Enemies from the start lovers until the end

by Kyoka-BOO

AU Kurama's lived a traumitized life and is not always one to trust people. Hiei, a high school dropout passing through, is no different. But when Hiei begins to fall for Kurama, problems arise. Can he earn the fox's trust, much less, his love? HxK

16. Chapter 16

Enemies from the Start, Lovers Until the End

Me: I am SO SORRY that it took so long to post. Hehe, writer's block had taken quite a toll on me, and it didn't leave me all the more happy when I had finally found a good idea, but was unable to put it into words. I hope that this chapter makes up for the delay, although in my opinion, I highly doubt that. I suppose there's a lot of boring parts in here; I just hope I don't leave you very bored. I can't promise, but I will try my best to get the next one out sooner than I did for this one.

Hmm. This is my last chapter, so I'm going to want your opinion when you're done PLEASSSSSE!

Yay! I was working in a group with two friends in a contest to design and anime t-shirt design for our school's anime club. We ended up winning, yay!

Warnings and Disclaimer: Anyone concerned my disclaimer isn't adequate, check any chapter 1-14 to prove that theory. As for yer warnings, if you haven't figured out by now that this is a yaoi story, you either skipped past all my warnings, the summary warning, and the ending part of chapter 15, or you're a very dull, dull pencil. Other warnings can still apply though. The beginning part of this chapter isn't too bad angst wise, but expect it to get worse, because I still have some stuff planned. I don't know who could ever be against angst, but if you have any ideas of anything angst-related that brings you anger, please don't waste your time.

Note: I bring up the idea of demons marking their mates VERY early in this chapter. Although I do not own or claim to have thought up the idea, I have put my own little spin on it, as so many others have. Just to let you know, I'm not trying to copy off anyone, because I like staying as original as I can, but if you dare think that I am claiming this idea as my own, just consider it disclaimed, please.

To the reviewers: (-Faint- so many kind reviewers, you all make me joyful and happy! Okay, so maybe no all that joyful… But happy for sure!)

Sabrinaw

Hmm. I'm taking that you liked it. Hmm, I didn't expect anybody to think it was really that cute. Anyhow, thank you for reviewing!

Lol

I'm glad that you liked it. Yup, two chapters in one day be happy, happy is good. Now if only I could have posted this chapter a little sooner. Curse you, writer's block! And then curse the mind for not being able to put inspiration to words. Mmm, I really want to that pairing soon. I love the pairing, so the idea had just come from the top of my head. I wish there were more of YoukoxShuuichi stuff. I've actually already read Optimum Dream by Funara. I love it! The only thing that makes me mad is that I can't seem to get to the first chapter. Stupid parental controls, block me from all the good stories, why don't you?

Evene

Wow! Three reviews, I'm so happy. Lol, it's cool how you've reviewed every single chapter now. For that, I offer HUGE thanks to you. You really do leave good reviews. It isn't a biased review, but it offers open opinion and suggestions. It's a type of review that really helps a person improve. I'm still slightly surprised that Kurama has improved this much, although I know it's a bit odd because I worked every single chapter to see he improved at least a tiny bit. I still love writing romance with them. It's fun! Well, angst is very fun as well, and I suppose you're going to be seeing a lot more of it before this ends. (The ending is probably coming soon, since I don't want to seem like I'm trying to prolong a story that should end because the plot is almost done. Trust me, I don't want it to end either. I have so much fun writing each chapter, I promise that I'll dearly miss this one afterwards. I'll take a closer look before I post it again to see if I can fix some of those grammar mistakes so you won't run into such problems again. Well, until next time, Arigato and I'll se ya!

A-dragon's-beautiful-rose

Well, thank you for reviewing. I do try to update A.S.A.P, so I hope the update didn't seem too prolonged to you.

BlackRoseVixen05

Ah! I'm glad that you liked both chapters. Thanks a lot for your review!

Shiorifoxiesmom

There really isn't anything to be sorry about. If you don't have a chance to review or read for a while, do you think I'll be mad? I do it all the time. I'll get completely caught up in the real world that I don't have a chance to review anything. So I know your situation. High school sucks! Not only does it drain energy, but also five minutes in that building gets rid of any story or chapter ideas you have. Thanks for reviewing! Ja ne!

