More slasher movies! *hides from herself* This is easier said than done . Way easier said. In fact, I'll give up on that and just write. Thanks for the reviews. I think O.o………

A thanks to dark-kagome2. My first reviewer. And SilverFoxglove. My second reviewer ^-^. Muwhaha! *teary eyed* You like me, you really like me!

Also, yaoi is my specialty, so I got a Yaoi RPG site, just go to my profile and click on my website link. You'll love it ^^

PS: Watch for the next chapter. *sniggers* Yaoi-ness! WHEE!!!! (Give me a few weeks) PLUS Oct. 5 is my b-day so I'm going to try and update by then.

Chapter 2: Day 1

*~*~*

The raven-haired demon slipped quietly through the door of his boarding house. Well, their boarding house, he had rented two rooms. He and his sister came here to start a new life. The demon man was sent away from adoption as a child, given to a crummy orphanage in the slums of the city close to his home. He was adopted by some bandits, who taught him almost everything he knew. Then, he found out he had a birth sister. The person who knew where she was would only tell him on one condition: He could test his latest experiment on him.

His "experiment" was an all-seeing eye. The Jagan was the evil eye, it could see long distances, it could read people's minds, and if the poor soul is weak enough, control it. As soon as he found his sister, they ran off. Soon, the siblings found themselves here. The poor koorime girl only knew two things about her brother's job. He worked nights and he worked with meat, which would explain the blood. She passed it off as him working the graveyard shift at a meat-packing company.

That's exactly what he wanted her to think.

He climbed up the steps to door 67 and snatched a key from his pocket. He opened the door as quietly as he could. The two-room apartment was clean and tidy. The furniture was sparse; a table here, one or two chairs stacked against the wall to make enough room for his training and Yukina's medicine making tools. She was a pharmacist, working at the local drug store. She made her own medicines and ointments from the various floras in the local gardens. The ice maiden also made jewelry with her tears if times were too hard. Hiei hated himself when it came to that. The demon hated seeing his dear sister cry. He worked three times as many jobs when things seemed the slightest tough for his sister. Hiei would work until things got better or until he started to get hurt himself and Yukina pleaded for him to stop.

The room was not empty. Yukina was already up, grading some purple leaves in a mortar with her pestle. She moved her lips as she read the words off a slip of paper. She was making an ointment for muscle pains and arthritis. He took the time to memorize every concoction's ingredients. The koorime asked him periodically to fetch the ingredients form the gardens, the fire demon gladly did it. Her soft red eyes looked up form her work and brightened in seeing her brother.

"Hiei-chan! Welcome home, how was your day?" she asked. Yukina kept saying "day" when the truth was "night". "It was exceptional…" he murmured, removing his coat and gloves. He undid his belt that held his katana and set it in the corner. Her face looked slightly disheartened. "Why do you carry that thing around? You don't honestly need it?" he couldn't help but sigh with sadness. How innocent she was.

"Protection is all I need it for. You don't know what you might find on the streets at night," he muttered. "True, brother. I forgot about that," she sighed, mimicking unknowingly her brother, "What is this world coming too?"

'A dead end,' he thought. He sat cross-legged by her. Yukina handed him a bowl of rice, "Dinner is served." He took it thankfully and munched on it. "Erm, I'm very sorry, Hiei. I need some fox grapes. Do you mind getting some from the gardens?"

Hiei didn't recall fox grapes in any recipe, must have been new. The plant must be a vine and have grapes, but he didn't know what kind or color that it was. How could he deny his only sister and that sweet face?

The fire demon grabbed his coat and katana and took off.

*~*~*

Kurama stood at the corner of his street, waiting for his customer, like he did that night of Botan's murder. The wind had picked up, making him hold himself tight, shivering. If a customer didn't show up in a minute, he was going to go home. The poor red-head already had two customers, but they were bad payers. He still couldn't get the horrible taste out of his mouth. Even after a mug of warm ale. His mother would hang her head in shame if she knew. The kitsune sighed, and started to walk home.

