Chapter Text
“Fuck it’s cold!” Kazuma shivered as he stepped out of the portal into Makai.
“It’s barely even chilly.” Hiei rolled his eyes and he followed suit, Kurama and Yusuke close behind him. “Be prepared, it’s only going to get colder from here once we enter the mountains. I don’t want to hear you complaining the whole way.”
“Why can’t you just get us closer?” Yusuke asked, zipping up his jacket. “I thought you could portal anywhere.”
“Ah, in theory.” Kazuma reluctantly admits, his Jigentō vanishing from his hand. “I’m still not very practiced at it. It’s pretty hit and miss, even if Hiei shows me where to go.”
“You got us close enough.” Kurama said, looking towards the towering white peaks looming over them like jagged teeth. “We’ll have to hike the rest of the way.”
“I could try again.” Kazuma offers.
“It’s too risky. You might accidentally take us further away or in a bad spot.” Kurama declines. Noticing his down expression, he smiles reassuringly at Kazuma. “It’s alright. We expected this. That’s why we packed supplies. Do you have everything with you?”
“I think so.” Kazuma adjusted his pack. He’d thought that he was well prepared when they left, but now that he’s experiencing the actual cold, he’s not sure it will be enough. The weather was already bad, heaps of snow coming down in fat heavy flakes. The wind was cutting right through him, sneaking in the gaps between the zipper’s teeth on his coat to steal his warmth. But it was too late to turn back now, they’d already wasted enough time. If he asks to go back to repack, there’s a chance they might decide to just leave him behind. He really doesn’t want that to happen. It’s been far too long since he got to go on a mission with his friends. Not only that, but he promised Yukina he would do this.
Earlier that day she’d called him sounding very upset. A friend of hers from the kōrime village had come to her looking for help. A band of thieves had attacked the village. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the thieves had made off with a precious artifact: The Veil of Tears.
Back before the kōrime had isolated themselves, they were under attack near constantly by those looking to steal their gems or kidnap them. After one particularly brutal raid, the blood, tears, and desperation of the kōrime compacted together and froze into a gem unlike any other. It creates a thick blizzard that conceals the village, keeping it hidden from prying eyes and those who would do them harm. For millennia it has remained in the very heart of their frozen lands, keeping them safe. To have it stolen was a violation, leaving them bitter and vulnerable.
Upon hearing this, Kazuma immediately got the team back together. He and Kurama called in sick from school, Urameshi ditched his ramen stand, and all three of them met up with Hiei in Makai to form a plan.
“From what Yukina has told us, it sounds like it’s the work of a band of thieves known as the Kamaitachi.” Kurama informed them as they start hiking up the mountain. “They’re known for hitting their targets hard and fast before disappearing into thin air, just like what happened at the village. My guess is that they either are looking to sell The Veil, or try to use it to conceal their hideout.”
“The Kamaitachi aren’t very strong, but they are incredibly evasive.” Hiei has an expression like a dark storm brewing. “We need to catch up to them and stop them before they figure out how to properly use The Veil. Once they do, it will shield them inside a nearly impenetrable blizzard. Right now, it’s just a bad snow storm, but it will get thicker the closer we get.”
“Let’s get moving before Kuwabara freezes his nuts off.” Urameshi ribs him.
“Shut up, Urameshi!” Kazuma bristles, adjusting his scarf. “You’re the one wearing a pathetic excuse for a winter jacket.”
“What can I say?” He winks. “I run hot.”
“Quit flirting and get a move on.” Hiei snapped at them, already walking ahead with Kurama. “You lag behind, you get left behind.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Urameshi rolls his eyes, stuffing his hands in his pockets and marching forwards. He shoots Kazuma a challenging grin. “C’mon. I’ll race you.”
He takes off before Kazuma could reply, forcing him to sprint to catch up. “Hey! No giving yourself a head start, asshole!”
“Hold on.” Kurama snags him by his collar as he tries to run past. “You need to conserve your energy for the long hike ahead. It’s going to be harder on you than it is on us.”
“I know I’ve been spending a lot of time in school, but I’m not that out of shape.” Kazuma grumbles, but slows to a walk. “I can keep up.”
