A/N: I couldn't wait to get home so I could write this next chapter! XD Chapter 8 was a bitch to write, especially the beginning part with Mukuro, since I couldn't figure out what to call her tank thingy. I kept wanting to call it a regeneration tank, but I was like, "Wait, that's DBZ… Damn! Wrong show!" I've also learned how to fully function with gloves on, which isn't as easy as you might think. I need them to keep the blood flowing through my fingers, otherwise they get all stiff and I can't type. My piece-of-crap computer is downstairs, and when it's like 20 below outside, basements get REALLY cold. It sucks, I hate living here! It's too friggin' cold! UGH! Anywho, onward!

The next second, Kurama tensed as a knock came to his door. Shiori. 'Oh, gods, not now!'

"Shuichi? Dear, I heard voices… Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, mother," Kurama called. "Go back to bed..!"

"I'm coming in, Shuichi," Shiori replied. The door began to open as Kurama frantically looked for a place to hide Hiei.

Shiori walked through the doorway, not giving Kurama a chance to hide the body now halfway in his arms.

She stopped dead and stared. Kurama stared back. They just looked at each other with deer-in-headlight stares for about a minute before Shiori spoke.

"Shuichi..? What is that?" she asked slowly. "Who is that?"

'LIE!! HURRY UP AND LIE!!' Kurama's mind was screaming at him, but he just couldn't form a lie that big out of nowhere. He looked back at her, dumbstruck, then looked down at Hiei, whose torso was in his arms and head lay on his small upper arm. He stared again for a minute, then looked back at Shiori.

"His name is Hiei. He's… one of my friends," he said uncertainly, hoping Shiori would not see through his flimsy tone. "His parents kicked him out of his house, and he's sick, so he couldn't stay outside, and he came here," he improvised.

Shiori looked shocked. "Kicked him out? Goodness, why?"

"…He didn't say… All he said before he passed out was that they kicked him out to… to go look for his missing sister."

Shiori's eyes grew even wider. "Oh goodness! His sister's missing?? And he's sick?? How horrible! Well, of course he'll be staying here tonight! I couldn't possibly think of sending him back outside, not now! What kind of sickness is it? Maybe we can help him?" she said in a worried motherly tone.

Kurama wanted to rip out his hair for all the details his mother was asking of him. "I don't quite know what the sickness is called, mother," he began.

"You don't know? Then we should probably take him to the hospital!"

"No, mother..! He'll… he'll be fine after he wakes up and eats; he's done this before…" The lies kept pouring out of Kurama's mouth, and he desperately wished his mother would stop asking questions before she asked something he couldn't answer.

"Are you sure, Shuichi? If he passed out, he should go to a doctor…"

"Yes, mother, I'm sure. If he can sleep here, he'll be fine. We have a place for him, right?"

Shiori pondered this. "Well, we don't have another room or another bed, so he can sleep on the couch…"

Kurama thought about it. He came to the conclusion that it was probably best if he didn't let Hiei out of his sight to make sure he didn't hurt anyone when he woke up. "Actually, mother, I think Hiei would be most comfortable waking up with someone he knows," Kurama said quickly. "He most likely won't remember coming here when he wakes up, and I think if he were next to me, he would get a more peaceful rest. Is that all right?"

"If you feel you can share your bed, it's fine," Shiori replied. "I won't have him sleeping on the floor; he'll get even more sick, and I don't want that. He looks so cute, I couldn't wish even a little cough on him." She smiled at Kurama and Hiei. "Do you need help getting him in the bed?"

Kurama shook his head and smiled back, grateful that he had such a kind mother. "No, I can get him into the bed myself. You should go back to bed yourself, you look tired."

"Okay, Shuichi. I want you to put him to bed and then you get to bed right after that. If you need anything, come and get me. Good night, honey." She ruffled Kurama's hair and kissed his forehead before leaving and shutting the door again.