Greenmeat

I'm glad you liked it. I purposely made it so they didn't attack each other with heated passion on the first kiss. I love focusing on first kiss scenes, and I just kinda think if they're leaping all over each other it ruins the moment. Thanks for reviewing!

Lazy fat kitsune

Hmm, maybe it was good that I posted two chapters on the same day. I left you with a nice chapter to atone for the mean cliffie. I'm happy you liked the lat scene, and thank you for reviewing.

LoversPastForgotten

Wow. I really didn't expect this good of a reaction from everybody. Thanks for reviewing!

Nyte Kit

So, it was your favorite chapter out of all of them, ne? II think that it was mine as well. I can't believe my grammar improved a bit! The official date part of this wasn't very satisfying for me, but I did really like the part I wrote at the end, looking back upon it. I like the idea of Hiei being apprehensive about his feelings, because I believe the reason he's so cold and distant is because he can tent to be a wee bit apprehensive about those types of things. That, however is a good thing, because if Hiei was some sentimental, true to his feelings pansy, I think I'd die. As I like to say, the day Hiei says "You're my bestest friend Kuwabara! I love the world! Is the day society crumbles and the worldwide population commits suicide. It isn't wise to get on Kurama's bad side, is it? Well, enough blabbering on my part, I thank you for your review!

Red Kitsune Flames

Ah, I'm glad that you liked it a lot. Thank you for the kind review, because I appreciate every one I get.

Makurayami Ookami

Being cruel is fun. Maybe not in real life, because I'm not like that, but I love being mean in my stories. I bet Kurama would kill me for it if we ever crossed paths. Either that, or he'd think I was some sick freak and walk away quickly. Freedom doesn't come without a price. Throughout the story, I suppose one can learn that. To get away from Karasu's clutches, Kurama not only had to learn to try and break away from his fears, but he got a nice scar as a souvenir. I'm glad that you liked it, and thank you so much for leaving your reviews. It's very much appreciated.

Aiko

I'm glad that you like it so far. I hope that you'll leave another review sometime too. Thank you so much!

Mistic Fox

I'm really glad that you liked it. I appreciate the review too. Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Ryuuie Mizishi

Well, I'm glad that you thought that it was a sweet scene. Hiei coming to senses about his feelings is a really good thing too. Lol, I don't know if there were too many people looking at how Hiei improved throughout the story, but it was something I tried to work in wile I worked on Kurama's improvements. He's grown up in so many ways… even though he was probably well past what a human would consider 'the age you're grown-up'. He's a demon, so he has to be fairly old, right? Thanks for the review!

Kb

-Faints- Wow… that's just about the kindest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Did you really like it that much? I'm speechless. Thanks for reviewing!

Noroi Inu

Kawaii! I love the word. Go ahead, glomp anyone ya want. Akushitsuko and Karasu, I suppose, are really mean, maybe they deserve a taste of their own medicine (Kind like your statement about how they should go bite themselves, ne?) Depressing plots seem to give my stories more life than anything else. I really can't write a happy or normal story without it driving me crazy and turning out to be pretty sucky as well. The last story I had that was SUPPOSED to be happy was a failure. I got bored writing it halfway through, my chapters were short, it sucked, and I ended up going on an angst streak in the end and only leaving three of the main characters alive out of ten. -.- My, my, I hated that story. Besides, depressing plots are so much more fun to read, because it's all so thrilling in a very sad way. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that at least one person felt bad for Shin. It's kinda like the thing where no matter how evil and unscarred someone may seem, there is almost always something you can find to pity about them. (Unless you're a heartless bastard, that is) Sorry for my endless rambling, and thanks for your review.

Kurama lay curled within Hiei's strong grip, eyes closed in deep contentment. The fire demon was running his fingers through the soft crimson locks as he looked down at the peaceful face. Kurama sighed blissfully and snuggled closer to Hiei's chest, enjoying the warm arms that held him comfortably. It was truly a happy moment for him, a reprieve from what had seemed like an eternity of fear, sadness, and loneliness.

