C&C craved! P~L~E~A~S~E~!!!!!!!!! ^_~

The battle against the demon gods had been long and tiring, and painful for them all. Afterward, Yuusuke and Kuwabara took the girls to Genkai's temple. Kurama didn't say anything, he just left for his ningen home. Hiei followed, something was off with the fox. He was too quiet and solemn to be the fox he knew.

 Hiei leapt to the tree outside Kurama's bedroom window. Hiding in the shade of his sleeping tree's leaves and branches. He wasn't fooled by the fox's cool attitude after the battle. That demon using Kuronue's form had hurt him deeply. He didn't want to acknowledge the reason, but for whatever reason, Hiei didn't want Kurama to hurt.

 While the group was watching, all he could do was console Kurama quickly and leave before they heard. He could not afford for them to know of this weakness. Yukina was enough, he didn't need another weak point. He couldn't afford another one.

 When that demon had tried to pull him under the spell of his evil eye, Kurama's presence inside of him had kept him in control. He knew that if he went under then Kurama would die and that gave him the strength to pull free. It was lucky for him none of the others had seen his maijin form before. That way, they had been worried enough for the bastard to get cocky and to let his guard down. When it was over and the dragon was under his control once more, then he had gone to Kurama. Always when he hurt he went to Kurama. That stupid fox kept him sane, and that scared him more than any enemy could have.

 "Hiei?" The window opened and Kurama peeked out into the darkness, "Hiei I feel your ki, I know you are there, please, come inside."

 The little demon cursed himself for being so sloppy, but blurred to the window sill and sat there.

 Kurama smiled at him and offered him something to drink. Hiei took it only so he would not hurt the
boy's feelings. They had been hurt enough this battle.

 "What brings you here Hiei?" Kurama asked, still smiling.

 //He is still hiding.// Hiei thought, "daijoubu ka?" He asked, his same hard mask in place.

 "Nani?"

 "Hn, kitsune no baka." Hiei grinned wickedly, "I am not as stupid as those others, I know when you
are hiding and when you are hurt so do not hide from me."

 "H. . . hiei I. . . Kuronue was. . ." Kurama fell back to sit on his bed, his shoulders shook with his
effort to keep control.

 "Hn, kitsune no baka."

 Kurama saw the insult for what it was, an invitation to talk, so he did. "We were like brothers. He
was the only person I had ever placed any trust in and I had to watch him die for a stupid mirror! I. .
. I had blocked the pain but. . . it's all come back now. Hard. It hurts Hiei."

 Hiei slid from the window perch and walked to stand in front of Kurama. "If it didn't hurt, what kind
of man would you be?"

 Bright green eyes raised to lock with Hiei's ruby gaze and Kurama blinked out the last of his tears.
"How did you get so wise? You are too young to know so much."

 "Hn."

 "Arigato Hiei."

 "For what?"

 Kurama smiled and took Hiei's hands in his. "For caring about me."

 "Who said I care?"

 "You came to check on me." Kurama smiled. "I am lucky to have such a friend." with that he kissed
the fire demons cheek gently.

 That caught Hiei off guard and he pulled quickly away from the redhead.

 "Hiei?"

 "Hn." He blurred out of the room and Kurama shivered as his place was filled in by very cold  air.

 "Hiei."
 
 

 Across the city, Hiei stood near Genkai's temple, on top of one of the tall pine. "Fox." He frowned
as the wind whipped around him.

 //Why does he make me feel? I don't want to feel.//

 //liar.// a voice deep inside him answered smugly, //You -do- want to feel. You want to feel his arms
around you, you want to feel him put his mouth against yours like Yuusuke does to Keiko, you want
to feel his heart in yours, you want him to l. . .//

 "NO!" Hiei cried out and slammed his fist into the tree he sat in so hard that the top was knocked to
the ground.

 "Hiei?" It was Yukina.

 "Hn." He answered, dropping down in front of her.

 "Hiei what's wrong? Are you hurting?"

 //YES!// "no."

 The ice maiden smiled at him and giggled lightly, "Why did you attack the tree?"

