Hooray! Hiei's great return!!!! ^_^

I don't own YYH...hooray....*Comes to self realization that she never will own YYH* *Sobs*

Chapter 7

"Still looks the same to me. Maybe...everything's okay." Hiei walked up to Kurama's home and knocked gently on the front door, looking as prim and proper as he could. Maybe it was a bit late to be disturbing them. The vial of night had already fallen, yet, he was determined.

A woman answered the door, Kurama's mother. Hiei smiled as innocently as his demon lips would allow.

"Hey, ummm....I'm here to see Shuuichi. Is he available?" He stood confident and proud, wanting his fox boy back.

"I'm sorry, but Shuuichi hasn't spoken to anyone in over two weeks." Hiei thought to himself, Have I been gone that long? He focused all his attention back on the woman.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, may I try to talk to him?" He pleaded with her, needing to see him again, if only just once more. He needed to lay his tainted demon eyes on a sight purer than the rays of sun, untouched by the night.

"Sure, I guess you could try to snap him out of this trance he's been in." The woman smiled gently, moving aside and allowing Hiei in. "I've seen you around here before. You're a school friend of Shuuichi's, right?"

Stammering, he fought to try and remember the human name he had given himself. "Uhhh....yes, I'm Yuki." Phew, that was close. One advantage to his twisted demon mind was excellent memory.

"Well, good luck, Yuki. I really hope your efforts are better then my own. I miss my son so very much. His face has grown pale, and he remains as silent as stars..." Her voice trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. Her sweet, innocent child had been stolen by the loneliness hidden deep within him. She only longed for the day that the glimmer would return to his jade eyes, and the color to his pale cheeks.

"I'll try, ma'am." 'Yuki' smiled, heading up to Kurama's room. How he had sympathized for that woman. He knew it was his fault and his fault alone that made Kurama this way, he just didn't want to admit it. His demon heart allowed no guilt. Demon hearts held no compassion, no sympathy, no love. So, then that would make Hiei's heart about as human as it can get.

With a nervous hand, he knocked on the door quietly, afraid of what the first words out of Kurama's mouth would be.

"Mother, I've told you numerous times already! Don't make me say it again!" A voice snarled from inside the closed door. No, that can't be him. Not my dear sweet fox whose smile brightens up my days....

"Kurama, it's Hiei...." Hiei muttered in nothing but a mere whisper. "Please, open the door."

Hesitation struck the air, and moments passed with no words. Only Hiei's heavy, nervous breathing could be heard. Suddenly, Hiei heard a few distant footsteps from behind the door. The footsteps made their way to the door, a slight click was heard, and the footsteps stepped back to where they were.

"Enter..." One stern word ran through Hiei's mind as he slowly opened the door, almost afraid of what lay on the other side.

The bed was in the same place, as was all of Kurama's knick knacks. Maybe I'm just imagining this...Numerous sized blades lay scattered amongst the room. Okay, maybe not. Each blade, though thoroughly cleaned, had the crisp scent of blood plastered on it, and Hiei knew this. His senses tingled as the scent intrigued his nose.

"Well, what the hell do you want?" Such a vicious tone of voice he had now. So rigid and uncaring, as cold as eyes of those condemned to spend eternity in the fire depths of Hell.

"Kurama..." He stammered a bit, stepping over each blade, walking closer to the deranged ningen in front of him.

A cynical laugh came from Kurama's direction, as chills ran down Hiei's spine. He looked on, only to see Kurama's shirtless back, facing the window. Hiei only saw a flicker of reflected moonlight as a metal object ran down the lengths of Kurama's pale arms.

"Well?" Kurama spat out the words in a fierce, irritated tone.

"Kurama, I just...Well..."

"I haven't the time for idle chat, Hiei. Get to the point, and fast."

Stumbling over his words, the fire youkai looked up like helpless eyes to the one who had set his heart free, though he wasn't really the same person he fell in love with.

"Kurama, tell me what's wrong, please."

He chuckled, looking to the youkai's eyes with all the hate and coldness which existed within him. The eyes of the youko always showed such kindness, but something else had consumed him, something had tainted those eyes with the pain of a thousand knives piercing the gentle heart of one who had given up everything to feel that love that existed between a youko and a youkai. That love was tarnished by the youkai's unwillingness to give up his heart to someone who would care for him.

Why is it now he comes crawling back to me? My heart was dedicated to him and him alone, but now, the cold touch of the blade is the only one who loves me....Kurama's thoughts wandered, as he looked to the pitiful excuse in front of him.

"So, why have you come back?" He finally turned to face him, scars running from his wrists, along his arms, and a few along his chest. Each scar was in the healing process that never ended. Once it healed, another blade would reopen it. All of them were the same pinkish color, the skin was being manipulated to love the pain it was put through everyday.

"I came back for you, fox. You know I would have come back for you eventually." The façade of the hate filled youkai returned.

"You cannot hide from me, Hiei. I know that look in your eyes...You fear me, don't you?" Kurama saw the fear in his eyes. Though he tried to hide it, fear never lies.

"Nonsense!"

Rising, Kurama bent down, picking up one of the many blades that lay scattered in his room. He picked the sharpest blade, the tip glimmering with borrowed light from the moon, which peeked in through the open window. Walking closer still to the trembling youkai, Kurama grabbed Hiei's callused wrist, placing the tip of the blade on a visible vein.

"You know what I've been doing ever since you left? I've been toying with these..." He ran the blade across Hiei's arm gently, watching him cringe in pain. The blood gently glided down his arm, as the youko grinned. He loved seeing the same pain that he felt on the face of the one who caused him this pain.

"Kurama, I didn't mean to hurt you..." Hiei spat out the words, watching the crimson color consume his arm. "Please understand, Kurama. I want to be with you, and I'm sorry."

He released Hiei's arm, circling around him like a vulture 'round its' prey. After circling around him a few times, he ended up behind him. With lightning quick speed, before Hiei knew it, the same blade that sliced his wrist was pressed against his neck.

"Why is it any different, Hiei? I begged you not to leave me here alone, and still you left. So, once you left this world, you left my heart. And, now, when your guilty conscience begins to catch up with you, you expect to let you back in, like nothing happened. I will not be hurt again!" Pressing even harder on the blade, nicking Hiei's throat slightly. Trembling in fear, Hiei's breathing became very heavy, very panicked. It was only drowned out by Kurama's demonic snickering. "So, do you love me, Hiei?"

His body cringed under Kurama's forceful hands. "You know I do, Kurama."

"Well," He brought the blade away from his neck, Hiei's blood clinging to it loosely. "Refresh my memory..."

Sighing in relief, the youkai raised his left had to touch his neck, his hand returning with bloodstains. He looked into the eyes of the youko in front of him, seeing sinister love deep within. "I...I do love you, Kurama..."
"Why don't I believe you?" With swift movements, he kicked Hiei just below the chin, sending him flying into the wall with a sickening thud. "Now, tell me again with some feeling."

"I...I love you, Kurama." He stammered over words, blood now trickling from the back of his head, blending in with his wild, ebony hair.

"That's better, Hiei." Walking to him, he placed a cynical hand atop Hiei's head. "See? I knew you could do better..."

With sorrow filled eyes, he could only look up at his fox, his master, the one who had tamed the Black Dragon within.