Hiei walked up the steps of Aoyama Cemetery, sliding past nameless strangers and countless matching headstones. He wore his get up, in favor of the simple one color cloak than the flashy garb Mukuro required of him now that they both served on the demon council. Not that what he was wearing now didn't earn him just as many stares, cloaked all in black in this heat wave, you'd have to be mad…or a fire demon.

He made his way to the secluded hill where only two tombstones stood due partly cause all the plots on this hill had been bought in Kurama's name (his human name that is) and partly because a giant sakura tree had taken root on it. It had grown seemingly overnight, taking merely three years to become fully grown; its roots alone had grown out of the ground and around the base of the incline, effectively gating it off from the rest of the cemetery. If the fast growth of the plant didn't surprise and confuse people, the multiple times it bloomed sure did. Even now in the dead of August, as Hiei ascending closer, the tree quivered and the branches bursts into splashes of pale pink.

Hiei ducked under the shade of the tree and couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his mouth nor the fluttering feeling that tugged at his heart.

"Always one for dramatics, aren't ya?"

The tree did not answer him, Hiei wasn't really sure what he was expecting, he usually only came here on the anniversary. But what Yusuke had mentioned at the twins' birthday party just refused to settle right, the ex-detective obvious meant it to be casual reminiscing, not that bringing up Kurama at a group gathering would ever be anything but awkward. Yusuke was on the verge of being a father himself (the last of the tantei to do so, surprisingly) and yet he still couldn't master subtly. Kami, help that child.

"Ever wonder what happened to him? I mean afterwards…after the wake Botan told me 'it's just like before'…heh, vague , much?"

Yusuke had laughed at the time, like it was a joke.

"I bet they can't find his soul…makes me wonder though…where he ended up this time…?"

Hiei stared up at tree with great fondness, "I've missed you, fox."

"Aw~! I've missed you too, Hiei."

The fire demon seized up instantly at the voice, wine colored eyes searching the perimeter for anyone who would dare spy on this very mushy moment he was having. Movement caught his eye up in the treetops, he craned his head and there, a transparent image of Youko Kurama sat peacefully against the trunk of the sakura wearing a smirk that could rival the damned devil's.

Hiei's face erupted in a red flush that nearly glowed with the intensity of his embarrassment. His heart ached with the strain all the sudden flooding of emotions was putting on it, it was all the proud demon heir could do to just stand there gaping, pointing dumbly at the laughing youko…it was all he could do 'til he promptly fainted in exhaustion.

Wow, Hiei tends to get bomb-shelled a lot at Aoyama, poor guy. Ganbare Hiei~!

Note: I think August is when Japan gets its peak summer heat… At the moment I'm too lazy to actually look it up so I'm just gonna go with it, so play along people, please and thank you! :-P

Btw, I didn't elaborate here, but the "twins" Hiei refers to are Yukina's children. I'll most likely mention them again in the next chapter, which btw WILL be of the limey (possibly lemony) variety, you have been FORWARNED!

Ending statement: Kurama's back and so am I! :D