Wow.I've wanted to write this chapter (and the next one) ever since I
started this story.*sigh* I really hope I got the character's feelings
conveyed right.it's hard to do interactions between Hiei and Yukina since
all the episodes we've seen in America have them in one scene
together.though I heard they talk a bit more later on.
Thank you all for your compliments on the characterization of Kuwabara.I'm glad I'm not the only one that considers him important to the show!
BTW, in most other countries (I'm told it's true for Japan as well), men crossing their legs are not considered, for lack of a better word, feminine. That belief is really only concentrated in American. Just clearing that up so you didn't think I was making any of the characters out to be more feminine than they actually are (I dislike it when authors make Kurama out to be like a girl when he's clearly not. Hint to all of those people.Kurama has only cried ONCE in the history of Yu Yu Hakusho, and it was in the manga after his mother was cured.he's not going to weep over rejection, thank you very much. There is, in my opinion, one exception to this rule, and if you read the fiction I've got planned after this, you'll see what I mean.;).was that a plug or what?).
-------------------------------
"Hey!"
"Quiet please. Mother is resting."
"Sorry. You wanna go out instead?"
"If you don't mind," Kurama said, grabbing his jacket as he followed Yuusuke outside. They walked down the sidewalk; Kurama had his hands in his pockets while Yuusuke lazily reclined with his behind his head.
"Have you seen him yet?" Yuusuke asked, turning to peer at Kurama's face.
"No," was the simple reply.
"Dammit...what the hell is Hiei doing? It's been nearly a month," Yuusuke grumbled, shoving his own hands down in his pockets and slouching forward.
"Hiei is fighting with himself," Kurama said. His answers sounded remote as if his mouth was on autopilot while his thoughts wandered to a completely different location.
"Huh?"
"He has a difficult decision to make," the fox explained. "Kuwabara shook him up and made him confront aspects of his past and inner self that Hiei often chose to ignore."
"Kuwabara did all that?" Yuusuke grinned, straitening his posture. "Well I'll be. The big ape is good for something."
"Well, we'll see about that good part." Kurama sighed. He had expected Hiei to run off, but he hadn't expected him to be gone for this long.
"You talking about how Koenma threatened to put a bounty on his head for violating parole?" Yuusuke waved his hand as if that action made their problems disappear. "Relax. You know Koenma's just as worried as the rest of us about Hiei."
"That's not what I meant." Yuusuke frowned as seeing Kurama's thoughtful expression. The fox was concentrating hard and looked very concerned. Actually, now that Yuusuke thought about it, his friend had been rather skittish since Hiei's absence.
"Yuusuke, you are only fifteen, and yet you have things that even you have repressed because they're too terrible to deal with. Inner demons you will try your whole life to keep in the dark. With any luck, you won't ever have to face them," Kurama said. "Hiei is nearly eight times your senior and has inner demons that could make me scream. This is a trying time in his life. It could very well kill him."
Yuusuke normally would have stuck up for Hiei, telling Kurama he was preaching bullshit and that Hiei was strong enough to survive anything. However, Kurama never preached bullshit, and when it came to Hiei, the fox was always serious. Even without Kuwabara's spirit sensitivity, Yuusuke could feel the seriousness of this situation.
"Dammit."
"My thoughts exactly."
----------------------------------------------------
Yukina sat near a fire, making her tea outside since it was such a lovely day. A large, glowing spark flew out, heading towards a pile of slightly dry grass. The ice maiden's eyes flashed blue, and the spark fell to the ground incased in ice.
"Good trick," a hoarse voice whispered
Yukina spun around in her wicker seat, eyes widening as she saw Hiei standing at the edge of the forest surrounding Genkai's temple. The poor guy was battered, bruised, and scratched up; normal gravity-defying hair was limp and hanging down to its owner's shoulders. His black cloak and scarf was missing, blue undershirt and black pants torn and muddy with small splotches of brown/red, dried blood. If not for the red orbs of his eyes and the slight shock of white that stood out in his jet-black hair, Yukina might have mistaken Hiei for a swamp demon.
"Hiei! What happened? Are you ok?" Yukina stood, immediately forgetting her tea to rush to the other's side.
"Don't worry about me. Your water is going to boil over," he said, gesturing towards the hissing pot.
"It doesn't matter. I can make some more." She gently grabbed his arm and began looking over his injuries, healing the few scratches and gashes as she came across them.
