Hiei was a little surprised when Yusuke escorted Kurama to his office the next morning. He had been expecting the woman to not show up at all.
She stood in front of his desk, dressed in a plain brown skirt that fell to just above her knees and a white blouse. Hiei personally felt that it didn't suit her. It was too drab. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail. The bruise on her cheek was not visible, likely hidden under makeup.
"You showed up," Hiei grunted as he put some files into his briefcase.
"Did you think I wouldn't?" she asked, her tone offended. Hiei looked up to see her frowning at him.
"You'll be mostly responsible for my area of the house," Hiei told her. "I have maids who take care of the rest of the house but I don't like them coming in and out of my room or handling my personal things. Yukina will arrange a uniform for you."
"Why do you trust me to come and go from your rooms?" Kurama asked. "You have every reason not to trust me."
Hiei glared at her. "I don't trust you," he said flatly, "but you have more to lose than the other maids if you mess this up."
"Oh, good, you're here."
Kurama turned at the sound of the voice coming from the door. Yukina stood there, dressed casually in a pleated skirt and blouse. "I'm so glad you came back," she smiled kindly at Kurama.
"Yukina, get her uniform and show her what her duties will be," Hiei said. "I'll be at the office until late."
"Okay. Have a nice day, Hiei," Yukina said. She offered Kurama her hand and Kurama took it with a small smile. "We're going to have so much fun," she told Kurama.
Hiei pointedly cleared his throat. "She's here to work, not amuse you all day," he told Yukina sternly.
She pouted at him over her shoulder. "Well, since you're not here I need someone to keep me company." She guided Kurama from the room and Hiei groaned quietly. He was beginning to feel as if this had been a bad idea.
-0-
Yukina provided Kurama with a uniform. Much to his relief, it was not the skimpy sort he had been half-expecting. Instead, it was quite sensible. It was a black button-up dress with white trim on the collar and sleeves. There was also a white headband to keep his hair out of his face.
His duties would consist of keeping Hiei's living area and office clean, doing his laundry and anything else he needed throughout the day.
His pay was very reasonable, which surprised and pleased Kurama. He would have one day off a week, which was Saturday, and that just happened to be tomorrow.
Yukina showed him around her brother's rooms, letting him familiarize himself with the layout and how Hiei preferred things. It seemed that he was very particular. Everything had a place and his clothes had to be folded in a certain way. That suited Kurama, since he was quite particular himself. Despite the fact that his apartment was cheap, he kept it spotlessly clean.
Kurama also approved of Hiei's taste in decor. It was simple and elegant without being opulent. Everything was obviously of good quality but not showy.
Hiei's bedroom had only one piece of artwork in it and it left Kurama breathless with awe. Over his bed hung a tapestry of a red and black dragon. Kurama was so entranced by it that Yukina had to touch his arm gently to get his attention. When he glanced at her she smiled at him.
"It's his family crest," she informed him.
Kurama was puzzled. "Isn't it your family crest, too?" he asked. "You are his sister."
Yukina looked uncomfortable and Kurama immediately wished that he could retract his words, though he didn't understand why she was affected by them.
"I suppose," she said, twirling a strand of her teal hair around her finger. She seemed to notice Kurama's confusion and added, "We were separated as children and adopted by different families. The dragon crest is the crest of Hiei's adopted family."
"I see," Kurama said. It occurred to him that perhaps Yukina felt as though she didn't exactly fit in with Hiei's family. "It's very beautiful," he added in an attempt to make her feel better.
Yukina turned a bright smile on him. "I like it, too," she said. "I think it suits Hiei."
Kurama had to agree. His new boss did seem to have the attitude of a large and temperamental beast. He smiled as the image of Hiei breathing fire instead of sharp words came to his mind.
After spending the morning showing Kurama around, Yukina took him to the kitchen for lunch. He was surprised to see that Hiei's cook was a young woman with brown hair and a sensible air. He had been expecting someone more matronly.
The smell of the food cooking almost made him drool. He hadn't realised how hungry he was. It seemed lunch was an informal affair as the cook, Keiko, joined them after serving. Yukina had informed Kurama that there were no set breaks. Hiei didn't care when the maids ate lunch as long as the work got done. Keiko would usually have small meals set aside for the maids throughout the day if they didn't bring their own.
"This is Kurama," Yukina told her. "She's Hiei's new maid."
Keiko smiled at him. "I hope you last longer than the previous girl he hired," she said. "He's hard to please. Honestly, if my husband didn't work here, I don't think I could put up with him."
Yukina giggled. "He's not that bad," she said.
Keiko smiled at her. "You're family," she said. "I think you may be the only person he really cares about. Well, at least he and Yusuke seem to get along. I can't think of anyone else crazy enough to hire Yusuke."
"Yusuke is your husband?" Kurama asked curiously.
"Yes. Have you met him yet?" Keiko inquired.
Kurama suddenly felt uncomfortable. It seemed Keiko was unaware of the circumstances surrounding Kurama's employment. Yukina came to the rescue.
"They met yesterday evening," she said. She did not elaborate and Keiko didn't press for more information. Kurama was glad.
After lunch, Keiko returned to the kitchen and Kurama spent the afternoon cleaning Hiei's office. He wasn't sure what to do with the papers he found on Hiei's desk so he tried to organise them as best he could, hoping the little man wouldn't take offence that he had touched them.
Yukina bid Kurama a cheerful goodbye when his day was over. He wished her a good night and headed home. He found that he was a little disappointed that he had not seen Hiei again. Despite the man's unpleasant demeanor Kurama couldn't help but admit that he was attracted to him. Though he was of short stature, he looked as though he was well-built beneath his tailored suit. Kurama had never really been attracted to anyone before, male or female, so he had never given much thought to his sexuality. He had always assumed that he was attracted to women, as that was what was expected of him. However, since his encounter with Hiei, he began to suspect that he was actually attracted to men.
The thought scared him. He hadn't liked it when Karasu and Ani raped him. Ani liked to make it as painful as possible, but Karasu took perverse delight in pleasuring Kurama. It made Kurama sick to think of it.
Would it be different with Hiei? Would it be different if it was an act he chose to engage in, rather than something forced on him?
Kurama hesitated before opening his apartment door, silently praying that tonight he would have no unwelcome visitors. He was relieved to find that, when he turned the lights on, his apartment was empty. He put his handbag on the small dining room table and began to undress, making his way to the bathroom.
He peeled off the dress and the headband. Kurama had worn his uniform home minus the apron since it was sensible enough. Yukina had also given him a spare. He removed the padded bra and panties, tossing them in the washbasket along with his other clothes and ran the shower.
The water was warm and soothing and the scent of his soap was relaxing. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the small amount of peace. It was nice to forget about his problems even for just a short time.
He felt he could have stayed there all night but the water soon began to cool. There was never enough hot water. Kurama stepped out before he could begin to shiver and dried himself off with a towel. He wrapped another around his hair and pulled on sweatpants and a loose-fitting t-shirt. Karasu wasn't here to object to his clothing choice so he felt safe enough.
He went out into the kitchenette and heated up a frozen meal in the microwave. He liked cooking but lacked the equipment and room to do so. He lived mostly on frozen meals.
That night, he fell asleep quickly, a rare occurrence these days. His sleep was mercifully dreamless.