Hiei's hand burned as he struggled to keep up with the rapid sputtering of the assistant professor. The man always did speak way too quickly and he didn't seem to care whom he left how far behind if only he could finish his full portion for the day.
Thankfully, it was Hiei's last lecture for the day. He did have to go to work later but it was that of a supervisor at an active site, so at least he would actually get to walk around and stretch his limbs.
He had switched universities to move across the country to Bangalore for his LLM. While Gauri's reference had landed him a job in other contracting firm, he no longer held the position he did with her. The hours were flexible though and Hiei was getting by well enough to not complain, even if things were always a little tight.
Not like he wasn't used to it.
It had been three years. Hiei would finish his Masters this summer. He'd no longer be working in contracting companies anymore. He could get a job in a law firm instead. The pay would be so much better. He could start paying off his loans, for one.
He could start paying Gauri back.
… and actually taking care of some of their bills.
It was purely by co-incidence that his eyes strayed outside, but in the lap of lush greenery that were his campus grounds, a vibrant spot of white caught his attention.
Kurama waved from where sat on the grass with his legs crossed underneath, a huge smile on his face. Hiei rolled his eyes and looked away. It was not as if he could afford to miss too much of the lecture.
There was a tiny grin on his face, anyway.
Kurama- cool, mysterious, exciting Kurama was actually just a huge fucking dork cosplaying as a hottie with the body of a pin up model.
"I brought you food!" Kurama announced to Hiei when lectures ended and Hiei went outside to meet that ridiculous fool, as if he didn't do the exact same thing every single day. Hiei snatched the bag out of Kurama's hands and dropped down on the grass next to him.
The weather in Bangalore was perfect all the goddamn time and these lawns his and Kurama's favourite spot to lounge around. Not like Kurama went to the university. He had just obtained an ID card somehow, and now brought Hiei lunch every day.
"This is good." Hiei muttered as he chewed on the chhole paneer preparation folded inside a piece of the warm, soft chapati. Kurama had really been outdoing himself with his cooking lately.
"Really?" Kurama perked up. He looked so happy, Hiei was sure if the man had a tail, it'd be swishing around in delight.
He looked so happy, Hiei was sure if they weren't in public, he'd kiss him on the mouth.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Oh did you check the group chat? Yuusuke finally popped the question. They've finalised the date too. Crazy isn't it?…"
As Hiei had discovered, Kurama talked a lot.
A whole lot.
It got irritating sometimes, like he was sure a hundred things about him irritated Kurama too.
Like how he shut down, didn't talk at all.
They had learned to accept their differences, however, and actually work around them. Domesticity did that to you and the two of them had been a gross, domestic couple for nearly two years now.
Things were pretty serious, pretty steady. Hiei liked that.
He liked it way better than the adrenaline induced rushes he had once chased Kurama to attain.
The 180 his life had done made him laugh sometimes. They had both chosen to remain in India, far away from their past lives. Kurama had taken some of the money he had stolen from Karasu and bought out a telecom firm. The man had been swimming in it for a while, and they both were so lost as to what to do with all of it, they started planning to set up an NPO to help reunite trafficked children with their parents. It was still in the works but just the thought of it was helping heal a part of Kurama.
He had yet to confess what had actually happened that night with Karasu but three years down the line Hiei didn't care all that much anymore. Their brains were fucked up and Hiei would let Kurama deal with himself how he thought best and Kurama offered him the same curtesy.
They were piecing their lives together, slotting the pieces in place around each other's. It was less trouble than Hiei had thought it would be. For the most part, it had been delightful.
Getting to know Kurama, and actually know him, was an experience Hiei could never replace with anything in the world and yet more precious than that, was getting to know himself.
… getting to watch Kurama fall in love with everything he learned about himself.
Hiei's favourite food was schwarma and he still loved soccer. He liked wearing black. It made him seem leaner and hence taller.
His favourite colour, however, was still green.
He held out a morsel to Kurama, feeling a shiver travel down his spine when Kurama's lips brushed against his finger tips.
Not to mention, the sex… the sex was mind fucking blowing.
He really loved eating Kurama out.
"… and then I said to her, do you even want that shade right up there next to the lavender you picked out for the table cloth and she actually got thinking about it…"
It was true though, the man did talk too much.
Amused, distracted, Hiei smiled up at Kurama as he went on talking his ear off about table cloths and decorative pieces and whatnot. He wasn't really listening but the brightness of Kurama's smile warmed the insides of Hiei's chest anyway.
He nodded when Kurama looked at him in expectation of a response.
"'kay."
With this epilogue, the story is finished! Comment and let me know what you thought 3