Summary – After the Makai Tournament Hiei tries to forget Kurama. He will always be there for Hiei to confess to, right? Song fic. Death fic. Kurama/Hiei pairing. (Better than it sounds... I hope)

Starts with scene from the anime, English dub.

Together in Death

Song – Without you from rent, movie version

Kurama was surprised for a second when he saw the small black figure leaning against a tree in front of him. He recovered himself quickly and stopped walking.

"So Yusuke's going back after all?" Hiei asked emotionlessly.

"That's what he says. After he takes care of some things," Kurama replied.

"…And… I guess you're off too?" he continued casually.

"That's right, to my family." Hiei raised his hand and threw his mother's tear stone necklace to Kurama. Kurama caught it and looked down at the glimmering stone in his hand.

"Hiei, I can't accept this. I value our friendship and all we've been through…" Kurama hesitated, closing his eyes and holding the stone to his chest. "…but I'm not interested in you that way." Hiei sweat dropped.

"You fool!" Hiei retorted. "I'm not giving my stone to you!"

"Relax! It's a joke! You want me to give this to Yukina, right?" Kurama asked smiling.

"That's right," Hiei said, turning his head away but keeping his piercing red eyes fixed on Kurama. "I want you to tell her that her dear twin brother has been dead for years."

"Why don't you return it to her yourself Hiei?" Kurama prompted.

"I'm staying here in Makai," Hiei said decidedly, closing his eyes. "I want her to call off her ridiculous search for me."

"Even if you did want that, I won't shut this door for you. You'll give this to her, at your own pace." Kurama held the necklace out to Hiei. Hiei looked at Kurama for a few moments.

"You're the same way you were the first time we met," Hiei said, reaching out and reclaiming his stone, "a pain, who speaks the truth."

MIMI (Hiei) - Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.

"… but I'm not interested in you that way."

'Hn, stupid, annoying fox!' Hiei thought, pushing the memory from his mind. He refocused his eyes on his opponent, however they were held for only a second before they were drawn by something else, behind the bleeding, crippled demon. A single rose bush grew alone, persistently fighting for its earth. A bush covered in so many beautiful red roses they seemed to make up one shape. The color of the soft petals, the shape made up by the roses… Red hair faded in over the mass of roses. Kurama turned and smiled at Hiei, soft green eyes closing the way they always had, before the image faded into roses again. 'Damn it!' Hiei thought angrily, delivering an excessively violent blow to finish off the demon and ending up covered from head to toe in purplish red blood. "Damn!" he swore aloud.

"Very nice shot Hiei," one of the other border patrol members commented. "But a little violent, don't you think? If I didn't know better, I would think you were angry at someone."

"If you want to avoid having the same fate as that demon you will do the wise thing and shut up!" Hiei snapped before joining the rest of the patrol group. 'Forget, just forget. Kurama will always be there. He isn't going anywhere. I can see him anytime I want.'

MIMI (Hiei) - Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play. The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.

"Your patrol team won't have to go on another mission for awhile Hiei," Mukuro informed him. "Would you like to visit your friends in Ningenkai? …Maybe, tell your sister some things?" Mukuro prompted.

"God! Are you going to take the fox's side as well?!" Hiei asked angrily, he had enough things reminding him of Kurama, he didn't need Mukuro nagging him as well.

"Well, he does give good advice," Mukuro commented. "But there is no way to make you do something you don't want to and I know better than to try. Just remember that the offer will continue to stand should you change your mind."

"Hn." Mukuro sighed and walked away from Hiei to return to her duties. 'I can see him anytime I want. I don't have to tell him now, I don't have to do it yet.'

MIMI (Hiei) - The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.

"Hiei, there is a team going on a special mission to Ningenkai. They could use someone of your specialties," Mukuro told Hiei.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Hiei asked in annoyance.

"One of the qualities you and I have in common," Mukuro replied calmly.

"I'm not going!" Mukuro rolled her eyes but left Hiei again, knowing better than to argue with the stubborn fire demon. 'I don't have to go now. I can see him anytime I want. I can tell him any time I want.'

MIMI (Hiei) - Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.

"Hiei, there is something I think you should investigate…" Mukuro started before Hiei cut her off.

"What now?! Are you going to have me investigate a portal to Ningenkai and hire someone to push me through?!" Hiei asked angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you 'I'm not going'?!"

"No, it does not have to do with Ningenkai. I want you to investigate the capturing of an outside demon who came here," Mukuro explained.

"Hn, why should I?! I don't care about some random demon who was captured while wandering where they shouldn't have been!"

"This wasn't a random demon Hiei. This was Kurama."

MIMI (Hiei) - Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.

'Yeah, that's Kurama's energy alright, but there is no trail… The demons probably used some device to mask his energy… But more importantly, what the hell was he doing here?! Never mind! I just need to find him… Maybe… if I knew what he came here for, it would be easier for me to find him,' Hiei reasoned.

MIMI (Hiei) - The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.

