AN: I suck. End of discussion. Sorry I went AFK for so long. Enjoy the new chapter!

Hiei was the first to wake up. The sun rose directly into his eyes and he growled irritably as he rolled over, away from the stabbing beams of light. Kurama was still fully asleep when Hiei moved but his arms had instinctively tightened around the fire demon's waist at the motion and Hiei snorted softly. His fox was reluctant to wake up sometimes. That was how Hiei always knew what manner of mood he was going to be in for the day. This one was looking like he would have to manage a sullen, sulking Kurama before he left for demon world. Hiei sighed to himself and ran his fingers through Kurama's soft hair. It wasn't like he wanted to go anyway.

"Kurama." Hiei waited for a moment before repeating his partner's name again. Finally, when it became apparent that the redhead had no intention

78of waking up, Hiei struggled to free himself from a surprisingly strong grip for a sleeping person. That woke Kurama up and he grumbled at the brightness seeping in through the parted curtains, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Finally awake are we?" Hiei prodded the fox lightly in the side and laughed when he was swatted away with another mumble.

It was fifteen minutes later that Kurama finally consented to get out of bed. He only gave up because Hiei disappeared into the shower and that was a sure sign that there was no getting him to stay today. No matter how much Kurama would whine and plead, Hiei would still leave. It was a stupid kind of fear that Kurama felt clutching at him—Hiei had gone to demon world plenty of times before and he had been fine. No, this was different. This was the human side talking and the words were all poison jealousy. There had been an odd tension in Hiei when he spoke of Mukuro last time and that had been enough to sow the seed of suspicion. Kurama wasn't worried that Hiei would do anything. He worried that Mukuro would. She was powerful enough to give Hiei pause and could easily give even Youko a hard time. The mere thought of her trying to tighten her hold on his Hiei was enough to make the fox want to steal him away and lock the door, regardless of how angry it would make his little partner. No, that's stupid to think like that. Hiei is strong enough to manage on his own.

And if Mukuro does try to lay a claim to him, I'll tear that castle down around her. There will be nothing left. Once that's done, I'll 'convince' her to let him go.

Kurama started at the vehemence in Youko's thoughts. His mental voice was dripping with venom and anger. This is just hypothetical. There's no need for drastic thoughts right now. Kurama turned to contemplate his cabinets, trying to decide if he felt awake enough to be hungry. Between his own learned insecurities and Youko's adamant possessiveness, he wasn't quite sure he wanted anything. For all he knew, he'd be seeing it again before long. Sighing, he pulled out a bowl and the dish of fruits on the counter. He would have to eat something or Hiei would get suspicious and, amusing as it would be to watch Hiei trying to mother him, Kurama honestly didn't feel like adding more stress on Hiei's shoulders.

Hiei was pulling on a black tank top as he entered the living room. A quick glance located Kurama in the kitchen space, cutting up something, with his back to Hiei. From the scents in the air, Kurama was slicing fruit. Hiei snorted softly. Fruit was the one bit of sweet that he liked. Human candy was repulsive, being so sugary that it was nauseating. The only sound was that of the knife clacking against the cutting board as it passed through the fruits. Neither Kurama nor Hiei ventured to make any small talk, each lost in his own thoughts. Kurama was grousing over what he would do while Hiei was away, besides obvious school work and cleaning. Hiei was turning over what evasions and truthful sounding lies he could feed to Mukuro. Eventually she would find out but Hiei wanted this secret for a while longer. She was too unpredictable for him to feel comfortable coming clean right now. There was the possibility that she would lash out. Or, worse, come after Kurama. Damn it.

"Here." Kurama smiled slightly as Hiei jerked in surprise. It was not often that he could sneak up on the fire demon. "Or don't you want any?" He offered Hiei a bowl of fruit salad. There was a pause before Hiei took it, pointedly avoiding Kurama's eyes. All that accomplished was to make Kurama start laughing. Embarrassment was a new color for Hiei and watching him try to act normal was entertaining. The fox took a seat without remarking on it, though, so he could spare Hiei's pride for now. He would have plenty of time to make jabs at him later.

