Chapter Four- The Dinner Date

Shiori was relieved when Kurama introduced Hiei. He was shorter than her son and his face definitely seemed cold despite the stoic look. She nonetheless said, "Welcome, Hiei. It's a pleasure to meet you. I understand you've known Shuichi for quite some time."

Hiei nodded. The woman seemed friendly enough, a trait she taught Kurama, no doubt. He followed his hosts to the dining room where dinner sat waiting for them. They sat and for a time there was silence as they filled their plates. Once they were filled, Shiori sipped some water before saying, "Hiei, please tell me about yourself."

Hiei swallowed his bite of food before saying, "There's not much to tell."

"Not true," Kurama said; to Shiori he added, "Hiei's not very open when asked about his past or himself in general."

Hiei huffed slightly and Shiori gave a small smile. "Well, I want to know about my future son-in-law so you will have to answer some questions."

Hiei almost choked on his food. "Future what?" he sputtered.

"Son-in-law," Kurama said. "When humans marry, their families are then related by marriage. The members of both families are referred to as in-laws."

"I take it demons don't marry?" Shiori asked.

"Most don't," Hiei answered. "And those that do don't usually refer to the other's family members as in-laws."

"Would you consider marrying Shuichi?"

Hiei appeared thoughtful. "I'm…not sure," he said slowly. "I would certainly consider him a mate. I suppose we could do both."

"I agree," Kurama put in.

Shiori nodded. "What kind of demon are you? Shuichi told me he's a fox demon."

"Fire demon," Hiei said. "I can create fire and use them as attacks." He smirked. "It's ironic as Kurama controls plants."

Kurama nodded as he reached into his hair, removed a seed, and used his energy to cause it to bloom into a rose. He held it out to her and she put it over an ear. She returned to her questioning. "Do you have a family?"

"That was…somewhat irritating," Hiei grunted.

"Get used to it," Kurama said as he brushed his hair. "I sense Mother's not done asking questions."

"No kidding. She wants me to spend the night and then talk in the morning."

"I suspect she will want me to make myself scarce during that time."

"Hn. Good night, Fox," Hiei gave a kiss.

Kurama returned it. "Good night, Hiei." Hiei left for the guest room and Kurama smiled. The questioning wasn't that bad. Hiei did lie saying his family was dead, he admitted to having a Jagan when Shiori asked about his headband, and how he met Kurama. Kurama knew Shiori had more questions, but decided to end it for the night. I'm sure she'll like him when she is done questioning him, he thought as he fell asleep.

It was several hours later when Karasu slowly slid the window up and slipped into Kurama's room. He stood at the foot of the bed, admiring the sleeping form of his crush. He ran a tongue over his fangs. He longed to bite Kurama; a bite and the feeding of vampire blood would stop Kurama's heart and give him the appearance of death. Kurama would awaken forty-eight hours later as a vampire. I will need to take a lock of his hair as the red will turn black when he awakens forty-eight hours later.

He stealthy crept up to Kurama's side, his shadow falling across the sleeping body. Kurama jerked awake, locked eyes with Karasu, and opened his mouth to scream. The vampire slapped a hand over it to muffle it.

"I told you I would be revived," he whispered in his ear. "I promised I would come after you. I have been revived as a vampire and now I am ready to give you this lifestyle. You will fall into a coma for forty-eight hours that will be mistaken for death. I will fetch you shortly before you awaken and teach you how to be a vampire." Karasu then sank his fangs into Kurama's neck and proceeded to drink some of his blood. He felt Kurama weaken, withdrew, and used his teeth to open the tube before removing his hand from Kurama's mouth, and pouring the blood down the throat.

Kurama gasped as he felt his heart stop. The life light faded from his eyes as they closed. His skin paled as he stopped breathing. Karasu smiled as he laid the body down before taking a knife and cutting a small lock of hair off before leaving, closing the window behind him.

The sun poured through the window and onto Hiei's face, waking the fire demon. He blinked against the light, putting a hand up to block it. He then rubbed his eyes as he got out of bed and he heard Shiori walk by. She will be questioning him once they were alone and sighed. Maybe I should tell her everything. Hn, Kurama's rubbing off on me.

"Shuichi! Shuichi!" Shiori screamed, making Hiei jump before racing toward the screams to see Shiori shaking the boy whose skin was death pale.

Hiei went to Kurama's other side and felt for a pulse; there was none. No, he thought. He pulled back a lid to see a blank lifeless green eye; furthermore he felt no breath against his cheek. He jerked back stunned as Shiori ran to call for an ambulance. It can't be, he thought. Kurama's dead. A tear slid down his cheek and clattered to the floor as a Hiruseki stone the same color as Yukina's.

"Heart attack," Hiei repeated in a daze as he sat on a park bench with Yusuke and Kuwabara. "He had a heart attack and died in his sleep."

"That's not possible," Yusuke said. "There's no way Kurama would have a heart attack. You didn't sense his ghost?"

Hiei shook his head. "Kurama had his room warded against ghosts. So it's likely his ghost was expelled from the room upon emerging." He sighed as he got up. "The wake's tonight and the funeral's tomorrow." He raced off, blinking away tears. He was normally an emotionless demon but loving Kurama and then losing him brought out a pain that hurt. He doubted if he would ever recover from the loss.

The wake was one of the hardest things Hiei's ever done. He sat beside Shiori hardly acknowledging the guests that came to give their condolences. Tears streaked Shiori's cheeks as she gazed blankly forward while Hiei looked down. He thought of how he had put his Hiruseki stone on a cord and put it around Kurama's neck and tucked it under the black suit the body wore. He felt his love deserved the first tear he ever shed; he was sure he would shed others later in life. The one bright spot is that if Karasu has been revived, Kurama has evaded him again and will be forever out of his reach.

Karasu perched on a roof nearby, watching the wake. Kurama was obviously well-known and well-loved. He spied groups of girls sobbing and some boys shedding silent tears alone. He smirked at the sad, somber scene. He alone knew that Kurama wasn't dead. The boy was in a coma, undergoing his transformation into a vampire.

It didn't take me very long as my body was already dead; my ghost simply needed to be returned to the flesh through the ritual that Sensui performed. He continued to watch the wake, but his mind was already thinking ahead. The funeral will take place tomorrow and the casket will be moved to the place where the body will be cremated. That is where I will retrieve Kurama and put a newly drained corpse in his place. I will take him to where I sleep and exist and wait for him to awaken. But first, I need to preserve this lock of hair I took. Karasu stood, leaped into the air, became a bat again, and flew off while the sobs and moans of the mourners continued on below him.