A/N:
Hey! Sorry this took awhile to get up. Sorry it took awhile to get
up. I had the chapter written but I was rereading it and trying to
edit it and I realized it was totally hopeless so I rewrote it, BUT
what really matters is that it's up now! Don't own YYH. If there
are a thousand typos it's because Koorime-Chan didn't edit this
one because I wanted to get it up. I went over it a thousand times
but I'm really incompetent at removing typos. WARNING: The
following chapter contains a few spoilers from Hiei's past. I
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. And I'll just
shut up now and get to the fic
Chapter 4
'A month? Has it really been an entire month since Hiei left?' Kurama wondered, calculating the dates in his mind. 'Yes, a month and three days to be exact.' Kurama sighed. With the demon presence he'd sensed watching him for weeks he had not allowed himself to truly face the fact that Hiei was gone in fear that the demon would see weakness and take that as a signal to attack. However, now reality was beginning to break through his emotion barriers. 'Stop it,' he reprimanded himself. 'You knew it would hurt… but that is life. At least you know that Hiei is still alive…' That thought however did not bring comfort to his troubled mind. In reality it hurt even more to know that Hiei was alive and happier somewhere else, to know that Hiei had truly chosen to leave. His arms wrapped around his body. He began involuntarily closing in on himself as a wave of loss washed over him. More tears blurred his vision. 'No!' He pulled himself back firmly. The last thing he needed was to have an emotional break down in the middle of the school! The sense of the demon watching him helped focus his mind back into reasoning again. He could not allow weakness right now.
"Hey! Shuichi-kun." Kaitou peaked his head around the bathroom door. "You've been in here awhile, everything ok?"
"Fine," Kurama assure Kaitou with his usual smile before walking calmly to the boy from the space near the stalls where he had been standing.
"You haven't exactly seemed fully like yourself recently. Is everything ok? Nothing that will hinder you in the upcoming tests? I want to beat you fair and square." Kaitou nagged.
"Yes Kaitou-kun, I am simply reflecting on how great it has been to be considered more intelligent than you before the tests that we all know you will finally defeat me in," Kurama replied sarcastically. Kaitou rolled his eyes.
"Mmhmm… Someday I really will beat you Shuichi-kun and then it won't be so funny."
"Actually, quite to the contrary, I would find that quite amusing."
"Knowing you, you actually might. For such a 'nice, kind, sweet boy' you certainly can have quite an ego," Kaitou said.
"It's not an ego. You just take losing so badly it is an obvious thing anyone would hassle you about. I am simply trying to teach you not to take loss so personally."
"Oh yes! Put this all on me! You are really very skilled in persuasion, ever think about going into politics?"
"I'll put it on my to do list," Kurama said sarcastically as the two boys exited the school together.
"'Ey! Kurama!" Yusuke yelled as he and Kuwabara came racing full speed toward him and Kaitou, knocking about half the school out of the way in their hurry and leaving a path through the stunned students where they had been running. Kaitou and Kurama sweat dropped.
"Well, duty calls you Shuichi-kun. I will see you tomorrow," Kaitou waved before quickly leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara's line of fire. Kurama was about to ask what on Earth had happened to make his two friends so frantic but he got his answer soon enough without having to ask.
"Hah! Beat you! I told you I was faster!" Yusuke gloated.
"What do you mean Urameshi?! That was obviously a tie and if anyone won it was me!" Kuwabara protested.
"Hah! In your dreams lame-o!"
"What do you think Kurama?" Kuwabara asked turning to the fox.
"I think you are both going to apologize to the students you just pulverized," Kurama replied sternly. "What did you want to see me for?"
"Botan's here," Yusuke stated. "She says there's something about some demon doing something bad somewhere," Yusuke informed Kurama ever so helpfully. Kurama sighed.
"Why do I get the feeling there was more information relayed here before you entered the picture Yusuke?" Kurama asked skeptically. "Ah yes, that would be my brilliant skills of deduction wouldn't it?" Kurama joked, trying not to think of the last time, and last demon, he'd used his brilliant skills of deduction on.