“I mean that you have the miasma in the air to content with. It doesn’t bother any of us.” Kurama reminded him. “We are also more resistant to cold and exhaustion than you are. We can’t afford to slow down if you wear yourself out competing with Yusuke in pointless races.”
“Tell that to him, not me. He’s the one who started it.” Kazuma huffs, feeling a little stung at the reminder that his friends are different from him. Better than you, an evil voice hisses in his ear and he tries to ignore it. You’ve always been the weak link in the chain, even before you were the only human. Kazuma shoves the voice out of his head, shouldering forwards and stomping through the thick carpet of snow. He can keep up. He may not be a demon, but he’s still stronger than your average human. Besides, the miasma isn’t too bad here. The cold air soothes the raw burn in the back of his throat from it. Maybe as the air gets thinner the higher up the mountain they go, the less the miasma will bother him. He’ll be fine.
It’s the cold that’s really the problem.
While his winter jacket and boots might’ve been more than warm enough back home, the weather here is more extreme. Even doubling up on pants, socks, and sweaters, the wind finds every gap in the seams, chilling him with icy fingers. They barely walk for two hours before he has to admit that his clothes are far too light for the freezing mountain winds and deep snow. He’ll be damned if he says it out loud to the group, though. They’re still close enough to the base of the mountain to send him back on his own. He’ll be alright, he just has to keep moving and he’ll stay warm. Besides, he was the one who insisted on coming along. It would be pathetic if he had to tuck his tail and go home before even laying eyes on their bad guys. He promised Yukina he would get The Veil back and a man doesn’t break his promises.
The further up the mountain they climb, the colder it gets. The wind is howling past his ears and he pulls his toque further down to cover them from the biting cold. His fingers are stiff inside his mittens and he shoves them deep into his pockets, curling them into fists to try to warm them up. He tucks his nose into his scarf and it’s warm when he breathes out, the heat of his lungs a welcome sensation. But then he needs to breath in and the moisture from his breath freezes, quickly icing over and hanging in little white beads from the fibers of the knit. He should’ve listened to Shizuru and brought his jacket with the hood. But it was hidden deep in his closet somewhere and his friends were already antsy to get on the move. He thought he would be fine without it. But now that he’s here, he finds himself imagining it’s warmth and wishing he’d taken the extra ten minutes to find it.
“Oi, Kuwabara! You sleeping back there?” Urameshi shouts over the wind.
Kazuma looks up and cold immediately dives inside his collar. His friends are ahead of him, Hiei only a black shape leading the party. Shit. He’d been too busy cowering from the wind, he’d nearly been left behind. He jogs to catch up, his boots feeling heavy and clumsy in the dense snow. Every footstep sinks him up to his calf, the snow clumping and sticking to his pants. He’s glad he tied the laces so tight, otherwise half the mountain would be down his boots by now. Even so, it gathers around the tops and melts with his body heat, freezing in an icy sheet on the fabric.
“Geez, look at you. You’re like an abominable snowman.” Yusuke teases, dusting clumps of snow from his shoulders. “Are you doing alright? You’re not going soft on me, are you?”
“As if.” Kazuma smacks him away, shaking the rest of the snow off. Not that it mattered, more was gathering even as he did so. “This is a walk in the park.”
He stomps on ahead, determined to keep up with the rest of them. He’s always been stubborn and that fire keeps him (a little) warm as they carry on up the mountain path. He even leads the group with Hiei for a little while, having made it a personal challenge to keep ahead of Urameshi after he calls him a slowpoke. He’s doing pretty well, until his boot catches on a buried rock and he falls on his face. The crystalized snow cuts his exposed skin like tiny shards of glass and he pushes himself up to his knees, trying to brush it off. But his mittens are caked with ice and snow, so he only winds up rubbing it in. It melts against his skin (how, he doesn’t know. His face feels frozen), making the cold wind that much worse.
“Quit messing around.” Hiei barks. “We don’t have time for you to act like a buffoon.”
“Are you alright, Kuwabara?” Kurama asks, raising his voice above the wind.
“I’ve got him.” Urameshi appears in front of him, wiping the snowmelt away from his face with warm hands. “You good, bud?”
“How are you so warm?” Kazuma exclaims, leaning into his touch. It felt like a blessing in this frozen wasteland.
