Chapter Nine: A bath and a mystery

The Void. Darkness. Blackness. Nothing. Lots of Nothing. Sights and sounds and feelings were nonexistent. Falling into the blackness, never-ending. Falling. Falling was stupid; why fall when you can fly? Fly up into Darkness and Blackness. Sideways, diagonal… what point was there to fly when Nothing was Everything. Up was down. Or other. Fall and let the Darkness surround the lack of senses.

Can I smell, taste, or touch a color? Say red? Of course. The senses are nothing and so everything. The smell of red is deep and musky, a hint of rich rose, clean fur, wood and dirt and peat moss. The taste of red… ahh… to taste red. Nectar and fire. Salt and sugar. Red. How I long to taste Red. My desire for Red. An addicting drug. Barely a hint of a taste and I long for so much more. Enough to fill my senses forever never-ending. And the feel of red? The feel of red is to let the mix of senses eclipse. How can one describe the richness of red? – Fluff and satin, soft and subtle, inflaming and soothing… Even outside all, I can long for these senses of red…

It was obvious he wasn’t in the void. The void had a certain clarity of unreality that this lacked. This was a dream; or a nightmare. Lost in hyperspace. Shapes were sounds were links to other zones where all was not. It was about bloody time to wake up.

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Hiei forced himself out of himself and woke up. He did nothing for a long moment but revel in the feel of all his senses behaving as they should. As many times as he visited the void, the thing he liked best was coming out of it. And this time was even more wonderful and special than any other for he could feel Kurama’s arms around him, holding him tightly. He could feel the length of Kurama’s body along his own. He could hear Kurama’s soft breathing, wheezing slightly as the air was obstructed. He could smell Kurama’s unique scent, mixed everywhere with the scent of blood.

Blood? Hiei’s eyes flew open. And he stared into darkness. For a moment, faced with his nightmares, he thought about panicking. Then he formed a small ball of fire and sent it to hovering above them. He and Kurama were in a small hollow of… vines. Those were vines surrounding them, wrapping them tightly in, sheltering them close. Hiei looked to his fox and his mouth tightened. Kurama had been in a fight. A massive one. The fox was deep in a healing sleep, and looked like he’d been that way for a few days. Yet many injuries were still raw and obvious. Hiei was nearly plastered to the fox with the dry, caked blood between them. My fox.

Hiei reached out with his senses to seek traces of youki around… he found nothing. Nothing? My spell wards… Nothing should have been able to remove them. Nothing save a… oh… Maybe Hiei should have put off exploring the void just a bit longer. A stupid oversight. Though, considering what he’d found in there… He’d gotten the void detached barely in time. Almost it was too late, Hiei had nearly not made it out himself. Taking the time to play with the demon could have cost his fox his sanity. Though not delaying had apparently nearly cost his fox his life. Hiei reached his senses further out and still found nothing. Hn.

Carefully, he pried himself out of Kurama’s arms and sat up, ducking under the low vines. Kurama murmured in his sleep and reached out to gather Hiei back in. The demon smiled at this demonstration of affection and gently stroked the fox’s mane. Also caked with dried blood. I need more light. Glaring at the vines surrounding them, Hiei growled at them, "Back off or you’re going to get fried." The vines rustled nervously and Hiei narrowed his eyes…

"Don’t fry my poor vines…" a weak chuckle emphasized Kurama’s contented voice.

"Tell them to get out of my way then," Hiei sniffed.

Kurama made no motion but the vines all slithered back, clearing a large area around them while still encircling them tightly. A portion on the top opened and sunlight shone down.

Promptly, Hiei started to run his hands over Kurama’s chest and arms and legs, checking all the injuries he could see and searching for internal wounds.

"I’m all right, Hiei. Really." As Hiei didn’t even pause, Kurama protested again, "I’m okay."

"Hn," Hiei snorted, "I know that. If you weren’t okay, you’d be dead." He continued his diagnostic.

Kurama chuckled, true enough…, and didn’t object again, closing his faded emerald eyes and not moving except to shift when Hiei prodded him to.

Crushed lung, multiple lacerations, near concussion, depleted rei nearly to the point of non-existence… and a hand that wouldn’t let go of a long thorny whip. Seeing that, Hiei raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what it was. "Kurama, you can let the rose be. I’m back."

With a sigh, Kurama lessened his grip and the whip shrank back into a bright red rose.