The walk was far, but he could go through the park gardens. The gardens were one of his favorite places in the whole city. It was so full of green, raw life that filled the fenced area. The green-thumb Kurama loved to tend to a little section of the gardens that the owner let him plant. He even paid him a few coins a week if it was up to his standards. The kitsune often got tips for making the rest of the garden seem livelier.

Kurama opened the high, wrought iron gates and went into the luscious gardens. He could smell the cherry blossom tree he planted as a child before he even got to the section. The place set aside for him was filled to the brim with vivid purples, sensual reds, calming pinks, soft blues, and deep emeralds. The kitsune took pride in his garden. When any blossoming couple, or fading elders came walking by, they always stop to breathe in the wonderful scents and drink the sights like sweet wine. Lonely people, homeless people, sad people would reminisce on the old stone bench under the sakura blossoms. He enjoyed watching them come in and out of emotions, like butterflies out of cocoons.

He kneeled down to examine a wilting bloom of a ruby rose. The fox made a tutting noise with his tongue and held the wilting blossom up. He reached deep inside his soul and plucked a very thing sliver of spirit energy, which made the small bloom stand up. Its leaves went from crinkled, sickly green to plump, shiny emerald in a matter of seconds. The once nodding petals sprouted up and stared at the overcast sky. He smiled wholesomely and stood. "You'll grow quickly; I can tell you have potential."

Kurama chuckled quietly to himself and sat on his stone bench. The place seemed to reek of natural perfumes and blinding colors. He was about to doze off when a sound startled him. It was life the soft patter of a running child's footsteps, except slightly heavier. It was as light as a bird's, but the dead leaves under the feet crunched in the weight. He narrowed his eyes and stared behind the hedge which separated him and the patter's owner. Kurama saw a man, of short stature but finely toned, flitting quietly. Every few patters, the man stopped and looked around, like an animal trying its best to avoid predators and get to its destination at the same time. He had bright red eyes that glinted as he passed under what light the dense canopy of trees and even denser clouds could let through. Kurama knew it was a demon, for no human could move so stealthily. The demon was looking for something, Kurama concluded. Furthermore, the man seemed vaguely familiar. The fox made himself still, hardly noticeable in the shadows of his sakura tree. The man stopped in front of a copse of large vines. Various grapes hung daintily from the curly boughs, each of different color and taste. The demon looked confused, looking through the curls and grapes, tugging away the vine.

'He is ruining my grapes.'

"Excuse me," Kurama said in the most innocent voice he could muster. It was between a squeak and a timid whisper. The demon didn't seem startled, only turned abruptly. He seemed to have not known the kitsune's existence under the tree. "You're ruining my plants, is there something you need?" he asked, a little profoundly and not so meekly.

*~*~*

Hiei shifted his eyes form the vine and back to the red-head. His plants? The demon stood stock still, staring intensely at the peculiar creature. He seemed human, but something deep inside those pools of sparkling jades, was something wild, untamed, sly, fox-like. He calmed himself mentally downed and said with aplomb, "I'm looking for fox grapes. Where are they?"

The boy gave off the impression of knowing exactly what he was looking for, but didn't show it. "Fox grapes? What are those?" he said plainly.

"Don't play games with me. I'm in no mood to play around with silly humans. Neither have I the time. Now, where are the fox grapes?"

The red-head smiled softly, "I don't know what you are talking about. There are grapes, a lot of those, but possibly which are which I am unsure of."

There was no fooling the fire demon though. "You planted this garden, I have seen you before. You hum to yourself while you are sitting in the dirt planting little seeds in hopes that they grow into useless trees."

"Trees aren't useless."

"When they can't be cut down to properly make planks of wood they are."

"They don't like to be cut down."

"Oh, did they tell you that?"

"Yes. The especially don't like to be ridiculed for the fact they can't be mobile."

"Trees are meant for cutting down and using as raw martial."

"They can be a source of shade and food."

"So can buildings and vines. Where are the fox grapes?"

"For the third time, I don't know."

"You are too clever to not know. Where are they?"

"Thanks for the compliment. And what would a tree-hating person like you want with fox grapes?"

"My sister needs them, and that's all you'll get." 'Damn he's persistent.'

"I don't want anymore, thank you. Grapes for your sister? What could someone related to you do with such a fine bunch of grapes?"

