Reborn-soul-09 - Sorry, he gets better, promise. But I need my head, and the band-aids suck.

Ebbster - Yes, yes, too nice, gotcha. I'll do my best to fix it as I go on. See what I get when I try to please myself? Oh well, the readers are who matter.

Baka Hanyou Rahvin - He was Keiko and Yusuke's.

StormOfTranquility - You're so nice to me! Thank you!

Chapt. 5

Kutsu Problems

Maybe three months passed from the day Shuuto and I entered the Urameshi household. It was nearly December now, and the snow was threatening to fall. I hated the winter.

"Nanashi, you'll need boots for winter," Keiko tries to reason. Almost every weekend since we arrived, they took us to stores all over Tokyo trying to find us shoes and clothing. Shuuto accepted his shoes with wide eyes and a big grin. I was not so easy. I had never worn shoes. Always I had gone barefoot, even in the snows of winter. Keiko could clothe me easily enough. I wore what any boy would wear: jeans and a T-shirt. But I would not wear shoes. They hurt my feet.

"You know I can't wear them, they hurt," I whine, pushing the red boots away.

"I don't want your feet to get frostbitten," she persists.

"I never wore shoes before and the frost never bit my feet. So why should it now?" Over these many years, my feet had become calloused and pain was dull on them. Even though I was made to bathe everyday, my feet were stained dirty. I tried to wear socks, but it felt as though large hares were attacking my feet.

"Onegashimasu, try them on for me," Keiko pleas.

"Iie, I will not," I huff, sitting on my feet.

"I give up," she sighs, putting the boots back. "Come on, Yusuke will have dinner ready by now."

"You let Mr. Yusuke cook? We're all gunna die."

"Don't fret, Shuuto-kun said he would help."

"I guess Shuuto is an ok chef, but I wouldn't trust his food with Mr. Yusuke in the kitchen."

"You don't have to call him Mr. you know."

"Gomen, I'm just used to it." The walk to the car is silent, as is the trip home.

I lay awake in my bed, thinking about Mitsukai…er, Hiei. It had been three months since he threatened me so, but I still shook at the thought. What could be so bad about telling someone you were related?

'I could tell and risk my life, but that would be stupid. But Yukina-chan should know, it's her right. Why's Hiei afraid? Maybe I should tell her anyway…'

"Bad idea, kid," a rough voice growled in the dark. I lay still, frozen with fear. The unseen things that lurked in the darkness I could not see in frightened my hardened heart.

"Kuro," I whispered. "Black as the night outside in the night in here."

"Hai, that it is," the same voice replies. "And you do not see so good as it is."

"Iie, I don't. Will you tell me who you are?" I ask the darkness.

"You know me well enough."

"Hiei-kun?" I tilt my head back and find myself staring into red orbs. Warm blood trapped in cold ice, which was what his eyes were. Transfixed, I was, by his eyes. For that was the only part of him I could see.

"You should not be so foolish as to think of doing things that could get you killed."

"Been doin' it all my life, why stop now?"

"Because I will not think twice about it." He acted so strangely. Evil and menacing, like the youkai in the stories told at the mill. But he was a simple man with eyes of blood and hair that stood like fire.

"I suppose I owe you for saving us. I will keep your secret. Arigato, Hiei-kun."

"Hn. Don't let me catch you thinking such foolish notions again." His eyes leave my sight.

"Wait, how did you know what I was thinking?"

No reply.

"Hiei!" I shout into the dark, sitting up.

Kutsu - Shoe

Onegashimasu - Please

Iie - No

Gomen - Sorry

Kuro - Black

Hai - Yes

Youkai - Demon

Arigato - Thank you

A/N - Better?