Wow! Thanks againfor all your reviews; KyoHana, Phoenixfirekitsune, LoversPastForgotten, Kurama'sGirl88, and Silverkaze013!

I find myself slapping my face every time I try to update the day after I post a chapter because of all your supporting reviews! As much asI would love to, I can't. If I were to update every day then I'd run out of what I do have of this story, thus talking longer to update because then I would need more time to write these new pages... Anyway before I ramble on farther I would like to thank you all again and let you continue your readings!

Here's your chapter as promised, I'll update three days from now if not a week... Please be patient and review! Thanks!XD

(Another thing I should warn, this rating will increase, but not for awhile. Just keep that in mind please)


Ch. 4: An Early Morning Talk

Beep... Beep.. Beep. Beep BEep

Hiei rolled over and groaned as his head made contact with the wall, "Ouch." He sat up and glared at the alarm clock before setting his gaze upon the one next to the clock, not shutting or making an attempt to shut it off.

Carefully he stood and almost tripped when he forgot he had big pants on. "Kurama, wake up.", he yawned and stretched.

BEEP BEEP! BEEP!

The sound was getting louder and louder causing Hiei to groan farther and hiss, "Fuckin' sensitive ears." He made his may and slammed his hand down on the alarm clock, affectingly shutting it off.

Hiei bent over near Kurama's ears and smirked to himself, "Wake up!" He quickly stood straight up so he wouldn't get hit with his head or anything... but nothing happened, "What the fuck is wrong with him?"

He lifted the boy's hair out of his face and his lip lifted into a grossed out look, "Got enough water there for your plants?" He dropped the hair and saw the time; seven fifteen. "Baka wake up! You're going to be late for school!" Finally Hiei got some type of reaction from the redhead, he turned over. Something dropped with the twist and Hiei picked it up, "Sleeping pills?" He shook the bottle and muttered to himself, "Sounds almost empty..."

Hiei read the label; Minamino Shuichi, refill: call in, Date Given: nine/seven, Pills: fifty-five. He quirked an eyebrow, "Insomnia maybe?..." A knock had him close to jumping, "Good morning, are you two awake yet?"

He opened the door and slipped out, "Shuichi's still sleeping. He took these; sleeping pills, correct?" Shiori looked at the held out bottle before nodding and taking in, "Yes, he has problems sleeping sometimes..."

"Well, would you like anything to eat?" "No thank you... I have to get home and quickly get ready for school-" "You're still thinking of going to school even with that head injury? No, you're going to stay here and take care of it until-" "Minamino-san, I can't just do that. Tian and Ping would-" "I've called them and told them that I was going to show you around town today seeing as you don't have your school uniform yet, they agreed. In fact, Yukina is here now too. She's just what you said, simply lovely! Come on I'll make you some breakfast."

Hiei jaw dropped, "She's here! Wait, how did you find out my number?" She smiled and guided the boy down the stairs, "With Koenma's help." Hiei looked back at her, "Who the hell is that?" "The one who started the Rekai Tantei." "Okay, but that still doesn't explain how you got my number." "You better not get him in trouble if I do tell you young man." Hiei gave her a weird look, "Hn." Shiori took that as the sign to tell, "He's the assistant vice-principal of your new highschool."

"What!-" "Brother! Good morning!" Hiei spun around to face his sister, which all in all wasn't a good idea, for then he had to grab onto the railing to stay standing. Yukina ran over to him, "Oh my... What happened to you?" Her hand hovered over the bandaged area before Hiei grabbed it and put it down at her side, "Nothing..." "But-" "What would you two like for breakfast, hmm? How does pancakes sound?", Shiori cut in and all but pushed the twins into the kitchen.

Yukina sat close to her brother looking him over before whispering, "Hiei... are you alright? If mother and father-" "Tian and Ping.", Hiei grunted, "They'll never be my parents..." She sighed and continued, "Fine, if Tian and Ping find out you got into a fight again they'll put us back-" "Me back. Not you, you've done nothing wrong. You just happen to have the misfortune to have me as a sibling."

She sat back in her chair and looked at her lap, "Why do you always look at the depressing side brother?" "The same reason you look at the bright side I suppose. It helps the days pass faster and keeps the blood flowing."

"Here you go you two!", Shiori placed a set of plates on the table followed by a large stack of pancakes. "Thank you Minamino-san." "Please, call me Shiori! There's no need to be so formal in this house." Hiei raised a brow but dismissed that Shiori never told him such until now.