Hiei touched it gently then tucked it into Kurama’s hair. Then he stood up and glanced around. When he’d found a spot that suited him, he crouched down and tried to gather Kurama in his arms. Kurama protested. Hiei glared, "Do you like lying in your own filth? I’m just going to soak off all that blood and clean your wounds. You’ll heal faster for it."

Even when he’s caring, he’s bad-tempered. It’s definitely Hiei. Kurama smiled faintly and reached out to gather one of the vines in. A seed pod dropped into his hand and then all the vines shrank back and slithered until they were a normal part of the woods again.

Watching the fox-human, seeing the layers of meaning wrapped in his actions, Hiei felt a wave of emotion pass through him. Possession, protectiveness, pride… adoration and love. Beyond doubt, Kurama is worthy enough to have me. Hiei slipped out of his cloak before carefully picking Kurama up, holding him precisely to avoid jarring him. Then he flitted until he reached the small creek he’d found. One part of it flowed into a wide eroded section of rock, forming a pool within the stream. Hiei directed a burst of heat fire into the water, warming it to skin temperature. Then he walked in, still holding his fox.

Kurama was a leaf in Hiei’s arms. And Kurama felt so protected and safe. Hiei is so much shorter than me, yet so much stronger. I feel like a child in his arms. Safe. Hiei held Kurama like he weighed nothing. And he was being held so tenderly... Kurama didn’t open his eyes as he was gently lowered into the steaming water, so warm, like Hiei… He kept his eyes shut as strong hands carefully and precisely stroked him gently and soothingly while the dried blood soaked free. Just as attentively and thoughtfully, the shreds of his clothes were unstuck and removed. After most of the caked blood was loosened, the gentle hands produced a soft fluffy cloth and carefully and delicately scrubbed his body, easing the sore muscles and torn skin. It didn’t really hurt at all, under Hiei’s care. Kurama floated in the bliss of the solicitude of Hiei’s attention and his rei. Hiei was directing and focusing small streams of healing rei into the worst of Kurama’s wounds. Within minutes, Kurama was breathing much easier and his head didn’t hurt so much. Kurama roused himself enough to protest this waste of Hiei’s rei when the demon needed it for himself.

"Hn. I’m fine. You need it."

"You weren’t fine when you woke up."

Hiei quirked a grin that the fox couldn’t see. He ran his fingers through the long mane that was starting to loosen in the warm water. A bit more soaking and he could clean the beautiful red hair too. "When I’m down, it’s bad. When I’m better, I’m all better. I don’t do anything half-way."

Somehow, Kurama found the strength to laugh. He opened his eyes and found Hiei gazing down at him, with such a tender loving gaze in the ruby irises… Kurama agreed with a grin – Hiei most definitely didn’t do anything by halves!

"Better now, fox?" Hiei shifted Kurama’s body in the water and moved until Kurama was lying with his head on Hiei’s lap, the back of his head soaking in the warm water that was nearly up to his eyes, his neck supported under one of Hiei’s arms. 

"Close your eyes, Kurama. And breathe through your nose," Hiei advised. He waited until Kurama did so and then he gently sponged off the fox’s face. The fox had obviously been wounded and scraped and bruised there too, but the days of healing sleep had closed all the smaller wounds and only the largest, like the ones through Kurama’s chest, were still open. The face was as smooth and precious and beautiful as it always was. Soft supple skin. With such beautiful colors. Hiei brushed Kurama’s hair carefully, shampooing the grime out of it and watching as the bright red came to life again. Your red is not common. Not common at all. Extraordinary and so rich and bright. Like you, my fox, my Kurama. My wonder. "So beautiful," Hiei murmured out loud, and watched the fox’s mouth curve in a smile.

"You can say that despite how I look right now?"

Hiei ran his glance from Kurama’s face down the length of his body and answered truthfully, "You look just fine to me, fox."

Kurama grinned at the tone in Hiei’s voice and, pleased, dropped the subject. 

When Hiei finished with Kurama’s hair, he brought the fox out of the water, holding him with regard for the least jarring movement, watching carefully for the slightest reaction from Kurama to temperature differences or raw skin. But the fox didn’t say a word. Just watched Hiei with those brilliant emerald eyes as Hiei laid Kurama down on a large fluffy bearskin and then dried him off with a soft towel. As Hiei brought the towel out, the emerald gaze followed it and blinked.

"Hiei – where on earth do you come up with these things?" Kurama ran his hand over the warm fur of the bearskin.

"Where do you keep your seeds?" Hiei retorted, "I didn’t find any when I was washing your hair."

