Author's Note: A short short because I was bored and because I haven't been around for awhile. No flames, please be constructive, blah, blah, blah. On with the show.
The End
"Hiei, I don't understand, what do you mean?" The red haired fox was following his lover around the house as the other frantically flitted from room to room.
"I mean what I mean." The fire demon stopped suddenly and turned his dark eyes fully on Kurama, setting the other back several steps. His eyes were burning with some emotion that Kurama did not want to read.
"That's vague, love," Kurama murmured, feeling the swell of genuine panic begin to clench his throat. He wouldn't cry, dammit, not when he still didn't understand what was happening.
Hiei's eyes were still darkly emotional, almost threatening, but Kurama could not read what swam in those ebony depths. He saw the red lurking in their abyss, though, and knew Hiei wasn't in the mood to have his buttons pushed, but Kurama had to understand.
"I wish you wouldn't call me that anymore," the fire demon was saying as he moved into their bedroom and began pulling his things out of the closet.
"What are you doing?" Kurama edged into the room, quietly and submissively standing at the door, hands clasped together.
And Hiei suddenly exploded. "Have you not been listening, Fox? I'm leaving! Are you deaf and dumb on top of everything else? I'm sick of your clinging!"
The silence was torrid, pressing on Kurama's chest until he thought it would cave in. His mind would not accept.
"Why?" The word hung between them, carrying more weight than Kurama could explain at the moment as he fought the panicky tears that welled in his eyes.
And Hiei laughed humourlessly. "Why! Why! We can't do this anymore, fox, that's why."
That was a leap of logic that Kurama could not make. It didn't make sense. He stood there dumbly as Hiei stuffed some of his things in a duffel bag and tore out the door wordlessly. He was still standing there hours later when the sun had set and the darkness of the night penetrated his aching heart. Nothing that the fire demon had said made sense, not when in weeks before things had been good between the pair.
The tears came of their own accord as Kurama watched the movie of his last few years in his mind. Certainly, there were fights and tears, but nothing more than anyone could normally expect.
Nothing suggested an ending; nothing suggested this dagger to the heart.
Kurama curled up on his bed and closed his eyes, letting the memories of happier days wash over him, soothing his confused and throbbing heart until the welcome blanket of sleep forced everything else away.