Disclaimer- Oh shut up…

AN- Thanks for all the reviews, guys, they made me feel sparkly inside. It's been so long since I've truly been alive… the nostalgia is overwhelming. I'm trying to stay on track with this story. I realized a while into this chapter that I'd forgotten the actual premise, which is Hiei getting beaten. I'm so lame… I apologise in advance, by the way, if the number of little ooooo's gets on your nerves, but I was thinking in terms of a movie where you cut from scene to scene, domestic happiness to failureness.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

daremo ga egao no oku

itami o kakaeta mama

ikiteiru yo

everyone lives on

pain hidden

deep within a smile

(Everlasting Story (Satou Akemi))

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"So…" Shuuichi began uncomfortably, not quite meeting the other boy's narrowed crimson eyes. "When do you want to do this chapter's homework? I mean, would Friday work?"

"Whatever," he hissed, a sense of urgency in his deep voice. "I have to go, now." Even as he spoke, he started walking away from Shuuichi with a rather impressive turn of speed.

"What time can you come?" he called.

"I don't care!" Hiei flung back, steps quickening further. If he was late getting home again, there would be hell and more to pay. It just figured he would get perfect Minamino Shuuichi for a partner; he would probably actually have to go do the work. Like he had the time…

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"Tadaima!" Shuuichi placed his shoes neatly against the wall, took his books to his room, and went to the kitchen to greet his mother.

"Okaeri," she said with a smile. "How was your day?"

"Fine." He opened the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of milk and pouring himself a cup. "I have to do my math stuff with a partner now. He's not very nice, but then I haven't really talked to him very much."

"I'm sure it will work out."

"Sou, sou!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A barely audible creak sounded as Hiei pushed the door open cautiously. Years of practice had taught him the arts of silence and speed, vital to survival in his home, at least assuming that was the correct term for the dark apartment he inhabited. He prepared to bolt to his room, preferably escaping detection by the drunken figure lying on the couch.

"Where were you?"

The slurred voice grated on his hypersensitive ears and he froze in place. Taking a deep breath to calm his suddenly racing heart, he took an extra second to eliminate any possibility of sarcasm in his voice. He had paid dearly for it the last time.

"School."

Takahashi Kizato stood up, notoriously fiery temper sparked. "Don't lie to me, brat. You're late today."

An apology was hardly going to change anything, he knew. Hiei braced himself.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Nobunaga Oda… Hideyoshi… Tokugawa… Tokugawa…."

The room fell silent as Shuuichi wrote the names, forming each character with care. History was not his favorite subject, but he did very well in it, as with all of his classes.

"Let's see… Tokugawa Ieyasu… soshite… Tokugawa Hidetada…"

Yawning, he turned off the lamp by his desk and began to get ready for bed.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Dammit."

Hiei huddled in the bathroom, trying to wash off the blood on his arms. He felt nauseous; he would have thrown up if he had had anything to eat in the past twenty-four hours. It seemed he would not have time to finish his homework again.

"Damn…"

It was true, he supposed. He really was as useless as his father thought.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Where did you have to go yesterday that was so important?" There was a hint of a sulk in Shuuichi's voice as he addressed his indifferent partner. In addition to shunning the required pink uniform, Hiei had done something weird to his arm. Did he think he was cool, imitating demon bonding?

There was something absolutely infuriating about the shorter boy's expression as he looked at Shuuichi. "Home," he replied in a condescending tone. "You know, where people live."

"Where the heart is?" he asked, half joking.

Just like that, Hiei's expression shut down. Red eyes went blank, and his mouth set itself into a stubborn line.

Sensing that he had said something wrong, Shuuichi shifted uncomfortably and changed the subject. "Ummm… So if Friday's fine for doing the homework, what time do you think you can come over? Any time's good for me."

Hiei seriously considered telling the redhead precisely where he should go and what he should do to himself there, but Shuuichi continued on obliviously, presumably talking to himself.

"I was thinking six or something. We could fit in dinner, you know, so we don't have to work the whole time."

The idea of dinner definitely appealed to Hiei, who snapped to attention instantly. The sweet bun he had managed to pick up on the way to school was for him the epitome of a good meal but he was aware that some people actually consumed real food on a regular basis, and judging by Shuuichi's accursedly healthy appearance, he was one of them.

"I'll see," he growled. "Maybe I'll come."

Taking that as a yes, Shuuichi beamed and began to walk to class.

Hiei frowned suddenly. How in the world was he going to get his father to agree to this?

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Yeah, this chapter is kind of short and not that well done even by my standards… but I was sort of in what might have passed for writer's block. Maybe? Sometimes when I write a story I know exactly where I want it to go and then I don't want to waste time writing all the filler leading up to the massive climax. And then sometimes I write run-on sentences and forget the punctuation… .

In any case, I hope to do something useful with this fic. So many fics out there are incredibly formulaic. They're a vaguely entertaining read, but every character is written as having two (or fewer) dimensions. Hiei is portrayed as this unemotional guy who suddenly discovers he has feelings (where'd those come from?), and Kurama is just some guy who happens to love Hiei. Very few people actually go into the emotions behind the two. I don't think I'm remotely doing it justice either, but I would like to try.

These notes are far too long… oh well… do keep the reviews coming… They truly make me happy.