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Standard disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho

Chapter 6

Story… Dreams… 'Thoughts'

As I approach our den I see my lover sitting in the grass, head bent, long silver hair hiding his beautiful face from my view. He raises tear filled eyes to me as I sit beside him. He knows where I've been, what I've done. It never bothered him in the past. He knows I occasionally have a craving for female companionship. Recently, since our anniversary, he minds. I don't want to hurt him but I'm not sure I can give them up and have him as my only lover, but for him I'll try. I reach for him and he slaps me. I grab his hands holding them over his head as I force him back into the grass. He struggles, but I know he likes it and I get my way in the end. As I love him I know he has forgiven me again. I just hope he always will.

In the days since their talk, things between Hiei and Kurama were bit tense. They talked very little and hadn't made love at all. Instinct drew them into each other's arms only in sleep. The strain was starting to wear on Hiei as he woke from the latest dream. 'So Kuronue wasn't perfect either.'

Kurama woke when he felt his mate stir. He turned to look at Hiei but didn't speak. It hurt being in the dark, but he would wait till Hiei was ready to talk.

Hiei reached out and stroked Kurama's hair. "Yes Fox, I had another dream."

The Youko turned into the caress. "Is it against the rules to ask what you dreamed about?"

Hoping to distract his love, Hiei moved his hand up to the fox's sensitive ear. "No Fox, that's okay. I'll tell you what it was about just not all the details, not yet. It was about you, as they all are. You were upset, like you have been lately."

Kurama assumed Hiei was the one he was upset with in the dream. "Will you tell me how you handled my being upset in the dream?"

"No Foxie, but I'll show you." With that Hiei ran his hands down Kurama's arms, grabbed his wrists and pinned them over his head. Kurama's eyes widened in surprise at the dominant move, but he only offered a token struggle. The fire demon proceeded to devour the fox's lips and neck. Just like the dream, the withering fox beneath him let Hiei know, his lover didn't object.

xxxxx

The tension between Hiei and his fox had lessened since they made love. The fire demon telling his mate a little about each dream had helped, especially when they reenacted the love scenes. He did not however dispel Kurama's belief that he was the fox's lover in the dreams.

Kurama was pleased his mate was having such sensual fantasies about him, but he knew there was more to it, otherwise why would these sexy dreams bother Hiei enough to seek Koenma's help.

The fox sat on the futon watching his lover prepare to leave. "I want to go with you to Reiki. If Koenma tells you something bad, I want to be with you."

Hiei sat on the edge of the futon and faced his anxious fox. "You can't. I promised never to lie to you, I never promised not to lie to Koenma. I told him the information I want was for you, which isn't a total lie but I want to know first. If it is bad, I want control over how you are told. Good or bad I will tell you, but I'm trying to keep you from getting hurt."

The Youko reached out to hug Hiei. "I love that you want to protect me Sweetheart but I'm a big boy, I don't need protecting. The only thing that can hurt me is if I were to lose you. Just tell me that's not a possibility and I'll let you go."

"Nothing short of death could ever take me from you Fox. I can't imagine anything Koenma might tell me about the dreams could cause my death. Now stop worrying. I'll be back before you know it." To take his mind off his worries, Hiei kissed his mate senseless before flitting off to Reiki.

Though dazed by the toe-curling kiss, Kurama wasn't fooled. Something bigger than dreams was going on. 'Why else would Hiei think he needs to protect me from dreams?'

xxxxx

Still sitting on the futon long after Hiei left, Kurama started going over the last few weeks. He was looking for pre-dream and post-dream differences in Hiei. Some were obvious others came to him the more he thought. Suddenly he found a connection…Kuronue. 'Why didn't I notice this before?'

Over the years Hiei had done several things that made Kurama think of his old lover, but had written them off as coincidence. The obvious recent ones he thought were just because he was thinking of Kuro a lot lately and Hiei had wanted to know more about him. Now that he realized just how many ways his mate had reminded him of Kuro in the last few weeks, it had to be more than coincidence.

Hiei's taste in food had changed. The fire demon who usually ate mostly fruits and vegetables had been eating a lot of meat lately. Kuro loved meat and rarely ate vegetables. When they were in the Ningenkai he had turned down Yukina's special chocolate-cherry cake, he loved her cake and could never say no to his sister. He also turned down Kurama's offer to get his precious sweet snow. Kuro didn't have Hiei's sweet tooth.

Hiei was possessive of his mate but rarely showed jealousy. Hiei had snapped at two Ningens who had openly admired the redheaded Kurama and even growled at Yusuke when he put a reassuring arm around him on their last visit. Kuro was always fiercely jealous.

Then there were the girls. Kurama had thought he was imagining things but he would have sworn Hiei had checked out the girls when they were at the temple, the Youko's least favorite trait in his old lover.

The usually quiet Hiei had been almost talkative, particularly late at night as they lay in each other's arms and frequently about Kuronue who himself was always talkative in bed. Kurama loved to pounce both his lovers. Kuro had loved it and usually laughed and played along. Hiei, who usually grumbled about it, though not whole-heartedly, had been quite playful when pounced the last few weeks.

Even in their love making Kurama could see Kuro's influence. Hiei had been biting his lip while watching his lover's pleasure. Both lovers enjoyed a very active and sometimes kinky sex life but since sharing the dreams with Kurama, Hiei had been experimenting with mild bondage. Enjoying the fox held down or tied up. Again things Hiei had not done in the past but Kuro liked often.

The similarity Kurama should have caught onto sooner though was the nickname. Hiei called his mate by many names, Fox and Kitsune the most common but he occasionally used other endearments. Foxie however was a name no one had ever used accept Kuro. Twice in the last week, while reenacting the love making from the dreams, Hiei had called Kurama Foxie.

Now that he had made the revelation that Hiei was acting a great deal like his predecessor, Kurama wasn't sure what he should do with the information. Should he talk to Hiei about it when he got back? No, he would wait to see what Hiei would tell him he learned in Reikai.