Not that Hiei would have found them, they were Kurama’s alone, but the reminder of his depleted stock closed Kurama’s eyes in pain. The memory of the fight was too close for triumph – Kurama just felt exhausted still. His healing was not yet done.

"Ah, my gallant fox, my precious Kurama," Hiei’s voice rumbled in his deep tones that came close to purring. Gently, he touched the deepest of the wounds on Kurama’s chest, "I wish I could have been there to see you dance." Carefully, he lowered his face and licked the wound.

"Hiei – if you had been there, I would have yelled for help and let you take the rat out," Kurama said frankly. He was already relaxed under Hiei’s attention, now his mind was starting to spiral off. The feel of Hiei’s tongue licking across his wounds took him back to his kit days when he and his fellow kitlings would romp and play and then spend hours after grooming each other before sleeping. He could feel a sharp stinging sensation as Hiei licked each of his wounds and Kurama recalled the various folklore myths of the healing properties of a dragon’s blood. Okay, it was Hiei’s saliva, but still… After the stinging faded, a feel of warmth replaced it. Kurama fell asleep dreaming of a silver fox romping through the woods with a gentle dragon.

As Hiei finished bandaging the last of Kurama’s wounds and covering him with another soft fur, tucking it carefully around the feet, he stared thoughtfully down at the sleeping fox. Perhaps… it was for the best that I was away. I would not have knowingly placed you in such danger, but as a result, you have stretched your limitations and your skills. And I will not interfere again with your choices. If you truly would have called to me… I don’t have to worry about stupid, stubborn pride. You will choose your fights wisely and you will fight wisely. We can truly be a team. Such a rare thing in the demon world. He loved the fox to his utmost. Hiei crossed his legs to sit next to Kurama. Then he searched until he found his sword, lying in the dirt near their camp. Carefully, dividing his attention between where he was and where it was, he brought it back to him. Then he inspected the blade and honed it sharp, waiting. Waiting for his fox. He wasn’t patient by nature, but for Kurama he would be as patient as he needed to be.

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Kurama woke up feeling warm and contented. And hungry. His energy was in definite need of replenishment. But it felt so good just to be lying there in the warm furs, snuggly and lazy, and protected. Kurama opened his eyes and blinked the sleep out. He saw Hiei almost immediately. The fire demon was sitting crosslegged a little ways away, his sword lying across his legs, one hand on the hilt, the other on the scabbard, facing mostly towards Kurama, but his red gaze was unfocused as he looked beyond Kurama. Kurama glanced curiously around him, but decided that Hiei was using the jagan to look somewhere other than here.

And with that decided, Kurama took the opportunity to study Hiei. One of the most powerful demons Kurama had ever personally encountered – he generally liked to avoid the ones that could kill him. Muscular body, sturdy frame; strong. Kurama remembered how easily Hiei had carried him; and how tenderly and carefully he’d treated Kurama. I could get to enjoy being bathed like that… Especially at a time when I’m not wounded and exhausted. Kurama ran his eyes greedily over Hiei’s body. The demon wasn’t wearing his cloak, but just his pants. That left a lot of bare flesh for Kurama to admire. Whether it was fair to Hiei or not, Kurama’s objections had gotten left behind somewhere in the fight with the rat. Hiei was Kurama’s. His. And now that he’d gotten used to the idea, Kurama was more than ready to claim all that that entailed. I will love him. I have accepted him. Hiei will be my mate and I will live with him as much as he will allow. He has offered all that he can give. And I will accept it. The love will come. I think I already love him in a way. More will come. If I open my heart to him, and let him in, there is no way I cannot love such a wonderful person. I will love him. Love was more a matter of choice than mangas showed. Hormones were all well and good – Kurama breathed in deeply – but they were not the only things involved in building a relationship. Right now, though, Kurama was very much interested in the hormones.

"Stop licking your chops," Hiei’s voice was dryly amused.

Kurama blinked – Hiei’s gaze was still abstracted… "I wasn’t!" he denied quickly.

Hiei slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were focused fondly on Kurama, "It felt like it. Like I was this particularly juicy rabbit you were stalking…" Hiei grinned, "There’s a plate of chowmein by your head."

Sitting up, Kurama quickly found the plate and made short work of it. There were several other dishes from Chinese fast food that went equally as quick. After he was finished, Kurama sipped the tea and eyed the dishes thoughtfully, "Fast food?"

"I sent out for pizza but they don’t deliver this far."