A short time later saw Hiei ready to go and a resigned Kurama regarding him with guarded eyes. They simply stared at one another for a moment. Kurama broke the silence, rolling his eyes and stepping forward to crush Hiei in a quick hug. "Go on. We both know she's probably furious already. You've shirked your duties long enough, don't you think?"

"A week longer than I normally have but she'll survive. I'm not technically contracted to her anymore, a fact that brings me great happiness. Though, I don't fancy fighting her right now." Hiei inhaled slowly, pulling the scents around him deep inside so he wouldn't forget. Kurama's scent, tainted by human stink that wasn't really so badly, the scent of his shampoo, and buried underneath it all was the wild, dangerous musk that Hiei had pegged to be Youko's.

"Then go and come back as fast as you can." Kurama pushed Hiei slightly in the direction of the window. Go so I can have you to myself again. He was taken by surprise when, instead of hopping through the window, Hiei lunged back at him. Warm hands cradled his face as slightly dry lips crashed into his own with a sort of wild desperation. Kurama barely had time to gasp in shock before Hiei was gone, with just words fading into silence.

"I miss this already."

Kurama furrowed his eyebrows, bemused, as he tilted his head at the window. He assumed Hiei had fled so quickly because he was mortified by what he had said. There was no denying that it was unusual and the declaration had Kurama's heat racing. Dammit Hiei, you did that on purpose.

Hiei passed through one of the gates into demon world. The change in his posture was immediate. Gone was the relaxation and lowered guard. Hiei was a mass of tension, ready to fight at a moment's notice. The Tournaments might be working in that predation in the human world was down, even from the lower class demons, but this world was the same. It was pitted with areas comparable to a human's shady alley and red light district. There were respectable areas, decent places, but where Hiei was going wasn't exactly one of them. It was better than the back alleys of demon world, however, and he was thankful for that at least. The dissolution of the three demon kingdoms might have officially happened but the borders were still obvious. It would take a lot longer to forget all those centuries of conditioning.

Hiei took refuge on a limb high up one of the taller trees. He had an odd sense of foreboding hanging over him. When his instincts started screaming at him, they were usually right. There was nothing in clear sight but that meant little. Some demons could become invisible. He didn't feel any inkling of demon energy either, but that was likewise not a good indicator. I don't want to be here. The thought was followed by a rush of grim amusement. Never would he have thought that he would have that sentiment in him. The human world was always just his jail and now he wanted to go back? Koenma would laugh his ass off if he ever learned how Hiei now felt.

The winds shifted and Hiei's head snapped around to the left. There was a thick, cloying scent of old blood and death that was not quite hidden under the sickly sweet smell of rotten incense and fruit. Someone had murdered and tried to hide it. His red eyes narrowed as he flitted silently to investigate. This may not be his home or even his territory but he was almost itching for a fight. Anything to burn off the restless energy born of nervous thoughts. Maybe returning would do some good after all. It was early yet though and Hiei wasn't given to foolish optimism.

His thoughts halted in a kind of disgusted shock when he found were the smell was coming from. Up close, it stank so badly that he had to press the collar of his cloak over his mouth and nose to prevent himself from retching. Even that didn't dull the reek much. It made his eyes water and every instinct in him wound tighter than a spring. He forced his muscles to relax. Tensing up would cost him precious seconds if he needed to react. Seconds that could easily determine life or death. After carefully scrutinizing his surroundings for any unfriendly eyes, he returned his gaze to the carnage below.