"Ah, the perks of being the smart one!" Yusuke sighed. "Almost makes me wish I weren't the irresponsible, reckless one… almost. Anyway! We should go see what Botan wants us to do. She's waiting at my house," Yusuke said, pulling the group's attention back to the demon problem.
"I'm hurt! Keeping us on track is my job!" Kurama said in mock distress. "I suppose I'm not needed now that you've gone all responsible," Kurama pretended to be depressed for a second, which wasn't hard, then continued, "To Botan then." Kuwabara and Yusuke nodded before heading off to Yusuke's home.
" Ah! There you are! Yusuke told you about the mission, right?" Botan asked when they arrived.
"Yeah… well… I kind of wasn't exactly listening when you told me what to say… so I made up a story for Kuwabara, but it didn't work…" Yusuke admitted.
"Come on Urameshi! Who's going to believe 'A giant rabid goat demon is attacking Japan with a chain saw and a flame thrower?!'"
"Hey! It was a llama! Not a goat!" Yusuke corrected Kuwabara touchily.
"Llamba, goat, all that matters is that no one in their right mind would believe it!" Kuwabara continued.
"I know, that's why I told you."
"Alright! That's enough boys!" Botan stopped the argument before Kuwabara could reply. "This is my fault for pretending Yusuke could be trusted as a reliable information bearer. Obviously my hopes were in vain. Here's the deal, there has been a breach in the barrier between Makai and Ningenkai. Only one demon passed, but he is trying to recreate the hole to release more demons. All you have to do is defeat him." Botan sighed. "I'll give Kurama the information in the future."
"That is probably wise," Kurama commented.
"Should have done that in the first place if you ask me," Kuwabara agreed.
"See! Not only do I get to make up an awesome story, but I get less responsibility too! Win, win situation, huh?" Yusuke asked grinning. The entire room aside from him rolled their eyes.
"Let's just go," Botan said, turning to leave Yusuke's house. "I'll lead you to where the hole is. You can take it from there." They were about to leave when Kurama suddenly remembered something.
"Botan! Wait!" Botan, Yusuke and Kuwabara stopped and turned to look at Kurama.
"What is it?" she asked.
"What happened with Enma-sama? Did he discover you have revealed classified information?" Kurama asked.
"Oh! Yes, he did."
"What happened?" Kuwabara asked curiously at the lack of worry in Botan's voice. "Were you punished really badly?"
"Well, since as Kurama said before, Enma-sama did instruct me to make sure Hiei served his full probation and because he has been very busy lately he let me off with a mark on my permanent record and a note to give me extra punishment should I disobey him again."
"Oooo! Permanent record! You're a bad girl now Botan! All we need now is a low cut strapless black belly shirt and black mini skirt then you'll have the look too! Ow!" Yusuke rubbed the back of his head which had just been thwapped by Botan's oar.
"Right! Let's go then!" Botan said cheerily, leading Kurama and Kuwabara from Yusuke's home.
"Hey! Wait up! Ow! What the hell is that oar made of?!" Yusuke asked as he came stumbling up to them, still clutching the back of his head. Botan ignored the question and continued to lead them toward the forest where Yusuke had met Kurama and Hiei.
"So Kurama, is it true Hiei's gone back to Makai and isn't coming back?" Yusuke asked as he trotted to catch up with the fox.
"Yes, it would seem so." Kurama's voice and expression were emotionless.
"Well damn!" Yusuke's face fell slightly. "I'm gonna miss the little four foot three eyed freak."
"Well you can miss him for both of us Urameshi because I don't!" Kuwabara said fervently. "All he ever did was talk about how stupid we all were!" Kuwabara complained.
"Incompetent was the phrase he used," Kurama corrected him.
"See! He couldn't even do it with small words either! Acting all smart too!" Kuwabara continued complaining as the city turned to forest. "If the shrimp is gone I say good riddance!" Kurama toned Kuwabara's voice out in annoyance.