“Demon blood. It keeps you toasty.” Urameshi shrugged, helping him to his feet and brushing off the snow that clung to him. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine.” Kazuma lies. He doesn’t want to let go of Urameshi’s hands, their heat radiating through his frozen mittens. He wishes he could curl up inside his jacket like a cat, bundled warm and safe in his arms. He blushes at the thought, hoping that it’s hidden in his flush from the cold.
“Maybe we should stop for a break.” Kurama suggests.
“That would be a waste of time.” Hiei scoffs. “The Kamaitachi already have a head start on us. We can’t afford to be slowed down.”
Kazuma feels like he’s staring pointedly at him, his red eyes boring into him accusingly. Anxiety twists his gut and he lets go of Urameshi’s hands, marching ahead.
“Hiei’s right. We don’t have time for this.” He insists, even as his frozen toes scream in protest. His feet felt like they were carved from blocks of ice, aching with the cold. “It’s better if we keep moving.”
“Are you sure?” Kurama looks at him dubiously, his brow creased with mild concern. “It wouldn’t take much time to stop and eat something to keep our strength up.”
What Kazuma hears is: we can put the mission on hold to deal with your human fragility, but only briefly.
“There’s no need.” Kazuma shakes his head. “I’m warmer when I’m moving. In fact, I'm feeling great. I could even beat Urameshi to the top of this slope.”
“Yeah right.” Urameshi punched him on the shoulder, making him stumble. “Your just talking shit again.”
“Wanna bet?” Kazuma challenged with a familiar grin, taking off up the slope. As he predicted, Urameshi follows along, eager to compete.
“Don’t go wasting your energy.” Kurama calls after them. “We still have kilometers ahead of us.”
“Let them have at it.” Hiei dismisses. “If it makes them move faster, they can race all they want.”
For the next few hours, Kazuma makes a concentrated effort to push himself harder. He was determined to keep pace with the rest of the pack. Unfortunately, competing with Urameshi leads to him working up a sweat. It feels great at first, his blood pumping and heating him up. But when his stamina wears down, he has to slow to a walk again. Then all the sweat that had been accumulating under his clothes chills him to the bone. He’s shivering in his boots, clenching his jaw tightly to keep his teeth from chattering. It only gets worse the further up the mountain they go.
Gales of icy winds whip through them, striking them with shards of crystalized snow that stung like a sandstorm. If Jack Frost had only been nipping at him earlier, he was full on gnawing on him now like a dog with a bone. He was grateful that his coat came halfway down his thighs, keeping him marginally warmer. He wishes it went all the way down to his feet, though. But that would only trip him up and he’s slowing them down enough as it is.
The weather continues to get worse, the winds screaming around them and blasting them with pellets of snow. The air was thick with it, blurring out things in the distance. They had to stick closer together, no more racing ahead or leaving people to catch up. Even his friends were starting to feel the cold. Well, everyone except Hiei. Kurama shifted into his Yoko form for better resistance, white fabric made from his Ki wrapping around him. Urameshi pulled up his hood, fastening it around his face in a way that Kazuma would’ve made fun of, if he were any less cold.
“Oi, Kuwabara, lend me one of your gloves.” He demanded, holding out a bare hand expectantly.
“No way! You brought your own.” Kazuma glared. He was cold enough as it was without losing a precious piece of his winter gear.
“Yeah, but they’re packed at the bottom of my bag.” Urameshi pouted. “C’mon, you’ve got two gloves, you can give me one. My fingers are turning to icicles, man!”
“If I give you one, I’m going to lose my whole hand to the cold.” Kazuma protested. “Just shove your hands in your pockets.”
“It’s not warm enough anymore.” Urameshi grumbled in irritation, grabbing his wrist. “C’mere. I have an idea.”
“Urameshi!” Kazuma yelped, the cold stinging his hand as Urameshi yanked the mitten off. “Give that back!”
“Just hang on a second.” Urameshi stuffed his hand in the glove then grabbed Kuwabara’s hand. He shoves their bare hands inside Kuwabara’s jacket pocket, their fingers laced together. “See? This works.”
“You selfish bastard.” Kazuma mutters, relenting. Urameshi’s hand was cold, but it was quickly heating up again, warming Kuwabara’s along with it. It was kind of nice holding hands like this. It meant that he couldn’t ditch him. Every so often they alternate hands, swapping mittens and sides. Urameshi sticks close to his side as they shuffle through the deep mounds of snow, Kurama and Hiei leading them through the whiteout. After another few hours, Kurama signals for them to circle up.