"You have three broken fingers!" Yukina exclaimed. "Come over here." She led him over to a companion wicker chair and told him to sit. After Hiei did so, she knelt in front of him and began to heal the more serious of his injuries.
As Hiei watched Yukina work, a small smile appeared on his tired face. He relaxed for the first time in over a month, allowing himself to be pampered with loving hands. It was almost too much for him to withstand, the feel of his twin sister's energy seeping into his body and healing both the internal and external damage.
"That's all I could find," Yukina said a few minutes later, pulling away. "Are there any more I missed?"
"No," he rasped, voice raw from countless nights of screaming at the sky.
"Here, let me get you something to drink," she said, grabbing what little water was left and pouring it into a teacup. She added a bag of her own blend of spices, ones that had healing properties as well as a good flavor when combined, and handed it to Hiei.
"Do you like it?" Yukina asked earnestly as he sipped. Hiei nodded, downing the rest in a few gulps. "Great! Now we need to see about getting you cleaned up! Where have you been all this time anyway? Everyone has been so worried. Especially Kurama," she added as an afterthought. "You should really go see him soon."
"Were you worried?" Hiei questioned. Yukina blinked in surprise.
"Well of course I was worried. Usually I'm the one that leaves. You're always here whenever I am." She blushed. "I guess I've gotten used to your presence, and it was odd without you around for a month."
"I'm sorry." Hiei seemed upset. "I didn't mean to hurt you again. I seem to keep doing the exact opposite of what I want to."
"What are you talking about?" Yukina frowned. "You've never hurt me before."
"Yes I have." He couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. "All this time, I could have told you who your brother was.and I never did."
"You know?!" Yukina stood and grabbed Hiei's hand, leaning over him. "Oh Hiei, you have to tell me! Please, Hiei!" she pleaded, her voice conveying desperation.
Hiei closed his eyes, head still turned away. He had spent a month wandering through the wilderness of the Ningenkai, building his strength and facing his fears. He had tried committing suicide once, run around the globe at least three times, gone without food for the entire four weeks and water for two weeks, all the time rigerously exericising both his mind and body. He had prepared himself for this moment...right? Hiei clutched Yukina's hand, the feel of her energy intertwining with his giving him the comfort and energy to do the impossible.
"It's me."
Yukina's body stilled completely. Upon feeling the tension in her hand, Hiei opened his eyes and look at his sister.
"What?" she asked. He paled considerably at the reaction, but forced himself to be strong. He had gone this far.
"I'm your twin brother," he said, voice firm.
Yukina fell back, her subconscious guiding her to land in the chair next to Hiei's to keep from hurting herself. She stared at her hands, mouth opening as if she wanted to say something, then closing as she thought differently. Hiei watched her every move, trying to decipher what his sister's actions meant and how he should act in turn. He had braced himself for things to go wrong. But despite all his efforts, it still hurt.
"Why?" Yukina finally asked, looking back up at Hiei. His hands clenched in an outwards gesture to inner turmoil.
"I don't know why. Fate, it seems."
"No," she interrupted. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"
Hiei's body jerked in surprise, and he nearly gasped. This was unexpected. She didn't seem distressed like she was supposed to be.
"You're.you're not upset?" he asked. Yukina frowned, shaking her head.
"Why would you think that?"
"Do you not know who I am?" Hiei cried, standing. "I'm an assassin! I've killed and butchered and tortured my enemies. I've lived as an orphan for years. I've stolen! I've been captured by a human, a human of all things, and tried in court. I'm a criminal, a loner, a monster."
"Stop it!" Yukina screamed, rushing at Hiei. On instinct he stepped back and moved his hands to intercept any blows directed at him, but the ice maiden wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself close. The fierce fire demon was rendered speechless and immobile.
"No more. Please, stop doing that!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "You keep saying all these untrue things about yourself. You think you're such a bad person, but you're not, I know you're not!"
"Yukina."
"No!" she yelled, forcing him to be quiet once again. "You're not a monster; you're my brother. I don't care what you've done or who you've hurt or what your past was like. I just want my brother. Why can't you understand that?"
Yukina turned her face so Hiei could see her saddened eyes, rivers of water cutting paths down her cheeks and stopping at her chin. As she shifted, soft patters could be heard as the gems those tears formed fell from between their bodies to hit the grass below. Hiei moved one hand up, wiping the wet marks on her face away.
"Please don't cry," he murmured, though his slightly scrunched face betrayed he was as close as he would ever come to doing the same. "I'm not worth it. I've already caused you more pain than you need."
