I'm sorry for the late update last time! But this one was quick, right? Right?

Disc'r: I don't own YYH.

- Heart of the Matter -

Kurama came from the bathroom, covered lazily in a robe with his damp hair strewn around his shoulders. He sniffled as he plopped down on the bed. Hiei was sitting at the computer desk waiting for him to return from his shower. He looked better, except for the fact that his eyes were a bit puffy.

"You ready to talk?" Hiei asked. Kurama shook his head.

"Yes," he said. Hiei looked confused.

"Yes...and no?" Kurama nodded.

"Yes." Hiei made a face.

"You...want to sleep on it, fox?" he asked.

"No. I want to tell you right now."

"I'm all ears."

"I'm in trouble." Hiei nodded.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Big trouble." Kurama sighed and looked away. "I...I made a mistake in mixing that serum. Hiei...the reason I needed it back was because I remembered that after one mixes it, they have to take it."

"Why?"

"It's just something that's been understood," Kurama said. "Like an unspoken rule. Not taking it, anything of that nature, is like a curse."

"Hn." Hiei was sitting in the chair backwards, and so he folded his arms up over the back of the chair and rested his chin on them.

"I...realized as I slept that it was important that I use it."

"It's too risky."

"Hiei..." Kurama said quickly. "Damnit...I have no other choice. It's like a punishment...for it."

"What is?"

"If...you mix something that's use is purely selfish and out of vanity and then you don't use it, your ability to mix falters, and your ability to manipulate your specialty falters. I...I have to take it, or else..."

"Hn." Hiei's eyebrows were dipped severely as he thought. Kurama waited for what he would say. "Fine," he said finally. "You should take it. But, Kurama, I just have to say that this is the most stupidest thing you've ever done."

"I...I know."

"The Kurama I know would never do something this stupid." Kurama gave him a hard look.

"Well, the Kurama you know did. And neither of us can change that."

"How many do you have left?" Hiei asked, looking a bit annoyed. Kurama sighed and looked down.

"I made seven," he said. "And you destroyed one and took two others."

"No, I didn't," Hiei said. "Yeah, I got rid of one, but I only stole one and that one, I gave back."

"Oh..." Kurama said. "So then...what happened to the other?"

"You should know. You're the one hiding them all over the place."

"Oh, no..." Kurama said. "I...I don't know if I can do this using just five..."

"Why the hell not?" Hiei asked.

"It...might not work unless I use all of it."

"Well, that's impossible. I burned one. You should just take the five doses and get it over with." Kurama nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It...it just might work."

"It will." Kurama nodded.

"Yes," he said again. Hiei stood up and walked over to Kurama. He sat down on the bed next to him. His eyes were on the floor as he sat. Kurama looked over to him.

"I'm afraid," he whispered. "I'm afraid it won't work." Hiei's eyes remained on the floor. His stomach began to ache. If Kurama was this concerned, there had to be cause for it. His worry made Hiei worry. Hiei wanted to predict the outcome with his own sense of certainty, but that was what Kurama lacked and Kurama knew the situation better than Hiei did. He knew better how it would end up, and he was scared. Hiei's stomach gurgled.

"Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"There's nothing else you can do?"

"Make a sacrifice..." Kurama said. His voice was hushed. Hiei folded his arms slowly.

"What type of sacrifice?" he asked carefully. Kurama let in a breath for what seemed like an eternity, and let it out even slower.

"It's not an option," he said. His voice was shaky.

"Tell me." The silence weighed heavily on Hiei as he waited for Kurama's response.

"I tried to give Inari an offering...and he rejected it," Kurama said finally. His eyes were shut tightly. "Ignoring it is one thing. It means he doesn't care what you've done, and that it should just be forgotten. But...rejecting it..."

"He's pissed off?"

"Sorely. I really must have angered him."

"What does he want, then...?" Hiei asked. "What's this sacrifice?"

"I give up what I honor the most." Kurama's eyes began to water. Hiei looked at him closely.

"And what's that? Shuuichi?"

"Mother." Hiei's eyes widened and he nodded.