"Healing, you idiot. She's a healer and she needs the grapes. Also, she's a lot more innocent than I'll ever be, and a hell of a lot more caring to humans and demons. Sometimes I even wonder why she cares! There! Happy?"

Hiei was calm but this boy was going to mark his doom if he kept up the act.

Kurama, on the other hand, was in enjoying a conversation with a complete stranger that didn't included the words, "How much does a red-head cost these days?".

The fire demon saw the other's enjoyment and scoffed, "A futile cause, you're just as stubborn and stupid as any human I have encountered."

The fox took this offensively, "Stupid? If I was stupid, then why am I not the one standing in a patch of poison oak?"

Hiei blinked and shifted his eyes down slowly. Surely enough, a thick mass of red and green vine swarmed at his feet. It had three leaves for each burst of one and was oily. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. The fire demon could all ready feel a tingling itch in his ankles.

"My, my, not the brightest crayon in the box, are we?" the red-head chortled. Hiei glared daggers at the rude red-head as he lifted himself from the mass. The fox was sly. He had used a faint bit of energy to make the vines wrap around poor Hiei's legs. As soon as he tried to move, he fell backwards into the itchy plant. Kurama couldn't help but chuckle. The fire demon saw red.

This wasn't surprising, since most fire is red. The plant burst into flames as Hiei got up. The boy's face fell into an unreadable expression. He caught a glimpse of Hiei's long blade as he rose. He got a better view when it was hovering millimeters from his throat.

"Listen you cocky bastard, if you just tell me where the fox grapes are, I won't have to slit your damn throat."

Kurama just stared blankly forward as Hiei's blade glistened by his jugular vein. He remembered now. The man with the spiked hair and white starburst behind him was the same man he saw leaving the murder scene of Botan's death. The same clothes he wore now, he wore then. That blade must have been hidden under the layers of black. The fox saw red.

He was staring at the ruby rosebud he saved earlier. It seemed to dazzle in the shaft of light that shone vibrantly upon it. "You really want those grapes do you?"

"Where are they?" he said quietly, trying to keep his voice low.

"They are right to the side of the wisteria, the grape-shaped pink blossoms. Right in front of me," he said eerily tranquil.

The fire demon lifted an eyebrow. His sword was an excellent negotiator. Hiei sheathed it and walked over to the large vines littered with little round grapes.

"You killed a friend of mine," muttered the fox, already standing. He had hovered near a bare spot, where a single ruby rosebud was just uprooted.

"Hn. It's possible, I'm an assassin, I'm paid to do the dirty work," he sneered reaching for the grapes.

"You killed Botan. She was a dear friend."

"Botan? What the he-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence. A weapon was cracked at him, but he was too fast and dodged. He regained balance on the stone bench, hand resting between his feet like a third leg. Kurama stood there, with that dead expression. In his hand he held a whip, fashioned of green plants fibers and sharp needles of roses.  The ruby rosebud was no more.

"I should turn you in to the authorities, but where is the fun in that?" he said, slightly smirking.

'There it is,' Hiei thought as he pulled out his katana. 'The wild, untamed, sly creature in his eyes.'

*~*~*

The battle was drawn out. It was long enough to make Kurama's mother worry, and Yukina worry for her brother's whereabouts. He was still in the garden, sweaty, topless and bleeding from slight cuts to deep gashes, some turning green from poison. His opponent was in equal shape. Kurama's hair was tousled, his breath ragged, bleeding where a long blade struck and his skin tinged with burn scars. They both staggered on their feet, clothes either torn or thrown off. Kurama's hat lay as a forgotten rag in the bushes while Hiei's white scarf could be found string by string in the canopy.

They matched in every way. Not a word uttered except for battle cries, startled gasps, and titles of attacks. Soon, they fought with their bare fists, one on one. Finally, Kurama broke the silence.

"Why'd you kill Botan?"

Hiei had forgotten all about the meaning of the fight, caught up too much in the fast movements and lashes of his sparring partner.

"Botan? I was never instructed to kill anyone called Botan."

Kurama blinked, mouth slightly ajar. Was he wrong in his assumption that this demon assassin was the murderer of Botan? No, he can't be wrong, he saw him leave!