“The sun is setting and the weather is only getting worse.” He speaks above the shrieking winds that pull on their clothes and try to shove them back the way they came. “It’s too dangerous for us to move blindly. We might wind up turned around or lost and waste more time than if we stop now. The good news is that our targets will likely also be forced to make camp.”
“There’s a series of caves up ahead.” Hiei announces, his eyes glowing as he searches the area with his Jagan. “I don’t like the idea of having to stop, but we can take shelter there for the night.”
“Let’s get moving, I’m freezing my ass off over here.” Urameshi complains. “I’d like to dig out my warmer gear some time in the next five minutes.”
Kazuma is privately relieved that they’ll be stopping for the night. He feels half frozen, stiff and burning with the intense cold. He can’t wait to start a fire, heat up a quick meal, and then get snuggled warm and cozy in his sleeping bag. He’d be refreshed by the time morning came, thawed out and ready to go again. Stepping into the cave, the relief from the constant winds in palpable and he sighs, untensing slightly. They set down their packs a few meters into the cave, still in sight of the entrance, but away from the wind and snow. It’s dark and only getting darker as the dim sun sets, blotted out by thick clouds.
“Should we start a fire?” He suggests, unable to keep the eagerness from his voice.
“With what fuel? We’re way past the treeline by now.” Hiei scoffed, settling against the wall of the cave. “Besides, even in this poor visibility, there’s a chance our enemies might spot the light and realize they’re being tailed. Too risky. Suck it up.”
Kazuma inwardly curses, gritting his teeth and resigning himself to a cold night. Kurama glances at him, taking in his shivering appearance. He sighs through his nose. “We can risk a small fire to heat up some food and tea. I’ll conjure brambles for fuel and build a shield of briar in front of the cave entrance to block the light.”
Hiei clicks his tongue in resigned disapproval, but Urameshi grins happily, all bundled up in his warmer coat and mittens. “Thank fuck. I could use a hot meal.”
“Me too.” Kazuma feels safe enough to admit that, grateful for Kurama’s idea. He sticks close to the tiny fire as they heat up some of the canned food they’d brought. Its small warmth is the finest blessing and he wants to crawl right into the embers. Being set on fire sounds delightful right now. He probably wouldn’t even burn, given how cold he is. But as soon as the food and tea are heated, the fire is doused. Kazuma quickly eats, not wanting any of that glorious heat to escape his share. By the time he’s finished wolfing it down, he’s feeling marginally better, a solid heat warming him from his belly out. His shivering has subsided and he’s feeling well tired now, ready for some sleep. Hiei didn’t bring any sleeping arrangements, choosing to sit curled up near the cave wall, his sword kept close and at the ready. Kazuma and Urameshi lay out their sleeping bags side by side. He’s grateful that Urameshi takes the spot closer to the entrance of the cave, shielding him slightly from the draft creeping in. Kurama sets up his sleeping bag opposite him and Kazuma hopes that his friends body heat might help him keep a little warmer while he sleeps. Kurama eyes Kazuma’s sleeping bag.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright in that?” He asks. “It looks to be about fall grade at best. Can it handle these temperatures?”
“Ha!” Urameshi snickers as he gets snuggled up in his own sleeping bag. “Kuwabara can sleep through anything. Besides, he’s always kicking off his blankets in his sleep. He’ll be fine with a little chill.”
“Shut up, Urameshi.” Kazuma grumbles, embarrassed that Urameshi knows his sleep habits. He didn’t realize he was paying that close attention on their sleepovers. “You’re poking a lot of fun for a guy who talks in his sleep.”
“ Psh, whatever.” Urameshi huffs, his cheeks flushing pink. “You do it too, asshole.”
“I do?” Kazuma blinks in surprise. He hadn’t been aware of it. Then again, Urameshi could be lying out of embarrassment. “What do I say?”
“Oh Yusuke, you have the hottest bod. You’re so strong and handsome. Kiss me, you mad fool you!” He teases in a falsetto voice, batting his eyelashes and making kissy lips at him. Kazuma blushes up to his ears.
