Title: Worth the Wait
Author: Hieiko
Series: Yu Yu Hakusho
Characters: Yukina, Hiei
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, or any of the characters.
Summary: Yukina already knows the truth about her brother. She's just waiting for him to tell her.

Good things come to those who wait.

Yukina wasn't sure where she'd heard that particular adage. It came to mind now, as she lay on her futon and pretended to still be asleep.

Hiei was standing right outside her window; he had been for the past twenty minutes. She was tempted to call out and tell him to come in already. While she knew that he always watched over her, tonight was different. She could feel it.

So she waited.

He came in about five minutes later. "I know you're awake," Hiei said.

Her eyes snapped open in surprise. She saw him sitting on the floor, less than two feet away. Sitting up, she gave him a small smile. "I've missed you."

Silence.

"Did you miss me, too?" she asked, hoping she hadn't gone too far.

"Yukina--"

She waited for his denial.

"Hold out your hand."

Of course, she should have expected that he'd avoid her question.

Yukina reached out with her left hand, palm turned upward. She kept her gaze on his face, but his eyes didn't meet hers as he carefully placed something in her hand, and closed her fingers around it.

Then, Hiei moved to stand, but she caught his right wrist with her free hand. He sat down again. He looked from her face, to her hand on his wrist, and finally to her other hand, which still concealed the object he had given her.

With both of them staring at her fist, Yukina uncurled her fingers, revealing a koorime teargem attached to a thin leather cord.

Hiei pulled his wrist out of her grip, but she simply caught his arm again. She raised her eyes to his face. This time, he stared back at her.

"This isn't mine, is it?" she asked softly.

"No," he answered quietly. "It's mine."

With his left hand, Hiei reached inside his shirt, and pulled out another teargem which hung from a cord around his neck. It was nearly identical to the one she held. "This is yours," he said.

Yukina finally released his wrist. Disentangling the leather cord in her palm, she pulled it over her head, and smiled as she pressed the teargem close to her heart. "Thank you."

"You should go back to sleep," he said abruptly.

"I will," she replied, closing the distance between them to hug him. "Brother."

He stiffened. But since Yukina didn't seem inclined to let him go just yet, he tentatively put his arms around her. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, and sighed in contentment. The last time they had been so close to one another was when they had still been in their mother's womb.

After a moment, they pulled away from the embrace.

Hiei stood, and Yukina followed suit. He raised an eyebrow at her and inclined his head in the direction of her futon.

"Oh," she murmured. "I'll go back to bed now. But you--"

A corner of his mouth lifted. "I'll be nearby."

He waited until she slid under the blankets before disappearing out the window.

"Good night, brother," Yukina called after him.

Go to sleep, little sister, came the telepathic reply.

She smiled at his grumbling, and quickly drifted off into sleep.