Hiei jokes? Kurama switched his bemused attention from the food to the person.

Hiei took a hand off his sword to wave it in a direction off to the side, "There are also a bunch of clothes. I asked for stuff in general rather than anything specific, so they just brought back an assortment."

Kurama glanced over but refrained from moving over immediately. Right now, putting clothes on would just be a waste of time. He was curious about the ‘they’ but now that Kurama’s hunger was satisfied, Hiei was looking very much like that rabbit he’d described earlier. He stood up, letting the fur covering him fall to the ground. Then he walked two steps to Hiei and knelt down, "Hiei…"

Hiei’s red gaze widened as he stared into Kurama’s dark green eyes.

Kurama leaned forward and touched his lips to Hiei’s. 

Hiei sat, frozen and still, surprised.

Well? Kurama took a bit more action and parted his mouth to lick his tongue over Hiei’s lips, tracing the outline, darting between the folds, seeking admittance… Kurama heard the groan as Hiei opened his mouth and let him in. He could feel Hiei’s breath speeding up. He could taste the fire of a demon’s tongue. For a long indeterminate time, all Kurama did was explore Hiei’s mouth. Running his tongue over Hiei’s. Gingerly feeling all the sharp little teeth lining the inside. Licking the smooth cheeks and roof of his mouth. Sucking on Hiei’s tongue that was deep inside his own mouth, doing his own exploration. I want him.

Without disengaging the kiss, Kurama reached forward with his hands and brought them around Hiei. Feeling the muscles he’d been admiring. Feeling the heat. Smelling the musky scent that was starting to waft around them, some Hiei, some Kurama, mixing in their desire.

Hiei’s hands wound around Kurama, almost reverently in their delicacy of touch and feel as he slipped his hands over Kurama’s bare skin. He shifted from his sitting position to also kneel and bring his body closer to Kurama’s…

And the sword clattered on the ground between them.

In a instant, Hiei was pushing Kurama back, his eyes wide and struggling, "Kurama… wait…"

"What for?" Kurama tried to lean forward again, to recapture Hiei’s lips and tongue and mouth and…

"Wait!" Hiei gasped out, reaching down to grab the sword. With one quick move that stopped Kurama’s advance, Hiei unsheathed the sword, metal gleaming bright.

Kurama blinked, "I was only—"

"Just wait a moment, damnit!" Hiei’s face was tortured as he kept looking between Kurama and the sword. "Damnit, damnit, damnit…" Hiei muttered as he focused on the sword. Then his face cleared for an instant and the demon was perfectly still, his eyes shutting tight. After a moment went by, he opened his eyes and glanced around. Then he jumped up and walked to a spot that looked much like any other to Kurama, and Hiei plunged the sword down in the ground. Then he looked back to Kurama, apology plain in his eyes, "I reworked the spell wards, they shouldn’t be detectable this time, and I set them to alert both of us."

Kurama’s mouth was open, he shut it with a grin. He’s still looking out for us. He was setting the spell wards. "No more interruptions?" Kurama asked, moving over to the furs. He knelt and then, looking directly into Hiei’s eyes, he spread his arms away from his body in a deliberate invitation. "Hiei?" he asked, his voice low and rough and full of husky intent.

That voice… Since Kurama had rejected him that first night, Hiei had not thought it truly possible. He’d thought that Kurama’s choice would never go that far. He’d dreamed… but not believed. Hiei closed his eyes and moaned. When he opened them again they showed a look that was void of anything but total desire. As Hiei approached Kurama, his body was trembling.

I think that’s a yes… Kurama grinned in satisfaction as he reached out to stroke the quivering skin. Oh, yes…

Hiei’s eyes were focused on Kurama’s neck… He leaned in and kissed that spot at the base of the jugular…

Kurama tilted his head back for the rush of feeling flooding his body.

His fox. Hiei was finally getting to taste his fox. And the fox tasted good. So good. Weeks of waiting. Longing. Desiring. He had been waiting since the moment he knew the fox had made it through to his heart. He had spent weeks of useless longing, waiting until he could get an answer to see if he could trust the kitsune. He had waited while Kurama needed a friend, desiring the body that was so near physically and yet forbidden to him. And now… Now the moment was finally here. It was… wonderful. Hiei licked Kurama’s neck and nipped very very lightly, licking again as Kurama tightened his grip around Hiei in reaction to the nip. Hiei moved his mouth upwards over the slender graceful neck up to the delicious lips. As Kurama greedily returned the kiss, his hands went up Hiei’s back to hold his head through the fur. Hiei shivered – it felt so good to have Kurama do that… the hairs on his head being so sensitive to movement, ready to fluff up in aggression… or in a very different type of excitement.