"Ack!" Botan, Kurama and Kuwabara all stopped and turned back to see Yusuke sprawled on the ground.
"Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked as Yusuke pulled himself off the ground.
"Sorry! Shoelace came untied," Yusuke said rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just getting beat up all over the place today! First Keiko decides to take a chunk out of me, then Botan hits me and now this! You guys go ahead and I'll follow Kuwabara's energy to find you." The three nodded and turned to leave but Yusuke stopped them again. "Kurama, could you stay?"
"Huh? What do you need him for Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked.
"Well, he's the smart one here and I don't know how to tie my shoes." Kuwabara, Botan and Kurama all sweat dropped.
"Alright," Kurama said turning to Kuwabara and Botan. "We'll meet up with you in a few seconds. You two go on." Botan and Kuwabara nodded again and left into the trees.
"Yusuke," Kurama said without turning to look at the detective once the other two were gone, "your shoelace is tied."
"Yeah, I know. Glad those two didn't notice though," Yusuke said, straightening himself and brushing grass and dirt from his jeans.
"So, what was it that you really desired?" Kurama asked, turning to face Yusuke.
"Are you ok?" Yusuke asked.
"Fine, why would I not be?" Kurama asked casually.
"Just… Hiei was your best friend and now he's gone. You ok with that?" The words cut through Kurama far more than Yusuke could have thought they would. Hiei was gone. To truthfully respond to that he would have to accept what they told him, so he lied. He put on his best smile and brushed the comment away casually.
"I've gotten over it," he assured his friend.
"Ok, we should go then before Botan and Kuwabara start wondering what the hell we're doing." Even though Yusuke did not believe Kurama he let the conversation drop because if they spent any longer it would most likely arouse Botan or Kuwabara's suspicions.
"Agreed," Kurama said before leading them off through the forest after Kuwabara's energy.
"Jeez!" Kuwabara said when the two emerged from the trees. "How long does it take to tie a shoe?! Oh! Wait! I got a better one, how many demons does it take to tie a shoelace?" Kuwabara grinned at his joke though Yusuke, Kurama and Botan were unimpressed.
"That's not funny," they stated together.
"Now then! I think that's enough dawdling for one mission! Let's get this demon before Koenma sends someone to find out what in Reikai is taking so long," Botan said, setting them off through the forest again. It was not long before they were hit with a sense of overwhelming energy coming from the hole to Makai. After a little more time they stopped behind a clump of trees and peaked into the clearing where a male, blond haired demon in a red outfit with gold trim was chanting beside a widening black hole.
"I would give you some careful instructions on what to do," Botan began in a whisper, "but…"
"Hey! Demon boy! Put your hands above your head and back away from the portal," Yusuke commanded, entering the clearing with a glowing finger pointed at the demon's back.
"But, you'd just do that," Botan finished, exasperatedly despite the fact that she had known it was coming. The demon ignored Yusuke's threats and the added presences of Kurama and Kuwabara, wielding their own weapons as well. "Ok… you have three seconds to acknowledge our presence. One… Two… Three…" Still the demon ignored them. "Ok! You asked for it!" Yusuke let a large blast of spirit energy from his finger straight at the demon. The demon continued ignoring them, not even bothering to dodge. Three feet away from the demon a dome of red energy appeared, Yusuke's energy hit it and evaporated. The wall faded as soon as Yusuke's energy was gone.
"What the hell was that?!" Yusuke asked looking at the spot where his attack had vanished.
"Energy absorption wall," Kurama explained immediately. "As its name suggests it absorbs all energies that come in contact with it, making your spirit gun and Kuwabara's spirit sword useless." (A/N – A spin on Yomi's weapon in his fight with Yusuke in the anime, altered slightly to work against spirit energy too and has some other added features.)