It was a peaceful night eight here as it was, and it seemed to add onto the magic of the scene for Hiei. There were fireflies buzzing off in the distance, lighting up the sparkling dew on each blade of grass. Although they were quite deep into a forest, light shone through the gaps in the tree tops and pierced through the darkness in an eerie, yet beautiful way. The fox was very happy to be in his arms, Hiei could tell this with only a simple glance. He hadn't seen him so relieved or happy ever, not even when he had been in his youko form all those years ago.

Kurama had opened his eyes to stare up into the intense crimson orbs hovering above his. Those eyes brought an odd sense of security and reassurance to him; he'd never felt so strongly as this, even when he had been with Hikaru. Perhaps everything would be okay, and he could really be happy, with Hiei holding him in his arms like this for all of eternity, until the day he died.

The thought, however, brought sadness to his heart at the same time. It broke though the happiness and Kurama closed his eyes once again, snuggling a little harder against the Jaganshi's chest. He didn't deserve Hiei. He wasn't strong like him, nor was he all to brave or talented. It was exactly opposite of how Hiei was. How could Hiei possibly want to be with such a pathetic creature as him? No matter how much he wanted to prove himself to Hiei and finally find that bravery demons were supposed to possess, he could never possibly be really worthy of the great and strong Hiei, right?

The way that the redhead was acting concerned Hiei, who was still busy with playing with the red tresses. There was no reason for Kurama could possibly find any reason to fear this, could he? He had kissed back and allowed Hiei to hold him of his own free will. So it wasn't that Kurama was scared of what was happening. Intuition told him that this wasn't fear, though. There seemed to be more there, something Hiei couldn't quite place his finger on.

"Kurama, what's wrong?" he asked. Although he didn't want to act like he was a concerned sap who worried too much, he swallowed his pride and accepted he'd need to play the role of being the concerned one for now. There may be something really wrong with Kurama; it was what worried him most.

Kurama looked up at him and forced himself to smile. The fire demon was able to tell that he wasn't really smiling now, the smile looked outwardly forced and quite fake, to be truthful. Kurama averted his gaze a little and tried to think of an excuse for his fake smile to say that Hiei would believe. He frowned when he was unable to come up with such a comment.

"It's just…. Well, I suppose it's… No, that can't be the way to say it." Kurama mused aloud.

There was no way he could possibly think of anything to say to the other boy, could he? Hiei's eyes narrowed and his grip tightened on Kurama a little. He wanted to be able to figure out what Kurama was trying to say, but the stammering and unsure words weren't helping him out at all. It could almost be seen as completely useless to even ask when viewed by many people. He should have known better.

"Come on fox, just spit it out. What do you think? I'll abandon you because I think that anything you say is too stupid for me to hear?" The redhead blinked at this, and bit his lip hard, hard enough to draw blood. He felt someone begin to stroke his cheek fondly; he didn't look up at Hiei again. He still somehow believed that Hiei was only acting, no matter how desperately his heart was screaming at him that there was no joke in the way Hiei stroked his cheek or kissed him.

Tears bit at the corners of his eyes as he spoke in a soft and sad tone, it was almost heart wrenching, it was filled with self-hatred, sadness, regret, and shame. Hiei noted that he'd have to talk to a real psychiatrist about these mood swings Kurama would often have. He'd often go from joyful, to practically suicidal one minute, and then another, depressed to furious.

"Hiei, why are you so nice to me all the time. I mean, besides the occasional insult, you take care of me more than anybody else would ever want to. I know you're completely unwilling when it comes to it, but you really go to great lengths to see that I'm alive and healthy. When I was sick, you took me to a doctor, you took care of me when I came home and had to stay in bed. You've saved my life more than once, and I haven't done a thing to repay you. And most of all, you've put up with all of my stupid fears and listened to my pathetic stories without complaint. Why?"

Kurama paused for a minute to wipe away tears that threatened to spill. He didn't want to cry anymore, especially not in front of Hiei. He didn't want to look like a baby in front of the person he desperately wanted to be strong for.

To his surprise, he felt warm fingers wipe away the wetness around his eyes for him; Hiei leaned down to kiss his forehead, in hopes of calming or reassuring him. The fox swallowed hard and continued to talk

"I mean that I know that you hate me, but why do you have to act like this? I want noting more than to be with you forever, but I know better than to know that an event like that could be true. I want you so desperately that it hurts, and I know I could never truly be a good lover to you. You're a great demon, you're strong, you're brave, and you deal with things so much better than I ever would be able to. How could you ever love me Hiei? Why do you do this simply because you feel sorry for me?"