Grass was flattened in small patches where it hadn't been torn from the ground with clods of soil still tangled in the roots. It wasn't green like it should have been either. Everything was stained red. Here and there Hiei spotted lumps of brown. Scattered flesh gone putrid. He gagged quietly. Despite all the murder and pillaging he had done, this was repulsive. Graveyards never had interested him before and this certainly didn't now. The wind shifted, blowing the stench away from him and Hiei took a grateful breath of clean air. This had been more than a murder. This was a massacre. Perhaps I was gone too long…. With that cheering thought in mind, he streaked off toward Mukuro's castle. This is going to be a damn hassle, I can feel it.

Once he reached Mukuro's castle, he didn't stop. He ignored the guards and flipped one flat onto his back when he tried to stop Hiei from entering. That the guards had tried to stop him was another ill sign. They knew who he was and what he was capable of. They had never questioned his presence before and he had his energy unmasked. Something was terribly wrong. Hiei gritted his teeth and loosened his sword in its sheath. If it came to a fight, he would be ready. He would not be taken by surprise. I don't like this. This screams of the years before Yusuke turned everything on its head.

Turning a corner, Hiei held his breath for a moment instead of pulling in the sharp inhale his brain wanted him to. The entire corridor was caked with brown, flaking sheets of dried blood. It wasn't just normal red blood either. There were puddles and splashes of every color of demon blood. Some had even been splattered on the ceiling. Holes in the rock attested to some kind of acid or energy attack. The smell was sour with fear and hate. Hiei could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. This is wrong. He would have to keep going. He needed to know what lay further in. Mukuro might have been a pain in the ass but she was one of the few that Hiei could grudgingly trust enough not to feel a need to threaten. Never mind that threatening her would likely end with him flat on his ass.

He kept moving, darting around a few scattered guards. Their presence did calm his fears a little bit. If Mukuro were dead, they would have fled or fought until they, too, were puddles of blood and shards of bone. Their loyalty either went deeper than blood or was so shallow that only fear held them there. He was two corridors and a staircase away from Mukuro's throne room. Either way, he would have his answers.

Hiei had no warning. Something hard and heavy collided with him just between his shoulders, the force of the blow sent him crashing face first into the floor and knocked the wind out of him. Before he could right himself, before he could move away, his arms were pinned against the floor with a painfully tight grip just above his elbow. His legs were useless, too, with his attacker's feet hooked around his knees. His vision was a little blurred from the force with which he had struck the floor and all he could really make out was a silhouette. He didn't make a sound, simply narrowed his eyes and waited for his vision to clear while he tried to figure out how to get loose. Some tournament winner. Just look at me—taken by surprise and immobilized in one go. This is stupid.

"Where the hell were you!"

Hiei's eyes widened as the voice gave away the one pinning him down. "Away. Like I tend to do, you know, all the time." He tried sitting up but she forced him back down, an inarticulate snarl of rage in her throat.

"I was under the impression you agreed to be here."

"I said I would help. I did not swear into your loyalties. Remember? The kingdoms are done and gone." Hiei growled back, his eyes glaring now. He had been afraid that she would decide that he was hers. There had only been an agreement when the three kings had been trying to kill one another. After that, he had only remained because he wanted time away from the human world and from Kurama. In short: he had run away because he hadn't wanted to deal with figuring anything out.

"I was also under the impression that you didn't care to be trapped in the human world, yet you reek of it." Her voice was so flat that it somehow made him more nervous than when she yelled. "Or was that one of your little lies so I wouldn't follow you? What are you hiding there, hmmm?" She lowered her face until they were almost touching noses. Her good eye was narrowed and glaring so angrily that a lesser demon would be trying to flee in fear. Hiei simply got angrier.

"Nothing that concerns yourself. Get off me. Now." Hiei let his irritation show by letting some of his demon energy rise. He wouldn't hesitate to use force if he had to. Mukuro knew that by now. She had won the last time he had goaded her but now he wasn't willing to die. For once, he felt a new purpose.

