Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Never have, never will.

Hiei shook me awake when we were pulling into the diner's parking lot. His breath fanning across my ear, he murmured, "Wake up, Shyle. You need to drive us home."

"Yeah, unless you want the shrimp to crash your car, I suggest getting up," Kuwabara added, chuckling as he slammed his door closed. I moaned slightly at the noise and sat up straighter, rubbing my eyes. Hiei studied me for a second longer and, once he was sure I wouldn't fall back asleep, opened his door. I slid out after him, leaning against him and suppressing a yawn.

"I should so not be driving when I'm this tired," I mumbled, watching Kurama park his car.

Yusuke snorted. "Too bad that won't stop you from driving. Or, what I should say is, it won't stop Hiei from making you."

"Hn. I have every intention of getting home, with or without her car."

"Why?" Yusuke asked, grinning devilishly. "Are you in a rush to get her in bed?" He turned his attention to me, raising an eyebrow suggestively. "So, is he a hot, sexy, fire demon god under the sheets?"

Hiei growled and took a threatening step toward the hanyou. "Mind your own business, Urameshi. You'll regret it if you don't."

"Whatever you say, Hiei. But your defensive behavior seems to indicate that you're scared Shyle won't be singing your praises," Yusuke replied cheekily. "You know, there's no shame in being bad in bed. In fact, many men fail to fully please their women. It's just how life is."

Kuwabara slung an arm around Yusuke's shoulders. "Let's go, Urameshi. You need to go inside before Hiei causes you to die. Again."

"Yeah, like he could kill me."

"I will if you open your mouth once more."

Kuwabara dragged Yusuke away before he could reply. "Goodnight, Shy. Drive safely," he called over his shoulder. Yusuke opened his mouth to say something, but Kuwabara clamped his hand over it and shoved him toward the diner's front door. "Open it and go inside. Keiko will join you in a few minutes."

Still fuming, Hiei turned on his heel and started for my car, my bag clutched in his hand. I followed him without protest. At least I was fully awake now. "Well, that was embarrassing," I muttered, unlocking my car door.

I climbed into the car, settling into my seat and pulling the door closed behind me. Hiei followed suit, an irritated expression on his face. "He makes the idiot seem intelligent."

Snickering, I started my car and backed out of my spot, waving to our friends that were just getting out of Kurama's car. "Yukina and Kuwabara's wedding is next Friday, just over a week away. Can you believe that?" I asked, changing the subject.

But apparently, I'd picked a bad topic because Hiei tensed and began tapping his fingers on his knee angrily. "No, I can not believe I am letting Yukina marry him."

"I don't understand why you have a problem with them being together. Kuwabara will do everything he can to make Yukina happy. Surely you know that?"

Hiei sighed, as though he was suddenly tired. "It is not that I oppose him, it is simply that any man who touches her will sully her innocence. No man should be allowed to do such a thing."

Rolling my eyes, I asked, "But don't you plan to 'sully' my innocence." I allowed him a chance to open and close his mouth twice before continuing. "That seems kind of hypocritical to me."

"It is different."

"It isn't. They love each other. That should be enough to keep you happy." I took a deep breath. "Look, Hiei, I'm not going to rant at you about the fact that you have double standards, though you clearly do. I just think that you should be happy for your sister and for Kuwabara, who just so happens to be your friend."

I turned into my apartment building's parking lot and pulled into my spot, shutting off the engine. Climbing out of the car, I grabbed my bag from Hiei's lap and started toward the building's front doors. Hiei followed me silently.

We made our way up the stairs to my apartment without speaking. I fiddled with my key, mentally cursing the still broken light. "Let me," Hiei said, his arm reaching around me to take the key from my hand. He slid it into the lock and pushed the door open, allowing me to enter first.

"You aren't even going to respond?" I asked finally, kicking off my sandals and glancing at him.

"What would you like me to say?" he asked, toeing off his own shoes. "That you are right and I am completely off base." His tone was sarcastic and biting. I resisted the urge to flinch at his rage.

"I wasn't trying to anger you, firefly. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."

He looked as though he was going to say something, but then he shook his head and moved past me. Sighing, I followed him to our bedroom. Leaning against the doorframe, I said, "I'm going to take a shower before going to bed. Do you need anything in the bathroom?"

"I will shower after you. I can wait to use the bathroom until then."

"Okay." I grabbed my pajamas, which consisted of shorts, a sports bra, and underwear, and slipped into the bathroom. Emerging from the bathroom thirty minutes later, I called, "I'm done. The bathroom's all yours."

The television shut off in the living room and Hiei made his way down the hallway. "Go to sleep without me," Hiei said, entering the bathroom. "I'll join you when I'm done."

"Goodnight, Hiei."

"Goodnight, Shyle," he replied. The door shut and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I'd blown it dry, knowing that Hiei hated it when my hair was wet when we went to bed.

I slipped into our room and pulled back the covers on the bed. Lying down, I folded my arms over the covers and stared at the ceiling. Why did I have to go and ruin a good day by opening my big mouth? But then it wasn't all my fault. If Hiei was a little less stuck in his ways, we wouldn't have argued.

Deciding to let it rest for the night, I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. I was just beginning to fall asleep when I heard Hiei enter the room, closing the door behind him. He joined me in the bed a few moments later and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to him.

I remained silent, letting him think that I was asleep. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder and sighed. "You're right, of course," he whispered. "Kuwabara will be good for Yukina. He won't take advantage of her. He'll do everything in his power to make her happy."

He was silent for so long that I thought he had fallen asleep, but then he continued, "I can only hope that I do as well for you."

The next morning, I lay in bed for a few minutes after Hiei got up. He probably assumed that I was giving him time to use the bathroom in peace, but that wasn't the case. I was trying to sort out my thoughts, trying to figure out what to do about the realization I had made the night before.

I loved him.

I, Shyle Iraheta, loved Hiei Jaganshi.

When had that happened? When had my feelings become so strong? Hiei's whispered confession had made me aware of my feelings, but had they existed before that or had his admission created them? I studied the ceiling, hoping that it would somehow contain the answers that I was looking for.

I remembered clearly the morning that Hiei had said he didn't think himself capable of loving someone. He had said it in response to a question about whether or not he had loved Mukuro, but his answer had been directed at the feeling in general. Would I get hurt because I loved him and he didn't return the feeling?

I pushed myself up into a sitting position, pressing my hands to my eyes. Being in love with him should have solved problems, not created them. Taking a deep breath, I swung my legs out of bed and looked around the room.

Hiei's pants from the day before were tossed carelessly on the floor and his shirt was a crumpled ball by the floor. Living with Hiei was so easy. He didn't stress about things being perfect. We'd simply adapted to one another, adjusting our habits so that they wouldn't interfere with the other person.

Was that what made me love him? Just because he was easy to live with? Or was it something else?

I stood up and padded my way into the bathroom. The news was on in the living room, which meant that Hiei was starting his day as he always did, completely unaware of my inner crisis. I got ready quickly. The sooner I had something to distract me from my thoughts, the better.

Making my way into the kitchen, I murmured, "Morning, Hiei."

"How did you sleep?" he asked, standing up and joining me in the kitchen.

"Good," I replied. He smirked faintly and stepped forward, pulling me against him and kissing me soundly. When he released me, I started to prepare myself a bowl of cereal, stealing glances at him out of the corner of my eye.

I'd halfway expected him to look different now. But that was stupid. I loved him; it wouldn't make any sense for him to have changed. Still, I'd thought that I would see him in a differed light. Falling in love with him was a big step in our relationship, but there was nothing physical or concrete to show that a step had been taken. Moving in together had been a tangible thing. The clothes strewn across my floor proved that.

Fishing a spoon out of a drawer, I shook my head, trying to banish my thoughts. "So what's the plan for the day?"

