His body refused to cooperate, and the smell of the blade still lingered on his skin. The sensation of Yomi's touch still burned, emanating from his clothes and making Kurama want to throw up with every breath that he took. He felt torn and yet, there was the unmistakable sensation of relief fluttering from his chest. The understanding that not only had he won, but that he'd stood his ground and put to rest the thing eating him whole.

He was going to be Shuichi Minamino.

It felt so obvious now that he was on the path, the decision sitting on the horizon like it had been the only answer that had ever existed, Yoko Kurama being pushed back for the time being, forcibly cornered by the answer that the man had chosen.

He was going to return to the human world and live there, be there to care for his mother and explore what this other plain of existence could offer him. It felt warm, making his broken body feel a little better, which was all he needed in a moment like this. The guilt of watching Shigure fall to his own demise had been enough to make him crumble in on himself, but there wasn't time for that, no. He'd had to refocus his energy on convincing his companions he was alright enough for them to allow him to watch Hiei's fight with Mukuro, only allowing himself reprieve after confirming the imiko's safety.

Finding shelter afterwards wasn't too hard, simply finding a forgotten about crevice of the stadium, shutting the door behind himself and finally allowing the pain to bubble forward, both arms flocking to his stomach in an attempt to soothe the wound. It burned, leaving behind the shame of allowing his surrendered for to fall and the frustration of not going after him in his own exhaustion.

He wanted to scream, wanted to slam his hand into a wall and be angry at him, but now just wasn't the time for an emotion like that. No, he needed to focus on healing his wound, the red head stumbling forward and resting a shaking arm against the wall of the isolated room. Using the wall to help guide himself downward, Kurama rested his back against it, breathing out a sigh of relief as he tried to assess the damage.

Lithe fingers peeled at the cloth, separating it so he could stare at the clean slice that threatened to spill his intestines. Half an inch more and he'd have been fatally wounded, his tongue sliding against his teeth at the unpleasantness of such a thought. It'd have been a shame to come so far only to lose to such a man, the fact that Shigure had come so close not sitting well with the man at all.

Healing was his only option, and yet, Kurama almost wanted to just sit there in silence. Letting time take a futile attempt at healing it for him, allowing him to focus on the gravity of what he'd done. A heavy breath fled his lungs, knowing full well that he'd be a fool to let his human body try its hand at healing him single handedly.

Trying to hoist himself back up to remove what he was wearing proved to only further agitate the wound, the demon mumbling a few choice words under his breath before uttering a silent prayer for the clothes he was doomed to destroy. Tearing at the cloth took gentle care, trying not to destroy it to the point where he could never repair it, the sight of the wound against his toned stomach making the man grimace.

Once the damage was properly exposed, the scent of blood and the threat of decay permeated through the air, his nose all but recoiling at such a stench. A bit of frustration for Shigure boiled to the surface, but there was no point in being angry at a dead man when Kurama had been the only one to walk away from their conflict. Instead, a hand flocked to his red hair, fingers searching for a seed that could both accept what little spirit energy had to offer along with accelerating the healing rate of such a cut.

"So, this is where you ran off to."

The huff in the voice, the immediate lack of common decency, it made Kurama snap to attention, almost forgetting that he was staring down a torn open stomach. The smell of the whole ordeal must have masked the scent of sweat, burning determination and dark flame that constituted every fiber of Hiei.

Kurama was too surprised by his sudden appearance and his current predicament to speak, wide green eyes burning into the imiko, who only offered him a smile that resembled a predator looking down at his wounded prey. He always had an air about him, one of constantly permeating grandiose that was impossible not to almost taste when around him. Perhaps Hiei simply saw himself as better than everybody, or maybe he knew his place, but refused to accept it.

The redhead knew he wasn't stupid, and yet, there were times where he wondered exactly what Hiei's intentions were.

This was one of those times.

"Hiei." His voice strained, knowing full well there was no point in trying to hide how he was feeling when what had happened was on full display. "How did you find me?" Every word bringing a seething burn, the reminder of the blade striking every time his chest dared to rise for another breath.

"I was following you the whole time." He said, shrugging off the questioning look. "You weren't very subtle, Kurama. Anybody who didn't notice you limping wasn't looking."

The redhead always hated how quick Hiei's reflexes were, that his speed and stealth was almost unparalleled in relation to his peers. His brow furrowed slightly, the sight only amusing Hiei as the imiko offered him a smirk, approaching the wall opposite Kurama and plopping himself down on the ground, legs outstretched and crossing themselves at the ankle. He carried himself so casually, and yet, it was clear he was exhausted from his fight with Mukuro, the quiet thoughtfulness in his voice cluing Kurama into the fact that his companion was trying to hide the amount of pain he was in.