 "Hn." Hiei sat at the base and waited for her to speak again or leave him in his solitude. Though he
loved the little Koorime who was his twin, there were times he needed to be alone, she didn't
understand that need. Kurama did. Kurama understood everything he was and wanted to be, all he
needed all he wanted. //stop it! You're doing it again!//

 When he looked up he realized that Yukina was gone. He didn't feel better at all, his heart felt heavy. So heavy. Maybe being alone wasn't what he needed. He needed Kurama, just his presence. He
blurred back to the Minamino house. Kurama wouldn't ask questions, he would just do his ningen
homework and let Hiei watch from the window sill. Taking comfort in his warmth.
 
 

 Kurama sat at his desk with a heavy heart. //Kuronue.// He put the finishing touches on his sketch
and caught a tear on the back of his hand. //Damn it I don't cry! Youko Kurama does not cry!// The
following sob disproved that claim though, and he laid his head on his folded arms and wept. All of
the pain that had gathered up inside him coming out in the form of millions of tear drops. Finally he fell into sleep like that, leaning over his desk, the breeze from the window ruffling his blood red hair.

 When Hiei slipped inside he saw Kurama asleep a his desk. Wearing only his pajama bottoms. His hair had been twisted up in a bun on top of his head to keep it from his face, but several tendrils had escaped to frame his pale visage.

 The fire demon felt his breath catch and almost fled, but a dripping sound caught his attention. He moved silently toward it and noticed a puddle on the floor by the desk. He put his finger in it and tapped it on his tongue, //tears? The fox has been crying. A lot. Kurama doesn't cry!// but when he looked sure enough, the redhead's lashes were still spiky from his tears.

 Unsure of what to do, Hiei lifted the thin boy into his arms and carefully as he was able, placed him in his bed. Then he went to wipe up the tears. That's when he noticed the book he had been resting on. A sketch pad. //I didn't know he sketched.// The Koorime lifted the large book and perched on the desk, looking through it.

 The last picture was of Kuronue, the real Kuronue, standing behind Kurama's fox form with a young Yomi behind and to the other side. In front of Kurama Hiei was drawn, crouched in an attack position. Hiei could see he held a heart in his hand, still bleeding. Kurama had one hand over his chest but blood was seeping through his fingers. //Hn, if his ningen mother saw this he would have a lot of explaining to do.// He flipped through the pages and they seemed to be filled with. . . him! Every drawing was carefully detailed as if trying to hold a single moment forever but the last picture was different, it was more. . . hopeless. It disturbed Hiei that the fox was feeling that way. He decided to stay the night and positioned himself on the window sill, That way he could watch the fox and guard him from danger.

 //He's getting to you Hiei.// A nagging voice taunted him, //He's already gotten past all of your defenses.//

 //He hasn't gotten anywhere.//

 //You are lying to yourself Hiei.//

 //Hn, go away.//

 //admit it Hiei.//

 //Admit what!?//

 //You lo. . .//

 //ENOUGH!//

 The voice subsided and Hiei glared out the window. Soon he was in an uneasy sleep, plagued with
dreams of his partner, kisses and hugs and things that Kurama would never give to him. Dreams he
didn't want to understand. He was scared to understand them. Because deep inside he knew, with
the meaning came a weakness. //And why would someone as beautiful as Kurama want me
anyway?//
 
 

 When he woke the next morning, Kurama could feel Hiei's aura all through the room. He slid out of
bed quietly and approached the sleeping demon. Thanks to his years as a thief, the Koorime didn't
stir as he neared. He slid his hands around his friend's shoulders and under his knees and lifted him to lay on the bed. //He deserves a real rest once in a while.//

 The fox smiled at the innocent look on the demon's face. //Hiei. There are times when you are all that keeps me sane.// He smoothed the Koorime's hair and smiled, a tear slipping over his perfect cheek.
//and other times you drive me further into darkness.//

 Hiei mumbled something in his sleep.

 "What?" Kurama whispered.

 "Aishiteru." Hiei mumbled again.

 The fox felt as if ice had been shoved through his heart, "H. . . Hiei."

 The little demon woke and shook of the fog of sleep then stared at Kurama's pain filled expression.
"Kurama!" He jumped up, "Are you hurt badly? Where are your attackers?"

 "Who Hiei?" He sobbed.

 "What?"

 "Who do you love so much that you whisper your feelings in your sleep?" The fox was trembling, his
hands were clentched tightly at his sides.