Kurama breathed a huge sigh of relief. He looked down at Hiei. "You're lucky she's not a demon, Hiei," he muttered. "We would have eaten you for breakfast." Taking off Hiei's cloak, he hoisted the fire demon into the bed and crawled in next to him. He observed that he was extremely light, much lighter than he looked. He was also very well built under the cloak and ragged shirt. Shaking his head, he pulled the blankets over them both and rolled onto his side to sleep.

Hiei woke up slowly, stiff and with a pounding head. He groaned and put a hand to his head, not opening his eyes. He noticed a few seconds later that the warm, soft, comfortable thing he was sleeping in was not a tree. He opened his eyes with some effort then, seeing not a sky, but a ceiling. He popped his eyes open and sat bolt upright. Kurama looked at him from a chair by the bed. Hiei growled at him, remembering why he was sleeping in the human's (demon's?) bed.

"Hiei, don't growl at me," Kurama said, unalarmed. "You're fine, I didn't do anything to you when you were sleeping. I haven't taken anything of yours, your sword and your cloak are in the corner." He nodded towards where they were, not taking his eyes from the fire demon. Hiei got up to get them.

"Hiei," Kurama began again. "My mother found us last night." From where he was, Hiei froze. (1)

"And?" he said without looking back.

"Well… My mother… has agreed to take you in for the time being."

Hiei twisted around, stunned. "What?"

"She agrees to give you a place to sleep and you're welcome to eat with us."

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Why?" He asked, suspicious of the whole situation. "I made you believe your girlfriend was dead. Why would you do this?"

"Well, for one, Maya isn't my girlfriend, she's just a friend. Secondly, I don't very much like the idea of being stalked, so you living here is better for me, I suppose. Also, it's easier for you to keep an eye on me like this, not to mention the free food and a safe place to rest. Will you stay?"

Hiei frowned and looked down as he considered this. He looked back a minute later. "Hn."

Kurama sighed. "Would you care to translate?"

Hiei gave Kurama a sour look. "I said yes, you foolish boy."

Kurama regarded him somewhat coldly. "I believe you are the boy here, since I am technically over a thousand years old."

Hiei huffed. "Hn."

Kurama shook his head and relaxed again. He smiled at Hiei. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"No."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Would you at least come down to meet my mother? She's the one who decided to let you stay."

"Why?"

Kurama chuckled a bit nervously. "Well… I had to make up a story to tell her so she would let you stay…"

"What did you tell her?" Hiei said dangerously.

"I told her that you were sick and your parents kicked you out of your house to find your missing sister…" Kurama braced himself for the coming explosion.

"YOU TOLD HER THAT?!" Hiei was outraged. "THAT WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS TO BEGIN WITH!"

"Yes, Hiei, I know, but I—"

"BUT NOTHING! HOW DARE YOU—"

"I needed her to believe me—"

"SO YOU TOLD HER ABOUT MY S—"

"I had no choice—"

"LIE! YOU'RE A LIAR, THAT'S ALL—"

"Boys!!" Shiori had come into the room; with both of them arguing, neither had noticed. Hiei jumped and looked about ready to leap out the window. (2) Kurama stood.

"I'm sorry for the noise, mother," he said calmly. "Hiei was just angry that I told you about his sister." Behind him, Hiei seethed.

A look of understanding passed over Shiori's face. "Oh, Hiei, honey, it's all right. There's no need to feel that way; I won't throw you out of my home," she said warmly. Hiei shot a glare at Kurama before grunting.

'Just what the hell did you tell this woman? That was not all you told her, was it?' Hiei asked directly into Kurama's mind. Kurama jumped at the sudden intrusion and looked, startled, at Hiei. Hiei raised an eyebrow and smirked. 'What's the matter? Never done this before?'

Kurama looked at him smartly. 'For your information, I know how to access my psychic abilities, thank you very much. I just didn't know you could, too.'

Hiei rolled his eyes. 'Typical. Underestimating me, just like the rest.'

"Would you like some breakfast, Hiei dear?" Shiori asked pleasantly.

'Accept the breakfast. It has to have been a while since you last ate; you were practically feather-light when I lifted you into the bed. You must be hungry,' Kurama said telepathically in order to keep from completely embarrassing Hiei.

