Dear loveisnotachoice (and all other readers): I've had your request for "Hiei and Kurama with intervening parties" in my inbox for over a year. I'm sorry; I can honestly say I was stumped. I don't think I'll ever write a Karasu fic and the concept of Mukuro sabotaging Hiei is just so OOC that I was really struggling with this. So, to make it up to you (I know, it's ridiculously ironic) I've decided that this is going to be a multichapter fic. I hope you enjoy it; at the very least we've got more KuraHi love! (also, if you're on AO3 I'll gift this to you there! Feel free to shoot me a msg here or on tumblr).

I'm so excited to be back, and with a multichapter story too! I'll also be posting Chapter 1 of my Kurama x Hiei x Yusuke fic later today, so keep an eye out!

Just an FYI, the rating on this is likely to change depending on the response I get - I'm not exactly sure how deep into the rabbit hole I want to in that respect. No warnings to think of right now - there will be mentions of war (if you can't tell by the absolutely ridiculous title) but nothing particularly graphic at this juncture.

If time is a construct, then what of I?

It was not made by me yet it was, perceived as well, written and counted and cataloged as if it held meaning. It does, there's no denial of that, but then am I not a contradiction of circumstance? This time is both precious and inconsequential, a single star in a fully lit sky. By the by, a hundred years have passed since the birth of that star - thousands perhaps, but it can't remember - and yet a mere ten was an eternity. Another ten and some have come and gone, a lifetime and yet nothing close.

And more time passes, coming and going and taunting in its lack of ability to be grasped. Time is the only thing I've never been able to posses, though I've never not been in possession of it either. My understanding of time is one of my greatest strengths as I am now; it keeps me alive, forces the tactician out when I'd rather be a beast. At the same time, each second is a trap, one I cannot turn back to and change, for I am changed because of it. Thus flourish the things left unsaid -

"I've a request for you."

The redhead snapped his gaze to face the demon intruding through his open window, blocking the light summer breeze. He didn't bother hiding his surprise at the other's choice of introduction, cocking his head to the side with questioning and welcoming the interruption to his thoughts. It had been some time since their last meeting, warm days bleeding into each other as the almost-human basked in sunlight and lack of responsibility. It was times like this, an even balance between the solitude of his home and the happy family waiting for him at his mother's, that he mused over his life of quiet position .

"Hiei?"

The smaller youkai slipped into the room seamlessly, his boots hitting the floor without so much of a sound. He raised an eyebrow pointedly; a book lay forgotten in the other's hands, the pages fluttering chaotically as the grip on them loosened. It's owner was quick to discard it, not caring to mark the page. Hiei had recognized the somewhat worn cover; an old favorite, one he held no guilt over disrupting. He would read it again, once their business was finished.

"Can you make an excuse for your whereabouts for the next few months?" The redhead blinked rapidly, the wheels turning in his head almost audibly. Visits from Hiei were rare enough - only as often as he took leave from Makai now that he had taken up permanent residence there - but visits in which Hiei had something to ask of Kurama were even more so. Oftentimes when Hiei came to give his regards it was out of desire for camaraderie, a continual concession of his stakes in his friendship with the kitsune, but never to barter for favors.

"Months?" Hiei shrugged, not moving any further into the room despite a beckoning gesture from his counterpart.

"Perhaps. I have a proposition for you."

Kurama looked over his teammate quickly, reading his face and tone for distress. If Hiei's visits were unusual, the ones he chose not to come in and stay were... Kurama couldn't recall a time when Hiei hadn't colonized his bed after the journey, at least not since they'd grown close. Despite his rigidity, the kitsune could see no signs of urgency or desperation. If anything, Hiei waited out his rely patiently, composedly neutral. The redhead smiled warmly, folding his hands in his lap and pushing out his desk chair so that he could turn to better face his friend.

"A proposition, or a request?" The difference was something he found interesting. Hiei never made requests, or at least never stated that his requests were of the optional nature. It implied that whatever he was about to ask of the kitsune was something he'd put some emotional stock into - he'd want him to say yes.

"Do you want to know or not?" The fire demon growled the question back at him, but the threat was as empty as his hand was of his sword. Kurama feigned dramatic offense, which earned him another sharp look that caused him to chuckle lightly.

"Of course, Hiei. What did you have in mind?"

The fire demon's stance softened in the slightest; had it been anyone but Kurama it would have gone unnoticed. Had he been anxious for an answer, the other wondered. It didn't seem like something to stress over, though the spirit fox filed it under "things Hiei doesn't know I notice" to revisit at a later time, and considered his observation as usual.

"A job." Kurama's eyes flickered with curious mischief; had he still possessed them, Hiei would have seen his fox ears perk up. "Not that kind. Makai is undergoing a new pet project of Enki's and I thought you might want in."