"You're doing it again. Yes, I'm hurt you waited so long to tell me," she admitted. "But I forgive you."
"So easily?" It was not that Hiei didn't trust Yukina. He just had such a hard time believing in something like forgiveness being attainted so easily.
"Of course. You're my brother," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the three worlds. For someone who grew up as Yukina did, perhaps it was. "It's all forgiven because the happiness I feel now is a hundred times better than anything else I've ever felt before."
He still didn't fully understand, but Hiei was willing to accept what he was being given. He finally felt at peace, right here in Yukina's arms, and the feeling was one he was not about to lose with more questions. Words didn't have a place here.
In a silent thank you, Hiei wrapped his arms around his sister's shoulders and returned her embrace. It was probably the first time in the history of the Ningenkai that ice had melted fire.
----------------------------------------
"Hey Kurama! Mom's not sleeping again, is she?" Yuusuke asked, peering into the house through the now open doorway. Kurama shook his head and stepped aside to let Yuusuke remove his shoes.
"She's working today," Kurama said, leading the other into the living room. "But you're over awfully late. It's nearly midnight."
"Yeah, I know. Mom just brought some friends over, and Kuwabara's out of town. Can I stay the night?" Kurama knew very well Atsuko's habits and the type of humans she attracted. He also knew that while Yuusuke could handle himself around a room full of drunks, the teen couldn't handle seeing his mom slowly killing her body while making a fool of herself in the process.
Those were the reasons Kurama nodded in response to the other's inquiry. Yuusuke grinned and made himself right at home by jumping onto the couch and sitting up cross-legged. The fox tossed him a bag of chips.
"Thanks!" he said, tearing into them. "So did you hear? Hiei's back."
"Yes, I have known - Yuusuke don't chew with your mouth open - since yesterday afternoon," he replied, sitting across from Yuusuke and crossing his legs. Mentioned boy stuck out his tongue (after swallowing) but obeyed the command.
"So why didn't you share the information?" he asked, popping another salty snack into his mouth. "You know, you're not the only one that watches over him. Hiei's part of the gang."
"I know, and your concern is appreciated by both him and I, though Hiei would never say so. But to tell you the truth, I do not think Hiei wanted us to know he was back until after he came to us himself," Kurama said, sighing. "He came solely for Yukina."
"Yeah, I figured, which is why I decided not to go bug him," Yuusuke replied, folding the top of the bag neatly and setting it on the table in front of him. "Genkai had to tell me, actually. How'd you know?"
"Call it a paternal instinct," Kurama said playfully, earning a frown from Yuusuke. The teasing tone in his voice would make his friend think he was joking around, but Yuusuke might just be smart enough to understand and realize a few truths. This type of danger enthralled Kurama and made him do foolish things such as the sentence he had just spoken to Yuusuke.
"Something you're not telling me?" the Spirit Detective asked, raising an eyebrow. Kurama chuckled.
"There are many things I have not told you," he said coyly. Yuusuke was one of his favorites among the people he toyed with. The teen could play these little games of Kurama's as well as one could without knowing all the rules, and was often unpredictable in his moves. Still, sadly the boy was unprepared and would un-doubtly lose most matches, for Youko Kurama had taken part in these activities for over a thousand years and with much better opponents. The slight trickle of danger without a real threat present made the game enjoyable but not stressful.
Yuusuke studied the fox for a moment longer before tossing aside his cryptic gaze for a less concerned one.
"Whatever. At least Hiei is ok; that's all that matters for tonight," he said, stretching out on the couch and tucking a pillow behind his head. "Right?"
See? Yuusuke was testing his friend, seeing the level of concern Kurama would show and judging from that reaction, but even if he showed concern, it was unlikely the other would guess the true reason. The fox nearly laughed in delight.
"For tonight, yes. That's all that matters." Kurama kept his voice even but made sure the other teen knew there was more to what he had to say.
"Dammit. There's always a 'but' with you, isn't there?" Yuusuke sighed, throwing his pillow at the other. Kurama easily dodged. "What next?"
"One more trial. Worse than this current one. One that, even if Hiei survives, he may never be whole again. It will definatly change him." Kurama looked out his window, staring at the cloudy sky, dark clouds looming ominously over the city. "There are so many ways it can go wrong. And so few ways it will turn out right."
"You going to fill me in on what this 'trial' is about?" the detective asked, sitting up, alert and interested.