“Shut up! I do not say that!” He exclaims hotly, smacking him in the face with a soggy half-frozen mitten, making him sputter. “You’re the one who mumbled about me having a nice ass the last time you slept over.”
“Did not!” Urameshi’s cheeks turn red, throwing the mitten back at him.
“Did too!” Kazuma returns childishly.
“Go to sleep!” Hiei barked at them, his eyebrow twitching in irritation. “You both are getting on my nerves.”
They settle down and Kazuma tucks himself into his sleeping bag with all of his clothes on, including his boots. He’s warmer than he was earlier, the sleeping bag’s insulation helping somewhat. But the longer he lays still, the more the cold ground leeches his heat. His body starts shivering again and he tucks as much of himself into the sleeping bag as he can, trying to cover his whole head as well. He curls up, doing his best to conserve as much heat as possible. Urameshi and Kurama are already sleeping soundly beside him, so he tries not to shift around too much. They need their rest for the day ahead tomorrow. He does too, but try as he might, he can’t sleep. It’s a long, cold night and he spends it shivering, drifting in and out of an exhausted sleep.
When morning arrives, he’s frozen and feeling like absolute shit. On the bright side, he’s stopped shivering. His fingers are numb with the cold, clumsy as he fumbles to put away his sleeping gear and pack up for the day. He does his best to hurry because his friends are almost ready to go, their gear already packed away. Urameshi looks over at him and frowns.
“Dude, are you okay? You look like shit.”
“I just had a rough night. The ground was pretty uncomfortable.” He lies, giving a chilled smile. He finishes putting away his stuff and joins them for breakfast. “I’ll be fine once we’re on the move again.”
“You’d better.” Hiei gives him a scrutinizing look. “We don’t have any time for delays.”
Kazuma takes that to heart. He can’t afford to be the weak link in their chain, not when so much is on the line. Especially because it feels like he’s just tagging along. Hiei needed to be on the mission because he’d be able to guide them through the blizzard if the thieves managed to set up The Veil. Kurama was here because he knew the thieves and their habits, his inside knowledge key to taking them by surprise. Urameshi, of course, was the reliable muscle. He always came out on top and got the job done. Not to mention the territory they were in came under his jurisdiction. But Kazuma? He had simply insisted on coming along, wanting to help and feel close to his friends again. It’s been ages since they’ve all been on a mission together like this. He can’t afford to screw it up. If he does, they won’t invite him on the next one.
Weak. Useless. Buffoon. His mind whispers to him as they get on the move. Don’t screw this up for them like you do with everything else.
He can do this. He can prove he has worth to the team. As soon as they’re in sight of the hideout, he’ll do his job and open a portal directly to the thieves, taking them by surprise. Despite his fatigue and sluggishness, he thinks he’s doing better than he was yesterday. The more he’s exposed to the freezing temperatures, the less it’s bothering him. He must finally be acclimatizing since he’s no longer shaking like a leaf. If anything, he’s feeling too hot. His extremities don’t hurt like they did yesterday, now pleasantly numb and tingly.
“Oi, Kuwabara!”
He lifts his head to blink at Urameshi, confused by his loud shout. “Huh?”
“Dude, I called your name, like, six times.” Urameshi huffed, giving him an odd look. “Why’re you taking off your jacket, man?”
“My...” Kazuma looks down and sees that he’s been loosening his clothing, his jacket now hanging down one shoulder as his fingers fumble with the stuck zipper. He hadn’t realized he’d been doing that. “Oh. I just feel a bit hot and needed to cool down.”
“Yeah, well, you lost these.” Urameshi shoves his mittens at him. “Don’t make me pick up after you, alright?”
“Oh. Sorry.” Kazuma mumbled, his lips frozen and his tongue lazy, making him slur slightly. Urameshi sighs.
“C’mere.” He grabs his mittens and stuffs Kazuma’s hands into them, tucking the ends into his sleeves. He adjusts his coat as well, doing back up the zipper. “Come on. Keep close to me, okay? Don’t go wandering off and getting lost.”
