real feelings and so easily too. He loves Hiei’s female side as much as his male side. He respects Hiei’s decision to only be female when forced to be, but he would rather that Hiei embrace both sides of himself. Perhaps, I can convince him.
“I need to go,” Kurama said as he stood. “I have work to finish for my stepfather.” His voice softened as he addressed Hiei. “I hope to see you soon.” The redhead left the room and headed for the stairs.
“Hiei,” Yukina said gently. “I feel you should not deny this new power you’ve gained.”
“I am male, Yukina. I was born that way and will live as one.”
“I’m not disputing that, but all I know is that if I had such an ability, I would use it. I would have a better understanding of men simply be being one and it would likely make me a better woman.”
“And you’re saying that I would have a better understanding of women by being one and for a lot longer than I have been which would make me a better man.” And maybe make me a better lover, he added silently as he looked in the direction Kurama had gone. I will definitely see him tonight and talk to him.
Chapter Five- Gender and Relationship
Kurama buried himself in his work to avoid reflecting on his feelings about Hiei; however when he had to wait for a document to come up on the screen, his thoughts turned to Hiei.
The revelation of his gender change had been a bit of a surprise as he wasn’t sure if it would affect him. Clearly, it did and Kurama personally thought it was interesting. He had also known that Hiei needed to be male again, not trapped as a woman. The solution had been easy to achieve and resulted in Hiei able to change between genders when he wanted. But, he won’t do it, he thought. He probably felt weak as a woman…and he probably was. Clearly, the solution to that is to train as a woman in order to be stronger and Hiei loves training. Perhaps, I will suggest that to him when I next see him. The document came up and Kurama returned to work, unaware that he was being watched.
Hiei sat in the tree, watching Kurama work. The fox was unaware of Hiei’s presence and the fire demon chalked it up to his ability to conceal his energy. Of course, a closed window also keeps him from smelling me, he thought. So, he sat there, watching Kurama and thinking of what he planned to say tonight.
He would discuss his new relationship with Kurama, to learn what attracted Kurama to him, and tell Kurama what drew him to the redhead. After that, they would discuss his gender change ability. He needed to know if Kurama now preferred his female form. He had said that Hiei was lovely. I need to know. He moved closer and knocked on the glass. He saw Kurama look up and over and a friendly smile appeared as he got up, went to the window, and opened it.
“Hiei, this is a nice surprise. I was not expecting you so soon,” he said as he let Hiei in.
“We need to talk. Really talk.”
“All right.” Kurama sat on the bed as Hiei took off his boots and joined him. “What is on your mind?”
“Our relationship for one. What drew you to me?”
“A lot of things, actually. I admire your fighting skills and the ruthless way that you fight. I also knew that you be compassionate particularly with those you call friends and especially with your sister. I had hoped your compassion with me was love.”
Hiei smirked. “Funny. That is exactly what drew me to you. Your skills and way of fighting and also your compassion. Hn. I used to think compassion was a weakness but I have come to realize that it can be a strength.”
“I didn’t realize that until I became human. Mother was a large part of that realization. She raised me with love and compassion and I took those traits to heart and emulated it. It is indeed the strength you found it to be.”
“You really love me, then.”
“I truly do.”
“My male form or my female one?” he asked quietly. The moment of truth, he thought.
“Your male one,” Kurama said without hesitation. “I loved you for two months before today. It had been a pleasant surprise to see you female. I regard that side of you as something to increase my love for you. I prefer your male form to your female one.” Kurama smiled. “You were convinced that I preferred your female side to your male on, am I correct?”
“I did.”
“Hiei, it was you yourself that I love. You are special and I accept all that you are. If you ended up being human temporarily, I would still love you.”
Hiei shuddered slightly. “Me, human? God, Kurama, don’t say things like that.”
Kurama chuckled slightly. “It is not bad being human. The human race has many endearing qualities and some of those is what helps them to survive.”
“Survival is something I completely understand.” Hiei inched closer to Kurama.
“Every living this understands survival.” Kurama paused before saying, “Hiei, what is it about your female side that you dislike?”
Hiei fell silent as he gathered his thoughts on the matter. “Well,” he finally said. “There was the feel of my body. It felt wrong and strange as well. I was feeling and displaying emotions more than I usually do which is usually never. I was strong but not my usual strength and I was using ice powers instead of fire. Overall, I felt weak and vulnerable.”
“I see. Well, allow me to address each point. Naturally, your body would feel wrong and strange as it was a shape wholly unfamiliar to you. I would feel the same way if I suddenly became female. The flood of emotions is intense as men are not accustomed to showing them much. Your strength being less than what it usually is to be expected as you were using a different set of powers. I find it interesting that you have access to two powers. One for each form. Now, you felt weak and vulnerable. There is a way to fix that: Training.”
“Training?” Hiei asked, his interest piqued.
“Yes. You could go somewhere isolated, change to female, and practice your powers and do general training exercises.”
“I love training, but when I was female, my hormones caused my interest in training to drop. I ended up gardening and fixing tea and dinner.”
“I did not know that, but as this would be a voluntary change, you should be able to train without a loss of interest.”
“Voluntary. Yes, that would probably make all the difference. I will train in strengthening my ice powers and my general strength.”
“Good to hear.”
“Yes. You know, I could grow used to my body if I change more often and not just for training.”
Kurama blinked, now noticing how close Hiei was to him. “Hiei, what are you suggesting?”
Hiei gave a sly smile before he began to flicker and change. In a matter of seconds, Hiei sat beside Kurama as his woman self. The redhead stared at her. “Hiei?” he said, confused.
“I thought I would give you a closer look at this body and a look at my ice powers.”
“Hiei, I am honored. Let us start with your powers.”
Hiei held up a hand palm up and willed her power to come. A ball of ice like last time appeared. Kurama stared at it and gently put a finger on it but then jerked it back. “That’s cold,” he said.
“Really? I don’t think so,” Hiei teased as she vanished the ball.
“Well, naturally,” Kurama said. “And not bad for a beginner.”
“I think some of my training helped with that.”
“That makes sense.” Kurama put a hand on Hiei’s cheek, feeling softer skin. His hand moved up to the hair and then down it, finding the hair to feel soft and silky. His eyes roved over the curves and shape of the body before him.
Hiei smirked at his actions. “Like what you see, Fox?” she teased. “It’s okay if you do.”
“I do like it, but I prefer you as a man.”
Hiei gently pushed Kurama onto his back and smiled down at him. “I am well aware of that but I’d like to sleep with you as a woman.”
“I have no objections,” he said as Hiei slid to one side and snuggled up against him and was soon asleep, content in her love for Kurama and her new ability that she intended to use.