Hiei's eyes widened. Had this been what had been bothering the redhead earlier? His eyes narrowed further in annoyance. "How dare you call me a liar, Kurama! Stop being stupid about this kind of thing, I know that you're smarter than that. I don't say these things because I feel sorry for you. I say them because I mean it."

With that, he pulled Kurama into another intense kiss. Hot tears slipped out of the corners of Kurama's eyes as he shook slightly from tears. Hiei's hands were wrapped firmly around his waist as he kissed Kurama, and the redhead's eyes slowly slipped shut as he began to kiss back.

Hiei held Kurama's face close to him when they broke apart for air. Kurama seemed to be having an internal war with himself. The beautiful fox's mixed expression was enough to confuse anyone who chose to take a glance at him. Their breaths mingled lightly as they breathed together. Hiei stared at Kurama intently, waiting for some type of answer from his. None came, and a long and awkward silence passed between the two. Not knowing what to say, they looked in to each other's softening orbs in confusion, laughed nervously and blushed the brightest shade of red possible— even brighter than Hiei's eyes or Kurama's hair.

Kurama looked up at him again, eyes fixed in a serious expression. "Hiei, do you really mean that?" he asked in a practically incredulous voice. It was hard for him to believe such a thing, especially coming from a person like Hiei.

Hiei, whispered softly to him, the gap between then was not large, but Kurama had to still strain his ears to hear what Hiei had said. He supposed he might have done this to ensure only Kurama heard it. Maybe it could be interpreted that Hiei had meant the phrase would only ever be told to him.

"Yes, of course I'm serious, my fox. I could never say that I had meant anything other than that."

Hiei told him as he stroked his hair. Kurama sighed in contentment once again and relaxed against his chest once more. He prayed that Hiei would never end up like Hikaru. Although his instincts were pleading with him to pull away, he absolutely wouldn't budge. His heart was too strongly set on this and wouldn't let instincts win this time.

Hiei smiled softly down at the sight before him. It was odd to see him with such a smile, even if it was only a tiny one. Yet still, it didn't seem to suit him, because it contrasted his dangerous, muscular form and the usually cruel crimson orbs.

A few more tears streaked down the fox's cheeks as he lay against the strong chest. It was so hard for him to believe that, because he had never heard someone say that to him in his life. He used to never have those kinds of doubts, so he had never really known what his old family and friends' thoughts were on the matter, Hikaru included. It felt so good to hear that, yet he still felt like there was something wrong. Why did he have to be so pathetic like this? He asked himself. It was a small wonder that Hiei always used to get mad at him.

Hiei didn't whisper reassuring words like another boyfriend may have, but he still gave Kurama support he was in need of. Gentle strokes on his cheeks and hair was comforting in a way, and Hiei allowed Kurama to cry against his shoulder for as long as he wanted to without saying anything about it. His thoughts weren't on Kurama that much, he stared off into space while running his fingers absentmindedly through the scarlet locks.

A wind rustled through the leaves and snapped them out of their reverie. Kurama shivered and coughed a bit. Of course, Hiei had forgotten he could potentially be ill. He wished that this half demon condition wouldn't keep bringing up so many problems. Why did Kurama have to have a weaker immune system than even the average human? He sighed. Youko Kurama must have been pretty desperate for him to be fleeing to a human body like that. Surely, the ancient fox had known the risks and downsides.

"Let's go Kurama, it's getting late. You must be tired." He said, ruffling his hair a little bit. He picked Kurama up and cradled him in his arms. Kurama protested.

"Let me walk with you, Hiei. I'm not injured and I want to be able to walk on my own." He said softly. Hiei shrugged it off and set Kurama on his feet, waiting for him to find his center of balance before continuing ahead. Kurama stood there for a moment, then jogged to catch up. Kurama clasped Hiei's hand and walked at a matching pace. The fire demon looked over at him as his hand tingled. Although they had both been open about their feelings by now, it still felt oddly pleasurable to see Kurama come up to him and willingly take hold of his hand. He really hadn't realized over time how far the fox had really come since the first day they met.

