Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho…they belong to their creator and such…

Summary: Picks up after Life Goes On…or so you thought: Hiei's had a taste of what Youko has to offer, what happens to Kurama when the fire demon's taste turns to cravings.

Rated: M

Mending Fences, yet Burning Bridges

Chapter 1

'Six months……six long months.' Six months since they defeated Taiga, six months since Yusuke's wedding, six months since the oaf proposed to Yukina and six months since he'd started a relationship with Youko.

Hiei sat in a tree outside Genkai's temple contemplating those thoughts. He had no idea where to start, even if he did, he didn't know how to explain them. And the more he found himself getting into this state, the more he found himself in the tree outside the temple watching his sister, Yukina, as she did her daily chores.

He thought at first coming here to the temple and watching his sister would help his thoughts. Watching her had always calmed him and gave him the ability to clear his mind. But after a visit, he noticed the ring on her finger and knew Kuwabara had proposed. This only added more to his already filled mind. He finally got that thought to the bottom of the list as he told himself that he trusted the orange haired, though he would never say it out loud and Yukina did seem happier, which in his mind was all that mattered, her happiness.

After seeing the ring, Hiei had went and talked to Kurama, asking him if he knew of the proposal. 'Yes', had been the answer, followed by the same old talk. "Hiei, you know now would be a good time to tell her. She has her friends to help with the wedding plans, but family would be better. And you know if she knew, she would have you walk her down the aisle and give her away." This led into a conversation that went back to Yusuke's wedding and how Keiko's father had walked her down the aisle as a show of acceptance to the marriage. He replied in an angered voice. "But I don't accept it." Leaving before the fox could continue his preaching. Kurama has not broached the subject since.

The first thing on his mind, the list per say, was his relationship with Youko and how it was affecting Kurama. It had been a really awkward few days after his first night with Youko and, in a way, was still awkward even after six months. The thing that bothered the fire demon the most was, Kurama would not talk about it. The only comment the red head made was the morning after the first night. "Youko says he will wait patiently and that all you need to do is ask." When asked how he felt about that, Kurama just shrugged and said. "I agreed and I will not go back on my word." Hiei wanted to investigate further, for he knew there was more to it. The problem was getting the stubborn red head to talk and again, six months later, the fox has not said a word and it wasn't for the lack of trying either.

On the outside, Kurama seemed to display that everything was 'normal' in their relationship. Normal, as in they did all the things they had done since getting together. Spending time and sparring, going out, watching TV and dinning. Hiei did however notice that Kurama was keeping a tight hold on his thoughts, not even communicating mentally much.

Though after a lot of 'beating around the bush' so to speak, they'd agreed to a routine. Youko would come out on the night of the full moon. Thus Hiei has been with Youko six more times, to this date. The cave idea had been abandoned after their first time there. The reason being, Kurama's, or should it be Shuiichi's, emotional state, he would have to walk there, let Youko out and then he'd have to walk back in the morning. This was not helping the red head to accept the arrangements, so they stayed in the apartment. Hiei didn't know if that was for the best or not.

He found himself thinking about the silver yoko at times. He thought back to the last time they had been together. After Youko had his way with him, he'd offered himself to the fire demon. Which you could say 'shocked' the small demon, but he returned the pleasures and that was that. The two never talked, they would just fall asleep and sometime after that, Kurama would reappear and thus they would start their day. Kurama would sometimes go to work or he would get up and run errands, leaving the fire demon to sleep or do his own thing. Nothing was ever said about the night before.

Hiei could not deny that he was enjoying the spirit yoko, he liked the sex, not saying that sex with Kurama was boring, it just was not the roughness he liked. The red head was passionate, wanting to take things slow and gentle. Kurama also wanted to talk afterwards, while snuggling, where as he just wanted to sleep. Youko didn't by all means take things slow. He was a torture, have his way, then fall asleep, which was the way Hiei was use to. Demons didn't care for the emotional end of sex. It was for relieving tension, or for getting their way with someone, that was about it. Ningens seem to have emotional baggage and it applied to the Kurama as well. It had to do with his ningen side, was what Hiei had come to accept. Thus this line of thinking led to his sexual relationship with Kurama. Hiei would give into Kurama, letting him be on top so as to please the ningen side, but that had changed. When Kurama realized that Youko was the seme, he started letting Hiei be seme to him, saying it was only fair. Again the stubborn red head would not talk about why he'd changed his mind. Hiei had still not figured out why the red head had agreed to the arrangement in the first place.

The fire demon wondered sometimes why he fell in love with Kurama, preferring him for companionship, but yet only wanted the spirit yoko for sex. Maybe it was because he had become use to the red head's persona, having never known Youko. He will admit to only a hand full of people that he had changed since meeting Kurama and then later Yusuke and the others, but he could not get the demon side out of him when it came to sex and Kurama can not fill that void, yet.

He let out a big sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose at the headache that was forming. It never failed. He always got a headache when his thoughts were flashing in a never ending flicker, like a slideshow on fast forward. Looking up at the sky, he realized it was getting late and that he had spent most of the day in the tree thinking, with absolutely nothing being solved, except getting the headache. 'Kurama should be home soon.' He told himself. After taking one last look at Yukina in the garden with the birds, he flittered off.

End Chapter 1

At the end of each chapter will be a song that I've come to associate with the story…not an any particular order. Though you may notice I listened to a lot of Linkin Park.

Lyrics to the song: Headstrong - by: Earshot

Strapped down and heavy…Tied up and bound…This weight I carry…This weight I've found. So let…me…be the one to say, I've really had enough.

(Course)

Down fallen on (Yes you meant the world to me)…My sweet love…So headstrong (Are you?) Strong

Watch me…fall

One time too many…You've let me down…Won't think what could be…Can't feel much now

Watch me…change this world inside of you

Does it really mean that much to you…To hide your fear, to test the way I feel

Watch me fall…Watch me break…Watch me crawl…Watch me throw it all away

I can't believe the things you say…So wrong for how I feel this way…I'm sleeping to relieve this strain so…Calmly, slowly, softly, just let it all just drift away.