"I have." Kurama smiled. "You just missed it."
"You're a real pain in the ass sometimes."
"You've taught me well."
Thank you all for your compliments on the characterization of Kuwabara.I'm glad I'm not the only one that considers him important to the show!
BTW, in most other countries (I'm told it's true for Japan as well), men crossing their legs are not considered, for lack of a better word, feminine. That belief is really only concentrated in American. Just clearing that up so you didn't think I was making any of the characters out to be more feminine than they actually are (I dislike it when authors make Kurama out to be like a girl when he's clearly not. Hint to all of those people.Kurama has only cried ONCE in the history of Yu Yu Hakusho, and it was in the manga after his mother was cured.he's not going to weep over rejection, thank you very much. There is, in my opinion, one exception to this rule, and if you read the fiction I've got planned after this, you'll see what I mean.;).was that a plug or what?).
-------------------------------
"Hey!"
"Quiet please. Mother is resting."
"Sorry. You wanna go out instead?"
"If you don't mind," Kurama said, grabbing his jacket as he followed Yuusuke outside. They walked down the sidewalk; Kurama had his hands in his pockets while Yuusuke lazily reclined with his behind his head.
"Have you seen him yet?" Yuusuke asked, turning to peer at Kurama's face.
"No," was the simple reply.
"Dammit...what the hell is Hiei doing? It's been nearly a month," Yuusuke grumbled, shoving his own hands down in his pockets and slouching forward.
"Hiei is fighting with himself," Kurama said. His answers sounded remote as if his mouth was on autopilot while his thoughts wandered to a completely different location.
"Huh?"
"He has a difficult decision to make," the fox explained. "Kuwabara shook him up and made him confront aspects of his past and inner self that Hiei often chose to ignore."
"Kuwabara did all that?" Yuusuke grinned, straitening his posture. "Well I'll be. The big ape is good for something."
"Well, we'll see about that good part." Kurama sighed. He had expected Hiei to run off, but he hadn't expected him to be gone for this long.
"You talking about how Koenma threatened to put a bounty on his head for violating parole?" Yuusuke waved his hand as if that action made their problems disappear. "Relax. You know Koenma's just as worried as the rest of us about Hiei."
"That's not what I meant." Yuusuke frowned as seeing Kurama's thoughtful expression. The fox was concentrating hard and looked very concerned. Actually, now that Yuusuke thought about it, his friend had been rather skittish since Hiei's absence.
"Yuusuke, you are only fifteen, and yet you have things that even you have repressed because they're too terrible to deal with. Inner demons you will try your whole life to keep in the dark. With any luck, you won't ever have to face them," Kurama said. "Hiei is nearly eight times your senior and has inner demons that could make me scream. This is a trying time in his life. It could very well kill him."
Yuusuke normally would have stuck up for Hiei, telling Kurama he was preaching bullshit and that Hiei was strong enough to survive anything. However, Kurama never preached bullshit, and when it came to Hiei, the fox was always serious. Even without Kuwabara's spirit sensitivity, Yuusuke could feel the seriousness of this situation.
"Dammit."
"My thoughts exactly."
----------------------------------------------------
Yukina sat near a fire, making her tea outside since it was such a lovely day. A large, glowing spark flew out, heading towards a pile of slightly dry grass. The ice maiden's eyes flashed blue, and the spark fell to the ground incased in ice.
"Good trick," a hoarse voice whispered
Yukina spun around in her wicker seat, eyes widening as she saw Hiei standing at the edge of the forest surrounding Genkai's temple. The poor guy was battered, bruised, and scratched up; normal gravity-defying hair was limp and hanging down to its owner's shoulders. His black cloak and scarf was missing, blue undershirt and black pants torn and muddy with small splotches of brown/red, dried blood. If not for the red orbs of his eyes and the slight shock of white that stood out in his jet-black hair, Yukina might have mistaken Hiei for a swamp demon.
"Hiei! What happened? Are you ok?" Yukina stood, immediately forgetting her tea to rush to the other's side.
"Don't worry about me. Your water is going to boil over," he said, gesturing towards the hissing pot.
"It doesn't matter. I can make some more." She gently grabbed his arm and began looking over his injuries, healing the few scratches and gashes as she came across them.
"You have three broken fingers!" Yukina exclaimed. "Come over here." She led him over to a companion wicker chair and told him to sit. After Hiei did so, she knelt in front of him and began to heal the more serious of his injuries.
As Hiei watched Yukina work, a small smile appeared on his tired face. He relaxed for the first time in over a month, allowing himself to be pampered with loving hands. It was almost too much for him to withstand, the feel of his twin sister's energy seeping into his body and healing both the internal and external damage.
"That's all I could find," Yukina said a few minutes later, pulling away. "Are there any more I missed?"
"No," he rasped, voice raw from countless nights of screaming at the sky.
"Here, let me get you something to drink," she said, grabbing what little water was left and pouring it into a teacup. She added a bag of her own blend of spices, ones that had healing properties as well as a good flavor when combined, and handed it to Hiei.
"Do you like it?" Yukina asked earnestly as he sipped. Hiei nodded, downing the rest in a few gulps. "Great! Now we need to see about getting you cleaned up! Where have you been all this time anyway? Everyone has been so worried. Especially Kurama," she added as an afterthought. "You should really go see him soon."
"Were you worried?" Hiei questioned. Yukina blinked in surprise.
"Well of course I was worried. Usually I'm the one that leaves. You're always here whenever I am." She blushed. "I guess I've gotten used to your presence, and it was odd without you around for a month."
"I'm sorry." Hiei seemed upset. "I didn't mean to hurt you again. I seem to keep doing the exact opposite of what I want to."
"What are you talking about?" Yukina frowned. "You've never hurt me before."
"Yes I have." He couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. "All this time, I could have told you who your brother was.and I never did."
"You know?!" Yukina stood and grabbed Hiei's hand, leaning over him. "Oh Hiei, you have to tell me! Please, Hiei!" she pleaded, her voice conveying desperation.
Hiei closed his eyes, head still turned away. He had spent a month wandering through the wilderness of the Ningenkai, building his strength and facing his fears. He had tried committing suicide once, run around the globe at least three times, gone without food for the entire four weeks and water for two weeks, all the time rigerously exericising both his mind and body. He had prepared himself for this moment...right? Hiei clutched Yukina's hand, the feel of her energy intertwining with his giving him the comfort and energy to do the impossible.
"It's me."
Yukina's body stilled completely. Upon feeling the tension in her hand, Hiei opened his eyes and look at his sister.
"What?" she asked. He paled considerably at the reaction, but forced himself to be strong. He had gone this far.
"I'm your twin brother," he said, voice firm.
Yukina fell back, her subconscious guiding her to land in the chair next to Hiei's to keep from hurting herself. She stared at her hands, mouth opening as if she wanted to say something, then closing as she thought differently. Hiei watched her every move, trying to decipher what his sister's actions meant and how he should act in turn. He had braced himself for things to go wrong. But despite all his efforts, it still hurt.
"Why?" Yukina finally asked, looking back up at Hiei. His hands clenched in an outwards gesture to inner turmoil.
"I don't know why. Fate, it seems."
"No," she interrupted. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"
Hiei's body jerked in surprise, and he nearly gasped. This was unexpected. She didn't seem distressed like she was supposed to be.
"You're.you're not upset?" he asked. Yukina frowned, shaking her head.
"Why would you think that?"
"Do you not know who I am?" Hiei cried, standing. "I'm an assassin! I've killed and butchered and tortured my enemies. I've lived as an orphan for years. I've stolen! I've been captured by a human, a human of all things, and tried in court. I'm a criminal, a loner, a monster."
"Stop it!" Yukina screamed, rushing at Hiei. On instinct he stepped back and moved his hands to intercept any blows directed at him, but the ice maiden wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself close. The fierce fire demon was rendered speechless and immobile.
"No more. Please, stop doing that!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "You keep saying all these untrue things about yourself. You think you're such a bad person, but you're not, I know you're not!"
"Yukina."
"No!" she yelled, forcing him to be quiet once again. "You're not a monster; you're my brother. I don't care what you've done or who you've hurt or what your past was like. I just want my brother. Why can't you understand that?"
Yukina turned her face so Hiei could see her saddened eyes, rivers of water cutting paths down her cheeks and stopping at her chin. As she shifted, soft patters could be heard as the gems those tears formed fell from between their bodies to hit the grass below. Hiei moved one hand up, wiping the wet marks on her face away.
"Please don't cry," he murmured, though his slightly scrunched face betrayed he was as close as he would ever come to doing the same. "I'm not worth it. I've already caused you more pain than you need."
"You're doing it again. Yes, I'm hurt you waited so long to tell me," she admitted. "But I forgive you."
