Nanashi paced on the school rooftop the next week. She delayed until after the school exam to confront Kurama, regretting waiting so long in the midst of it but wanting to focus on the exam. She did feel begrudgingly grateful Kurama had made he study with him so much before he lost control as Youko. Kaito had also talked about the exam almost nonstop, but less to help her study and more to point out how good he thought he would do on the exam. She had finished the exam first, texting him once she was out of the classroom to tell her to meet on the rooftop to talk. He texted her back minutes after she reached the rooftop that he would be up there shortly. She paced back and forth, too nervous to sit down. The hair clip he had given her felt heavy in her hands. She rehearsed in her head over and over what she would say, telling herself not to clam up and not to change what she planned to say.

She heard the door open, making her whip her head around and freeze in mid step. He walking calmly, shutting the door behind him. She swore she heard the latch click shut in the tense silence that followed. He walked towards her, hands hanging loosely at his sides. He looked worn out, bags under his eyes. Perhaps he was more intent about studying for the exam than she had been.

He stopped at a formal distance from her, which she preferred. "Thank you for finally meeting me," he said blankly.

She felt her mouth go dry, much to her annoyance. She racked her brain for a way to respond. "I needed time to think. And wanted to wait until after the exam," she stated.

Kurama looked down at her, his lack of emotion made her nervous. "And spend some time with Hiei apparently," he observed. "While busily avoiding me as much as possible."

She gaped at him, thrown off by how he knew about that. She thought about that Saturday afternoon, how it went from Hiei questioning her to kissing her to consoling her in a most awkward state. "He told you?" she asked in surprise.

He shook his head stiffly. "I smelled him on you on Monday morning," he revealed.

She stood up straighter, surprised. "Um..." she hummed, all the words she had been planning to say went out the window.

He looked slightly frustrated at that. "What happened with the two of you then?" he asked eerily calmly.

She closed her eyes, recalling that day. "It's not like that," she said, trying to think how to explain. "He came asking what happened between us... and... and..." she fumbled. "He saw the scratches and bite. He explained why you lost control. A mate claim started but halted," she felt her face flush explaining it. Her mind tried to circle back to what she planned to say before he caught her off guard.

"You were topless with him?" he asked, tone going flat.

She sighed, feeling flustered. "It wasn't like that- ugh," she sighed, bringing her fist to her mouth. "He, we- ugh. I had just showered when I saw him in my room... He stopped everything when he saw the bite." She looked up at him, more nervous with how in control he looked, but still had a livid look dancing behind his eye. She rounded back to her planned talking points. "I can't do this anymore, as a human, it was okay. But as a demon, you are too much. I can't handle it again, especially if your instincts kick in and you try to bite me again. I don't think I would be able to fight you off either." Her words felt flat and direct, but she was unsure how else to say it.

He blinked down at her, clicking his teeth. "You decided that before or after Hiei came to you?" he questioned in a tone that made her ears draw back.

He was fixating on the wrong part of the conversation. "After. But after what he explained," she emphasized. She looked down. "We should just be friends. It was going to have to be that way anyway, since one day you will go back to the Demon World. You won't be able to take a human with you," she pointed out, throat feeling thick. "Who knows when another mission will happen and we'll need to work together on that with the others." She hoped that was going to happen later rather than sooner.

"What happened between the time he arrived and the time he saw the bite?" he asked insistently.

She looked back up at him, but away. He was upset not unlike the way he was upset with her after the time Elder Toguro dangled her off another rooftop. Hiei had averted his temper then, but was not here now to do so. "We... kissed," she admitted. She watched his eyes, worried she might see a flash of yellow. He shifted, hissing in a breath. "It's not like that, it wasn't like that. I don't think he planned it. I certainly didn't. I was in my towel, having just showered. I was upset still, and... mmmm," she flubbed out.

"Which one of you kissed the other first?" he pressed.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure-" she started to lie protectively.

"Don't lie to me!" he only half yelled, but it made her step back nervously.

She steeled her resolve, stepping back towards him. "What does it matter if I kissed him first or he kissed me first? We were never a couple, beyond the label you 'don't like to share.' You even invited him to join us once and I watched you with him. You watched me with him." She shook her head.

"He was there in case to protect you from Youko the first time," he explained. "I was not sure how much control I would have over Youko otherwise. But that does not mean I would be alright with the two of you at anytime." He was breathing deeply, looking flushed. "Especially when you won't talk to me, want answer my calls or texts, won't be around me. Yet he waltzes in your room, sounds like uninvited and gets to tell you everything."

"It wasn't like that," she said, annoyed with him now.

"Who kissed first?" he insisted.

She growled under her breath. "Fine, I did," she lied. "Is that what you want to hear?" He looked at her, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. "How differently would you react if I said he kissed me first? Would you want to do something to him?" she questioned, uncomfortable with how unsure she was of what the answer would be. His jaw was clenched, but he kept silent. "Leave him be. It was a slip. I was feeling lonely. He backed off when he saw the bite, but I'm not yours, even if you have stated so otherwise before. It's best to just end it here and go back to just friends or at least teammates as best we can," she rushed out, eyeing the door behind him now.

He said nothing to her in response, which made her feel all the more tense. She could almost sense his temper brewing under the surface, even if he was trying to keep it in tact. Her face felt hot, but she resolved not to slip in front of him. She pressed the hair clip into his hand, feeling him take it and then look down to see what it was with a groan.

"Keep it," he said. She pulled her hand away from him empty, side stepped around him, heading towards the door. His hand caught her by the upper arm, gently rather than firmly. "Nanashi," he just breathed her name.

It was enough to make her pause, screwing her eyes shut tight and holding her breath. She would not break down in front of him. She felt him pull her back towards him. She slipped out of his grasp as her turned her around and himself around to face one another. His other hand reached for her face, but she pulled away from him completely, walking to the door and exiting the roof as fast as her feet could carry her.