The kitsune couldn't help the smile creeping onto his face as he watched his companion play nonchalance, waiting for an answer he knew he was going to get. Hiei had certainly grown better at it in his years with the fox, but Kurama knew that it was all for show at this point in their friendship. It wasn't often the two needed to hide their feelings on a subject from each other, but it was a nice reminder that they could - and of the games that had brought them together. He sometimes missed that - the amusing agony he could incur upon the other with a roundabout phrase or pointed smirk - now that they were far beyond that. They'd grown out of the constant testing, which he reminded him was a good thing despite his dismay at losing an intellectual playmate.

"I was under the impression that Enki had planned on leaving the structure of Makai alone. He did seem only keen on keeping his... constituents from meddling with the humans, after all." It was said with an air of questioning, an invitation for Hiei to elucidate. The fire demon would have rolled his eyes at the unnecessary gesture, but he knew it was out of the kitsune's desire to be engaged. If he was even more truthful, he liked hearing the sound of the other's voice better than his own.

"Yes. He does, however, understand that even the simplest of laws need some kind of enforcement. That's where we come in." The fire demon was taken aback by a groan, Kurama losing his refined edge for a moment as he ran a hand through his hair in a huff.

"You've not coming to tell me I've been called for patrol duty? I won't show. I'm not a resident anymore." Despite joking, Hiei knew there was truth behind mirth filled eyes.

"How would you like to train an army?" Kurama's laugh stopped short, clearly not having expected that. Hiei grinned internally but kept his face schooled on the outside, ignoring the change in the other. "Enki has 'requested' that each territory take responsibility for two armies. The hope is that with an actual presence policing human smugglers there will be more deterrence. As Mukuro's general, I've already been roped in. I had been planning on taking time off." He sounded annoyed, but it didn't show in the lines of his face. The kitsune seemed to consider this for a moment (really, Kurama was swallowing a comment about Hiei having to put in for vacation time, knowing that the other wouldn't find it half as amusing as he did) before piping up.

"Two?"

"One tactical and one ground."

"And I suppose you want me to train the tactical group." It wasn't a question. Hiei didn't bother suppressing his amusement.

"That can be arranged."

The kitsune leaned back in his chair, mulling it over. Training an army certainly hadn't been on his list of things to accomplish this summer (it was an albeit short list), but the fact that Hiei had propositioned it was enough to interest him. Usually, as far as he understood Hiei's role in Makai and the dynamics of it, if decisions like this were to be made, the fire demon would have taken up his post with no thought to the other role. Those decisions were made by people in higher position than he, namely Mukuro. The fact that he had come to him with such a request was enough to have him consider it.

"May I ask how you plan on getting recruits for such an army?" Hiei seemed to expect more questions, moving to lean against the windowsill with a tired looking scowl on his face.

"It's already being done. The volunteers are not within current leadership. Enki has promised rigorous training for those involved; many seem to be enlisting in the hopes that they'll become strong enough to compete in the next tournament."

"Breeding a new generation of lords and kings, it seems." Kurama murmured, considering the benefit to the current rule. "And what makes you think I'd be interested in participating in such schemes?" Hiei scoffed.

"Do I need to list the reasons? It could only serve as an advantage to know how a Makai army works from the inside." He paused, debating on whether or not to finish. "Especially with how bored you are."

Kurama made a face, one Hiei interpreted as disapproval.

"I'm not bored." This time, Hiei did roll his eyes.

"Are you an idiot, Kurama? Your aura reeks of it; it's practically stifling. I refuse to believe you'd actually rather sit around and wait for more human schooling," Kurama outwardly grimaced - Hiei knew how he detested those institutions, even the higher ones, "than return to Makai." He paused, his face taking on a markedly more mischievous feature. "It will happen, sooner or later. Why not train the masses to your liking in preparation for that day?"

The kitsune wouldn't admit how much he was taken aback by Hiei's blatant assumption that not only would he return to Makai eventually, but that he'd be back to thieving and power plays when he did. It wasn't something that he could outright deny; though he did consider himself content with the way things were, undoubtedly it would not remain that way. At the very least he could chalk it up to Hiei sensing it before he did, and acquiesce.

"You think I'll be back that soon, then?"

The fire demon didn't answer, though Kurama could see that something had passed through his mind. He waited, observing him until it became clear that nothing further would come from the other before speaking again.

"Alright, Hiei. I don't see why not, since you've come all this way to ask. One final thing, though." The smaller youkai looked somewhere between pleased and suspicious at the near immediate answer, trying to wring in his expression so that neither was present. Kurama was certainly toying with him; it was apparent in his tone and the all-too-casual way he slumped back in his chair. He was one step away from twirling his hair around his finger, by Hiei's estimation, which never seemed to bode well for his drive." What aren't you telling me?"

