Disclaimer: I don't own YYH…

"Kurama!" Botan yelled, flying out of the back door.

"What?" I called, setting down my trowel.

"She's gone!" Botan panted as she caught her breath. "Reiko's disappeared. We can't find her anywhere!" That last sentence ended in a wail as I raced inside. I barked out orders to search both the gardens and the streets, sure that she was wandering somewhere close. We all split up and took separate courses. Where could she be? I thought in heartache.

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I felt a presence near my head as I drifted out of sleep. I blearily glanced up, and was shocked to see Hiei leaning against the wall.

"You caused quite a stir back home." He commented wryly, helping me up.

"I'm sorry. I just needed to come some place where I thought I wouldn't be found." I muttered in return. I sighed. "I'll go back so that way I won't worry anyone…"

"I wouldn't."

"Sure, but you don't have Kurama after you." I snorted in return. He smiled, not deviously, but understanding.

"Ah, yes. The heartsick Kitsune would rather give up his plants than you. I know it well. You know that you aren't the first of his loves, but you are the only one to return that love. He's so scared you'll break, especially with that baby, like a china figurine. If you like, when you need to get away, I would be glad to escort you. That would solve both our problems." He grinned now.

"And what problems would you have?" I challenged. Hiei laughed.

"Those idiots, Yusuke and Kuwabara, drive me up the wall. I would rather protect someone whose conversation doesn't revolve around beer and gangs. You at least speak of sensible things." I laughed too, and he took me home.

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When Hiei arrived back home with Reiko in tow, I about exploded when he said she was at an old hiding place. She was smiling a mile a minute, and even Hiei couldn't help but grin at my face.

"Really, Kitsune, fencing a bright girl like Rei in a house does you no credit."

"But at least she's SAFE!"

"But I'm alone with you. Truly at the best of times, you're not much of a conversationalist. Just let me be, Kurama. With Hiei around, I'm in little danger, and I do feel much better. Let me roam, and I'll be happy." She replied gently, touching my arm. I calmed down, but not for her. What she was asking of me was so difficult…trust comes harder now for me, and though I loved her, I was terrified to trust her.

She tried to meet my eyes, to no avail, and trudged up the stairs, her steps heavy. I glared at the floor, the indecision gnawing at my thoughts. Hiei took one look after her, and one look at me, and then dragged me by the collar outside.

"You're more pathetic than I thought, Kurama." He growled, shoving me into the siding.

"That's easy for you to say, Jaganshi." I hissed back, the rage returning. He, though a full head shorter than me, held me up against my own house writhing and cursing.

"Can it, Kurama. You think that because you went through such a hell that that automatically gives you the right to do whatever you damn well please. Well, wake up and smell your own roses, fox-boy, 'cause that girl upstairs trusted you enough to heal her, and you won't trust her to even set foot outside your house. She won't run away, and if she does, it'll be because you can't pull yourself together when she needs you." He threw me down and stalked back inside the house.

I was shaken. Hiei had never done such a thing and I was furious, of course. But I was also surprised. When it came to mortal affairs, Hiei preferred to kill first and ignore the questions. Something had changed, though, and I could have sworn that I saw jealousy in his eyes as he left me. I probably sat there pondering his words for an hour when a small hand tentatively touched my shoulder.

"Kurama?" Keiko asked softly, jolting me back to the present.

"I, uh, um…Hi, Keiko. What's up?" She blushed.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to see if you were hungry. Hiei said he had left you to think about something, and mentioned that you might be out for awhile." She wrung her hands, and tried not to act too worried. "Well, I'd better go. Yusuke's taking me to dinner tonight. Reiko's cooking, so go in anytime. Bye."

"Bye…" I muttered as she ran off, eager to meet her date. I felt like a jerk. Here I was, doing the same thing as the others did to me. I sighed, then pulled myself up and walked inside.

Reiko and I were alone, because she was singing in the kitchen. She didn't do that if others were here. She didn't see me come in, at first, and when she did, she started and a pan went flying. I caught it by the handle, upside-down. The rice made a quick waterfall to the floor, and we both leapt back from the steaming hot grains.

"Oh, gosh, sorry Kurama, I didn't mean to…"

"It wasn't your fault…That was close." I replied in relief. She looked tired, and now a little scared. I smiled goofily at her and set the pan in the sink. "Don't freak, Rei, I'm not mad. Truth is, I would have dumped the meat on the floor, and would have slipped and fallen on it." I said with a grin, rubbing my neck. She blushed and smiled.