They'd always had a curious relationship to say the least, and the fact that they'd been separated for two years without so much as a hello made things only less defined than before. It left Kurama frustrated, so he could only imagine how much boiling Hiei's blood had been doing in their time apart.

Hiei had changed in that time, had grown wiser and more disciplined, and although Kurama loathed how he'd begun to smell like Mukuro instead of himself, he couldn't help but admire what she'd made out of him in the last two years.

"What you did for Mukuro was very nice." His voice soft, the throaty strain of it all getting Hiei to stare at him, lips curled into a frown now. "I've never seen you sacrifice something for another living creature before. I didn't think you the type."

"I didn't do anything nice." Hiei shot back, furrowing his brow, threatening to bare fangs if Kurama continued. "It was luck that it broke off, nothing more."

"Oh yes, of course." An extension to play it off and allow Hiei to pretend. It'd have tasted sweet if the imiko didn't know Kurama well enough to know that his companion wasn't being serious. His forehead would have crinkled if not for the covered Jagan, Hiei's arms folding atop his stomach, glancing away from the redhead to childishly attempt to ignore him.

He looked back at him when Kurama began to feed a plant his own energy, a soft grunt leaving his throat as he did so, staring down at the beginning to blossom goldenrod in his hand. The imiko sat there with his eyes focused solely on the working man, seeming to forget his intentions to be angry as he watched the beautiful yellow flower sprout in an expert's hand.

Not that it would remain there for long, not when the flowers were quickly removed from the stem, the demon cringing slightly at what he needed to do, the memory of the taste repulsing him nearly enough to convince Kurama to suffer through the wound and hope he'd be find on his own.

But his human body didn't heal as quickly as his demon one, and he barely had enough energy to conjure up this plant, let alone help his body along in the healing process. With another moment of reflection, the rest of the flowers were plucked from their stem and all of them were pushed into his mouth, the crushing of them against his teeth bringing out their bitter taste.

Hiei only stared, the undeniable curiosity burning in his red eyes catching Kurama's attention, almost getting him to forget the flowers that his teeth were trying to grind up. After a few moments of mingling with his saliva, they began to release what he was after, a foam beginning to fill his mouth, one he quickly spit out into his cupped and awaiting hands. He could see the imiko across the room cringe out of his peripherie, the fire demon leaning in slightly so he could see what his ally was doing with the substance he'd just spat out.

Typically, he'd have explained it to him right away, but the desire to get this over with was overwhelming, the sight of the foam and flower petals floating in his hands making his stomach turn inside out. The taste continued to burn his mouth, a bit of the saliva foam mixture dribbling down his chin.

On a silent count to three, the goldrenrod concoction was pushed into his wound, a sharp breath being the only sound he could muster as fingers began to slide against the even slices threatening to divide his stomach and intestines in half. It felt like being stabbed all over again, and yet, he forced himself to rub the mixture into the wound, his breathing accelerating as he did this, skin beginning to burn red with agitation at being disturbed.

"Just what are you doing?"

Hiei's threatening tone got Kurama to stop, his focus falling to the man sitting opposite of him for a moment before returning to his wound, glancing down at stained fingers as his nose and upper lip curled with distaste. "The goldenrod flower is known to help heal wounds and keep them from growing inflamed and irritated, or rather the foam they secrete is."

"It's a wonder you became a thief and not an apothecary." Hiei chuckled, although from the suddenly dark look in Kurama's eyes, this wasn't something that the redhead appreciated. And from the sudden shift in the imiko's stare, it became apparent that there was something negging at the both of them. "Kurama."

The way he left it open ended, the way he stared at him after refusing to complete the thought, it told the redhead everything he needed to know about where this was going. And with his wound now exposed and agitated, getting up and excusing himself wasn't going to be an option. Perhaps Hiei knew he'd be cornered and would have no choice but to talk, and if he'd managed that, Kurama was almost proud.

"Let's not start this." He grunted, meeting Hiei's eyes in an attempt to convey the fact that he wouldn't back down. Unfortunately, if he wanted Hiei to back down, he was only challenging the younger demon to a battle of wills, the imiko glaring back at him with red eyes aflame.

"You won because of your planning ahead, Kurama. You'd have been cut in half if you didn't have your previous life to fall back on." Hiei said, the immediate shift in Kurama practically freezing the entire room. He could almost taste the sudden hostility, and yet, Hiei didn't care one bit for what was running through his mind. He knew Kurama wouldn't kill him, which left him feeling far too bold and powerful for his own good. "You'd have won with ease if you'd have fought him as Yoko, but you refused. You took the coward's way out and fought him in your weak human body instead. Why would you do that? Have these humans broken you?"