 "I. . . What did I say?"

   "You said aishiteru." He was breathing raggedly and blood dripped from his fists as his nails cut him. "Who were you dreaming about."

 "I. . ."

 The ningen gave a soft cry and turned from his friend's eyes, "Never mind. I don't want to know."

 "Why?"

 A blur at the window marked the foxes exit but a sharp mental message echoed, primally wounded,
in Hiei's mind, *Because I don't want to hurt you, but if I knew, I'd kill her.*
 
 

 Yuusuke and Kuwabara were fighting in front of Genkai's temple when a silver blur streaked into the door. Both of them jumped to attention and ran inside to protect their friends. They found their
redheaded friend, always so collected and calm, curled in the corner of the shrine. His head resting
against their mentor.

 Yuusuke stepped forward carefully, "K. . .Kurama?"

 The old woman looked up with a frown, "Do either of you know what happened?"

 They both shook their heads.

 She sighed and ran her hand over her trembling student, "He won't tell me what happened, but he
won't stop shaking and his palms are covered in blood but he won't let me treat them."

 "Let me check." Kuwabara reached inside the boy's aura and suddenly clutched at his heart and fell
to his knees.

 "Kuwabara!"

 "I tried to. . . feel w. . . what was wrong." He panted.

 "And?"

 "His heart is in so much pain."

 "Maybe it's a demon thing." Yuusuke guessed, "We should get Hiei."

 Kurama unconsciously went fox form and pressed up closer into Genkai's lap, hiding in the folds of
her outer robe.

 "I get the feeling Hiei had something to do with this." She frowned.

 "That fire brat!" Kuwabara ranted, "Why I'll. . ."

 Yukina walked in then and saw the trembling silver fox, "Kurama?!" She ran to take him but he
shrank away. "Why is he. . ."

 "Hiei did something to him." Yuusuke said, watching his friend carefully, "He won't tell us what
happened, but he's in a lot of pain."

 "I'm about Hiei's size, maybe he can't tell us apart while he's so upset."

 "Yukina-san! You are so smart!" Kuwabara gushed over the maiden.

 Yuusuke punched the drooling boy and growled, "Kurama is hurting! This isn't the time."

 Hiei stood outside the temple, hiding high in a tree. He had followed the fleeing Youko, but this was
something he would never have expected. //Kurama what is wrong with you?//
 
 

 Genkai could feel Hiei's ki, outside, watching, when she woke the next morning.  //Hiei what did you do to him? His barriers were already weakened by the emotional pain of the battle. Whatever you
did broke through. A person would have to be blind not to see how much he loves you, and I know
you love him.// "Hiei." Genkai spoke out the window, "Hiei tell him how you feel. Before you lose him forever."

 In his tree Hiei heard this warning and felt fear lace over his spine, //Is my fox leaving? No! He can't go away before. . .// He waited there, guarding, until night fell and all of the ningen went home.

 Without thinking over what he was doing the little Koorime slipped into the room through the window and knelt by the sleeping ningen/Youko he had come to call friend. "Hn."

 Kurama stirred a bit in his sleep but didn't wake up.

 "Kitsune no baka." Hiei frowned and sat down, pulling the ningen boy's head into his lap. "Why are
you doing this?"

 Dark red lashes fluttered slightly and the boy sobbed, rolling onto his side and curling as close in on
himself as he could.

 Hiei opened his Jagan and pierce the first fine layer of the sleeping boy's consciousness, **Can you
hear me fox?**

 "Mmm." A tear slipped out of his closed eyes.

 **What are you trying to do?**

  A clear image of a grave came to Hiei's mind.

 **Die?!**

 "Mmm." Another image was shown then. Youko Kurama heartless as ever, turning from the grave
with disdain and slipping into the Makai.

 **You want to be him again? Why?!**

 "Doesn't hurt."

 "Hn, baka." **What about all of the people you'd leave behind?**

 More images. Kuwabara with Yukina, Yuusuke with Keiko, Genkai teaching a new student. Shori
hugging another young boy, a new husband beside her, the girls of the school flocking around a new
idol. The last image left Hiei concerned. It was Hiei! Holding a shadowy figure with no name. Loving
him.