"But still, I was the one who dropped the rice…"

"Don't worry. Why don't you go sit down, and I'll clean this up. Go on, sit." I badgered relentlessly until she finally plopped down on one of the bar stools. I hunted through my utility closet, and came up with a rarely used mop and an old pail. I heard a soft giggle behind me, then a laugh when I fell out of the closet, my feet twisted in the cord of my vacuum.

"Kurama, do you need any help?" She snickered as I picked myself up.

"No, no, I'm fine." I winced. I filled the pail, and quickly got the rice scooped up, when the faint smell of meat burning permeated the room, and Rei screeched.

"Oh, damn! I didn't watch the chicken!" She leapt up and rushed to the stove, and fanned the smoke out the window. Just as she finally got the last of the greasy smoke out of the kitchen, the vegetables boiled over.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" I yelped, and switched off the burner. We stood back, hot water splashed over me and smoke stains on her dress.

"Maybe we should just order pizza." She sighed. I picked up the phone and speed-dialed.

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Kurama grabbed another piece of supreme, and nodded to me. "Thanks for the suggestion." I blushed, and picked up another slice of Canadian Bacon.

"Don't thank me, thank your range. If it hadn't single-handedly destroyed our dinner, we'd be eating chicken teriyaki instead."

"True, true. But you were the one to suggest pizza." He chomped down on his piece, and practically absorbed it. I just nibbled mine.

"You are such a messy eater." I observed when he went back for a fifth slice.

"And you're such a picky eater." He retorted, chowing down on his own. I snorted.

"Then why is it that I've nearly finished my half of the pizza, and you're barely to the half way point?" I pointed out, and he looked sheepish.

"Sorry, then, Little Pig…Owww! Hey, come on! Can't you take a joke!" I threw my pizza at him.

"You jerk!" I mock-roared, shoving him off the couch.

He wiped up the pizza sauce and started chasing me. I led him outside, inside, outside again, inside again, and outside once more. He was following me down to the pool, when I jumped in and hid at the bottom. He dived in after me, but had obviously forgotten whose element he had just thrown himself into. I stilled myself and focused all of my will into the waters surrounding me, synchronizing with them. Kurama obviously figured that out, because he swam quickly to the edge and pulled himself out. I felt the power build up, and I unleashed it in a swirl of water and air.

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Reiko's water form soared into the skies, a magnificent dragon-winged goddess of the seas. I could see her in the heart of her creation, protected, controlling it through barest movement and thought. One of her fingers stroked my cheek, and the water form smiled along with the girl.

"You still think that I cannot fend for myself?" I slowly shook my head, and the form disappeared, leaving the girl resting on the edge of the pool. I walked over to her unsteadily.

"You-you…You outdid even I. How?" That was all I could say.

"Simple. I practiced. At night when you were fast asleep, I'd come out here and train with Hiei. He helped me master the form by showing me how he controlled his own demon form." She replied genially. I was surprised again.

"You really spend a lot of time with Hiei…"

"It isn't what you think. I like him, but he doesn't appeal to me like you do. He truly is just a friend, and he knows that I won't stray from you. The reason he got so mad was because I had told him I thought that it was my fault that you couldn't love me."

"And that would explain why he blew up at me. No, no, don't apologize, I deserved it."

I came close to her, and covered her hands with my own. "I shouldn't have been so selfish. I was just afraid, more so than you know." I tried to find the right words, but Reiko beat me to it. She leaned forward and kissed me, a kiss as cool and light as the wind. I kissed her back, letting touch take us on. She pulled back, and drew me into the pool. We twisted under the stars for hours, just swimming in tandem, sharing a kiss every now and then. As the cold began to chill us both, I picked her up and carried her inside. We changed into drier clothes, and just laid together in bed, neither on top or bottom. I nibbled the bridge of her nose, moving down to the arc of her neck. She just nuzzled closer, and we fell asleep in each other's arms, peace enveloping us both.

Any Kurama fan girl will hate me. I guarantee it, especially if they read this story. Thank you so much, animebishieluver, for actually reviewing my pathetic excuse of a story! Anyways, if I didn't write a YYH sob story, it would come out in something else, like say, RuroKen.

KD