A/N: Sorry this is late, guys. I won't lie - I forgot. Sorry! Spent the last week doing my first 3 day fast then switching to a keto diet with intermittent fasting as well as flipping my sleep schedule for my third shifts this weekend... Yeah, yeah. I guess I'm making excuses. I'm the worst... Enjoy anyway, lol.

Chapter Three

It had been almost effortless for Kurama to convince his human mother that Ayane had been recently displaced due to… various reasons Ayane herself had had no interest in. It was always unpleasant for her to be around lies and it had taken a few days for her to grow accustomed to the thick air of them that surrounded Kurama everywhere he went.

It was terribly suffocating.

A week passed rather uneventfully - Shiori learned what she could of Ayane without pushing any boundaries and Kurama attended school as if nothing had changed. One night, however, Shiori called to let them know she would be home late. There were leftovers in the fridge, she fretted, apologizing for the short notice.

"Don't worry so, mother. Ayane and I are able to handle ourselves."

Ayane took the remainder of the time he was on the phone with her to reheat the designated food and place it on the table. Silence filled the room - something Shiori seemed to be most uncomfortable with at her meals - until Ayane's mullings finally protruded from her mouth;

"Why did you agree so readily to invite me into your home?"

The redhead finished swallowing and leaned forward, chin in palm, elbow propped up on the table. His eyes studied her in a way similar to an exhausted parent does an unruly child. She took no insult to this, knowing the man before her - though in the body of a teenager - was many years older than herself and very likely saw her as no more than a petulant child.

As quick as he saw his reflection in her eyes did he change, his features softening as he relaxed into his chair. His light flickered, struggling with itself. She recognized his attempts, but was so far thoroughly unimpressed. "I am not one to leave a woman in distress."

"You're lying," the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she winced at her own tone before looking away from him. While it was true it was an untruthful response to her question, she knew it was not a true lie - so why had she chosen this one to call him out on?

There was no falter in his actions, no hesitance in his words. He merely smiled politely at her accusation and tilted his head. "And how do you know this?"

"Because…" an odd feeling of deja vu washed over her as her next words tumbled out, "your light flickered near your heart and your brain - the two places where lies affect someone the most..." She gave him a questioning look.

His smile tightened. "You should eat your food, Ayane. We can talk about this when you regain your memories. It is not my place to break your own restrictions."

She accepted his words and gave her thanks for the meal.

They became closer after that - he told less falsehoods around her and she spoke more openly around him. Often times they would fall asleep sitting against one another, each engrossed in their own book. She was fascinated with this world he found himself growing so comfortable in and accepted any book about it he could offer.

It was all so strange and, somehow, so terribly familiar to her. He could tell her, she was sure, but the emerald eyed fox held his tongue as he watched her, allowing her to rediscover her lost memories on her own.

She was unsure if she was frustrated or grateful towards him.

"Shuichi, dear, you have a break from school soon, don't you? Did you have any plans?" It was a common thing for parents to do, Ayane had learned quickly, to gently encourage their children to make social connections. Kurama had revealed to her that, until his recent stint, he had had nowhere to go during breaks and Shiori had expressed her concern a few times.

Ayane slowly chewed, trying to keep the attention from her, as the demon smiled at his human mother. "Ayane and I will travel to see some of her extended family, but it shouldn't take up the entire break." He paused. "Would you like us to do anything for you while on break, mother?"

"Oh, no, dear. I'll be just fine. You two enjoy yourselves and stay safe!"

It was another two weeks before they departed, well into his school break, and Ayane found herself tugging nervously at her shirt as they stood before the portal. It was Kurama who pointed it out, really, and she wondered about it to herself. There was no reason to be unsure of seeing Botan and Koenma again - she placed that as excitement as she had not seen them in weeks. So, then… it had to be…

"Hiei." She frowned and looked at the man she would tentatively refer to as her friend. "There's something about him that I just can't place my finger on." A shrug and a small huff preceded her storming past him to walk into the portal; she missed Kurama's amused look at her expense. On the other side, she walked assuredly ahead of him, greeting the occasional worker as they ran around frantically. They spoke no more of the spiky haired bandit

Five days were spent there - Kurama filling out paperwork for his release and Ayane catching up with Botan and Koenma. She discovered Yusuke was training with Genkai and was told in a suggestive way by Botan that Hiei seemed to be doing well in confinement and may be released sooner instead of later. It surprised Ayane how happy that news truly made her. It surprised her more when she asked to see him.

Koenma had been hesitant to allow it, but Kurama suggested he would like to confirm some things with Hiei. Under guard, the two approached the bandit's cell.

