His voice was always comforting.
People thought there was more to it, that something deeper than the superficial friendship they presented to the world actually existed; swirling beneath crimson containers, ready to lash out at provocation. But that was untrue, Hiei mused grimly. If someone new was to come along, someone of course with the same comforting voice that never failed to say the right thing. Someone with the same calm green eyes that had never been sharpened his way. Someone with the same effeminate figure that both unthreatening and deceiving, lulling him into a false sense of security and reminding him of the dangers of duplicity at the same time.
If, per chance, someone were to come along with all those features and more: that original creativity that many others had tried to copy and failed, the cunning that always bordered on ruthless, than perhaps Hiei could have easily passed him by the next time an offensive comment arose or thought formed, and figured nothing of it. There would be no dilemma, no real choosing really, just another decision in a seemingly endless list of them.
But in all his years of wandering, or unconsciously searching, the irate fire demon had never come across one even close to his caliber. Someone who could easily pick and win a fight but….know when not to. And when to. So Hiei would stay with him, if only until a more suitable substitute came along.
Who else would soothe the dragon behind the demon, with a gentle tease that coming from any other would send it to the forefront? From day one it had been that way, everything that he said took on a new light, a different meaning, one that was no longer offensive to Hiei but rather worth contemplating, if only inside the relative safety of his head.
And even whilst in there, traveling roads long wandered by but one traveler, a small portion of him -one not automatically tuned to the outside world and any hint of danger- would perk up at those distinct chords his voice struck, adding every word to a bank of them, the decision of using or discarding them to made at a later time, but still available.
So it was because of all this that he ignored the jabs. Fired back a response appropriate of such nonsense but let it pass through unhindered. Not because he felt anything in particular for the figure himself, but rather for the mind and aura that came with the package. Of course, Hiei would scoff to himself, if he could separate the package he would, if only to earn himself a few more moments of peace.
But he couldn't, and it was because of this that Hiei would stay with Kurama.