Kurama felt the pause as his hands drifted through Hiei’s hair… Like that, do you? Kurama smiled through the kiss and ran his hands back and forth in the soft fur. Mixing light strokes with rough ones, moving with the lay of the fur and against. Petting and electrifying.

Hiei growled, a low deep sound that was very different than his angry growl. A growl that came from the feelings coursing through him and demanded more.

Kurama swallowed the growl within his own mouth and let out a return moan. He pressed upwards against Hiei’s mouth, pushing himself into the contact with Hiei and longing for more. 

… … …

Things were progressing nicely, when Kurama felt a thrumming vibrate through his body and Hiei’s. It wasn’t unpleasant, exactly, but…

"Not now!" Hiei groaned, his hands untangling out of Kurama’s hair. "Damnit!"

Kurama blinked as he looked at Hiei, "Are we under attack?" If they were, he would have expected Hiei to have been up on the instant no matter the distraction.

"No…" Hiei stroked his hands over Kurama’s shoulders, "Ignore it."

Kurama raised a doubtful eyebrow… and then twisted his head around at a deliberate clearing of a throat. Standing next to them was a very small imp… He recognized the type as one that Hiei liked to use as messengers. Imps. Those were the ‘they’… and the source of the furs and towels and food, obviously. But I thought Koenma…

"Go away," Hiei said through gritted teeth. "Whatever it is, it can wait."

"Pardon the… intrusion," said the small imp, carefully not looking directly at either body, "but it concerns your sister."

On the instant, Hiei had rolled out from underneath Kurama and was standing up, his pants falling around his ankles, his sword flying out of the ground straight to his grip. "Yukina!?"

"Sister???" Kurama rolled to his side, the intensity of the moment before rather painful on his body, but he recognized that the moment was definitely over. Just five more minutes damnit… Well, okay, ten. Thirty. … Kurama contemplated it longingly. Just an hour more!!!

"What about Yukina?" Hiei started to approach the imp, then grimaced and reached down to pull his pants up.

"It turns out that Harlon has been lying to us."

Hiei’s eyes burned, red flames of anger and vengeance, "Bring him to me."

"Unfortunately, he took his own life when Talon first approached him. This, naturally, made Talon suspicious,"

So when is an imp not suspicious? Kurama propped his head on one hand, elbow on the ground, and used the other hand to draw the furs over his body as he watched interestedly.

"and he checked out the situation in detail. Yukina-sama has been gone from the kingdom of the ice demons for five years. It is believed by the other ice demons that she left to explore the human world."

"Five years???" Hiei’s fist clenched so tightly around the hilt of his sword that his hand turned white. His hair flowed around his head and settled into two spiky horns. His skin turned green and eyes started appearing all over his body. A smoky dark aura swirled around him.

Kurama watched, fascinated. Hiei has a sister…

"Yukina has been gone for five years and that… TRAITOR has been sending false reports all this time??? Damn his cowardice! Damn his existence! Damn whatever hell his soul is in now!!!!" Hiei paced around, his feet sometimes on the ground and sometimes not. "Where is Yukina now?"

The imp bowed, "Apologies, Hiei-sama, but we cannot locate her."

"Cannot?" Hiei’s voice was very quiet and very very deadly.

Kurama shivered. Hiei in a towering rage was somehow… easier, then Hiei in this brittle calm; a calm that was definitely not shatter-proof.

"Cannot, my lord," the imp was firmly apologetic. "Our network in the human world is the faction most severely compromised by Koenma’s takeover. We cannot activate any current search without alerting Koenma to our existence and jeopardizing the network further."

"Humm…" Hiei kept pacing, but as he did so, his skin changed back to the flesh tones and his hair returned to its normal single spike.

Ah ha. Kurama watched Hiei pace. So that’s it. When Koenma captured Hiei… Kurama corrected that thought, when Yusuke defeated Hiei… somehow, that thought didn’t quite work either, but Kurama impatiently let it stand and kept thinking, Koenma found Hiei’s plots and spies… but Hiei had planned even for this contingency. His most loyal imps were hidden and separate. And undoubtedly, he has dozens of plans still going. My bringing him out of the prison enabled him to reactivate the rest of his network and he obviously ordered a complete check of all agents throughout his network, to smoke out any that Koenma had found and taken. That shakedown unexpectedly uncovered this older hole. A very important one, by Hiei’s reaction. Kurama shook his head in wonder, Hiei has a sister? I wonder what she’s like? Wait a sec… Ice Demon???