"Good thing we got you here then Kurama," Yusuke said unworriedly. "You do your 'ascertain the enemies weaknesses' or whatever thing and me and Kuwabara will go punch his brains out." Yusuke said as he and Kuwabara charged the demon without waiting for Kurama.
"Wait! Yusuke, Kuwabara, don't!" Kurama yelled but it was too late. At three feet from the demon the red wall of energy reappeared and repelled Yusuke and Kuwabara back, past Kurama and smashing into the trees at the edge of the clearing.
"Ow! That's gonna hurt tomorrow!" Yusuke said as he and Kuwabara struggled out of the splintered trees they'd just pulverized. "What the hell was that?!"
"The energy absorption wall," Kurama replied simply.
"Yeah, I know that, but why? We weren't using our energy!"
"This is a very advanced spell. It repelled the energy stored in your body. You cannot pass it."
"Well how the hell are we supposed kill an enemy we can't even get to?!" Yusuke asked in frustration.
"You leave it to me. My whip can pass the wall and will weaken the demon enough that he will drop the wall. You two can attack then," Kurama instructed softly so the demon could not over hear. He then leapt into the air, gracefully snapping his whip at the demon's back. Three feet from the demon the red wall appeared for the third time, blocking Kurama's attack. Kurama fell back to the ground next to Kuwabara and Yusuke.
"And what the hell was that?!" Yusuke asked Kurama skeptically. "And don't tell me 'the energy absorption wall,' because believe it or not, I already figured that out!" Kurama looked from his whip to the demon in awe.
"Amazing! That's near impossible! The energy absorption wall is actually strong enough to detect the trace amounts of energy in my whip and repel it! Weapons this strong are once in a life time rare!"
"Well great! Now we know it'll be worth a lot when we sell it on e-bay once we kick his ass." Yusuke joked sarcastically.
"Anyone got any brilliant ideas?" Kuwabara asked.
"Yeah, win," Yusuke replied.
"Dodge!" Kurama yelled suddenly, leaping away as a ball of red energy shot at them from the demon, who had finally acknowledged their presence enough to attack, though he still had not turned from his work. Yusuke and Kuwabara leapt away as well, easily escaping fire.
"Not that good of an attacker are you?" Yusuke gloated confidently. "That thing was slow as hell!" The sphere of red energy stopped where they had just been standing and began doing something that looked like… bubbling. It writhed and squirmed for a few moments, then broke into three balls that each shot after one of the fighters. No sooner did a fighter dodge the energy then it shot off in the new direction its target was heading.
"Ok! I'm losing this thing…" Yusuke said, preparing his energy to somehow trick the attack away from him.
"No!" Kurama stopped him. "Don't waste your energy. It has locked onto your energy but won't be fooled by you sending a decoy. Any attempt to lose it would be futile!"
"So what the hell are we supposed to do?!" Yusuke asked in an annoyed tone as he continued to run and dodge. "Keep running away until either that thing catches up with us or we pass out from exhaustion?!"
"So far, that is the only plan I have been able to come up with," Kurama admitted.
"Great! Well we'll see how it works!" Yusuke yelled back sarcastically.
"I don't wanna die!" Kuwabara yelled at them.
"You're not gonna die. I'll think of something… Maybe the energy will get bored and go away," Yusuke suggested. Suddenly the energy spheres vanished. Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara finally landed and stayed on the ground, looking around for where their enemy's attack had gone.
"Wow! What did you do Urameshi?!" Kuwabara asked in astonishment.
"I didn't do anything, Kurama?" Kurama shook his head. A cry of pain pulled their attention to the demon. Blood was flowing from about twenty deep gashes all along his body. The cry faded and the demon fell forward onto the ground in a dead heap, the portal infront of him began slowly closing.
"Who the…" Yusuke started when suddenly a black blur appeared in front of them for a second before it turned into a short, red eyed, spiky haired demon. The four were silent for a long time, just looking at each other.
"Hiei…?" Yusuke asked, finally breaking every one from the dazed silence.