 "You think no one would miss you?!" **Not true! None of those images are true!** Hiei sent his
own images this time. Kuwabara and Yuusuke both going back to being street toughs. Yukina crying
over the loss of a friend. Keiko hiding her heart like nothing could touch her. Genkai dead. Shori
wasting away for grief the girls of the school all in mourning. Finally Hiei sent one last image. His dead body. His beloved sword thrust through his heart.

 "NO!" Kurama sat up suddenly and cried, "HIEI!" He brought his knees up to his chest and hid his
face, crying again, unaware of his audience.

 Hiei stared. He had never seen the fox cry! He had seen evidence of it the other night and a few
single tears, but never like this. //I caused this pain.// "Kurama."

 Green eyes shot up, caught, frozen with fear, "Hiei!"

 "What is wrong with you?"

 Anger fell over the beautiful face and Kurama growled, swiping at the startled fire demon. "Get away from me!"

 "Kurama!" Hiei dodged the blow and took to the rafters.

 Vines followed him up, attacking him from every angle. "Just go! Go to your love! Let me be Hiei!"

 "No." He cut down the vines and dove at the hurting boy, pinning him to the floor.

 "Hiei I never want to hurt you, if I live I'll kill him."

 "You're killing him now."

 That made his struggles cease.

 "Are you so stupid Kurama? You can't go back to being Youko Kurama. You've been ningen. Like
it or not it'll always be inside of you now. Always. Even when the ningen is gone he'll be part of you."

 He visible wilted and Hiei let go of his arms. "I wasn't killing anyone, but myself."

 "Hn. Kitsune no baka." The big red eyes slid shut and Hiei leaned in to press his lips against his best
friends.

 Kurama gasped as Hiei pulled back. "H. . . Hiei?"

 "I did it wrong." The fire demon guessed, "I never touched lips before."

 "You mean kissed?"

 Hiei thought for a moment then nodded, "Hai, I never did that. What did I do wrong?"

 "Nothing, if you were just kissing a friend."

 "What if I was kissing a lover?"

 Green eyes danced with hope and Kurama licked his lips slowly, "You'd touch lips longer then, and
use your tongue."

 "How?"

 The ningen studied his friend's gaze, looking for something to tell him if this was real. "Do you want
me to show you?"

 "Hai."

 The Koorime didn't stiffen when Kurama gathered him in close to him, or when the Youko ran his
tongue over the soft, virgin lips. When Kurama's mouth opened and suckled at him, parting his lips
with his tongue, Hiei got very still. "Hiei?"

 "Is that it?"

 He shook his head, "There's one more thing."

 "Hn?"

 He plunged his tongue into the warmth of Hiei's mouth. Teasing over his fangs and catching Hiei's
rosebud mouth closer.

 The koorime melted in his arms and tried to mimic his motions. Tangling their tongues and pressing
closer until need for air drew them apart. "I like that." Hiei breathed with wonder filled eyes.

 "So did I."

 The koorime clung to Kurama when he moved and stared into his eyes, "Why are you sad?"

 "I. . . Hiei. . . I'm not only a Youko now, but I still hold Youko beliefs. We aren't the teases rumor
says we are."

 "No?"

 "We mate for life." He swallowed hard, "I can't have a one night stand with you Hiei. Because one
night isn't enough."

 "Did I say I only wanted one night?"

 Green eyes lifted to drown in blood red pools, "What do you want Hiei?"

 The Koorime grinned, fangs gleaming. "I want that thing humans always say."

 "W. . . what thing?"

 "Happily ever after."

 "Hiei. . . are you sure?"

 He snorted, "Hn, stupid fox."

 "That's not an answer."

 "I didn't think you needed one. Aishiteru."

 Kurama's breath hitched, "Say that again?"

 "I. Love. You." Hiei said slowly, "I said it right didn't I?"

 Tears slipped from his emerald eyes, "Oh yes." He smiled, "You said it perfectly Hiei."
 
 

 Genkai watched from the shadows with a knowing grin. "Hm. Kids."
 
 
 

~Owari~

Ok, what did you think? This was acctually my first YYH fic but I waited to put it up because I didn't think it was good enough, but a couple friends convinced me. Hope it wasn't too painfull a read. ^_^;;