Hiei glared at him. "Hn."

When Shiori looked confused, Kurama put a hand on Hiei's shoulder, ignoring his low hiss. "He means he'd love to come down for breakfast," Kurama said with a smile, pushing Hiei firmly into the stairway.

'What makes you think I'll eat your nasty ningen food?'

'Because, Hiei, now that you live here, you're going to have to get used to it, or else you might upset my mother, and then I'd have to hurt you.' He said all this with a smile. Hiei rolled his eyes and grunted again, walking alongside Kurama of his own accord. 'Besides, Mother makes excellent food,' he goaded.

"Hn."

Only after they had all gotten downstairs and Shiori had asked Hiei what he wanted did Kurama realize he had no idea what Hiei liked or even what he ate.

"I'm not hungry," Hiei kept saying, ignoring subtle glares from the kitsune. Shiori eventually gave in and accepted Hiei's answer. Kurama, however, did not.

"Hiei, you need to eat something."

"No."

"But why?"

"I don't need to. I don't need your help or your food."

Kurama had an idea. He switched tactics. "I'll make it myself," he prodded.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "After last night, why should I take anything you give me?"

"If you want, I'll taste it to prove it's not poison…" he said, irked. Hiei just stared blankly at him. "It tastes good. Like nothing you've ever tasted before. They don't have it in Makai. Humans eat it all the time, it's considered a treat by lots of people."

Hiei rolled his eyes again, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What's it called?" he asked, trying to sound apathetic.

Kurama grinned, knowing he'd won. "Chocolate."

"It sounds gross."

"It looks kind of gross, too, but trust me, you'll fall in love with it on the first bite."

Hiei sighed. "Do you have any?"

"As a matter of fact…" Kurama walked to the fridge and produced a shiny, tin foil wrapped chunk of the sweet. He unwrapped it and handed it to Hiei. "Go on, take a bite."

Hiei stared at it. "You first."

Kurama took it from him and happily took a bite. He smiled at Hiei, handing it back to him. Hiei looked at Kurama, who was thoroughly enjoying the chocolate, then back to his hand. "It really does look gross." Kurama watched with laughing eyes as Hiei tasted chocolate for the first time. He chuckled softly as he watched Hiei's eyes light up at the flavor and took another bite.

"Looks like you have a sweet tooth," Kurama said, with humor in his voice. Hiei ignored him and ate the rest of the chocolate in three bites. "I think I've created a monster," he joked, laughing. Hiei looked at him without emotion. "Only kidding, Hiei."

"I am not going to sleep there," Hiei insisted, obstinate.

"Hiei, my mother doesn't want you to sleep on the floor…"

"Too bad."

"Hiei…"

"I've slept in worse."

"I'm sure you have, but…"

"A floor in a house is nothing compared to sleeping on a wet cavern bottom in the middle of a blizzard. So shut up."

Kurama shook his head. "I should start calling you Hiei the Mule." A blank stare was his reply. "Fine, do what you want," he sighed.

"Hn." Hiei moved to the corner and sat down, his back pressed against the walls and his katana like a bar in front of him, resting across his knees. Kurama shook his head sadly, crawling into his bed.

"I know you don't trust anyone, but still…" he murmured, drifting into sleep.

Hiei frowned pensively and didn't get to sleep for a long time.

Heh. Yes, Hiei is a sugar demon, because I find it cute. I really have nothing to say about this chapter… it was mostly dialogue… Hmm. Seven pages of dialogue… -shakes head- In the next chapter, you might be able to find the beginnings of the next big conflict, if you look hard enough. –grins-

I was wrong, I do have something to say about a couple of lines in here…

That line sounds incredibly dirty, no matter how you look at it… It makes me laugh. X3 I lost the game…

(2) If that was written for anyone else, it would make him or her sound suicidal, but everyone just takes it as normal when written for Hiei. That fact also makes me laugh. XD I can't take my own writing seriously after I've written it! –laughs-