There were a series of internal curses on the fire demon's part, Kurama's eyes laughing the entire time. He really had missed games like these, it seemed, and while Hiei never liked to lose he had to admit the prospect of continuing them, of winning one in the near future, was downright exciting.

"Mukuro has requested your presence." Then it came: the quirk of his head as hair fell from his shoulder, the perfect length for him to play with. Hiei wondered if Kurama knew that he knew it was purposeful - meant to disarm or annoy him no doubt - not just an innocent habit he'd picked up in the human world. He'd had longer hair in his Youko form, anyway; it surely wasn't something new.

"Is that why you're asking me?"

The pause that filled the room was lengthy enough for Kurama to wonder when exactly Hiei had opened up enough to end such an uncomfortable habit around him - and why he'd suddenly reacquired it.

"No."

Curiouser and curiouser... The spirit fox mused, quoting the novel he'd put aside while his fingers worked idly through red. That hadn't exactly been what he'd expected, but it had certainly piqued his interest. Perhaps he'd been wrong about Hiei and his hidden intents, though he couldn't see any reason to be alarmed over it... not yet anyway. Hiei had an unmistakable habit of disappearing when there was something the kitsune should be worried over, not show up out of the blue and ask to liaise.

Somehow, it reminded him of when they first met.

Though content, and maybe he was a little spiritless in his current situation, Kurama had to admit that he'd missed Hiei terribly while he'd been away. He knew, of course, that the fire demon's parting had been exactly what Hiei had been looking for - they both knew he'd never admit it, at least not aloud - after so many years of seeing himself without a home, but it had still stricken him with an intense loneliness once he was gone. The plant wielder had expected more opportunities to visit Makai to come up once he'd finished with his schooling, and though further options for that were quickly coming to an end, what had really kept him from his former home had been a lack of invitation. He'd tried not to think of it as petty scorn, but in truth he'd perceived Hiei's lack of interest in bringing him into his new life as... well, as a lack.

Any suspicion he had regarding Hiei's motives was drastically sidelined by how happy it made him to know that, for whatever reason, Hiei wanted to include him in his new life.

The why would be nagging at him soon enough anyway, he knew - likely as soon as the fire demon took his leave and he was left alone again. Kurama couldn't deny the hinting of thrill he got at the idea of spending time in the other's world as he worked out his intent in bringing him along; it was akin to something they'd played at long ago. Hiei seemed to be watching him think carefully, waiting for some further confirmation that he was indeed on board and not about to pull the rug out from under him. The severity and distrust in his expression was enough to make the kitsune laugh aloud, turning that very face into an overt pout, just as he'd expected.

"It's settled then. I'll be awaiting your instructions, then." The fire demon's lips pursed, eyebrows tightening as if there was something he wished to say, but he shook the tension away from his shoulders down.

"I'll attend to the paperwork," he muttered, none too happy about the prospect or at the jovial kitsune, who seemed to find this amusing in addition to whatever was going on in his head.

"Until next time."

He'd heard Kurama speak, but his feet had already left the windowsill.

This is a bad idea.

Green was blurred around him in abstract lines, the brightly lit backdrop of the woods he ran through doing nothing to improve the fire demon's mood. Scattered sunbeams hit his face as he moved through blanketed flora, what would have been a pleasant journey for others giving him nothing but a feeling of foreboding. It was definitely too late to do anything about it now; he'd made the decision and he was stuck with it. Though, if he knew anything about the people he'd grown close to, the choice had probably been taken out of his hands long ago.

I should've just taken my leave and been done with it.

Somehow, Hiei had left the kitsune's room with the impression that he was being manipulated.

Kurama wasn't to blame - though whether or not things would stay that way was completely left to happenstance now that he had effectively dragged the other into his affairs. Why he'd even agreed to do so was becoming less and less clear in his mind as he traveled, the mountain air sobering and restoring his equilibrium. He'd been coerced, he convinced himself, not thinking of the heavy feeling that was growing in his stomach the further he got from the other's domicile. He'd been tricked.

And yet, as much as that was justified given his situation, he knew it just wasn't true. Either of his choices ultimately led to the same eventuality... one of them had appeared safer at the time of its conception. Deciding to take the long road had come from a place of trust, not in himself, but in Mukuro.

Damn the bitch.

It was his own fault, really; he'd been too caught up inside of his head to truly consider the extent of her plotting - let alone the consequences. After all, she'd not forced him to do anything; simply suggested an alternative to his plan and watched as he'd accepted. Whether or not she had any malcontent (which he seriously doubted - impish trickery was another story) was yet to be determined. Still, it was easier to curse her than it was himself, to focus on whatever she had up her rarely worn sleeves instead of the situation he'd somehow gotten himself into.

If we're calling my relations into question, then surely you'd be comfortable discussing yours?