"All right," Hiei finally spoke, "Here’s what’s to be done. We will activate the network to search for Yukina… but send it through trails that are normally slower ones. Imply that this is a much older order that other agents had been working on but are being transferred only now due to a lack of response from the others. The agents are still not talking to each other, correct?"

"Correct," the imp nodded, "Koenma has been using several of the agents in an exploratory manner to find out what they can do. All agents are being cautious with regards to the others, none knowing where loyalties now lie, nor what Koenma’s plans are."

Hiei snorted, "They certainly never knew what mine were!" Then he nodded, "Send the messages out as I described."

"Pardon me, Lord," the imp hesitated.

Hiei glared.

The imp stiffened but kept on, "If the agents who are so searching do find Yukina, they will report back to Koenma, and not to you."

Hiei nodded, "I know that." He sighed, a barely noticeable sound, "But Koenma’s current agent in the human world is the Spiritual Detective, Yusuke. If Yukina is safe, it will hurt nothing for her to be brought to Koenma’s attention, seeing as she doesn’t even know I am her sibling."

Kurama raised his eyebrows. Interesting…

"If she is in danger…" the blue fire rose briefly around Hiei, "then Koenma will send Yusuke to help her."

Very interesting… Kurama thoughtfully wondered about the multitude of implications in that statement.

"Will Koenma rather not leave her as a further punishment to you?"

Hiei snorted, "An Ice Maiden? Hardly. Koenma is no fool." He paused, "Well, not a complete idiot, at least. If it is found that he did nothing to help an Ice Maiden in distress, he will have a third of the demon-lands up in rebellion against him. Ice Maidens may not be well-liked universally, but they are an Element in the demon world, and one Koenma has to watch the balance of."

"And this detective… Yusuke?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes, "Do not question me further. Be off and carry out my orders."

The imp bowed, "It shall be done, Hiei-sama." Then the imp faded from view. A second went by and then there was the feeling of a ‘pop’ in the air and his youki was gone as well.

Kurama watched as Hiei shook his head and then paced some more. After a few minutes, he softly interjected, "And Yusuke?"

Hiei stopped pacing but didn’t turn to look at Kurama, "He defeated Rando. And is currently training with Genkai."

That wasn’t my question, Kurama thought, but didn’t ask again.

With a sigh, Hiei turned and walked to where Kurama lay. He knelt down on one knee and ruffled a hand through Kurama’s hair, "I’m sorry, fox. You didn’t deserve to be left like that."

Kurama smiled predatorily, "There will be other times." And then he silently looked at Hiei.

Hiei’s hand continued to shift through strands of Kurama’s mane while he remained silent. Finally, he stood up again, "Let’s go back to the other camp so you can collect your seeds. I told the imps to bring an assortment – they’re over by the clothes – but I think you want your own. And we shouldn’t leave demon plants active in the region."

With a laugh, Kurama stood up, "That would spawn some very interesting legends of the place…" He walked over to where the pile of clothes were and selected an outfit, noting as he did so that the moment was definitely over. Hiei was watching off in the distance, aware of the fox… but exhibiting absolutely no trace of sexual tension at all. Kurama sighed softly to himself. Another time… And then he rummaged through the seeds the imps had brought, humming happy little tunes to himself as he discovered several rare and useful ones among the lot.

Yukina… Hiei stood at the boundaries of what he considered the camp and strained his senses towards his sister. But he couldn’t feel her. So as not to bring danger upon her, he’d cut those ties long ago. And bitterly regretted it now. Five years. She’s been unwatched for five years. Yukina, where are you? He hoped… he hoped with all his heart that she was just enjoying the human world. But he feared otherwise. Yukina…

"I’m ready," Kurama stood at Hiei’s side and looked down at the short demon, the powerful demon, the mystery.

Hiei looked up at the calm serene face surrounded by masses of red hair… and despite his worries, he was happy. It was good to be with Kurama. The kitsune was so much that Hiei was not. And accepted so much of Hiei. Without knowing, but still accepting. He made his way past my barriers like they weren’t even there. Even now, he touches me when I thought I was so far from him. And he calls me back without speaking a word. "Then let’s go."

They walked on, together.