"Hiei?!" Kuwabara asked, sounding like a child who had been deprived of the sweetest candy on the Earth.
"Hiei…" Kurama murmured under his breath in a voice too soft to be heard.
"Hiei!" A yell sounded from the trees nearby and Botan ran into the clearing smiling amazedly.
"Well, now we have verified that everyone here knows my name," Hiei said, rolling his eyes.
"You're back!" Botan exclaimed, laughing.
"You're back," Kuwabara said menacingly.
"You are back," Kurama said smiling softly.
"And Hiei's back!" Yusuke announced, grinning from ear to ear.
"And we all know where I am too! You are just plain geniuses!" Hiei complimented them sarcastically.
"What are you doing back here?! I could have sworn Kurama said you were staying in Makai!" Yusuke said to Hiei.
"Hn, I'm saving you idiot's lives!" Hiei replied.
"So you were the one who did that? How did you get to that demon freak without being repelled?!"
"He was already inside the wall," Kurama explained on impulse for Hiei. "The portal to Makai was inside the energy absorption wall so all Hiei had to do was cross through the portal and he had a clear shot at the demon, correct Hiei?"
"Hn," Hiei approved Kurama's explanation without looking at the fox.
"Well don't expect me to thank you! We could have done him in on our own!" Kuwabara said angrily.
"Yes, I realized that from the way you ran around this clearing like a trapped mouse with such confidence!"
"You little—"
"So, you going back to Makai now Hiei?" Yusuke asked, cutting off Kuwabara's angry reply. A flash of emotion crossed Kurama's eyes but was gone in a split second.
"… No…" Kurama's eyes widened at Hiei's reply. "I came to Ningenkai for a reason and I will stay here for that reason," Hiei stated plainly. Despite his pleasure at seeing Hiei again Kurama's heart dipped slightly when Hiei said this. Hiei had returned to protect Yukina, nothing more. That was all that mattered to him.
"Huh? You had a reason for coming into Ningenkai?" Yusuke asked. He knew about Hiei being Yukina's brother, but he did not know she was the reason he had come in Ningenkai in the first place.
"Hn, I have reasons for everything I do," Hiei stated.
"What's your reason then if is soooo good? A giiiiirl maybe?" Kuwabara taunted, receiving a glare that, if it had any more malice, could have killed him.
"Well, why you returned hold no importance. Welcome back Hiei," Kurama said, smiling with more life than he'd been able to since Hiei left.
"Well! If this happy little team reunion is over," Yusuke said looking at Kuwabara and Hiei who were giving each other death glares, "me, Botan and Kuwabara should get going," Yusuke said.
"Huh? Why only us?" Kuwabara asked.
"Because I want to show you something, now come on!" Yusuke commanded, turning and winking at Kurama so that Botan, Kuwabara and Hiei could not see. Kurama smiled back in thanks. Yusuke lead his two confused friends from the clearing, leaving Kurama and Hiei alone. Wind rushed by, blowing Kurama's hair easily while pulling softly at Hiei's more persistent black hair.
"… Care to come over Hiei?" Kurama asked after a long pause of searching his mind for the right words to say. "It's been awhile."
"Hn," Hiei nodded and followed Kurama from the clearing. There was nothing Kurama could find to say on the walk home so he was silent, luckily Hiei did not seem to mind. Once they had entered Kurama's yard Hiei vanished. Kurama sensed his energy shoot into Kurama's room through the open window. 'Looks like he's nicely healed,' Kurama thought, walking through the door which seemed like such an uncreative entrance next to Hiei's.
He was glad to see his mother was still at work so he would not have to explain his lateness. Climbing the stairs to his room he took a deep breath and entered. There Hiei was, crouching on his bed and turning to him when he heard the door opening. The scene was so familiar that for the second time since Hiei had fallen ill Kurama had to keep himself from throwing his arms around his friend. Kurama went to his bed and sat on the edge, near Hiei. Neither boy spoke for a long time.
"Why?" Hiei asked, finally breaking the silence.
