Series: Inuyasha/YuYu Hakusho
Pairing: Kagome/Hiei
Prompt: Interspecies relationships are hard. However, they can rewarding too.

At no point in his life had Hiei ever even considered entering into a relationship with a human, much less imagined what that would mean. But after becoming involved with Kagome, he'd been forced into realizations about things he'd never even thought would be an issue in a relationship.

Kagome couldn't hear nearly as well as he could. It had been startling in the beginning to realize that sounds he'd always heard and dismissed didn't even register for Kagome. And in that same vein, she often didn't realize how loud she could be. He knew she made a conscious effort to be careful of his sensitive hearing, but it was hard for her to understand without experiencing it herself. This was especially true when they were indoors. She still occasionally forgot that she didn't have to actually yell for him when they weren't in the same room.

There were similar issues with smells and tastes. Almost all of her perfumes were too strong, and he often went shopping with her for no other reason than to smell test her shampoo's and body products. After one particularly bad incident involving a "Moroccan Rose" body lotion, they both thought it best to find something they could both live with. And they'd more-or-less agreed to disagree on most foods. He still called her seasonings weak and she was usually appalled at the combinations he found most savory.

But one of the hardest things for Hiei was having to keep himself in check whenever he touched her.

It had eventually become second-nature in their everyday interactions, but he still had to watch his strength if he ever got too worked up or excited. And it wasn't to say that Kagome wasn't strong, because she very much was in her own way. She could deal him (and most other demons) lethal damage if she so chose, but her body was still very human and considerably more fragile than his.

There had been times in the beginning when he'd held her, gripped her, tugged her, and though she'd never said anything about him hurting her, he'd seen the bruises in the days following. That was how he'd learned just how much more delicately he'd have to handle her if they were going to be together.

At times, more often than he'd ever admit, he wondered if it was all worth it. If going the extra mile lighten his touch to the point of it feeling almost non-existent to him, if dealing with the stomach-turning and headache-inducing smells, if blocking out the loud bangs and clatters and yells, if it was really outweighed by the good times.

"Hey," Kagome smiled as she stepped into their bedroom, fresh out of the bath, dressed for bed, and towel drying her long hair. Sitting on the edge of the bed where he was lying and thinking about their relationship once again, "You look serious. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," he told her only to lift a brow at the skeptical look she gave him. "What? Don't believe me?"

"Not in the slightest," she laughed before tossing her towel over the back of her desk chair and crawling onto the bed to lay with him.

Hiei allowed her to get situated, pressed up against his side with her head on his chest, before he let his arm fall around her waist. The scent of her shampoo, cucumber and green tea, tickled his nose and he inhaled a little deeper. This had become one of his favorites. It had a soft and calming effect on him, much like Kagome.

He often went back and forth on whether that was a pro or a con to their relationship, and it largely depended on his mood at the moment, but there was no denying that she'd softened his edges, calmed his anger and made him more patient. Everyone around him said that it was a good thing, but everything he'd learned growing up screamed against it. It clawed inside of his mind at times, saying that he'd gotten soft and weak. But he didn't feel weak. He'd been alone for most of his life, but he'd found a strength in having Kagome in his life. Not only having someone to fight for other than himself, but knowing that someone was at his back to keep him steady if he should start to fall.

Pulling her a little closer to his side, he listened to her breathing and knew that she was still awake, simply enjoying the silence and his company much the same as he was.

"Your hair is getting my shirt wet," he told her, trying to sound more irritated than he actually was.

"You're basically a space heater," she said while rubbing her nose against his chest. "It'll dry quick enough. Besides, it's getting cold out, so this is cuddle weather."

Hiei wanted to roll all three of his eyes but refrained.

Kagome was loud and delicate and loved scents that made him sick and ate food that he could barely taste at times, but she was worth it. This. Her. The calm she gave him, the softness she'd caused in him, having a place to come home to and arms that never tired of being wrapped around him, she made all the little annoyances worth every second.