Silly me, I forgot the disclaimer! Here it is, I OWN NOTHING!!! Especially not Yu Yu Hakusho.

I got a lot of good reviews for my last story, 'I Long for the Oasis in Your Eyes' so I'm encouraged that people like my stuff. This is a little darker, heading into the shadows of our beloved bishie's souls. And yes, of course, there will be Yaoi, I'm not totally off my nut yet.

By the way, the noise Yusuke is making is an eh with a K, not Eeek! Okay, that's all.

Chapter One: Fate is a Fickle Friend

POV: Hiei

I'd like to consider myself well adjusted, for the most part. However, there are still times when footsteps in dark alleys hitting the walls wetly make me shiver with fear, and some nights I wake up screaming the word 'no' as loud as possible. Which presents a problem considering that I sleep in a friend's bedroom most of the time. Two friends, actually. I go from one to another each night hoping I won't wake up screaming. And if I do, that I can come up with a good enough lie to keep them from realizing why I am screaming.

I don't want to think about what would happen if they did. I'm too ashamed to admit it out loud and I know at least one of them would try and kill the person who created this problem.

That would be Yusuke, obviously. Actually, the thought of what Kurama would do worries me ever more then Yusuke murdering someone does. I don't know what Kurama would do but I do know that his loyalty to me hasn't wavered since my return from Demon World and Kurama is loyal to a fault.

Luckily, I haven't been found out. My secret is safe, for now.

POV: Yusuke

The sound of screaming woke me from an otherwise peaceful sleep. I was really freaked out too because I forgot that I was sharing my bed with Hiei. Or at least, I had been. Hiei was currently on the floor in the corner of my room, rocking back and forth.

But he'd stopped screaming.

I got out of bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to banish some of the tiredness and walked over to Hiei. "You alright buddy?" I asked, touching Hiei's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Hiei shrieked, jerking away as if I were hurting him.

Oh shit. That's never a good sign. "Okay, Hiei, who hurt you?"

"No one, I just can't stand being touched by you. It makes my skin crawl."

"Bullshit," I said calmly. "You were sleeping beside me in my bed. Don't lie to me, Hiei. We can make this easy and you can just tell me what happened or I'll have to get Kurama to come and pry the info out of your brain."

"Don't tell Kurama. What ever you do, don't tell Kurama." Hiei had a haunted look in his eyes. It was scaring me. I honestly had no experience with this kind of thing so I was holding onto a wing and a prayer.

"Okay, I won't tell Kurama. Just tell me what you dreamed."

"His eyes were soulless pits of black hell-fire and he took something that didn't belong to him. That's all I will say."

"You'll never get over it if you don't tell someone. Why are you so against Kurama finding out?"

"His punishments are more severe than death. He can grow a plant that will consume your soul. I will not tolerate that happening on my behalf."

"Fuck! It was Yomi, wasn't it!? When he still had eyes?" Hiei was looking at me like I was some kind of crazy old beggar on the street.

"How the hell did you know that?"

I stopped short. How had I known that? Soulless pits of black hell-fire? I didn't even know what color Yomi's eyes were. But I knew it was Yomi when he said the eyes were soulless. Something about that rang a bell with me.

"I don't want Kurama to go after Yomi and get himself killed. If you couldn't beat him, there's no way in hell Kurama can. I won't be responsible for Kurama's death."

"Oh, man, Hiei! You can't keep this from Kurama!"

"Why not?"

"Because he loves you. Why would you lie to someone who loves you?"

Hiei blanched. "He what? He... loves me?"

"Yeah, and so do I which is why I'm glad you told me."

"What love?"

"Um... the kind of love I feel for you is incomprehensible. I don't know what Kurama feels but I know he loves you somehow..."

"Why incomprehensible?"

"Never mind, just come back to bed and we'll talk about this in the morning." Ever the procrastination king.

When I got up the next morning, Hiei was still asleep, which surprised me because he was usually gone before I woke up. I shook him gently. "Hiei?" I said.

Hiei grunted and rolled over to look at me. "Is there a reason you are waking me up?"

"Just that you're usually gone before I wake up. I'm shocked to wake up next to you."

"Get used to it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I live here from now on."

"Why?"

"So I can make sure you don't tell anyone my secret."

"Liar, why are you really staying?"

"I can't stand to look at Kurama anymore. Your place is convenient."

"I see you're back to your nasty self."

Hiei slapped me and stood up. "Do not call me nasty. Yomi called me nasty."

I gasped. Now that the truth is out, he's gonna tell me every thing? I don't know if I can handle everything.

"Hey, I'm sorry, man. I didn't know. I just meant that you were being 'normal Hiei'."

"What is 'normal Hiei?'"

"Rude and mean and kind of an asshole. And I've never heard you say your name before. It sounds different coming from your mouth."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, either you pronounced it wrong or I've been pronouncing it wrong for years."

"How could you possibly mispronounce Hiei? It is only four letters long."

"You put the emphasis on the last syllable. Ei. It sounds cool when you say it."

I stood up and started changing. Hiei inhaled sharply. "You don't have to look if you don't want to."

"It's not that. You have an awful burn on your back."

"Yeah, you probably did that when you were clinging to me last night."

Hiei looked like he was about to glare at me but changed his mind and grunted something that could, in Hiei-speak, pass for an apology. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

I turned around and showed him my chest. "You did this too."

There was a burn in the shape of Hiei's hand over my heart. "It'll be fine, I'll just put some aloe on it."

"Ningen healing. Hn."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"If you don't mind me healing you."

"You know how to heal?"

"It isn't the same way Yukina does it. I have to touch you."

"So does Yukina, she touches where it hurts and it gets better."

"No, I mean I have to REALLY touch you."

"Just do it if you feel bad enough about burning me."

Hiei walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me, touching my back lightly, then he got on his toes and kissed me gently. Chills rushed through my body and I felt goose-bumps erupt on my burns. I wanted to kiss him back but I thought that might make him angry.

But then he pulled back and looked at me, still holding me. "It won't work if you are unresponsive."

"Yeah, okay."

He kissed me again and I kissed back. It was a little awkward because I'd never imagined kissing Hiei. I mean, I'd been attracted to him for a while but my fantasies never involved kissing. Not that they were dirty or anything. It was just cuddling and feeling his warmth.

This was different. His kiss seemed to suck the heat away from the burns and it felt so nice that I held Hiei back.

Hiei broke the kiss and leaned his head against my chest. "I've never done that before," he whispered.

"The hurt is gone," I said, more just to say something than to inform Hiei that he'd done the right thing.

We stood there, holding each other for a while before Hiei backed away. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't supposed to keep holding you."

"'S okay. I didn't mind." I brushed hair away from Hiei's face and let my hand linger. Then I realized what I was doing and jerked away. For a glimmer of a second, I thought Hiei looked hurt. "Yeah... sorry about that. Just caught up in the moment."

"What moment?" Hiei turned around and changed into a pair of my jeans and a shirt. "Staring for a reason?" he snapped.

"You are aware that you're wearing my clothes right?"

"All of my belongings are at Kurama's."

I chuckled. "They're way too big on you. You look like a gangsta in my clothes."

"I look like a what?"

"You look like me."

Hiei grimaced. "That is a problem. Perhaps I should go naked then."

"Ek!"

"Hilarious," said Hiei. "The thought of seeing me nude revolts you."

"No, the thought of seeing you nude does- ek! Just don't walk around my house naked, okay? Do us both a favor."

I thought I saw a glimmer of hurt in Hiei's face again but it was gone so fast that I was sure I had imagined it.

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