"So...you either lose yourself, or get taken away from Shiori?" Kurama shook his head adamantly.

"No. He won't take me from her. He'll...he'll take her away."

"He...he can't do that." Kurama looked at Hiei.

"He'll do whatever he wants to do. If I take it, there's a chance he won't be so mad. He won't punish me so terribly. Hiei...harming mother is the worst thing anyone could ever do to me. I don't care what happens to me, mother has to be left out of it. She...she doesn't deserve it. I...I never should have come here."

"No, Kurama. Think about it. The only mistake you made was making that stuff in the first place. Nothing you've done up until now has made you regret coming here. You...what the hell were you thinking?" Hiei truly couldn't understand.

"I don't know," Kurama said. He held his hands tightly. "I have no idea what came over me."

"But you know that something came over you?"

"It's him."

"Who?"

"Youko."

"Youko's not that stupid, Kurama. You're making up excuses."

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Kurama asked. "I don't know what the hell happened, alright?"

"What makes you think it's Youko?"

"It's this voice," Kurama said. "My inner spirit. It's desires...I...I..." Kurama clutched his fingers tighter. "I can't ignore it. I can't get rid of it, no matter how hard I try."

"Kurama..."

"Yes?"

"Tell me exactly what you want. I want the truth, whether you want me to hear it or not." Kurama closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his temple. He sighed and ran his hand down his face, cupping his chin.

"I want...to...be young when I'm Youko..." he said. "I don't want to grow old. I'm afraid to grow old." Kurama swallowed roughly. "I've been thinking about this ever since I came here, and I saw how humans aged. I knew I didn't have to worry about it, because I was a demon, but then I started having dreams about the elder, and it frightened me. I don't want to end up like her, Hiei. I'm afraid to end up like her. It...it was a stagnant fear until mother...mother started to gray. When I looked at her...I could see smile lines beginning to show on her features. I know..." Kurama stopped suddenly, feeling something caught in his throat. "I know it's only the beginning stages of aging, but...Hiei...I don't want to lose her." He turned to Hiei. "I...I didn't mix it for me, Hiei..." Hiei's eyes widened.

"But...Kurama...she can't possibly..."

"She can..." Kurama said. "She can take it and it would work on her."

"Kurama..."

"But...the voice... After I mixed it...something inside of me craved it. It...it... I didn't want anyone to know about it, but that voice. It's why I wanted you to get rid of it for me..."

"But you knew there were seven."

"I still thought that maybe I could give her one. Humans only need one. The older you are, the more you need. Youko requires seven."

"Why did you mix so much of it...if it was for her?"

"It's a lot," Kurama said. He sniffed and rubbed his nose. "It's like baking muffins. You might only want one, but the batter is for 2 dozen." Hiei nodded.

"So where's the rest of it?"

"I gave it to him and he told me I could use it on her. He's upset that I didn't give it all to him. He doesn't approve of my use of it."

"That's what you did...when you went to the makai that time..." Hiei said. Kurama nodded.

"That's right..." he said.

"Ohhh...." Hiei said. "I see."

"I...want to live here with mother and I don't want her to pass away. I want...to live in the makai at times, but I want to be youthful when I do. I want to return, and see that she's still well...and see that she's still here. And...and I want to be with you." Hiei was nodding as Kurama spoke, understanding everything he said, but then he stopped when he heard the last part. He blinked a few times, then looked up at Kurama.

"We're...together, aren't we?" Kurama took his hand.

"Yes," he said.

"You didn't do anything stupid regarding me, did you?" Hiei asked. Kurama shook his head.

"No..." he said. "Except...disappointing you with all of this."

"Kurama?"

"Yes."

"I still have faith in you...that you'll make the right decision." Kurama smiled at him bitter sweetly. Hiei nodded slightly, leaned over and kissed Kurama on the side of the mouth. Kurama felt tears sting the back of his eyes.

"Thank you..." he whispered.

And thank you guys for reading! Finally, an explanation! I figured in this chapter, Kurama should just stop lying and tell it like it is. Which means that everything he said was the truth. And if you're still confused, it's probably my fault for not making things clear enough. . I try. Please review!

J3