Chapter Seven: The Truth Revealed

The next day it was back to long hours of hard practice to prepare for the next round of competition. Kurama and I worked harder than ever, knowing we would need to perform well to get to the final round. The more Kurama and I worked together, the more contemplative his mood became. It was as though he was battling within himself over something. I wasn't sure if I should interfere by offering my help - subtly of course. I was sure if the fox wanted me to know what was going on in that mind of his he would tell me. Little did I know that when he did, it would lead to something I hadn't expected.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples as I felt a headache coming on. "Are you alright Hiei?" Kurama asked. "It's just a headache," I answered as I felt his hand upon my shoulder. "Perhaps if you lie down it will go away," He suggested as I felt him gently pull me toward him. I let him and found myself lying down on the couch with my head in his lap. Gently he placed his fingers to my head and massaged my aching head. Slowly, the pain faded away to nothing. As though sensing this, he stopped his massage and lightly ran his fingers through my hair. I found it soothing and soon found myself drifting off to sleep.

"I'm not sure I can keep up this charade much longer," he said softly. "…eventually you'll come to realize what I can't bring myself to tell you," "…that I want …to give you what you wish…" he continued. "…that I love you…" I was overjoyed to hear those words fall from his lips, yet it filled me with a sense of foreboding as well. Why would he be afraid of telling me what he knew I wanted to hear? A soft sigh escaped Kurama's lips. " Only one other I've spoken those words to in earnest and he was killed before my eyes," he said, sounding as though he were on the verge of tears. "I feel as though I would be betraying him if I gave my heart to you," "I soon realized that didn't matter, for you already had my heart," "I fear that it's only a matter of time before I give in and become yours completely and that end the end you'll come to want me for nothing more than pleasure like so many others in the past, or that one of us will betray the other, leaving us both with broken hearts. I couldn't bear that,"

"You've given this too much thought," I said as I opened my eyes. Kurama's eyes went wide. "You were awake?" he asked in surprise. "Half awake," I answered. He lowered his face and covered it with his hands. "Does it really bother you so much that I love you?" I asked. He uncovered his face and looked into my eyes. "Only because I want this so much….I'm tired of searching for someone who wants to truly love me and not just for the pleasure I can bring them in bed," I sat up and faced him. "Fox, I can't want you solely for something I've never experienced," I said. "I've never had feelings this strong for anyone before, " "You mean you've never had a lover?" he asked in astonishment. "…never experienced the pleasures of the flesh, as they say?" I shook my head.

"Why would I have?" I responded. "Who would want the forbidden child?" A blush spread across his cheeks. "I do," he responded as he leaned closer. "…but given my reputation, how could you want me?" "I don't know," I said. "I just know that I love you," Kurama smiled. "I love you too," he whispered as he leaned closer. His eyes lowered to my lips then raised back up to meet my gaze. "If I asked for a kiss, would I get one?" he asked. I bushed my lips against his gently. "You don't need to ask," I said. "If you want to kiss me, just do it," Kurama's eyes lit up at my answer.

He captured my lips in a fiery kiss that made my heart race and my toes curl. My eyes widened in amazement at the barrage of sensations coursing through me. Kurama chuckled. "I suppose it would be alright with you if we took things slowly?" he asked. I nodded. Apparently I had a lot to learn. "So what does that make us now?" I asked. "We're definitely beyond the boundaries of a friendship, and I don't want to be merely another lover to you," "Then that would definitely make us a couple," he said. "Good," I replied then returned his kiss with a gentle one of my own, feeling happier than I had ever before.

Our eyes met and without words I knew that he loved me just as deeply as I loved him. Though he was wary of what the future might bring, he was willing to take the chance in not resisting what he'd been longing for. I laced my fingers with his silently promising that I wouldn't take his giving me his heart lightly, and by the fierce determination in his eyes I knew he wouldn't take my giving my heart to him lightly either. I found it amazing that we needed no words to communicate. We did more than just speak when our eyes met, we showed our thoughts and feelings just as easily as though we had spoken them. "We do more than just speak when we are eye to eye," I thought