A/N: Gee, I thought I said no flames. Anyway, the flames were without merit. I thoroughly believe that Kuwabara and Yusuke are good people, and I will explain both Hiei's emotions and their games in due time.

Chapter 2

I believe I should explain how all of this occurred and thus explain why I am in my current predicament with Kurama himself. It must have started that night...without my knowing...

I went to fetch Yusuke for a new mission with Koenma, and to my great surprise, walked in on both Keiko and the dimwit himself at a... bad time. After a few minutes of chaos and some sights I would much rather forget, the two of them settled down.

"Is it the brat?" he asked with a tinge of bitterness in his voice. I use the term "tinge" lightly.

"Yes," I said quietly. "a matter of great urgency has arisen, and you are needed."

He snorted. "Needed?" he said. "Since when have you needed me?"

"I don't," I said shortly. "They do. The carrot top and that baka kitsune are waiting at Genkai's place. We should go as soon as you're dressed."

He harrumphed, but got dressed anyway.

We arrived shortly after one in the morning. Kurama was leaning against the far wall talking with Genkai, and Kuwabara was looking out the window pensively.

As much as I hate to admit it, I cared about them. All of them. So I was very worried when I realized that Botan wasn't there. I chose not to acknowledge this and took a seat near the kitsune.

"There has been a breakthrough in the barrier case. It may be possible to seal the barrier between Makai and Ningenkai once and for all," Genkai said. "the only problem is that the demons who are here now will be unable to return to Makai. Which happens to include you, Hiei."

I was stunned. How? What would it take to make them realize..? I couldn't stay here forever. But I couldn't live without the things here....would I ever see them again? No, I decided, I could not go back to demon world. Surprising, isn't it? How what should have been such a difficult decision for me was now so simple.

"I'll stay here," I said, earning looks from everyone in the room. Especially Kurama. That stare was almost intoxicating in the brief moment of utmost happiness they had shown me. Genkai smiled at me.

"Well, now, that was easier than Koenma thought it would be," she said with a faint note of sarcasm in her voice. "Now the only person we need to talk to is Yukina."

Everyone froze as Genkai realized what she had just said. But instead of giving them the obvious reaction I normally had when they spoke about her (extreme anger, no doubt), I merely gave them a 'hn' and walked towards the window that Kuwabara had been staring out of previously. I opened it and jumped into the night.

It had begun to rain. Or pour, rather. The droplets almost felt like bullets raining down on my head. My normally very tall hair had sagged down to my waist. I sprinted to the first place that came to my mind.

There was a window right outside the fox's window that I rested in some nights when I felt I should be near him. It was there I waited patiently for his return.