"I don't advise you go in, Ayane," the fox murmured, his hand hovering over the handle. He added, quickly, "I won't stop you, of course." He frowned at the silent gaze they shared before sweeping the door open.

The air stilled and time stood still when she peeked around Kurama to look at him. There were fresh wounds from the questioning Koenma would be scolded for later. If he was uncomfortable in the slightest, however, he was not one to tip his hand. Bound to the wall by chains, he sat on the floor with his head resting against the wall. His eyes were shut as they crossed the threshold and he would have passed for asleep if he had not smirked at their presence.

His light wavered its defiance, in case anyone missed the pride on his face.

She pushed past Kurama then, despite his protest, and reached out to the obviously broken man who snarled and reared back as he opened his eyes. An eternity stretched between them, the room silent and poised, as she returned his glare. Both sent warnings: get away and stand down.

"Don't touch me, woman," he seethed, breaking the spell over the room's inhabitants.

"Oh, shut up," she returned. "You're not allowed to do anything, anyway. I'm your keeper once you get out of here. I'll be speaking to Koenma about your treatment here, too." Though her heart pounded fiercely in her chest, she held her hands towards him again. "Now you have a guest and it would do you well to be polite. I hear he's a dangerous criminal."

Hiei blinked slowly at her, wondering at her dry tone, before his eyes found Kurama over her shoulder. To his chagrin, the fox that he assumed to be the visitor she spoke of seemed terribly amused by her antics. Being unable to use telepathy in the prison was unfortunate, but he had no qualms asking aloud, "Who is the woman? Is she truly our warden?"

"Of sorts." The redhead composed himself and strode over to the pair. "I advise you allow her to assist you. She's quite the healer."

As the men spoke, mostly in short sentences, she mended the cuts and bruises Koenma's men had left behind. She was warm beside him, even as she herself sat on the stone, and his voice sent comforting vibrations through his chest and into her palm. It took very little energy for her to heal these types of wounds yet she felt so tired when she was finished… Being near Hiei was thrilling and exhausting and she found herself drawn to those feelings, curious about them.

"Ayane, our discussion is complete." Kurama's voice brought her back to reality and she stood quickly, offering the prisoner a curtsy yet refusing to meet his eyes again. Both men noticed this but gave nothing away in the moment, choosing to file it away for their own purposes. "Just one week left before freedom, Hiei. Don't screw it up." He offered the younger man a smile and turned away.

"Freedom? Hn. Foolish. There is no freedom when one is chained."

Kurama glanced back at him, knowing he spoke of Ayane and not the physical shackles holding him in place. A shrug and a soft laugh preceded his last words to his friend, "You are only as chained as you allow yourself to be."

Ayane was grateful when Kurama did not ask about her reactions after they left - she had no answer to give him, after all. Another week passed for them, uneventfully. They were told to keep their heads down until Yusuke returned to the area. It frustrated her that Koenma treated her as though she were one of the bad guys after all the time they had spent together, though she rationalized it was the work of his father.

As she stared out the window one afternoon, dwelling on Lord Enma, she almost missed the abnormality flying around in the streets below.

"That's a big mosquito, Kurama…"

It was soon after she uttered those words that word came from Koenma about the Saint Beasts in Maze Castle. Though she wanted terribly to go and keep an eye on Hiei… and the others… she remained with Shiori, maintaining a shield around the home and watching the Demon Realm through a private channel Koenma set up for her.

Fear, sorrow, and pride swirled around inside her as she watched the group battle through their enemies. It had been almost a month since she watched them all fight for the first time and she made mental notes to discuss with them later - Kurama especially, as there had been no reason for him to be harmed. Vanity is a sin, she would remind him as he returned through the portal.

No harm came to Hiei - at least from what she was able to watch - but she remained tense through the entirety of Yusuke's battle. Tears rolled from her eyes as she watched the young boy struggle with the lightning user, fighting for his and everyone else's lives to his last breath.

Kazuma was truly a blessing.

Hiei followed Kurama - whom she refused to heal - upon his return to the Human Realm. A brief glare met Ayane when she hesitantly greeted the two before the visitor disappeared out the window.

"...What a grump."

Her companion winced as a chuckle escaped him. "He sees you as an obstacle to his freedom," he explained, turning from her and locating the demon healing herbs he had stored. "Do you blame him for his behavior? Until a few weeks ago, he thought he would rule the world."

Ayane laughed then, almost in disbelief. "He never really thought that. Did you think he did?"

Kurama glanced over his shoulder and hummed at her in response. Of course he had known the true intentions behind Hiei's quest for "world domination", though the one in question would be hard pressed to admit it, even to himself. She excused herself as he mixed his salve and wandered downstairs to start dinner before Shiori returned, leaving him to his thoughts.

What would come of this, in the end?