"So Shiori-san was telling me that Shuichi and you met a long time ago..." Hiei nodded and started dousing the pancakes with syrup. Silence stretched on for a moment before the sleeping prince finally walked in. "Good morning Shuichi.", the two women echoed each other before Yukina giggled at it.

Hiei snickered, "Morning Shuichi, have fun swimming?" Kurama sat next to his mother and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, "Swimming?" "Yeah. You certainly had enough drool to.", Hiei teased him before stuffing another piece of breakfast into his mouth.

Shuichi raised a brow and a malicious smirk formed on his lips, "Hmm... I wonder what is worse, the fact that you have a sleepwalking hand or that-" Hiei growled and the other one stopped before gathering his own food in a smug fashion.

The women blushed and said nothing about it. "Shuichi, I'm going to show the twins around a bit, will you be joining us?" He hesitated a moment before nodding, "I'll come." "Alright then! Let's say we leave at about... nine?" Everyone nodded before Hiei spoke up, "I have nothing to wear."

"I brought you over some clothes brother, no need to worry." "Thanks..."

Shuichi and Hiei went back upstairs and to the former one's room.

"Let's make a deal Hiei. Nothing in this room leaves this room?" "Hn. You think I'm going to steal your crap?", Hiei snickered knowing what Kurama really meant. "Hiei..." "Yeah, yeah." "Good."

Hiei started to change while Kurama went to his dresser to look for something to wear. His gaze fell upon something and it froze him. He reached to touch it but drew his hand back with a small shake of his hand, "What's wrong Rosey?" Shuich jumped and the settled objects atop his dresser came cascading down.

Immediately he was on his knees pushing things to the side. Hiei knelt down and started to try and pick things up but Shuichi pushed him aside, "Stop!" He backed up and gave the redhead his space, "What-" "Found it...", he sighed out in relief before pocketing the object and only then started to pick things up.

"Found what?" Kurama looked back at Hiei and blushed, he had only his boxers on, "Nothing... get dressed baka." He grabbed his pants and dressed, "So what did you find?" "Nothing.", Shuichi grabbed his own clothes and turned away from him. He quickly dressed but when he turned to leave he found he couldn't because of a certain Shadow. "Hiei, what are you doing?", Shuichi leaned back on his right heel and folded his arms over his chest. "Look, I'm not one to usually bust balls, but what's going on? Scared of the Crows, joining a crime fighting group, panicking over a few dropped items-"

"Alright, well if you're going to be that way then I'll ask some things; Why are you afraid of the Crows? Why do you have two tattoos? Why are you actually allowing your foster parents to change you?"

Hiei glared at him before monotonously answering, "You're going to answer my questions after this..." He sat himself in front of the door before continuing, "I went to a swordsmanship class when I was seven. There I learned to weld a sword and quickly became the teacher's star pupil... The old teacher's pet got pissed and threatened me a myriad of times-" "Hiei-" "Shut up! You wanted to know, well here it is! He then killed the teacher to prove his threats were real and even now he watches and threatens me... because of jealousy and the sword my teacher gave me... The student's name was Bui...", he sighed and leaned back against the door.

"My first tattoo I got was the Jagan... I believed it would help be become stronger and help me find my sister; whether it was just hope or truth is something that doesn't matter because it happened; I found her... The second was the dragon, that too I thought would help me become stronger..."

He paused and looked over to the now sitting redhead, "As for letting Tian and Ping change me, you just assume. They may want me to look different, but looking different isn't something that changes one. I merely do this to please them and insure myself and Yukina that for our next three years or so before we leave them, we will not be sent back to the home... back to being put on display like a puppy in a pet store window..."

Keeping his eye contact with the redhead he continued, "And I was in a gang... and somewhat still am. It was more of a protection method, but I soon became the co-leader. The leader herself is going to college in about two years and it was then I was going to take control. She was really pissed when she found I was moving... Our gang is called Torture Reborn..." Hiei smirked in memory of it before sighing, "Now, you answer what was asked and anything you think I would want to know."

"Never agreed to either Hiei." "There was nothing to agree to, it's something you are going to do. You have one issue, I think, that is what caused all of your problems. A reason for you feeling you have to protect others, a reason for fearing Karasu, a reason for your dreamless nights... " Hiei tapped his chin trying to think of something that would cause this... he frowned when he realized what it had to be... He had went through it earlier in his life, "Your father's accident... you were there, weren't you?"

