Ikigai (Hiei x OC)

*THE DARKNESS*

"I'll refrain from asking what took you so long," Genkai said, eyeing her shirt suspiciously. Somehow, she had a replacement in her hands already, and threw the rough, wrinkled top to her.

"One of them got a hold of me," Airi replied, unable to hide the flush in her cheeks as she pulled the smock over her head.

"They sure did."

She threw daggers at Hiei, which told her two things: Genkai very much knew what happened in those woods, and she was frustrated with him for not being a more obsequious student.

"Haruki has the kids in the dining room. Airi, go to them and release the shield, if you feel you can trust them. Hiei, come with me. We're going to deal with these little brats. I need you to scare some sense into them."

The thought of being separated from him made her want to weep. Somewhere in her subconscious, she knew that she was relying on him to help her forget the role she played in her mother's death. And she would keep it up, too, until it worked. Tangling her fingers through his, she drank in his face before turning to leave. He clung to her for one extra second, making her heart skip a beat. She wanted to stay with him so badly that it physically hurt.

"Alright, we get it, you're in love," Genkai said sarcastically. "You two make me sick."

Her crafty smile belied her words, and Airi wanted to tell her how much she appreciated her. While she would never admit to it, their mentor had been working tirelessly behind the scenes to help them both. Sometimes, when Genkai was weary at the end of a day, Airi could gain some semblance of access to her mind. They reminded her of herself and Toguro, when they were young, and she was determined to see it end differently this time around. She was a good woman, with a kind heart.

As she left them behind, Hiei sent her a message.

"Tonight?"

She smirked, her whole body tingling in anticipation of what he'd meant by that.

"Tonight."

If she could just get through this day, she could spend the entire night in his arms. Pushing down the reservations that bubbled to the surface, she convinced herself she did not need to forgive him to sleep with him. Besides, her own mistakes were far worse than his. Maybe they were simply destined for dysfunction.

Trying to purify her thoughts proved difficult, up until the moment she saw those eight children cowering underneath the dining tables. Haruki hovered by the doorway, unease evident in his stance.

"They think we're going to kill them," he whispered sadly. "I don't know how to make them listen."

Crouching low, she made her way over to them with her hands raised in retreat.

"We won't hurt you," she said, her voice soothing. "We just want to know why you're here."

"You killed the rest of us! Why should we trust you?" one of them yelled, her small body shaking violently.

"Haruki, do you have any treats in the kitchen? Now could be a good time to bring them out."

She sat on the floor across from them, crossing her legs and placing her elbows in her lap.

"I think you know they weren't your friends. I'm sorry I had to hurt them. But I would never do that to someone small like you."

They weighed her words, trying to decide if they trusted her or not. She did the same.