Hiei didn't wake until nightfall.
When he did, his eyes fluttered and opening, he didn't know where he was at first. There was a roof over his head and walls all around him. Then he saw a familiar window and a desk and then he saw Kurama.
"It's alright, Hiei." Kurama said, leaning forward from his chair. "You're in my home."
"Hn." Hiei said and his eyes turned dark.
"You were injured." Kurama explained, knowing there was no use.
Hiei gave him a look quite short of appreciation and turned away towards the wall. The fact that he hadn't flitted out of the room as soon as his eyes opened was proof of his weakness, but Kurama knew better than to point that out.
"Hiei?" Kurama continued. He wanted to ask why he had been caught so unaware. He had mentioned something about his jagan. Was that it?
"Hn."
The house was empty besides him and Kurama. The woman was gone. All that was left was the smell of Kurama coming from too close by.
"I have made a mistake."
"What mistake, Fox?" Hiei growled.
"You know very well what mistake." Kurama said and his words were sharper than he had meant to use. "Hiei, when I unsealed your jagan, it wasn't just myself I was risking. I think you've realized that."
"Hn."
"To be honest, it was the farthest thing on my mind at the time. It was the one consequence I didn't think of because I simply didn't believe it would occur." He paused and his green eye lit on the Jiganshi and he reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. Hiei pulled away and snarled. "But it has, hasn't it?"
Hiei said nothing. If the Fox knew him saying it again would make no difference.
"I'm sorry, Hiei." Kurama said and stood.
Hiei heard him leave the room, heard the door shut behind him. The little demon turned his eyes towards the window. The moon was full tonight and the light was caught in the tree.
Hiei had known, that was true. The blood of a youko, once tasted, becomes more than temptation or desire. The fact that he was laying in Kurama's bed, the smell of Kurama rubbing against his skin did little to help.
He closed his eyes and allowed himself the luxery of surrender.
It was a short repreave.
Soon enough Kurama returned. Hiei didn't have to turn to him to see him. He stood in the doorway and in his arms were a small stack of pillows and blankets. Silently, he set them on the floor, then turned to Hiei. "Hiei, you are welcomed to stay the night. Tomorrow there is no school, at least. My mother will be home soon, but if she comes here I will say you are a friend from school."
"Hn."
Kurama smiled. "I suppose you were right, you know."
"About what?" Was the disinterested reply.
"I am not the truth-telling kind and I would not tell my mother what I am. In my mind I say, 'not yet', but I wonder if even that is the truth."
"Hn."
Hiei turned over, and Kurama was standing there, the moonlight on his shoulders, his face. "Good-night, Hiei." Kurama said.
This was the human, Hiei thought, looking at him with green eyes. It didn't matter. Hiei didn't care about the look Kurama was giving him. He didn't care that the human eyes were sad and that Kurama wanted him to say something, although they both knew that wasn't going to happen.
He heard Kurama settle down to sleep, listened as his breath turned long and knew he wasn't awake. Hiei himself didn't sleep that night. He listened to the sound of the Fox breathing and the sound of his own thoughts all the night through.
A human mother, a demon mother. In the end were they any different?
....to be continued...