Oh mah goodness, just a few more weeks and I'm free! Almost free! And I'm very excited about that! Down with school and sucky twelve hour projects that involve stinky rubber cement and that all seem to be due the same week! ::takes a deep breath:: Enough with my ranting, huh? ::takes another deep breath:: Alright guys, here's chapter six!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

- Better Than Cheese -

"You could have at least bought me some of that stuff, if you knew I was there," Hiei said, walking up to them. Kurama turned to him quickly, and Yusuke turned more slowly.

"Oh...Hiei....you were there the whole time...?" Kurama stammered. Hiei nodded and shrugged, going over to Kurama and taking his ice cream cone. Kurama let him.

"Seems to me you guys've got some talking to do..." Yusuke said. He waved to them and walked away. Hiei ate some of Kurama's ice cream and went to hand it back, but then his eyes widened. He stared at the ice cream cone as if it were something he'd never seen before.

"What...is this?" he asked.

"Ice cream," Kurama answered.

"Ice cream..." Hiei ate some more. "Better than cheese." Kurama smiled at him. He began to walk and Hiei followed him. Kurama's manner had become a little off again. Hiei kept an inconspicuous eye on Kurama as they went through the park. Kurama sighed heavily.

"You okay there, fox?" Hiei asked.

"Yes, just perfect," he said. "So...you heard what we talked about?"

"Yeah. So you gonna ask me?" Kurama smiled down at him. Hiei liked that smile.

"No." Hiei made a shocked movement.

"Nani?!" he asked. "Why not?"

"Don't want to," Kurama said, looking towards the sky. "So I'm not gonna." Hiei put the rest of the cone in his mouth, still looking at Kurama. "Don't look so upset..." Kurama said, though he hadn't looked at Hiei since Hiei's expression changed.

"You will..." Hiei said, looking towards the ground. Kurama sat down at the bench they approached and Hiei stood next to him. Kurama smiled at him.

"What are you doing later?" he asked. Hiei shrugged.

"Staying at your place, I guess."

"We should do something again."

"Like what?"

"I don't know... I like spending time with you."

"We're spending time with each other now," Hiei said.

"I know, but..." Kurama sighed. "I don't know. It felt really nice to get out yesterday." Hiei looked at Kurama. Maybe the fox was bored.

"Alright, Kurama. I'll do whatever you want to do." Kurama beamed at him.

"Great!" he said. "I think I want to go for a swim, actually." Hiei shot Kurama a look of disapproval.

"What?" he asked. "I don't think so."

"But...you just said..."

"Why would you suggest the one place I hate?" Hiei said. "You dragged me to the beach before, Kurama, and I swore I'd never go back there."

"We don't have to go to the beach," Kurama said. "We could have just as much fun at the creek." Hiei's face lightened up.

"Oh. Yeah, okay. Don't know what this fun you speak of is, but I'll deal with it." Kurama scooted the inch and a half space on the bench closer to Hiei, who gave him a wary look. "What?" Hiei asked.

"What is your idea of fun?" Kurama asked. Hiei thought about it for a while.

"I'm not saying."

"Please tell me... I...want to do something with you that you'd enjoy, too."

"That would require you doing nothing at all, Kurama." Kurama's eyebrows went down. "At least, nothing knowing I'm around."

"Oh, I get it. You like to watch me, don't you?"

"Yeah. That and that only."

"You can watch me as long as you like, but there's got to be something else." Kurama thought a few moments longer. "What about music?" he asked.

"Music?" Hiei asked. "Yeah...kinda. Only when you sing it." Kurama made a face.

"Well...what about...eating?"

"Ningens think of eating as a pastime or something?" Hiei asked.

"A lot of people like to eat out and that sort of thing."

"Well, I can't do that, so no. I don't like it." Kurama tilted his head in thought.

"You don't like any of the games we play...?" he asked. Hiei shook his head.

"Stupid ningen traps." Kurama looked away.

"I guess there really is nothing else."

"So we gonna go?" Hiei asked.

"Sure. But I want to pick up some things before we head over there." Kurama stood and walked Hiei out of the park. Hiei made it a point to not say anything, but to watch Kurama's behavior on the way to his house. As expected, Kurama fell back into the weirdness he'd shown over the past weeks. Did he really need that much attention that once it was taken away he'd get bored all over again? Hiei frowned.

"I don't think I'll ever understand you, Kurama," Hiei said, shaking his head.

"I don't suggest that you try to," Kurama said. "I have a hard enough time trying to understand myself." Hiei chuckled.

"You think you understand me?" he asked. Kurama thought about it for a moment.

"A little. I still think there's a lot to know about you that you haven't yet disclosed and that I'd love to hear about. But even then, I don't think I'd know you nearly enough to understand you. Actually...I think that...the sense of mystery I get just thinking about you is....what attracts me to you the most." Hiei smirked.

"That's good to know," he said. They were silent the rest of the way back. Hiei followed Kurama up to his room and sat at his computer desk while he got some things together to go to the creek.

Hiei went through the same actions Yusuke had when he'd been there earlier, his eyes eventually falling on Kurama's pillow. Kurama wasn't in the room and Hiei didn't know where he'd gone, but he was sure he could get the potion in a jiffy.

He stood up and went over to the bed, quickly reaching under the pillow. Hiei's eyes widened when he didn't feel the potion. He pulled away. Had...the fox already begun using it? Hiei rushed over to the desk and opened the drawers, looking for it. He saw a bottle just like the one he'd destroyed and grabbed it, stuffing it in his pocket.

'I won't let this happen to you Kurama...' he thought, looking towards the bedroom door. 'I'll protect you...' He closed the drawer just as Kurama returned.

"I totally forgot, Hiei," Kurama said. "Mom wanted me to pick up some things. I've got to go to the market and get them." Hiei shrugged. "Could you come with me?"

"Fine." Kurama smiled and crossed the room.

"Hmm..." He went over to his desk and opened a drawer, one thankfully that had not held the serum. Hiei watched him as he sat the paper and took a pen from the utensil cup. "Can you write?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Hiei said. "I picked some stuff up watching you do it."

"Good. Just write down what I say, alright?"

"Yeah." Kurama moved away from the desk. "Kurama?"

"Yes, Hiei."

"If...you take some of the serum and not all of it, what will happen to you?" Kurama's eyebrows lowered.

"Why?"

"Just thinking." Kurama's eyes unconsciously moved to his pillow and back to Hiei. Hiei pretended not to notice.

"It will work for the one dose, just as long as follow the steps right. But if you don't, it won't have any effect unless all of it is taken. Too much can mess you up, but just one won't do much."

"Oh....ok. Moving on." Hiei tapped the paper with the pen. "What does she need?"

::crosses fingers:: Come on lucky 21! Come on lucky 21! Please review!

J3