After taking careful note of the black dragon painting hanging on the wall, Hiei nodded. "Indeed."

Kurama walked over to Hiei's side, and smiled at the two paintings side by side. "You like it? I saw it at a garage sale, thought it sort of reminded me of you. Guess that's why I bought it."

"Oh really?" Was all of a reply Kurama received as Hiei walked over to Kurama's bed and sat upon it, staring down at the foxes that danced upon the top blanket.

"Mother never had much care for it." As he continued Kurama sat down at his desk, turning the chair so that he could face Hiei. There was a notebook on the desk, and it was open to a page that had big lettering at the top that clearly read, Trigonometry.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Kurama spoke again. "Hiei, tell me about your past."

This question surprised Hiei and he looked at Kurama oddly. "But you know my past, Ku."

"Please, Hiei. Just tell it to me again." The green eyes seemed almost as pleading as a puppy in a pet store asking to be bought.

"Well...I was brought into this world by a woman of a very strict clan. In fact, her laws were against Demons of my kind. If not all Demons. It was that I was to be thrown from a cliff to obvious death, at only a human baby's age. Of course, being the weakling koorime she was, she was unable to do this and I was passed along to a friend. The two had broken the laws of their village just to save my life, why they did so is a mystery to me. Anyways, the friend had said she had done the deed but really, just set me off on my own."

Hiei paused to look at Kurama who was hanging on every word that was spoken from his friend's mouth.

"From there, I got adopted by a group of thieves, and learned their way of life. Not a very honorable one, I may say, but you yourself was once a thief, Kurama." Hiei smirked before returning to his story. "Sometime in between there, I had been given a crystal. A crystal to remember my sister, Yukina. I set out from the group of thieves I had learned to call, "loose family" and searched for my sister. It was then that I got my Jagan eye and when I sealed my fate."

"What do you mean, "sealed your fate"?" Kurama asked with much curiosity and interest.

"Before I could get my third eye, I had to promise to the man that did it, I would not tell my sister who I was. Therefore, she would never know and I would be forced to watch from the shadows."

At the end of Hiei's telling of his past, Kurama couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened. He stood up abruptly from his chair and walked over to where Hiei sat on the bed. Sinking next to him, Kurama put an arm around Hiei's shoulder. "Don't worry, Yukina's a smart girl. I'm sure eventually she'll find out."

"I'm not worried. I don't even really care."

Kurama signed. If Hiei was going to be like this, then he wasn't about to push. "Alright, if you say so." He rose from the bed, and went back to his desk. "I have to study for my math test tomorrow. You can stay if you want."

"No, I think I'll let you have time to yourself." Hiei also stood up and walked over to the bedroom door, the thought of saying goodbye never even brushing his thoughts.

"Er...Hiei?" Kurama's voice broke the silence again.

Slowly, Hiei turned around to face the Kitsune Akuma. "Yes?"

"...Never mind." His shoulders sank, and he turned to his desk a bit teary eyed as Hiei strode from the doorframe and out of his house. Again, silence was the only sound and Kurama was alone.

Outside, Hiei crossed his arms and continued to walk down the street. 'So many times, you've heard my past, Ku. Why won't you tell me yours?'

"Why is it, Hiei...that you always leave me...when I need you most?" The words echoed in Kurama's head as he spoke them aloud to himself. Never expecting an answer. Oh no, never.

Both of them, Demons. Seemingly as different as a bird and a fish, but really, they were alike in so many ways. Only needing to let down the barrier of difference to show each other their feelings and emotions. Each from a different side of the tracks, but destined to be together? Could this possibly happen? Could it...?