[In case you missed it in the summary, this is a tie in to all of my YYHDBZBleach crossover series (Ghost Files, Dark Tournament, Chapter Black, and those posted thereafter). This is a series of one shots that will include chapters from different characters' POVs, chapters I wrote that I didn't have a place for, scenes that I wanted to put in but didn't and other stuff. Rated M because I like to write smut and I'm okay with that and if you're not okay with that, you're more than welcome to not read it because some people aren't into that and that's cool and I respect your choices! I'll always tell you beforehand if you should expect smut.

For the sake of everyone's sanity, I'll post brief chapter summary before each chapter so you'll be able to place it in the timeline of the actual series and understand what's happening. Please enjoy this first chapter, and as always don't forget to review!]

888

Summary: The day before the Dark Tournament's semi-finals begin, Team Urameshi finds themselves engrossed in a card game until they notice an odd exchange taking place at the window. They slowly start to abandon their card game in favor of giving Kuwabara a lesson in body language and determining what exactly Kairi and Hiei are saying to each other without really saying it.

It was raining. It had been all afternoon, and now, well into the evening, it was still pouring. It made no never mind to the members of Team Urameshi. They were sitting cozy and comfy in the hotel that evening before the semi-finals. They were enjoying a night off from fighting and killing and being taunted by strangers. It was time for them to take a breath and just be happy that they were alive.

Most of the group sat at the small table of the common room, cards and soda in their hands as they laughed back and forth merrily. But two members, Kairi and Hiei, had taken a seat by the window.

The two groups paid essentially no mind to their other, until Keiko glanced over to Kairi and Hiei. An hour or so ago, they'd been teasing Hiei for being so anti-social. Eventually, they all took to making fun of Kairi at which point Hiei revealed that Kairi was born with a tail. This had led to an argument. At the time, Kurama had commented that hurling insults at each other was the only way that Kairi and Hiei could communicate with each other, but now they seemed unusually civil. To Keiko, who'd known Kairi since kindergarten, she seemed to be more tolerant of Hiei than she did with most people at any given time.

"What's going on over there?" Keiko asked in a whisper, motioning to the window.

The whole group looked over to the window to where Kairi and Hiei were in conversation. Kairi was sitting Indian style with one hand resting underneath her chin, and the other sitting in her lap. Hiei was looking out the window as he often did, but they were definitely talking about something.

"I don't know," Kurama said. "This is strangely out of character for both of them."

"Yeah, Hiei doesn't talk to anybody," Kuwabara said.

"Oh, but Kairi can get anyone to talk," Botan said. "Though they're not always friendly about it."

"They look awful friendly over there, don't they?" Shizuru asked pointedly.

They were almost ready to leave their observation at that, but Hiei started chuckle and Kairi's face dropped into her hands as her face reddened with embarrassment.

"I don't think I've ever seen Hiei laugh before," Botan said. "It looks almost unnatural."

"Curiouser and curiouser," Kurama said.

"You don't suppose there's something going on between the two of them do you?" Yukina asked quietly, laying a card down on the table.

"Well, if there is, they're both blissfully unaware of it," Kurama said taking his turn. "I'm sure they'd both find the idea appalling."

In truth, Kurama had been watching them for the past few days. There was a definitely a change in their interactions from the way they had been before. At Maze Castle they'd been so eager to insult each other and probably would've pushed each other in the lava pit if they hadn't been teammates at the time. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but he suspected that at some point while Kairi and had been with Hiei during their efforts to save Yukina, something had changed. He didn't know what kind of conversation they could've had, but when they met again before the tournament the change was obvious.

Kurama had assumed that they were both just trying to be mature about being around the other, showing each other mutual respect, but after the first round of the tournament, he was almost positive that it wasn't the case any longer. Kurama always knew Kairi to give credit where credit was due (if only in the ring), and so he hadn't been surprised when his younger cousin went on and on about how impressive Hiei's round one performance was. But it was what she had to Hiei amid all the talk of how incredible Hiei's abilities were that really got Kurama thinking.

Kairi said that seeing him in the ring made her feel like a Saiyan again. As if all the years of her fighting demons had gotten so boring and so monotonous that it just didn't matter anymore, and then to come across Hiei who made her feel excited and scared about an opponent. . .

This was more than just about the dragon. Kurama knew that. It was something else.

"Weren't we just having a conversation about how Kairi likes Trunks?" Kuwabara pointed out. "They'd totally be together now if she weren't in denial."

"I don't know. Hiei seems. . . Different than he did before," Keiko said. "Not that I've seen him a lot but. . ."

Keiko could only vaguely recall Hiei, from something that happened a long time ago. Her first definitive time seeing him was in the ring at the stadium over the past few days. He'd started out so quiet and intimidating, but watching him sit in the window with her best friend she was getting a strange feeling. Hiei was still quiet, but seemed less intimidating. Maybe it was because this was the first time she'd spent an extended period of time around him, but it could also be because he was sitting in the window, laughing at Kairi.

"Keiko, you're absolutely onto something," Botan said confidently.

"He's more relaxed," Kurama confirmed as he noticed it. Hiei had relaxed around Kairi. She'd taken to invading his personal space and asking him uncomfortable questions and making terrifyingly accurate assumptions about him since they'd met. Hiei had always been a private person and privacy meant almost nothing to Kairi. And here Hiei was, actually letting her in a bit.