Hiei scanned Kurama's room for anything that could indicate why he had gone to Makai. His mother was still alive so he hadn't returned for that reason. No one in Makai had called him, so why?! Hiei sifted through just about Kurama's entire room. Clothes lay strewn on the floor and bed sheets up turned from Hiei's aggressive search. Hiei sighed before plopping down in the chair beside his desk. 'Why the hell did he return to Makai?! Nothing here explains that!' Hiei sighed again as he leaned back in the chair. A piece of paper lying on the desk caught his eye. He turned and picked up the torn, wrinkled, cried on sheet and read it.

Hiei –

I am interested in you that way.

– Kurama

MIMI (Hiei) - The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.

'…He… does? He was going to give me a note… but… he decided to come in person… he does… he… Kurama!' Hiei shot back to the forest and through the still open portal Mukuro had created for him.

ROGER (Kurama) - The world revives,

MIMI (Hiei) - Colors renew,

BOTH - But I know blue, only blue, lonely blue, within me blue

'There! I sense his energy again!' Hiei had searched nearly the entire forest for any trace of Kurama's lost energy before he had finally found it. The sky above had darkened to dark navy blue and the first few stars shone down.

Kurama's energy, however was not the only thing Hiei sensed. 'What?! Two S class apparitions?! Did some one want Kurama dead?! Well, of course, demons always want other demons dead, but still, two S class?! Who would want Kurama dead that much?! They're weakened though, about half energy, both. Kurama must have put up a good fight when they captured him. Kurama is past them. I can't get by without being sensed. Looks like I'm going through.'

Hiei shot at the closer of the two demons with his katana drawn. That was the only warning the three of them had. In a second the clearing had been transformed into a war zone of energy and splattering blood.

MIMI (Hiei) - Without you. Without you the hand gropes, the ear hears, the pulse beats.

Hiei stumbled away from his victory in a dazed trance leaving a trail of blood in his wake. He didn't even bother fetching the bandages for his arm. His openly tattooed right arm clung to his katana with the last of his strength. His left arm was torn, twisted and bleeding beyond recognition. He had lost his black cloak and the black fighting shirt he wore in its absence was torn, ripped and stained red. Blood flowed down his front and back from a hole that ran full through his stomach.

Hiei hardly seem to notice any of these hindrances as he pushed on, forcing his weary body through the trees. He didn't seem to be aware of anything. He saw nothing but the path he walked; he felt nothing but the sense of Kurama's energy and he thought nothing but one thought. 'Just a little farther. Just… a little…' He had almost reached Kurama's energy. All of his energy, all of his strength, all of his will was tied to that one thought, that one person, that one hope. 'Just… a little… further…'

ROGER (Kurama) - Without you, the eyes gaze, the legs walks, the lungs breath.

The trees broke into another clearing. Above him the moon shone silvery light down; the stars twinkled calmly. Below him the grass swayed rhythmically with the gentle rush of wind. In front of him, in the middle of the clearing a body was sprawled gracefully on the ground. Red hair fanned gently out, lying softly upon the grass. Yellow cloth was stained red with blood; a pool of red spread through the surrounding grass, glimmering in the moon light. Blood trickled from corner of a slightly open mouth. Red hair fell gently onto closed eyes. The thin chest under ripped cloth was still. One hand lay limply on the ground, a rose still sitting in the unmoving fingers. The energy around it was old.

ROGER (Kurama) - The mind churns!
MIMI (Hiei) - The mind churns!
ROGER (Kurama) - The heart yearns!
MIMI (Hiei) - The heart yearns!

Hiei took a step toward the body. 'Forget, just forget. Kurama will always be there. He isn't going anywhere. I can see him anytime I want.' Hiei took another dazed step. 'I can see him anytime I want. I don't have to tell him now, I don't have to do it yet.' Another step toward the body. 'I don't have to go now. I can see him anytime I want. I can tell him any time I want.' Hiei stopped beside the body. The light of the moon and stars vanished as dark clouds rolled in. Hiei's blood soaked katana slipped from his hand. He fell to his knees. A tear rolled down his cheek. Lightning illuminated the clearing as thunder crashed above. Hiei fell forward onto Kurama's chest.

BOTH - The tears dry, without you.
Life goes on, but I'm gone.
'Cause I die, without you.

'I was too late for us to be together in life…' Hiei thought as his eyes closed though his tears continued to fall '…but at least we can die together,'Hiei's breath slowed. 'At least we can be together now. I'd give anything, to go to the same place as you.' Gently, a rain drop fell on the read head's cheek. 'Good bye, Kurama.'

MIMI (Hiei) - Without you.
ROGER (Kurama) - Without you.
BOTH - Without you

Rain fell gently on the two demons. Finally together, together in death.

A/N – This is the first time I've written a death or song fic. I usually go for more plotful stories but I was struck by the inspiration for this story. The song might not have been perfect, I wrote the story before I even decided it was going to be a song fic. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT.