Author's Note: Wow. It's been... over a year, I think. I just haven't been in the mood to write for this story for a long time. I guess I'm still not, really. Hm. Who knows.

Chapter 25

"Relax"

I wake silently just as the first rays of sunlight appear over the horizon. The arm draped over my waist tightens automatically when I move to get up and I turn to find dark eyes watching me intently.

"Go back to sleep," Hiei orders.

I shake my head. I lean in and kiss the tip of his nose softly; he frowns in displeasure but I ignore it. Removing his arm from about me, I slip out of bed and walk out the door, stopping only when I feel a warmth behind me and breath on the back of my head, ruffling my hair. I turn and open my mouth to protest.

Hiei raises an eyebrow and my jaw snaps shut. He smirks. "I thought not." His voice is just a whisper in my ear.

I shake my head and cross the hall to the stairs. Kira purrs in acknowledgement from her resting place on the arm of the couch; I pat her head as I pass to the kitchen.

Rummaging around in a refrigerator isn't really something I do often. It's better stocked than I remember as well; that's to be expected, since the Spirit Detectives started living here and they eat more than I do.

I can feel Hiei's eyes on the back of my neck. I take out a bowl filled with slices of various melons and set it on the counter behind me. I look at him and raise my eyebrow questioningly.

Hiei shakes his head. His eyes bore into me as he leans casually against the doorframe with his arms folded across his bare chest. "Rika…" he murmurs, starting forward.

I ignore him, instead turning to grab a plate. I set some of the melon on the plate and put the container back in the fridge.

"You can't be silent forever," he grumbles.

I shrug and sit on a stool, watching him hover on the other side of the counter. I lift a piece of honeydew to my lips and take a bite. It's sweet.

He stops fidgeting and glares. "I mean it."

I nod and take another bite.

"Rika, why don't you just—"

I hold up a hand to stop him and shake my head.

"At least—"

I sigh and roll my eyes, but drop my mental barriers for him.

Better? I ask.

Infinitely, he responds. He sits next to me and watches for a while. Not speaking didn't come from Kiyoshi, did it?

I shake my head. My parents, I answer. No opinions, no talking back; that meant no talking in general. It was the safest way to keep from getting beaten.

You're parents are terrible.

You're people are terrible, I snap. He raises an eyebrow. Sorry.

You're right.

Hiei… I don't know if I can do this, I think, a worried frown creasing my brow.

Hiei tugs on a lock of my hair. Thinking that way will only make it true.

I sigh again and put my plate in the sink. Moro was the one I never got along with, I explain. He was the one after me the most. I might have been able to handle Mom, but Dad…

He won't touch you again. It is both a promise and a threat. I smile at Hiei and put a hand against his cheek to show my gratitude.

We need him, I remind him. No killing and no disabling.

Koenma can find someone else.

There isn't enough time.

Hiei sighs and glares out the window angrily. I don't care.

I reach out to touch him again but drop my hand back to my side. I'm not going to argue with you about this.

He smirks.

I shake my head again and turn away to look out the window. You're impossible.

Perception, he dismisses.

"Having fun?" Yusuke asks from the doorway.

I smile silkily. You know, he usually isn't up this early. Not unless Genkai makes him, anyway.

Hiei smirks again.

"Did I miss something?" Yusuke demands.

"No," Hiei replies curtly. "We were just insulting you."

"Hey!"

I nudge Hiei with my elbow. Don't tease him.

Hiei grabs my arm and steps closer. It's amusing. He overreacts.

Hiei…

"Quit doing that!"

Growling lowly, Hiei touches his forehead to mine. You do not give me orders, Kitten.

Oh? And are you under the assumption that you give me orders, then?

Of course.

Please, I roll my eyes sarcastically.

"Would you two stop leaving me out of the conversation?!"

Would you tell Yusuke that it's none of his concern for me? I inquire sweetly.

Tell him yourself.

I can't. Please, Hiei?

I'm not your messenger.

Hiei lets go and walks away. "Detective," he calls from the bottom of the stairs, "what we discuss is none of your business."

Yusuke snorts and turns back to me. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me, then?"

I shake my head and smile a bit.

It isn't much later that Kurama walks down the stairs. He nods to me and I return the gesture before resuming the menial task of homework. Despite lack of motivation and a horrid dislike for the school, I do exceedingly well in my classes – those extra hundred or so years help a lot. I barely ever have to glance at a text book to know the answers.

I suppose that's also why it's so easy for Kurama.

Hiei had disappeared by the time I'd finished my breakfast. That left me with absolutely nothing to do besides school work or house work, neither of which had appealed to me. I had chosen the lesser of the two evils and got to work when Yusuke and Kuwabara had come rocketing in chasing after Kira; I'd spent a good twenty minutes trying to make them stop without hurting her.

Now, Kira sits by my side purring contently. Yusuke and Kuwabara have retreated to their rooms to nurse their wounds. The house is peaceful and quiet, like it hasn't been since before I met the detectives.

Of course all that would end as quickly as it started. Of course I wouldn't be able to catch up on my daily doses of serenity.

Whatever game it is that Yusuke's bought or stole, he and Kuwabara seem absolutely thrilled at the prospect of playing it. Yusuke hooks up a playstation to my TV and puts in a disk. He and Kuwabara sit back on the couch on either side of me with controllers. The volume is ridiculous. The graphics are terrible, not realistic at all; not to mention it's completely pointless.

I breathe deeply to calm myself and get up, not bothering to move my work. I climb over the back of the couch and slip out the door unnoticed. I doubt those two would notice if an atomic bomb landed ten feet from them, as long as their game system wasn't destroyed in the process.

I take off at a slow jog towards the park. I haven't been to the park since they started living with me. It seems as though so many things have been interrupted and set aside since they came along.

It's just as I remember it; swing set, monkey bars, slide, trails, teeter totter. Perfect. I claim a swing on the far left for myself and rock gently back and forth. There are a few too many people here for my taste – a weekend in the late afternoon, I should have known better – but I'll take what I can get for now.

Idly I wonder how long I can get away with being out of sight.

And speaking of out of sight, what ever happened to Yukito? And which other assassin is Kiyoshi going to use instead of me in his tournament?

It doesn't do any good to think about these things, I decide. I'll know when I know.

A little boy runs up to the swings and starts crying. There aren't any left for him. I groan and stand up to give him mine – this racket is getting to be worse than at home.

I determine that this isn't the place to be right now. Instead, I wander around aimlessly, tracing the back roads to my house. The sun will set soon – already the shadows of buildings put me in a sort of pseudo-evening. I hesitate near the edge of my property. I don't want to go in. I don't want to just stand here like an idiot, though.

Instead I slip around the back of the house to the desolate, tiny back yard. I choose a spot still in the sun, though not for long, and begin a calming, relaxing session of yoga. I let my body take me through the somewhat familiar motions as I shut off my mind to the best of my ability. As the darkness fell, I continued my stress-relieving activity.

I had just gone into a 'king dancer pose' – standing on one leg with the other stretched up in a curve behind me, holding the arch of my foot with my hand and stretching the other arm out in front of me, barely leaning forward – when Kurama found me.

"You've been gone a while," he comments.

I hold the position a while longer, full of inner peace. "Mm."

He leans against the side of the house. "Where have you been, then?"

I smile serenely and slowly come down into a 'monkey pose' – essentially splits with my arms stretched above me, leaning backwards.

"Rika?"

I drop my arms and glance up at him.

He sighs. "Come on in. It's too late to be doing yoga in the yard."

I tuck in both of my legs and roll to my feet; I follow him in. Yusuke and Kuwabara are, amazingly, still at their game. Another explosion rings painfully in my ears. I can tell by the tense way Kurama carries himself that he's tired of it as well.

I wave goodbye and trot quickly up the stairs before my Zen dissipates. I close the door of my room and turn around simply to flop back on the floor and stare peacefully up at the ceiling.

Hiei leans over me, expressionless as always. I smile up at him.

Hey there.

He frowns. Where have you been?

I giggle. You know, Kurama asked me the very same thing.

His frown becomes a scowl. I reach up, but either my arm is too short to reach him or he's not leaning down far enough.

I went to the park. But it was noisy. So I came back and did some yoga in the back yard.

With a heavy, agitated sigh, Hiei sits next to me on the floor. And so you just decided that falling down on your floor is a good idea?

Yoga makes you very serene. I'm completely at peace with the world. A crash and some yelling make me wince. I'm completely at peace with everything but Yusuke, Kuwabara, and whatever the hell stupid game that is. I correct.

Hiei smirks. They're idiots.

They're loud. This time I can reach him when I try to touch his face. I let my hand linger on his cheek. What's on your mind?

Nothing.

But the reply is too quick. I frown. Something's up. And what exactly is this nothing?

Hiei rolls his eyes and I almost feel silly for thinking he lied. Almost.

Hiei—

Talk to me, Kitten, and I might tell you.

I pout unhappily.

He grins. That's my offer.

We sit in silence for a while, him watching me and me looking anywhere but at him. He reaches out and, almost touching my skin, traces the line of a blue vein that stands out so well on the pale skin of my arm. I shiver and reach to my left for a jacket to stop him from distracting me. He snatches it away and continues his strange (pleasurable) torture.

Just you, right?

He looks at me, a triumphant smirk on his lips, like he knew what my answer would be right away.

Just me.

I sigh. "Tell me."

He stops tracing and lets his hand just rest on my arm. "It's a secret."

"Hiei, that's not fair!" I complain as I prop myself up on and elbow. "You promised!"

"I kept my promise. Now you have to keep yours."

I glare at him. I'm annoyed, but I can't find it in me to be as furious as I think I should be. "You're mean."

He leans in and stops less than half a centimetre from my lips. "I know."

"You also didn't put a set time on that trade. I talked. Now I can stop again."

"Kitten." I open my eyes slowly. Blood red orbs gaze back. Our lashes meet between us, tickling where they touch. "Don't."

I bite back a retort and shake my head. It isn't worth arguing over. The day after I gave myself to him I was incapacitated for two or three days in pain. Then my father, who left me totally nauseous and dizzy, took another night away from me. I'm not going to let an argument about my voice ruin what could be our first night together since we mated.

Hiei seems to come to the same conclusion as me. He closes that tiny gap to kiss me. I reach up again and slide my arms around his neck. He leans in deeper and nearly pushes me flat on the floor.

I can't help but smile against his lips.