His wound suddenly became the least of his priorities, his brow furrowed, eyes seeking to destroy Hiei from where the other demon sat. Hiei had seen these eyes before, but they'd never been directed at him, had never threatened to kill him from where he stood. Although he hated it, his heart began to accelerate, instincts beginning to scream for him to get out of this spot, that in their wounded states, Kurama was the one who'd rise victorious.

"How dare you." Was all he forced out, his voice a low growl that had his throat burning from the gruff striking of vocal chords.

"Yoko Kurama had power most demons could only dream of, and you tossed it aside so you could fight him in a body that you've been playing pretend in for almost two decades! Demons used to tell stories of the legendary demon fox, and I've come to find out that he's more interested in trying to be human than be proud in his demon form!" Hiei hissed, no longer sitting down but instead standing up, forcing his exhausted body to step forward so he could truly stand over Kurama, casting a shadow over him in the process.

His hands were curled into fists, jagan burning from behind his bandana, the menacing purple threatening to swallow him whole as it stared down at him. His size didn't matter in this case, not with how he stood in relation to Kurama, the older demon knowing full well that he wasn't in any condition to face Hiei with his wounds exposed as they were.

Not that he was thinking clearly, his trademark calm having been thrown out the window when his choice was called into question. When something he'd been so relieved to do was being insulted by somebody he'd considered very dear to him up until this point in time. Bright green eyes threatened to disintegrate Hiei on the spot, the sight of the imiko refusing to back down only further agitating him.

"Did you ever stop to consider that perhaps I didn't want to be Yoko Kurama anymore? That I spent two thousand years of my life as somebody that I've come to regret, and that, perhaps, I wanted to atone for some of my sins as Shuichi? That maybe, becoming a human taught me that Yoko was a deplorable man, and that if I could help it, I would rather dedicate myself to trying to be a nobler man?"

He didn't scream, but from the wild look in his eyes, even Hiei wondered if he was risking his head by continuing to stay in the room. His tone was harsh and his voice low and gruff, his usually gentle face giving way to so much rage as he stared the younger demon down. Hiei opened his mouth for his turn, but a snarl from Kurama got him to silence immediately. "I've been suffering in silence for long enough, Hiei, and I'm not going to let anybody tell me that I've made the wrong decision."

"Oh, yes, choosing to throw away an identity was very hard." His sarcastic tone threatened to cut a deeper wound into Kurama's skin than Shigure had, his wide green eyes burning into Hiei's skin, capturing the younger demon's attention as he watched so many emotions flash through him in only a few seconds.

Rage.

Betrayal.

Pain.

Touya had awoken it in him, the understanding of what Yoko had been, the desperation to be a better version of himself and somehow make up for his time as the spirit fox. He had so many regrets, so many nightmares about his past and about returning to his time as a monster, destroying his friends in the process and reclaiming a bloody throne of power.

The Idunn box had only complicated things more by allowing Yoko access to his body, allowing the former owner of their life to reach for the reins and pushing him and Shuichi's identities into constant conflict. He had to be them both, had to throw away his desires to be a better person and atone for his sins for the raw power that Yoko provided. His previous life was stronger, had the powers Shuchi could only dream of. Both of them existed, pulling Kurama in both directions as he struggled to find happiness and meaning in what felt like an eternal prison.

He had given up on there being a way out before forcing himself to admit the truth, to just wanting to find happiness for himself, regardless of what it meant in terms of raw strength and notariety.

"I've been trapped, Hiei." This was all he could muster, continuing to clutch at his burning wound, trying to feed the crushed goldenrod bits of energy to try and heal himself all the further.

"Trapped? You make it sound like Yoko was holding you hostage."

Green eyes bore into him, Hiei's once mocking smirk beginning to fade into a look of confusion, the realization that his attempt at demeaning Kurama had actually struck some form of nerve getting him to frown. Teeth were bared, the imiko taking a step forward only to find being closer to his companion only further agitated him. "He couldn't hold you hostage, Kurama. Every time he took control, you let him! You weren't being forced into giving up your body, you just didn't want to share. You're going to go off now and play human with the rest of the Spirit World siders, aren't you?"

So this is why he was angry. Kurama's look suddenly softened at the realization, watching Hiei take a step closer, his legs parted so he wasn't standing on top of the older demon's feet. His arms were folded over his chest, red eyes screaming for answers, although they begged to know something that he wasn't blatantly asking. The redhead couldn't help but chuckle weakly at the realization of what Hiei was digging at, the knowledge that he was hurt and unable to express it properly almost warming him up. "You don't want me to leave, is that it?"