"Why what?" Kurama asked curiously.
"Why… were you crying?" Kurama's heart skipped a beat.
"What?!" he asked in startled surprise. Hiei reached into his cloak and pulled out a folded piece of paper which he showed to Kurama. It was the good bye note Kurama had written to him in Makai. Kurama's eyes scanned it in confusion for a few seconds before they fell on something he had not noticed before. His heart stopped. There, on the paper, was a circle. A circle where the paper was wrinkled, as if a drop of water had dried there… as if a tear drop had dried there. 'I cried… and Hiei knows… I cried… and Hiei saw.' Kurama's mind did not want to accept what this probably meant. Hiei had returned, but now would probably shun Kurama. He had gotten his wish, only to have it taken away again by his own stupid carelessness. Kurama's usually brilliant charisma had been utterly failing him these past days and now, when he really needed it, it was once again no where to be found.
"What do you want from me Kurama?" Hiei asked finally when he received no response from him.
"What makes you think I want something from you?" Kurama asked, carefully stopping any of his nervousness from reaching his voice.
"Oh come on! You're making it damned obvious! First you tell me you would miss me if I left, then you tell me you'd care if I didn't wake up and then you say the psychic told you my fate would make you unhappy and lonely. Come on Kurama! There are plenty of other people here! Why the hell did you think I would believe that my leaving would make you lonely! Practically everyone here just adores you!"
'Wait,' Kurama thought as he listened to Hiei, hearing the strangest tone in his voice. 'Could it be… Hiei is… jealous of me?'
"After that you put a fake tear drop on the note you leave me and as if that weren't enough, after I've left you even put on a show of depression when you sense me watching you!"
"Watching me…? Wait! That was you I sensed?!" Kurama said in sudden realization.
"Don't play stupid fox! You knew it was me other wise you wouldn't have been pretending to miss me! People only do things like this when they want something, so once again, what do you want from me Kurama?" Hiei asked angrily. Though he was carefully keeping his voice from yelling Kurama could tell he was not doing it easily.
"Hiei, I don't want anything from you and I wasn't pretending! I really missed you when you left and I really meant those things I said!" Kurama's own tone pleaded for Hiei to believe him.
"Ha! Don't want anything my ass! If you weren't doing those things to get something from me then why?! Why the hell else would anyone say those stupid things to me?!" Kurama was silent. "Hn, can't think of a good excuse fox?" Hiei asked coldly. Kurama looked at Hiei and wondered how much pain was masked by his stony cold expression. He had been abandoned and lied to so many times, no one in his life had ever truly cared about him and anything that seemed like care must be deception. Now he thought that of his closest friends betrayed him as well.
"I'm sorry Hiei."
"Oh! 'I'm sorry Hiei.' That's what you tell me?! You think that you can just say 'I'm sorry' and erase the fact that you tried to deceive me?!"
"No Hiei. That is not what I am sorry for. I am sorry for not telling you this sooner. I love you Hiei." Hiei's eyes widened and his scowl turned to surprise. He stared at Kurama for a few seconds before his eyes narrowed in anger again.
"Why?! Why do you want to hurt me Kurama?!" Hiei was beginning to lose control of his temper. His voice rose in anger to just under yelling. "Why are you trying to deceive me?! What do you want?!"
"I want you to be happy," Kurama replied earnestly.
"Don't lie to me!" Hiei's voice was increasing in volume. "No one wants anything unless it benefits themselves! Why would you want me to be happy?! What does my happiness do for you?!"
"If you are happy, I am happy too. I don't want to see you in pain that you don't deserve anymore!"
"Hn, I deserve everything that happens to me! You make a mistake, bad things happen, you trust someone, bad things happen but you deserve them all!"
"Oh? Then explain this to me Hiei, how does a new born boy who has done nothing but live deserve to be thrown from a cliff?!" Kurama argued.
"Hn, I guess some people are just unlucky. That still does not justify you caring for me when my own people despise me just for living! What do I do for you that others don't?!"
"You make me happy and you understand me."
"You mother does not make you happy? She misunderstands you?"
"She does not know the full truth and I do not wish for her to." There was a pause in the argument when Kurama and Hiei just looked at each other.
"Hn, you're a damned bastard, you know that?" Hiei spat. "I should have killed myself before and spared myself from the lies and deception of this sadistic life!"
"What about Yukina!" Kurama continued. "You can't protect her if you're dead!"
"She…" Hiei's voice softened, "… she would have been better off if I had died, then she would have been able to find proof of my death and would not be running around and getting into trouble on this search of hers," Hiei said guiltily.
"She wants to find you Hiei. Can't you admit to yourself that there are people who care about you?" Kurama said, desperately trying to make Hiei see things through his eyes. "Hiei…" Kurama pleaded, reaching his hand out to touch Hiei.
"Get away!" Hiei yelled, pulling back and flattening himself against the wall at the end of Kurama's bed. Kurama moved closer, persistently. "I said get away!" Hiei shouted, vanishing. Kurama turned just in time to see him flit out the window. Hiei ran away and did not look back. Kurama waited awhile until Hiei's energy faded completely then fell back into his bed with a sigh. At least he had told Hiei. He had a feeling it had been the right thing to do, not to mention the only thing he could think of to do in that situation. All that was left was to give Hiei time to think and hope the fire demon would accept him. 'Please Hiei, just give me a chance.'
Five days later Kurama sensed Hiei's energy in his room from outside his house. His heart leapt as he ran through the door and dashed to his room before Hiei could decide coming was a bad idea and leave.
"Hello Hiei," he casually greeted his friend, who sat the window sill, when he entered the room.
"Hn, here," Hiei replied, holding out a glinting silver necklace.
"You keep that," Kurama said. "Think of it as a gift. I won't take it back so sell it or throw it away if you don't like it." Hiei took the necklace back and looked down at it. After awhile he brought it up and around his neck, attempting to fasten it on. Kurama laughed as Hiei failed to do the clamp behind his neck again and came over to help. He felt Hiei's entire body tense instantly when Kurama's hand brushed the other boy's neck. Kurama fastened the necklace and reached a hand out, ruffling Hiei's hair and completely messing up its nicely spiked shape hair for a few seconds before it snapped back in place, just as persistent as its owner. Hiei smirked at him in an "I win" way. Kurama laughed again at the combination of Hiei's hair and the fire demon's reaction to it.
"So, have you thought about it?" Kurama asked.
"You're not going to let me forget about this are you?"
"Nope." Hiei sighed. "So, what do you think?"
"I think you are a persistent idiot," Hiei retorted.
"They say love and stupidity go hand in hand," Kurama replied. Hiei sighed again.
"If I say yes, will it make you happy?" Hiei asked.
"Only if that is what you really want to say," Kurama replied. Hiei sighed for the third time.
"… Ok… I'll give you a chance." Before the small fire demon knew what he was doing Kurama had pulled Hiei into a tight hug.
"Thank you Hiei! You don't know how much I wanted to hear that."
"…Kurama…?" Hiei asked softly.
"Yes Hiei?"
"… Don't hug me."
Kurama's arms tightened around Hiei for a second before he let go. Immediately the fire demon vanished. Kurama looked after him and smiled. 'Just you wait Hiei. I'll do what ever it takes to make this work.
A/N: THE END .!!! The part with the rabid llama is my little tribute to Koorime-Chan aka my own personal rabid llama. I'm thinking about writing a sequel about Kurama trying to sort out his relationship with Hiei. I've already got a possible plot and I'll start on it and hopefully you'll read it. Please review .
I just want to add a little thank you to the people who've review so far,
Animefouryou
VixenOfTheWolves
shiorifoxiesmom
And KittyKat12567
THANK YOU!!! You're comments are inspirational! . (If anyone review between the time I write this and the time I post it I apologize.)