“M’kay.” Kazuma nods, responding a second too slow. Urameshi keeps a hold of him as they march through the snow, making their way closer and closer to the thieves' hideout. He appreciates that Urameshi is guiding him because he’s not sure he’d be able to keep up otherwise. His legs feel heavy and clumsy, making him stumble and stagger. He wants to take off his jacket and outerwear, but he’s not given the chance, dragged forwards. He feels stifling hot, burning in his skin. His gaze keeps falling to the thick snow gathering around his feet like a monochrome tide. It was too mesmerizing to look ahead and see the kaleidoscope of snowflakes blowing towards him. It made him dizzy. But the ground looked comfy, welcoming him to lay down and bury himself in the white blanket. Sleep sounds pretty good right about now. He’s yanked suddenly down, half falling in the snow as Urameshi pulls him behind a large snow bank.
“There it is.” Kurama announces, pointing to the cave in front of them, a thick wall of ice sealing the entrance. “Inside are three large chambers, one as a gathering space, the others for storage. Hiei, can you see which one holds The Veil?”
“It’s the third cavern on the left.” Hiei informs them, but Kuwabara was hardly listening, too busy digging his numb hands into the snow, starting to make a nice hole in the bank. “Kuwabara. Take us there.”
Kazuma eyelids were drooping, feeling so tired. Warm , he distantly thinks in a daze. I’ll be warm under the snow . They sounded like they were talking far away and it took him a long moment to realize that they were talking to him, that he was Kuwabara.
“Oh. Yeah. No problem.” He stands and sways. “Uh, where is it again?”
Hiei sighs in great annoyance and shows him psychically. Kazuma forces himself to get it together, summoning his Jigentō and opening a portal. It took a lot more concentration and effort than it should’ve, his vision sparkling as he nearly passes out from the effort. But he manages it. They run through it and enter the cave. As soon as they do, eight heads of seven thieves swivel to look at them in shock, having been interrupted in their breakfast.
“You idiot!” Hiei snaps, drawing his sword. “I said the third cavern!”
“Whatever, this is good enough.” Urameshi cracks his knuckles, his Yoki rippling out in a blaze. “Let’s improvise.”
His friends jump into the fight while Kazuma stands there stupidly. Oh. He messed up. He was supposed to take them to the storeroom, but he took them to the gathering spot. He needs to fix this. He staggers away with single-minded determination. He’ll go secure The Veil to make up for his mistake. He forces his dull feet to break into a run, clumsy and with great effort. He feels like he’s been running for ages by the time he reaches the door, even though he knows it couldn’t have been more than twelve meters. There’s a guard and he rushes Kazuma. He’s slow with his reaction time, taking a dagger to the shoulder. He barely feels it, his blood sluggishly leaking out of the wound. It feels burning hot, soaking his jacket. He makes a hefty broad swing of his Rei Ken, slicing the demon in half. Blearily, he marches forwards, his Rei Ken flickering out of existence. Those three seconds of fighting have wiped out his remaining energy. He feels like the walking dead.
“The Veil. The Veil. Find The Veil.” He mumbles to himself so he can focus. There. Sitting perched on a block of ice, the red jewel pulses with power, crackling like thawing sheets of ice. He grabs it and it burns his hands with cold, freezing him. He can see the frost creeping up his arms, but they’re so numb he doesn’t feel it. There. He did it. He got The Veil. His eyes are heavy rolling marbles, his head nodding and lolling on his shoulders. He so tired. His friends can deal with the others, he’ll stay here and guard The Veil. He slumps against the wall of the cave, sliding to the floor. Clutching the jewel to him, he slips off into darkness.
“You fool!” He hears an angry voice shout and the jewel is ripped away from his numb hands. “What have you done?! Only I can touch it safely!”
“Kuwabara!” He hears another worried voice yell. He barely registers someone shaking him. “Kuwabara, are you alright?!”
“He’s wounded.” A calm but tense voice speaks up, worry evident in their tone.
“Wounded? He’s half frozen, fox! A cut is the least of his problems!”
“Kazuma, can you hear me?!”
He blearily opens his eyes, his vision hazy. He belatedly recognizes Urameshi’s worried face swimming in front of him. He slumps forwards into his arms with a sigh.
“Yushuke...” He slurred with a thick lazy tongue. “Didit... C’n I shtay...?”
“Oi, Kazuma! Kazuma!” Urameshi shouts, trying to keep him awake. But it was no use. Kazuma was gone to the cold.