"So easily?" It was not that Hiei didn't trust Yukina. He just had such a hard time believing in something like forgiveness being attainted so easily.
"Of course. You're my brother," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the three worlds. For someone who grew up as Yukina did, perhaps it was. "It's all forgiven because the happiness I feel now is a hundred times better than anything else I've ever felt before."
He still didn't fully understand, but Hiei was willing to accept what he was being given. He finally felt at peace, right here in Yukina's arms, and the feeling was one he was not about to lose with more questions. Words didn't have a place here.
In a silent thank you, Hiei wrapped his arms around his sister's shoulders and returned her embrace. It was probably the first time in the history of the Ningenkai that ice had melted fire.
----------------------------------------
"Hey Kurama! Mom's not sleeping again, is she?" Yuusuke asked, peering into the house through the now open doorway. Kurama shook his head and stepped aside to let Yuusuke remove his shoes.
"She's working today," Kurama said, leading the other into the living room. "But you're over awfully late. It's nearly midnight."
"Yeah, I know. Mom just brought some friends over, and Kuwabara's out of town. Can I stay the night?" Kurama knew very well Atsuko's habits and the type of humans she attracted. He also knew that while Yuusuke could handle himself around a room full of drunks, the teen couldn't handle seeing his mom slowly killing her body while making a fool of herself in the process.
Those were the reasons Kurama nodded in response to the other's inquiry. Yuusuke grinned and made himself right at home by jumping onto the couch and sitting up cross-legged. The fox tossed him a bag of chips.
"Thanks!" he said, tearing into them. "So did you hear? Hiei's back."
"Yes, I have known - Yuusuke don't chew with your mouth open - since yesterday afternoon," he replied, sitting across from Yuusuke and crossing his legs. Mentioned boy stuck out his tongue (after swallowing) but obeyed the command.
"So why didn't you share the information?" he asked, popping another salty snack into his mouth. "You know, you're not the only one that watches over him. Hiei's part of the gang."
"I know, and your concern is appreciated by both him and I, though Hiei would never say so. But to tell you the truth, I do not think Hiei wanted us to know he was back until after he came to us himself," Kurama said, sighing. "He came solely for Yukina."
"Yeah, I figured, which is why I decided not to go bug him," Yuusuke replied, folding the top of the bag neatly and setting it on the table in front of him. "Genkai had to tell me, actually. How'd you know?"
"Call it a paternal instinct," Kurama said playfully, earning a frown from Yuusuke. The teasing tone in his voice would make his friend think he was joking around, but Yuusuke might just be smart enough to understand and realize a few truths. This type of danger enthralled Kurama and made him do foolish things such as the sentence he had just spoken to Yuusuke.
"Something you're not telling me?" the Spirit Detective asked, raising an eyebrow. Kurama chuckled.
"There are many things I have not told you," he said coyly. Yuusuke was one of his favorites among the people he toyed with. The teen could play these little games of Kurama's as well as one could without knowing all the rules, and was often unpredictable in his moves. Still, sadly the boy was unprepared and would un-doubtly lose most matches, for Youko Kurama had taken part in these activities for over a thousand years and with much better opponents. The slight trickle of danger without a real threat present made the game enjoyable but not stressful.
Yuusuke studied the fox for a moment longer before tossing aside his cryptic gaze for a less concerned one.
"Whatever. At least Hiei is ok; that's all that matters for tonight," he said, stretching out on the couch and tucking a pillow behind his head. "Right?"
See? Yuusuke was testing his friend, seeing the level of concern Kurama would show and judging from that reaction, but even if he showed concern, it was unlikely the other would guess the true reason. The fox nearly laughed in delight.
"For tonight, yes. That's all that matters." Kurama kept his voice even but made sure the other teen knew there was more to what he had to say.
"Dammit. There's always a 'but' with you, isn't there?" Yuusuke sighed, throwing his pillow at the other. Kurama easily dodged. "What next?"
"One more trial. Worse than this current one. One that, even if Hiei survives, he may never be whole again. It will definatly change him." Kurama looked out his window, staring at the cloudy sky, dark clouds looming ominously over the city. "There are so many ways it can go wrong. And so few ways it will turn out right."
"You going to fill me in on what this 'trial' is about?" the detective asked, sitting up, alert and interested.
"I have." Kurama smiled. "You just missed it."
"You're a real pain in the ass sometimes."
"You've taught me well."