"What?" Hiei's voice gave way to a shocked growl. "Why would you ever think something like that? I'm mad that you're throwing away your power and potential, Kurama, not that you're going back to the human world!"

The imiko's growling only further convinced Kurama that he was right, the older demon chuckling slightly at how angry his companion was getting. "Hiei." He forced out his voice, watching as the shorter of the two immediately ceased threatening to throw a fit when spoken to, lips parting slightly with unspoken words. "I don't leave anything behind. I don't like closing doors, even when I'm the one closing them."

The younger demon stared at him for a silent minute, side stepping over Kurama's legs and slowly approaching the side of the wall he was leaning against. Hiei slumped against it for a moment, surveying the exhausted redhead with caution before deeming it acceptable to allow gravity to push himself downwards, sitting himself closer to Kurama, only a foot between the two of them.

"You don't close doors?" He repeated, looking more like a child desperate for guidance than he did another demon ready for a fight. He wasn't the type to directly say what he was thinking, and yet, in that moment Kurama was left utterly floored. He could practically smell the concern wafting from every pore in Hiei's body, his time in the human world making him want to pull the shorter man close to try and comfort him.

But he didn't want to risk being bitten, not when he already had a wound desperate for his attention.

"I do not." He confirmed, watching Hiei look away in a moment of what Kurama could only assume to be intense thought. "I leave nothing behind, Hiei."

The imiko wasn't known for his wit, and yet, he wasn't exactly known for being stupid either, the man taking note of Kurama's gentler tone and growling, baring white canines in the hopes of getting him to back off. "I don't need your reassurance, Kurama, what you do in your future is none of my concern. Just know I'm not going to be there to take care of you if you choose to stay in that human body forever."

"Wouldn't think of it." Kurama confirmed, watching Hiei's stare settle into one of wordless satisfaction at supposedly getting his way. The elder demon tried to hide his smile at such a thing, but it was hard to keep to himself, heart beginning to flutter slightly at the realization that Hiei was trying to combat the possible abandonment issues that came with Kurama choosing his human life over his demon life.

The younger demon hadn't been loved before, so it was only natural that he'd struggle to understand what the sinking feeling of betrayal that came with a loved one making a drastic decision would be. Explaining it to him would do neither of them any good, however, Kurama instead only observing as his companion began to slump forward a little bit. "Hiei?"

"Fighting Mukuro took a lot of energy." He muttered, glancing upwards at the elder demon, eyes heavily lidded at he did so. His attention fell onto the wound that Kurama was still nursing. "You're staying here, right?"

"For the time being."

Kurama's soft confirmation was all that Hiei needed, the man taking only a moment longer to decide that he didn't need to stay awake any longer. Resting his back against the wall, he was out before the older demon could even glance back at him to see if he truly was trying to get a bit of sleep. Honestly, it was a true talent, the fact that Hiei could fall asleep as quickly at he could.

He was practically a housecat, quick to sleep, and only affectionate in the most subtle and hard to understand sorts of ways.

Letting go of a surprisingly heavy breath, Kurama glanced back to the wound that Shigure had cursed him with, the foam having long since vanished, leaving only the crushed up pieces of petals resting against the burning and exposed flesh. Grimacing slightly, the elder demon tried to feed his body more of the energy it was starved for, wishing he could simply make the wound vanish so he could stand up and feel a little more complete and confident in the body he'd chosen for himself.

Warmth.

Kurama tensed up when he felt a weight on his shoulder, the animal instincts buried within threatening to come out and snap at whatever dared to touch him, only for wide green eyes to meet the calm and sleeping face of Hiei, his cheek comfortably resting against the elder demon's beginning to relax shoulder.

He'd never exactly had Hiei do such a thing before, the redhead's heart beginning to pound at the sight and sensation, every breath he took being swaddled in Hiei's comforting scent. For a moment, the man could only bring himself to admire the sight, a smile beginning to sew itself onto his lips.

Perhaps, if only subconsciously, Hiei knew what was troubling him.

If closing every door meant losing Hiei, Kurama wouldn't dare to imagine such a thing. The naturally warm skin of the imiko left the elder demon feeling soothed, drinking in his scent as he tilted his own head, his cheek resting against the fluffy mop of black that was Hiei's hair. He could almost forget his wound, forget failing to save Shigure.

There was only Hiei, and his desperate attempt to convey to Kurama his fear of being abandoned and his longing for the elder demon to stay with him.

"I wouldn't leave you." Kurama muttered, finding the scent of his companion to be far too calming, green eyes growing heavy with sleep, arms still protectively attempting to guard his wound. "Nothing would be worth losing you."