Then again……

"Then I guess we have wasted blood for nothing. Not to mention a year's worth of gardening….."

Hiei laughed, "I guess so. You are quite a match. I saw your fighting spirit before you even began, in those eyes of yours."

The fox smiled weakly. He managed to mumble, "Honestly? I thought I could hide it, but I guess he likes to come out now and again."

They both laughed. Hiei finally managed to reach up and grab a handful of fox grapes. "My sister is going to worry about me," he said, taking up his cloak. He carefully set the grapes inside a pocket. He slipped it on and was about to flit off when a pain shot through his side. He forgot the excruciating gash he was dealt earlier by a large, putrid plant that left the cut pussy and green.

Kurama remembered that attack, and frowned. "That poison has had enough time to seep into your heart a hundred times. If you don't stop the poison from aging, you'll die in a short time."

Hiei's eyes widened. His sister, his smiling, happy, innocent sister, flashed before his eyes. She was going to loose him, and she would be heart broken. Hiei could never do that to her.

"Is there a cure?" he stuttered, before collapsing on one knee. Kurama stepped closer.

"Just one. The antidote is in the attic of my house. I can't run there and come back, you'll die by then. I can carry you or you can hobble beside me. Either way, you'll get to my home in time and you'll be able to be cured and rest up before morning. Hiei didn't realize it was already nightfall. His sister must be having a panic attack.

"I'll walk."

*~*~*

The fire demon's endurance was higher than Kurama expected. They were already two-thirds of the way there when he had to resort in carrying the mulish demon. The poison oak rashes at his ankles were going to eat him alive if he didn't stop pausing and scratching the red skin. "Try not to touch anything with your hands; you'll end up spreading the oil everywhere."

Hiei did as he was told, but kept a glare set in his face. Kurama had to admit, he was handsome, in a deadly, cutthroat, pyromaniac demon child sort of way.

Kurama reached his house; his mother must have been sleeping because he found the house tidy and not lights on. A note was scribbled on a slip of paper on the table.

Dear Shuuichi,

I went to the other Suuichi's grandma's home to give her some medical attention. I won't be back for a week, she's really in bad shape, make yourself more at home than usual. The meat is in the ice box and the garden in back is ready for picking.

Love, Mom

Kurama smiled. His mother had met a middle-class gentlemen a few months ago, and that's all she ever did. She took care of his son's grandmother, a wealthy aristocratic martial arts legend in the good part of town. His son was coincidentally named Shuuichi, too. He crumpled the note and led the stumbling, ill demon to his room.

He laid the clammy man on his bed and covered him with a blanket. "I'm not a child," he murmured, blinking in and out of sickened drowsiness.

"I know, but you're going to act like on until you're cured," said Kurama, shuffling about the room. He found the vile of the antidote and opened it. It was a pasty blue and smelled like rotten oranges. He plucked a soft piece of cotton from his drawer and dabbed some blue salve on it. He removed the blanket from the panting demon and dabbed the salve on the gash. It was now oozing a mix of blood and green liquid, the sides of the wound singing from the fire demon's body heat. He was far hotter than a normal fire demon should be. A fire demon with a fever should be taken under careful surveillance. Kurama wrapped a soft gauze around the small man's torso and tucked the blanket over him again.

"W-why are y-you doing this?" he questioned voice fading from the poison's effect, also from lack of sleep.

"Just doing my job," he replied smugly and pressed an icy cloth to the demon's head. Hiei cringed; it stung like a viper's bite.

"What is your name, so I may know what to put on your tombstone if this doesn't work?" asked the fox, being dead serious.

"……H…..Hi……Hiei," he fell into a comatose state, breaths less hoarse and contained. Kurama sighed softly, and knew Hiei would be bed bound for at least four days. He knew the little fire demon wouldn't like that, especially since his sister was waiting for him. He pulled a chair to the bedside and propped an elbow on the bed. He too was sleepy, and soon found himself with his head on the bed, sleeping soundly.