It was remarkable.

Kairi and Hiei turned their heads to their friends and they quickly went back to nonchalantly playing their card game. The assumptions they were currently making about Kairi and Hiei would no doubt send both of them flying into fits of rage and denial and someone would definitely end up getting physically hurt—most likely Kurama and Kuwabara.

"I don't think Hiei can like anybody. Especially Kairi; he already says she's annoying all of the time," Kuwabara said.

"So does Kairi, but look at her now," Kurama said. They looked back at the pair by the window. "They hardly seem annoyed with each other's company."

"But Kairi already likes Trunks. She wouldn't like Hiei. He's too short and mean," Kuwabara said firmly. He'd known Kairi a long time. Despite his beef with Urameshi, Kairi was always pretty nice to him and for all the time he'd been her friend Kairi had always liked Trunks, even when she said she didn't, and that included now. Trunks was kind of a square and could be a douche, but he was nice and, from a purely objective standpoint, he was better looking than Hiei too. Hiei had three eyes after all. And he was short and had a bad attitude and never had anything nice to say about anyone. Kairi just wasn't the kind of girl to be into that.

"Whether she likes Trunks or not, the girl is definitely flirting," Shizuru said.

"How can you tell? Can you hear what they're saying?" Kuwabara asked.

"It doesn't matter what she's saying. It's all about her body language, little brother," Shizuru said.

"Like, look at this," Keiko said motioning to Kairi. Kairi was no longer sitting Indian style, but letting her legs dangle down towards the floor. She wasn't very tall so they didn't come close to the ground. And she was slowly swinging them back and forth rather playfully. "See how she's swinging her legs like that. That's a sign."

"That's a very difficult one to spot," Kurama said.

"I read about all this stuff in a book once," Keiko said.

"Look at the way she's playing with her hair. That's a very common one," Botan said. Kairi was twirling her fingers through her hair gently as she explained something to Hiei.

"Kairi's always messing with her hair," Kuwabara said. He was unconvinced. Just because a girl twirled her hair or kicked her legs didn't mean she liked someone. That was just silly.

"And the way she's kind of leaning toward him like that, without crossing her arms or backing away, it's supposed to subconsciously convey openness," Keiko said.

Kairi let out a giggle and then playfully shoved Hiei who chuckled in response.

"Ooh, touching, that's a big one," Shizuru said.

"Oh, come on! She barely shoved him," Kuwabara said. They shushed him, knowing they'd suffer dearly if they were caught. Kuwabara still found all of this was ridiculous. Girls read way too much into everything.

"It doesn't matter," Keiko said.

"Well, I think I see the biggest indicator on both their parts," Kurama said. "They're mirroring each other."

"What are you even talking about?" Kuwabara said. Now, he was sure they were just making stuff up.

"Oh, you're right," Keiko said. "Just watch them for a second."

They were all silent as they watched the pair talking. Then Hiei reclined back against the window frame.

"Did you see how he sat back?" Kurama asked. Kuwabara nodded. "Now watch, Kairi." Sure enough a few seconds later, Kairi sat back as well. "Mirroring."

"All they did was get comfortable," Kuwabara said. "All of this sounds bogus."

"No, look, they're doing it again," Keiko said. Kairi adjusted herself slightly in her seat and moments later Hiei did the same. "They're not doing it on purpose. It's all subconscious."

"They're not even aware of it," Kurama said.

"Well if they don't know they're doing it how can it matter?" Kuwabara asked.

"Because, they don't actively know, but their brain is picking up on it," Keiko said.

Kurama let out a sigh as he had a thought. "This might be the final nail in the coffin."

"What?" Kuwabara asked.

"Well, we've been sitting here for five minutes talking about them within earshot and neither of them has jumped up to tell us off for talking about this," Kurama said. "Either we're much quieter than we think, and considering all of your outburst Kuwabara, I doubt that, or they're so consumed with their own conversation that they've stopped noticing us."

Shizuru chuckled. "Looks like things are getting interesting on the Urameshi camp."

"I don't think they're very interesting," Kuwabara said. "I think it's just rainy and you're all bored."

"It's possible," Kurama said, "but I happen to know a certain team captain who would take my side."

"How would he even know? He's not here," Kuwabara said.

"He overheard them talking once and he mentioned it to me," Kurama said. "He doesn't know much about Hiei, but Kairi. . ."

"Oh, come on," Kuwabara said. "Why would Kairi like a shrimp like Hiei. Trunks is way cooler."

"Well if Yusuke thinks she likes him there's gotta be something to it," Keiko said. "No one knows Kairi better than Yusuke."

"Except for Trunks," Kuwabara said.

"Well, I think they're cute," Yukina said suddenly looking over to the window. "Just from an aesthetic point of view."

"What a perfectly lovely sentiment they would kill you," Shizuru said.

"Actually, I think Yukina might be the only person in this room safe from physical injury if we were overheard," Kurama said.

[I've decided that I'd love to take requests for this series so anything at all that you'd like me to write as long as it could totally fit into this weird mishmash of a universe that I've created let me know and I'll see what I can do with it. Reviews would be appreciated.]