After staring at him, scoffing at the rise in his energy, Mukuro shoved away from him fast enough that she was across the hall before Hiei had regained his feet. She paced, muttering under her breath and growing every now and then. Hiei couldn't hear anything of what she was saying but he could imagine the sort of furious words Mukuro would be using right now.

"What even happened?"

"I was attacked by an illegal army. Someone is trying to build up the force needed to tear down the king and dismantle the tournament system your buddy, Yusuke, put in place. We won. Barely." Mukuro stopped pacing, scowling at Hiei like it was his fault.

"So go to the king. If that's what the other demon wants, nothing is going to stop him from coming back." Hiei knocked dirt off his clothes, already tired of demon world politics.

"That's not the only thing they want."

"Hn?"

"They came here because they want Kurama. And the easiest way to get him is to get you." Mukuro had a mocking lilt in her voice now, a cruel smirk twisting her mouth. "And once they have both of you, your other friends fall into line. With you all, no one could stand in their way. Not even the king."

"Kurama isn't dumb enough to sacrifice himself for me." Hiei rolled his eyes. I want to go home. A shock slipped through him at that. Since when had the human world become home?

"Ha! Your pasts speak against you!" Mukuro cackled softly. "There have been countless times that you all have risked death for one another. Fools wear their hearts on their sleeves, Hiei. True, you always seemed to care less than any of them but you still showed up in the end. What dedication." Mukuro grinned, leered more like, and leaned against the wall. "They will come for you no matter where you hide, you know."

"And they will die." Hiei snapped, finally properly goaded into anger. "I am not going to be held hostage for any reason." A shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and cast intermittent patches of brightness in the hallway, by means of holes in the ceiling and cracked walls. The sudden change in light made Hiei squint in order to still be able to see and he hated it. This entire situation felt wrong and he couldn't afford to be weakened by anything. Who would even be after Kurama anyway? All his old enemies have given up because he's too strong or died.

"You may not have a choice. I do not know the name of who hunts you, but you would be wise to drop the arrogance. There are always stronger demons than oneself lurking in the myriad shadows of our world." Mukuro shoved away from the wall, glaring at it as more chips of stone slid loose. "If I get my hands on them, I will make them pay dearly for trashing my home."

Hiei almost snorted. He had no doubt that Mukuro would lay waste to the other demon's entire territory and person before she was satisfied. It was interesting to see her lose composure, too, though that usually meant someone was going to die or be beaten to a pulp. Hiei knew from past experience. The only thing that bothered him now was realizing how much Mukuro clung to the idea of him working for her. He never agreed to it and now he had to be doubly careful. Learning that someone was after Kurama was bad enough but now he had to keep an eye out for a move from Mukuro. Hiei knew, without a doubt, that she would target Kurama if she thought it would force him to stay with her now. Why did I have to get tangled up like this? For now, she didn't realize that Kurama had come to mean as much to him as Yukina did. It was an awkward thing to actually admit it to himself, but if he kept coming back from the human world covered in the fox's scent… it wouldn't be much of a leap to guess why. He would have to step carefully around Mukuro for a while now. Just when it feels safe is always when you need to be the most on your guard. Hiei thought with a grim sort of humor. Now he would see if he could survive long enough to make it back to Kurama. His fox needed to be warned.

Hiei's thoughts were disrupted by Mukuro, now halfway down the hallway, calling to him. He would keep up his part for now. Once things settled, after he hunted down the threat to Kurama and his other friends, then he would break with Mukuro. She needed to realize he was only a friend and nothing more. He would never be. As he walked toward the old throne room, Hiei scoffed at himself for his racing thoughts and pulse. So much for that heart of yours being unbreakable.

AN: Oookay. Well. I am the worst updater in the history of them. Long story short. Depression, I have no internet at my home, more depression, the US election, loss of motivation, and I lost a couple friends to suicide. I've had this mostly written just... never posted. So I'm sorry. I'm not dropping the fic or anything, I just have shitty patterns. I'm honestly surprised anyone even knows what this is anymore...