*~*~*

Hiei woke gradually, his eyes kept unfocusing and his entire body was tingling. It felt like the blood was drained form his limbs making them fall asleep. His eyes were bloodshot and slightly teary. A few blinks and it started to fade. He got enough strength to look around. The fire demon was a room, neat and orderly. A vanity to one side, a closet to the other and the bed he laid on in the middle. A few springs of lavender were hung over the door and a vase of blooming roses on the vanity.

Then he remembered. The bed was tilting to the side slightly; he looked to see a head of long red tresses laying to his right. The body slowly rose and fell as the red-head slept. He sighed, but started coughing raucously. Kurama woke with a start and saw the pale demon trying to cover his coughs. He smirked and said sweetly, "So you're awake and moving? Good, then I guess you can get down a decent breakfast then."

Hiei stared at him with angry eyes. "I…w-wouldn't be here if y-you didn't a-ac-"

"Settle down, what done is done. We have to look at the matter at hand, which is the poison. You'll be bed bound for a few days. Just try not to get up and walk out in broad daylight…." Kurama muttered, disappearing behind his door. Hiei spat and cross his arms. He found this extremely painful and suppressed a yelp. Kurama must have heard because his voice floated up the stairs, "Try not to move period. The poison would have made you stiff and your muscles are now really sensitive. If you move, the poison that has been dormant since last night will energize and start to kill your insides."

'That's nice to know, got anymore catches?' the fire demon thought sarcastically. He laid back and braced himself for the rest. Kurama came back, holding a small bowl of ramen. Hiei only turned his head when the fox tried to give him a spoonful. "Listen, you must eat. If you don't, you won't have any energy to fight off the poison."

"I thought that's what the antidote was for," he said, it sounded like he had a severe bronchitis.  Kurama shook his head, "Only to make the poison spores dormant and weak, your body kills the actual poison."

Hiei was even more sullen now. Now what could he do? His sister would be sick with worry……

"About your sister," Kurama said, reading the demon's face, "If you can tell me where she is, I can tell her that you're safe."

His head turned abruptly, a look of disbelief. "I can do that, I'm not disabled you know," the fox said mockingly.

"Ch'," was his only reply.

"Fine. Let your sister die of concern for her brother."

He mumbled something incoherently. Kurama leaned closer.

"Thirteenth Street. She'll be in the drug store. If she isn't, she's at our home. It's the large boarding house on Sixth and Madison, room 67," he mumbled, staring out the window. A raven cawed at him then flew off the window sill. Kurama followed the crow's black plumes disappear behind a tree.

"Alright, I'll be back in an hour, with news of your sister and some decent clothes….." he said with a suppressed snigger.

Hiei finally noticed his shirt was demolished and his pants were torn in so many places, if he pulled a single thread they would fall. He could feel himself blushing. Thankfully, the fox was down the stairs and out the door.

*~*~*

Kurama walked and walked. He finally reached the corner shop drug store. The fox entered the tiny shop, a bell rang somewhere in the back. It was sparkly clean for a corner store. Rows of bakery items, piles of cheeses, boxes of herbs and jugs of liquor littered the area. There was two counter, one of the left and one in the back. A small turquoise-haired girl was bent over a bowl of herbs, picking the seeds from the small dandelions. Her teary ruby eyes unwavering from the bell sound. Kurama was about two inches from her bent head before she noticed him.

"Oh, hello! I'm sorry, I got caught up in separating….." she pushed aside the bowl and replaced it with her folded hands. It could see several small pearls on the counter top. She shoved those off too.

"And what would you like today sir?" she asked sweetly, wiping her wet eyes. Kurama smiled.

"Do you have any healing balm?" he asked quietly. She nodded and ducked under the counter and plucked a jar full of blue cream. "Is this all?"

Kurama nodded and paid her the amount. "How are you?" he asked while counting the currency. She bit her lip and lied, "Yes just fine. Thank you for your concern."

Kurama smiled pleasantly, "Your welcome."

The fox started to walk to the door; he turned around, one hand on the door. "Your brother is safe; he won't be home for a few days, but safe nonetheless."

Yukina gasped, and was about to stop him, but he was gone before he could say anything.

*~*~*

Well? How'd you like it? I know there's no blood or gore, no angst or romance. In the next chappie, yep!! YAOIYAOIYAOI!!!