He opened his mouth to answer just as the phone rang and I held up a finger, silently telling him to hold his thought. Picking the phone up and checking the caller id, I said, "Morning, Yusuke. What's up?"

"A lot actually," he answered. "This probably isn't going to be what you wanted to hear, but there's been word on Epsilon's location. He's in northeast Alaric with half a dozen of his followers. Mukuro has requested that Hiei, Kurama, and I come to the Makai and accompany her and her men in an attack on their camp."

My breath caught in my throat and I tried to keep my sudden panic out of my voice. "Do you want to talk to Hiei?"

"No, that's alright. Could you just have him come to the diner in an hour? We've got a portal set up to take us to the Makai at ten."

"Yeah, um, sure. We'll see you then."

"Sorry, Shy. Keiko isn't thrilled and I'm sure you feel the same way," Yusuke said. "This isn't that big a deal. We'll be back before you know it."

"Okay. Bye, Yusuke. See you in a little while."

"Bye, Shy." I hung up, returning the phone to its charger listlessly.

"What, Shyle? What's wrong?" Hiei closed the distance between us, tipping my chin up with a finger so that I was looking at him. "What did Yusuke say?"

"Mukuro has information about Epsilon's location. She wants you, Yusuke, and Kurama to go to the Makai. A portal is going to take you there at ten."

His eyes lit at my words and a savage smirk curled his lips. "I will kill that raion," he snarled. I could tell that his mind was already in the Makai, already planning what he would do to Mecca.

"You need to go get ready, right? Put on some clothes and get your katana? I'll finish my cereal and we can head over to the diner," I said, pulling away from him and turning back to my breakfast.

Why did this have to happen now? I just realized that I loved him and now he was going to leave. I needed him around. How else was I supposed to figure out what this meant for us?

Or maybe I was thinking about this the wrong way. Maybe it would be a good thing for Hiei to be gone for a few days. If Hiei was in the Makai, I would have time to think, time to sort out my thoughts.

Hiei had nodded in answer to my questions and disappeared into our bedroom, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I finished my cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher. Hiei emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later and we made our way downstairs to my car.

It wasn't hard to see that Hiei was excited for what was to come. He held his katana in his lap, his fingers curled eagerly over the hilt, and he tapped his foot restlessly. As soon as I had parked in front of the diner he jumped from the car and headed for the building. I spotted Kurama's car coming down the street and I waited for him to park and climb out before walking toward the diner.

"Good morning, Shyle," Kurama said, falling into step beside me.

"Morning," I replied.

"Where's Hiei?"

"He's already inside."

"He didn't wait for you?" Kurama asked.

"Nope." I pushed the door open, smiling faintly as the bell over the door rang. I hadn't started working again since we'd come back from Genkai's, but I might as well start now. Spending time with Hiei had been my excuse for staying on vacation and his absence would provide a reason for asking Keiko for some hours.

"Hey, guys," Yusuke greeted us as we entered the diner. He was seated at a table, toying with some sugar packets. Hiei was pacing in front of the counter, his katana now hanging at his waist. "You're all here earlier than expected. The portal isn't going to open until ten." I glanced at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see that is was only nine thirty.

"Hn, explain what is going on," Hiei commanded.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior. "You need to take a chill pill, Hiei. I want to kick Epsilon's ass too, but you don't see me freaking out."

"It is the raion that I want to fight, not the hebi."

"Oh, you mean Mecca? He's all yours," Yusuke said, tossing a sugar packet in the air and catching it deftly.

"Where's Keiko?" I asked.

"Upstairs. She was taking a shower, but she should be done by now if you want to go up."

"I think I will. You guys don't need me for anything so there's no point in staying down here." I slipped behind the counter and took the stairs two at a time. I needed to get away from them, away from any talk about fighting. It was unsettling to think that they were so eager to run off and risk their lives.

I'd never understood why Keiko hated that Yusuke was still involved in the Makai. It made sense now. The idea of Hiei dying in the Makai or even getting injured made me feel sick to my stomach.

