Dear all, my deepest apologies for the lateness of this chapter. This chapter just would not write itself, and I have spent countless times staring at the document and wondering what to do with it. Many a time I considered going on a hiatus --- but I have noticed that authors who do go on hiatus generally never update again.

I had to reread everything I ever wrote; reread every review for this story to give me the inspiration and drive to write so as to not disappoint.

And I plowed through this --- this fails as a good chapter after such a long period of time, but I have begun writing again: I hope that is good enough news.

Confession: the reason why I haven't been updating is because I have a boyfriend and we've been spending a lot of time together. xD -blush- We've been together for a two months and a half now.

Silent Portrait: Chapter 25

Days passed ever since that fated vacation. No one noticed anything odd between Hiei and Kurama. No one noticed that Kurama's smile had a sadder tinge to it -- no one noticed that he buried himself in work and stopped painting. No one noticed except Hiei, and he was trying determinedly not to care.

Hiei didn't like feeling guilty, but it was eating away his insides, growing like an infection spreading throughout his body. He felt it every time he saw Kurama, felt it every time Kurama refused to look at him.

But he stuck to his stubborn pride and did not acknowledge the redhead unless it was absolutely necessary, and remained the temperamental boss he always was.

Kurama, on the other hand, was taking the rejection pretty well, in his opinion. It was risky to confess his feelings --- even more so that it was to another man --- but with Hiei's attitude it was only pretty much damnation for him. What with the man's temperament, he was lucky enough to even get close to the man in the first place.

In the first place...

Kurama cast a glance at the cross-faced man, and wondered how he could ever come to love him.

He was finding it hard to stay at the Jaganshis's home, even harder to sit down every night with awkward silences at the dinner table, and yet have to keep up a pretense of happiness and content. Yukina did not know, Yusuke did not know, no one knew, and it seemed no one would ever know because Kurama would never embarrass Hiei like that, and Hiei just...

Hiei just couldn't care to fix anything.

Suddenly feeling weary and tired, Kurama set his pen down and buried his head in his hands.

What am I still doing here...?

Kurama's decision to leave was ultimate; a long and dreaded process, but he left anyway. He had accumulated some amount of money, enough to go ... away. He didn't want to leave; but he wasn't sure which was worst --- living with someone who didn't have the guts to look at him; or away from the one person he wanted to be with.

It was the one night they were all out together for the Tanabata festival, the girls dressed in pretty yukata and the guys in formal kimono, eating sweets and grilled eel and buying just about everything from the small stores set up along the road. They were by the river bench, with little kids hoisted up high on their father's shoulders, pointing at everything they saw.

Tanabata is a festival for lovers, but Kurama was feeling far from loved and feeling so wretched inside. Hiei would not walk close to him, Hiei would not speak to him, Hiei would not do anything. It was tearing him apart.

"Kurama?" said Yukina, peering up at him in concern. "What's the matter?"

Kurama blinked at her, realizing he had been standing by himself staring off into space.

"What are you staring at?"

"Oooh, look, people are writing wishes!" said Botan excitedly. Tugging on the arm of her boyfriend, she dragged him over to the bamboo tree, decorated with pieces of paper and scattered with people busy writing down their wish.

Feeling especially generous, Yukina took out her purse and purchased the slips of paper for each of them, and urged them all to write a wish.

"Go on, Kurama, write! You too, Oniisan," she said cheerfully, handing them out.

What do I wish for? thought Kurama blankly, staring at the small piece of paper. I wish for love. I wish for happiness. I wish for him. I wish for a home.

No one else noticed when Kurama slipped the paper into his pocket, unwritten, as empty as he felt.

They stayed on for the fireworks show. It was beautiful, but not as it once was in Kurama's memory. It was then he decided he must leave. This last gathering was proof enough --- if he did not leave now, he would never be able to. Some comfort came to him as he reminisced all the other times he had with them, but pain weaved its way into his heart as well when he realized Hiei was in almost all of his memories.

They drank and laughed and did not notice anything wrong.

The next morning, Kurama woke up as quiet as possible, ignoring the slight hangover he had. Quietly packing up his stuff which took only a few minutes, he opened the door of the guest room he had been staying for so many months, and closed it. Hoisting his bag onto his shoulder, he sank down into the sofa and pulled out a pen and the piece of paper he had saved the previous night.

Once he was done, he stood up and took a deep breath. Oki was sleeping at the corner of the living room in her cozy little basket, and Kurama stroked her one last time.

So it was that Kurama left as inconspicuously as he came; so easily settled into the lives of Hiei, Yukina, Yusuke, and the rest of the gang, and just as easily vanished forever.

Hiei was barely awake when Yukina barged into his room, tears dripping down her face.

"Why?" she choked out, holding a pink piece of paper in her hand and Oki in one arm.

"What?" said Hiei blearily, confused.

"Kurama --- he's gone."

A feeling of dread settled over him, as he took the paper and began to read it, pushing his hair out of his eyes. The note was concise and told nothing of Kurama's whereabouts, or the reason why he left. Some sort of anger and rage built up within him, and he threw the paper aside viciously.

"Oniisan ---"

"Let him leave," snapped Hiei. "So much for being hospitable to him and let him leave without any --- without any reason."

Hiei wasn't thinking properly. Inside, he couldn't really believe Kurama was gone. He also couldn't believe that it was he who drove the man out, with his attitude and rejection. He would never admit it was his fault to anyone. Not even to Kurama.

"I don't believe you're saying this," said Yukina angrily, wiping her tears away. "He was the closest one to you ---"

"He was not," growled Hiei.

Yukina left the room then, unwilling to argue any further. She would have to break the news to the rest of them, and she was determined to find Kurama, where ever he was, and contact him. Her stubborn brother had done something, and she was determined to find out what happened and why.

Dear Yukina and Hiei,

I am already gone as you read this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my friend when I needed one, and for letting me stay at your place. I cannot tell you why I must leave; just that I must. Perhaps we will meet again one day. I wish for your great health and happiness.

Kurama

Note: Google Tanabata for more information. The story is that two lovers are separated from each other, and are only allowed to meet each other on the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, in a bridge of stars.

There are only fireworks in Sendai during Tanabata, but for fic purposes, I made a fireworks show too. xD

Short chapter. :/

Review if you like, I don't really deserve one this time :( Thank you all for reading!