They walked once again in complete silence. Kurama simply enjoyed being in Hiei's presence. Although the feelings of fear and sadness were still there, all he could think about was his happiness. For some reason, just standing next to the fire demon was comforting and gave Kurama reasons for happiness that he was unable to explain.

Their eyes met again as they walked casually back towards Kurama's house. They had taken their eyes off their surroundings and looked completely into each other's shimmering orbs. The moment was broken when Kurama walked directly into the trunk of a tree and fell backwards. Hiei ran back and caught Kurama before he was able to hit the ground, but the fox had been shocked when he had hit the object. Kurama felt really dizzy, and in another attempt to stand without the aid of the Jaganshi, he fell back into his savior's arms when his legs failed him. He found himself staring back into crimson orbs when Hiei picked him up to carry him.

Kurama sighed once again— his legs felt a bit too weak to walk on at the current time. Had he not known this, he would have insisted he walked on his own. The truth was that he hadn't ever been too much against Hiei carrying him as a matter of pride and the desire to do things himself, but rather, the fact he involuntarily was reminded of Karasu when he allowed Hiei to carry him like this for some odd reason. It felt pathetic, but he couldn't help it.

It was obvious what the fox was thinking now; Hiei sighed and said nothing about it. Maybe those types of problems were something Kurama would have to figure out how to solve and deal with by himself. Kurama wanted independence in certain areas of life, and that was certainly justified. He wasn't a little child in need of constant care, after all.

Kurama only sighed and leaned his head against Hiei's chest. He'd allow himself to be carried, just this once… His thoughts drifted away as he felt sleep pulling at his eyes. He continued to stare at the crimson orbs without thought as he struggled with his body to keep his eyes open and his yawns suppressed. He felt that if he fell asleep, he'd find out that the idea of Hiei ever loving him like this was all just a dream, and he'd find that he was as hateful and angry as ever. He didn't want this to be a dream. It seemed way to good to be a dream to him, and he didn't want it to be. This was one of the most fortunate events that had occurred in a very long time.

He really wasn't able to help falling asleep. Those orbs staring down into his were so reassuring, and the arms that held him were so warm. His eyelashes fluttered as he once against attempted to conquer the fatigue overtaking his body. He sighed and gave up, sighing and snuggling against the warm chest before he allowed sleep to completely win him over.

Hiei smiled down at the now sleeping figure. He was really beautiful, those eyes closed peacefully and his head resting against his collarbone. He felt an alien warm feeling spread in his chest, but for once, he didn't try to push it away. Was this what true happiness was? Hiei had never known such a feeling before. And although in the past, he would have cursed such a feeling, he couldn't help but find joy in it.

He absentmindedly leaned down and kissed Kurama's forehead tenderly, letting his head drape down so that he his and Kurama's foreheads were pressing together. Kurama unconsciously sighed contentedly in his sleep and moved closer to Hiei by simple impulse. Hiei then picked his head up and continued walking, nothing more than the silence of the forest and the presence of his sleeping love to keep him company. But for Hiei, that in itself was all he'd ever need.

A bird fluttered into the night as Hiei walked out of the forest, scaring it off the signpost it had perched itself upon. Hiei paid no mind. Although his gaze was attentive and focused ahead, a serious look written across his features, his mind was elsewhere, and in an almost dreamy state. Hiei could still feel Kurama's soft lips on his and taste their sweet favor. He breathed in the intoxicating flowery scent of Kurama that he had never cared enough to notice before.

Light snow began to fall as Hiei headed towards the house. The snowflakes mingled with Kurama's eyelashes and caught in the red locks of hair. Somehow, it made Kurama look even prettier with this snow falling on him. His breath came out in light puffs as the distant, Hiei's normal look began to melt and give way to a tiny smile again. '

It was amazing he had been smiling like this. Even if they were only the tiniest of smiles for the briefest moments, it was so unlike him. He never used to smile before. What would people think if they had known him before all of this? Would they think of him as some giddy, love struck human? Somehow, Hiei didn't care if the saw him as that, no matter how much he had hated being seen as a human in other demons' views. Kurama had taught him that although humans couldn't fight like demons did, they had strengths demons didn't possess that made them equally as strong, perhaps even stronger. This had been one thing the human women who had adopted him had never been able to teach him, no matter what else she had been able to do.

