Disclaimer: I own nothing! *sobbing, running away from angry mob*

Warnings: one blanked-out occurrence of f*** and some other mild language, Raize's lazy accent, probably some OOCness. ^^U Eheh. Don't really have an excuse for that.

A/N: This one is more subtle humor than anything else. I tend to write to go with whatever mood I'm in, so... yeah. Enjoy anyways, and r&r if I ask nicely? :3 Feedback makes my day brighter.

2. Mr. Grumpy

That night, Kurama lay awake in his bed, reading by lamplight. He was almost done with the second-last chapter when Hiei let himself in. The fire youkai stalked over to a chair, turned it backwards, and sat down, staring off into space. His eyebrows were scrunched down in annoyance.

"Hello to you too," Kurama smiled, shaking his head without taking his eyes from his page. "What's on your mind?"

"It's noisy outside. Easier to think in here," Hiei answered curtly.

Kurama arched one eyebrow. "This is about earlier, isn't it?" The question earned him a murderous yet affirmative glare. "What, are you dumbfounded by the fact that she's actually shorter than you are?" He teased, laughing at his friend's expression.

"Baka fox. Didn't you feel it?" His eyes turned incredulous.

The kitsune sighed. "A bit. It was worse for you, wasn't it? You didn't just sense it, you heard it in your mind, too, didn't you?"

"Hn."

"Admit it, Hiei. That was truly frightening."

"I couldn't block it."

"Excuse me?" Kurama's eyes widened and he sat up.

"You heard me."

"What was it, that you heard – just out of curiosity?"

Hiei growled two words, and they were all Kurama needed. "F***ing hell."

The kitsune leaned back again, eyebrows up. "Do you think you couldn't block her because her element neutralized yours?"

Hiei shook his head. "I don't know. Possibly." He closed his eyes and set his chin on his folded arms. "The woman needs a shrink."

Kurama tossed the book he'd been reading at him and it bounced off his head. "You could help her, you know."

Hiei threw it back, clipping the kitsune's ear just before he moved. "Hn."

Kurama Frisbeed it at the fire youkai again, this time hitting the chair.

Hiei trapped the book against the chair with one hand without opening his eyes. "You help her then."

"I don't know the details of what you heard."

"Nor do you want to."

"Then you're the only one who can, because you know what's going on in her head. From what I gather, she's been through much of the same thing you have."

Hiei opened one eye and glared at the fox again.

Said fox rolled his eyes and threw another book – a heavier one, which whooshed through Hiei's black hair and thudded onto the floor. "Well, it's true – even her file says so. Look at it – she's been abandoned, and hated by her own family, and you saw what she did to Koenma. I'd like to see you two spar; it would be an interesting outcome."

"Just because she shoved that brat around?" A dark grin flashed across Hiei's face.

"Because I happened to notice the restraint she put on her youki the second she started attacking him. Judging by the force of that restraint... I think it's possible she could hold her own if she fought you."

"Hn." And he was gone into the night.

Kurama shook his head. "Should've made him promise not to do anything stupid," he muttered to himself.

Raize opened her eyes when the back of her neck started prickling. She stood silently on the tree limb she'd been sleeping on and looked around warily; she could feel that same strange, tranquil yet hostile youki she'd sensed in Koenma's office. It was disconcerting as well as calming – she wanted to go back to sleep, but at the same time didn't want to get caught with her guard down. It was the same way Aidan used to make her feel.

Suddenly a shadow flitted to a branch in the tree adjacent to hers, and the moonlight illuminated cat-like crimson eyes.

Raize crossed her arms. "Look, I'm sorry about the monster headache you've probably got right now because of the incident in Koenma's office. I didn't mean for you to hear any of that – trust me, I would've controlled it if I could've."

The shadow disappeared, then there was a blade pressed to Raize's neck and she was leaning back into a graceful arc to avoid falling off of her perch.

The water youkai's eyes widened, then narrowed to slits as a crazy, reckless glint sparked through them. "You damned people. All you want to do is fight, isn't it? Well then, since I can't talk you out of it..."

Hiei had underestimated her speed by a fraction of a second – but it was long enough for Raize to bat his katana away from her neck and bury her foot in his stomach, tearing the breath from his lungs. He recovered fast, throwing the momentum of her kick toward her instead of backward and sending them both tumbling out of the tree.

Raize landed on her shoulder, leaning into a sideways roll so Hiei wouldn't crush her. She flipped lightly to her feet and they faced each other again. "Ya ain't so bad, I guess. But seriously, why are you attacking me?"

Hiei decided not to grace her with an answer and leaped forward again, slashing at her chest.

Raize moved an inch to the side with a disapproving scoff. She had halted the blade mid-air with one hand, although the metal had nearly sliced clean through her palm. "There, ya drew blood! Happy now? I said I was sorry."

Her attacker smirked and lunged. He'd anticipated her move.

She yelped as his head connected with hers, sending her reeling. She fell to her back and rolled, but she wasn't quite fast enough to dodge, and then she was pinned to the ground, gasping for air as Hiei crunched his knee into her stomach. Raize glared up at him, showing her teeth in a feral snarl. Then another crazy spark danced across her eyes and she shoved herself upward, sending Hiei off-balance. And before he knew it, her lips had collided with his.

Raize slammed Hiei back into the ground and sat on him, kicking his katana away. She was snickering, in a better mood now that she'd had a good fight.

"Cheat," Hiei growled, trying his best to hide the fact that he was actually a little flustered.

The other youkai threw her head back and let out a bark of laughter. "Aw, bitch please! Don't try to pin this on me. You were the one that never set the rules. In my dictionary, that means I can use whatever method I like and still get away with it. Now that you know that, you want a rematch? I'm game."

A second later, she was sitting on the ground alone, blinking, eyes wide in confusion. "Fine then," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Go on and be no fun at all. Urameshi was right, he really is Mr. Grumpy."