I knocked on the door to Keiko's apartment once and opened the door without waiting for a response. "Keiko?" I called. "Where are you?"

"In my bedroom."

I made my way through the living room toward the bedroom, forcing myself to relax. Yusuke had said Keiko was upset and if she was, she wouldn't need me making her own nerves worse. I peeked into the room, finding her getting dressed with her back to me.

"Knock, knock," I said, leaning against the doorway. She pulled her shirt over her head and turned around, smiling at me.

"Hi, Shy. How are you?"

"Nauseous," I admitted. "You?"

"Pretty much the same."

"Does it ever get any better?" I asked, moving into the room and taking a seat on the bed.

"Not really, no." She sighed, picking up her brush and pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"Fantastic," I muttered. I lay back on the bed, glaring up at the ceiling. "At least we have each other. And Kuwabara, for that matter."

"True. You know what?" she asked, turning around to face me. "They're going to be enjoying themselves while they're in the Makai, so why don't we do the same? We can have an extended sleepover at one of our apartments. It'll be like the old days."

I smiled, already liking her idea. "That's perfect," I said, sitting up. "We can break in Kuwabara's apartment. It has yet to host one of our sleepovers."

"We'll need to call him," she murmured. "And pack for an extended stay at his place. And get food and movies. And –"

I stood and, wrapping an arm around Keiko's shoulders, started toward the stairs. "Let's say goodbye to them before we start getting carried away with plans, okay?" It was all I could do to keep from breaking out into a grin. Keiko had come up with the perfect way to keep us distracted.

And yet, despite that, my happy mood disappeared as soon as I came down the stairs and saw Hiei once more. I froze on the bottom step, watching as Keiko hugged Yusuke. She pressed her face against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. I jerked my eyes away, knowing that I shouldn't be intruding on their goodbye.

Slipping out from behind the counter, I closed the distance between myself and Hiei. "You'll be careful?" I asked, hoping my voice didn't sound like I was on the verge of tears.

"Hn, of course. I've never attempted to get killed before." He pulled me to him, resting his chin on my shoulder and whispering in my ear, "I won't start now that I have something to come home to."

I smiled, though I was still fighting tears. "Promise me that you'll come back," I begged, wrapping my arms around him and squeezing tightly.

"Shyle, I will come back." His hands settled on my waist and he pushed me back so that he could give me a once over. "Promise me that you won't worry too much," he said, a smirk on his face.

"Don't make fun of me," I snapped, slapping his arm lightly. For a fraction of a second, I contemplated telling him that I loved him, but decided against it. It wasn't the right time to drop that on him. Plus, the last thing I wanted was for him to think I was only saying it because he was leaving.

"I will see you soon," he said. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I make no promises," I answered cheekily. He smirked and leaned forward, kissing me. When he pulled away, I was left breathless.

A small pop pulled my attention away from Hiei. I raised a surprised eyebrow at the portal that had appeared in the corner of the diner.

"It's time," Yusuke said, intentionally making his voice overdramatic. "Let's get this show on the road."

Hiei gave me one more quick kiss and then let me go, moving toward the portal. "Wish us luck," Kurama said and stepped through the portal.

"See you soon, babe," Yusuke murmured and, after one last look at Keiko, followed Kurama.

"You promised," I informed Hiei. "You better stick to it."

"I will," he replied. Smirking, he turned and walked through the portal. It disappeared as soon as he was through and Keiko sighed loudly.

"Well, let's call Kuwabara," she said.

"Does he even know that they're going to the Makai?"

"No. Yusuke didn't want him to feel bad because he wasn't allowed to come. So he asked me to tell Kuwabara once they had already left."

"It was nice of him to leave that job to you," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"No kidding."

AN: I'm getting excited about what's to come. There are just a few more chapters until things get interesting. My excitement is fueling my creative juices and I'm constantly in a writing mood, which means that the next few chapters should come quickly.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love hearing what you have to say. What do you think will happen to the guys while they're in the Makai? Let me know your guesses.