Shuichi tensed and adverted his gaze to the window, "Hiei, just shut up. I don't care if you know what I'm going through. I've been told that too much and I don't wish to explain what is mine and only my problem." "Hmm only your's you say? What about your mother, doesn't her happiness count? Can't you tell that she's distressed about what's going on and that her perkiness is just an act to hide this from you?"

"Who are you to analyze my mother and me? Hmm! What you're doing is not helping!-" "I do this because you're like family to me! So what if I've been gone for ten years! Your mother was the first stranger who ever tried to mother me! You were my first friend! Can you not understand that seeing you like this fucking pisses me off? And by the way, I do know you're going through. My parents died while my sister and me were in the backseat of a car... They were shot down by muggers and I had to unbuckled my sister's and my seatbelts and we both had to hide under the seats... Now, what happened to your father Shuichi."

He shook his head and bit his lip, "Nothing." Hiei huffed and just stared for awhile, "You know your father was a great man... I remember he use to buy toys for you and me... sneak us candy... If I remember correctly, he's the reason why we first met too... He brought you over for some reason or another to play with me when I was at the orphanage..." "He said you were lonely and that it was good to help as best as you can...", Kurama whispered. "Then why won't you let me help as best as I can?" "Because the past cannot be changed or forgotten and by telling another... it only makes the pain grow worse." "Perhaps... but you know, I don't feel so tied down now that I spilled my guts... more like relieved that there's someone who will listen and help lighten my burden as best as they can..."

"Hiei just shut up... please just leave me alone." "Why are you so afraid of telling me? Do you think I'm going to judge you because-" "Maybe I don't want to tell you because I was the reason why he died! The brakes were cut on his motorcycle, he told me to take his helmet because it was too tight on him. The last thing he said was that he loved my mother and me before- before be made a sharp turn which threw me off and him straight into a wall. You happy now! You got your wish!", tears started to drip from his eyes and he whispered before bringing his knees up to hide his face, "You got your wish..."

The wood creaked, the window squeaked as it was opened, and the boy sat down next to the redhead before hesitatingly hugging him, "Shh... It's alright... it wasn't your fault, it was simply his choice. He wished for you to live, to be depressed about that... well, I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy. Sometimes it's what you've gone through in life that makes you continue to live it... For you made it through most problems some don't have to encounter throughout their lives... Hard times come and with them come the easy... if one were to travel the easy way too much they would never learn anything and to learn that your life can be taken in seconds... it makes you try things no normal one would, it makes you live like every second's your last..."

Hiei sighed and pulled himself away, "Kami knows I've almost died several times in this year alone... but what's life without losing and gaining, risking and learning, and living and dying..."

There was silence as Hiei relocated himself on the window's ledge, letting the breeze take away his memories, feelings, and thoughts for the moment.

The quite sobs slowed and then turning to heavy sighing.

"You still have a green thumb I see Rosey..." Kurama slowly lifted his head, feeling a bit odd... he never told anyone what had happened... the police had questioned him but being nine and still young, crying got him out of it... There were plenty of witnesses anyway... Now that he thought about it, he hadn't even talked it over in his own head! He just replayed what happened over and over... and over...

"Your mother's calling you. Better wash up, I'll detain her for a few minutes." Kurama murmured a quick thanks before Hiei left.

"Oh, Hiei! What's taking you two so long? We've been waiting for over ten minutes." "Nothing Shiori-san. We were just talking and guess we just didn't hear your calls." "Alright, well, where's Shuichi, we should leave soon if we want to get everything done today!" "He'll be here soon, just had to brush his hair." She laughed, "I swear, him and his father were just the same. Both pampered their hair, honestly, not even I-" "Mother, I am not obsessed with my hair..." "Yes, yes, of course you aren't dear...", his mother teased, "So, what would you two like to do first?"

Hiei sighed, "Shiori-san, I hope you won't take this wrong, but I think I'll just walk around by myself. Shuichi should too, but that's his own choice." He nodded, "With the Crows back in town it would be wise to stay away from family in hopes of keeping them safe." Yukina's eyes widened and she gasped, "Hiei you're not-" "No, I'm not. Let's go, Shuichi." "Alright, see you two later. Let's go out the back way."


That's all for now! Here's a small preview of what's to come... XD

"There's one known way ta prove it... it's instinct for a member to repeat some phrase when questioned; When your death is coming what do you do? Than they say something like; I will fight and beat the shit out of them until it."

"He had lead me to a small room and held a smirk as he asked me if I was ready to sign the contract... By then I was ready for nothing but to end his life in privacy... He had done the cutting of the brakes, he had, for the most part, killed my father..."