What had changed?

Wasn't that the question that seemed to start this whole mess?

Had he questioned things too much and was now being punished?

Kurama sank to the ground of the forest and held the flower on his palm.

What had changed?

That was easy.

Hiei had been nothing more than a teammate, maybe a friend. He had been a fellow who knew what he was in a world where Kurama kept his true nature, his true self, hidden from all, even the mother he loved more than even his own life. Hiei had even been after his own heart- a merciless theif, a cunning criminal, someone who despite their darkest efforts, still managed to try to protect someone they loved.

Now...

Sometime between the first kiss and working with Hiei along side Yusuke and Kuwabara, the Jiganshi had changed.

That's what had changed.

Hiei.

There was a softness in his eyes, in his kiss that Kurama had never seen before. Perhaps Kurama's curiosity had started this all.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

Perhaps he had been so intent of finding out if it truly were the blood in his veins that so attracted the fire demon, or...if it were simply Kurama.

Had he held a secret hope that that were the case?

He stared now across the small space separating him from Hiei, at Hiei's heaving shoulders as his breath caught in his throat. He looked exhausted. It must be a side effect of the jagan. His energy was so low already, but that wasn't what kept Kurama's eyes riveted.

The look on the Jiganshi's face was open and hurt.

That's what had changed.

"Hiei..." Kurama whispered and the demon flinched.

Now, his mind whispered, it has to be now.

Kurama slowly rose. He walked towards Hiei and was surprised when Hiei didn't try to move out of the way. Kurama closed his hand over the flower on his palm. Kurama reached out and embraced the fire demon. Kurama was on his knees and slowly Hiei himself sank to the ground.

Despite everything, Hiei was letting Kurama touch him. He was even saying Kurama's name, over and over.

What had Kurama done?

He didn't think it was the blood and it didn't matter anymore.

Soon there would be no need to question because only one of them would remember there had been a question at all.

"Hiei," Kurama began and he felt Hiei's hands on his arms. "Forgive me, Hiei."

"Hn." Hiei said, he sighed into Kurama's ear and pressed harder against him.

"It was all my fault. I was the cause of your jagan's malfunction...My blood..."

"Kurama..."

"But I will fix that now."

Kurama opened the hand that had held the flower. It was red now, blood red.

The sword-wound in Kurama's chest had stopped bleeding, but Kurama was pale.

The flower had done that. It was why he needed Hiei to have struck him.

"I should have known, Hiei. I should have realized that youko blood is poisonous. Now that I think about it, I remember knowing... I remember I knew that, but I didn't try to stop you. I couldn't stop you." He paused, Hiei was staring at him. "You will die soon unless I administer this antidote." His voice sounded so dry, academic. Inside, he felt like he wanted to scream. "It'll help you. It contains my blood and spirit energy. That will restore your strength, but...it has a side effect, one which, considering, really, is for the best. It will ensure this will never happen again." He swallowed. "You'll forget me. You'll forget about...this. If you hear my name or see me, I'll be like a phantom in your memory. You'll try hard to remember...try...but..."

"Shut up, fox." Hiei said.

"Hiei..."

"Shut up!"

Kurama went silent.

Hiei was leaning forward and he pressed his lips again Kurama's. Kurama let him.

"You're a fool." He said. "I should've killed you." He smiled and the expression and the words didn't match.

Kurama nodded.

"I won't take your 'medicine'." Hiei was saying, even as Kurama was placing the flower in his mouth. "I don't need it."

Kurama didn't bother argueing. He could have told him he did. The fact that Hiei was too tired to stop him from doing this was evidence enough. He could have told him both Genkai and Koenma had said he did. It didn't matter. He had planned for this moment.

"I'd rather do this than see you dead." he said and leaned forward, capturing Hiei's mouth with his.

The Jiganshi thrashed against him, but Kurama had called to the grasses and the trees and they held the fire demon down.

Kurama kissed him slowly, trailing kisses along his throat, his chest.

He would let this moment linger for as long as it could as it would be the last time.

At last, he came to Hiei's mouth.

"This is for the best, Hiei..."

"What do you know, fox?" Hiei said. "No plant can make me forget what I don't want to."

Kurama smiled.

...to be continued...