He should have known to shut his mouth then, but it wasn't in his nature not to have a comeback.

Were Hiei being honest with himself, which he'd gotten better at after his years with the Tantei, he'd admit that the Lord of Alaric's behavior as of late had been irksome. More than irksome; he'd found himself downright frustrated with her. On the surface level nothing had really changed: she'd still relied on him for advice and looked for him when she felt the urge to spar. It was what went on in private that he'd found disquieting; suddenly, she seemed to have less time for him, less of a need. He'd been turned away from her quarters on more than one occasion by guards that were not him, and even denied access by the Lord herself after one particularly stubborn tantrum.

If there was one thing that Hiei and Mukuro did not do, it was keep secrets from each other.

He'd been one incident away from turning to the use of his Jagan for spying purposes - petty, but reliable - when they'd had their confrontation. The bionic woman had finally offered him an audience, not that he'd given her much choice, to which it was no surprise that things did not turn out to his advantage. Clearly, she'd been keeping something - someone - from him, and if that was the case it was well beyond his patience to stick around any longer when he'd been putting off priorities of his own.

Priorities like a certain redhead fox.

She'd known exactly what he was going to ask for before the words had even left his mouth, the criticisms of her behavior leading into his own desire for time away in Ningenkai. He'd been quick to accuse her of an elicit affair, which the Lord had neither confirmed nor denied, instead choosing to shift the subject into his hands... or so he'd thought at the time.

You're going to confess, aren't you?

Hiei had been silenced immediately, the explosive anger he'd exhibited at her blatant refusal to indulge his questions about her rendezvous cooling to icy warning. He'd been tempted not to answer, to push her for the information he'd wanted about her own indiscretions (which they weren't really - Hiei knew he was in no place to be passing judgment), but he knew better. If Mukuro was going to call him on his... interest in the redhead, he wasn't about to get away with avoiding the topic. He didn't really want to either - just because Mukuro saw fit to keep things from him did not mean he felt the need to reciprocate.

And on what grounds do you plan on objecting, as I assume you will? The Lord of Alaric had run a hand through her side swept hair, a habit she had that reminded him of the other.

Hiei, you misunderstand my intention. I just wish to point out that a few years is a long time for a human, and you've spent the last number of yours here with me.

Kurama is not human.

Not entirely, but he is some.

Hiei had taken pause at that, unsure of what exactly she was implying in that. It was true that Kurama held close to his responsibilities in the human world and had been made softer because of it; though, whether or not he resented Hiei's absence hadn't been something the fire demon had considered. He also wasn't convinced what Mukuro's intention was - it was also likely that she meant the kitsune was not welcome in her rendering of the other's life because of his humanity, which had crossed Hiei's mind on one or more occasion of worry.

He will be returning to Makai, sooner than later if I'm right.

And of course you believe that once he does, the first thing he'll do is come looking for you? Hiei had been about to respond with something vile, but the words were lost before they ever made it to conception. The bionic woman's eye had met his, and it had been without challenge. Whatever the fire demon had been feeling calmed, a reminder that not everything had to be a fight. Mukuro was more than just an ally; she was his friend. He trusted her as much with his life as he did with his heart.

...You think it's a wasted effort. The demon woman sighed, a rarity, but it showed her concern. There was little emotion in her words, mostly tired sounding, and even then he could hear compassion.

I do not know Kurama, Hiei, but I do know your uncertainty.

It wasn't something he could rightly deny. The actual thought of making his feelings known was beyond anything he could set expectations to; if there was anything he still found himself baffled by on occasion it was the fox. He highly doubted that a confession on his part would alienate him any further from the other than he already was, what with having been gone for so long. At worst - or so he hoped - Kurama would quietly let his feelings die without ever acknowledging them.

Somehow, the idea terrified him.

What if I were to offer you an alternative? Mukuro spoke up, and from the rigidity in her spine Hiei could see that she'd been leading him here from the very beginning. I cannot grant you leave to Ningenkai either way - not for as long as you'd need or desire. What I can offer you is the option to bring him here, to watch him and observe how you fare when back to back again, and offer you counsel. It cannot hurt to spend some time together before you decide whether or not to risk what you have, can it?

Hiei listened, his mind working in overdrive to find the fault in her words. Perhaps showing up out of the blue, after years of absence, to let long hidden veneration be spoken was not the best way to go about it. He certainly wasn't one to know how to deal with matters of the heart, and though he detested her for it, it seemed that Mukuro had gained far more traction in that field than he'd ever imagined she would. Despite being a dilettante of speed, approaching the situation more slowly did appear to be the better option. After all, this was Kurama. If there was one thing he'd learned from the kitsune in their longstanding partnership, it was that tactical strategy sometimes out-finessed graceful speed.

What do you have in mind?

Then, Mukuro had grinned.

How would you like to train an army?

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