He opened the door with one hand and entered Kurama's home. As a common sign of politeness, he taken his sword from his belt and placed them beside his boots, which he had managed to toe off while still holding Kurama. He then cradled the fox with one arm and took off his shoes, throwing them down beside his own. Then, the fire demon proceeded in carrying the sleeping fox to the bedroom.

It was so comforting when he reached the bedroom. He set the boy down and gently covered him with a blanket before sitting on the bed to look at him. The smile had disappeared off his face long ago, and he was back to his normal self, but he still couldn't help laying next to the beautiful creature and stroking his cheek.

He put his arms around Kurama's body and closed the gap between the two. It felt amazing to lay like this with Kurama, and he could feel new instincts he had never even recognized before rise within. He buried his face along Kurama's pale neck wile trying to quell the instinct to mark him that was rising within his being. Kurama stirred against him and emerald orbs opened softly. By this time, Hiei was licking and kissing his way down his neck. The redhead blushed and sat up.

"Hiei, what are you doing?" he asked drowsily. Hiei felt guilty at waking Kurama up. He was probably dead tired as it was, and it didn't help if he woke him up with something that could easily wait. Kurama probably wouldn't want to be marked anyways, what had gotten into him?

"I'm sorry, Kurama. Did I wake you?" he asked, concerned that the fox wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep again. Kurama shook his head and closed his eyes.

"No, I was actually I was having a dream, that was the thing that woke me up not you. But what were you doing?" Kurama asked, rubbing his eyes and stretching a little bit. Hiei paused and wondered how to explain it to him. Kurama wouldn't remember what it meant when a demon marked you, and he'd probably find the reason for such a bite to the neck useless, most likely.

"It's just a demon thing, Kurama. It isn't anything that would concern you too much, so go back to sleep and forget about it." He replied. It wasn't that he didn't want Kurama to know, but he didn't want to deprive the human any more sleep than he already had.

"Please, Hiei, tell me what it is. I am curious about how demon relationships work. I have a feeling that this has something to do with it, am I right? Besides, I'm not tired; I've had plenty enough time to sleep already." Hiei sighed. He just hoped that the hanyou wouldn't be tired in the morning.

"Demon relationships are the same as human relationships in a sense, but when you look at it they're a lot different. In a real relationship, the demons are referred to as lovers, and if they have mated with each other, they are referred to as mates. The main difference is that demons don't get married; one of the demons will leave a mark to their chosen one's neck as a signal that they aren't available. Generally, demons won't touch you because they'll see that mark upon the demon's neck and will know that if they touch the one in question in any sexual or loving way, the demon's lover will kill them without hesitation." Kurama blinked. It sounded a bit violent to him.

"Not only that, demons with these marks are committed to their mates forever, the cannot ever be with somebody else. Demons don't have affairs like so many humans do, and they don't do what humans call 'divorces' either. Hanyous, however, don't bite a mate's neck if they have a demon mate; they are in the same position as a human would be in the relationship. So they are given a bite to the neck, but won't mark their mate in return. In full-blooded demon relationships, both mates mark each other. That of course, does not change the facts. All rules apply to humans and hanyous as they would if both mates were demons except for the part about marking." He explained.

Kurama blinked for a moment before replying. "And that is what I suppose you wanted to do. Is it true that you want to mark me?" he asked Hiei quietly. Hiei nodded.

"Yes, it is something that I would love to do. I do want to think about you forever. Most humans don't like being held in such a bond, and Youko never did either. So I wouldn't be surprised if you said you wanted the relationship to follow human standards.

"Actually, I'd like to be bonded to you Hiei. There is nobody else that I want to be with, other than you, and I can't help but wish for you to mark me. I want to be more than just a human to you, Hiei. I want to be with you in a relationship you appreciate. I want it to be so that you and I will never part ways." He said softly, scooting a bit closer to him and resting his head on the Jaganshi's shoulder.

The thought actually made Hiei smile. The idea of having Kurama truly as his mate was a very appealing idea to him. He was very serious about it, but he was still unsure about whether Kurama wanted this or not.

Once Hiei had marked him, there would be absolutely no way out, and he wanted to make sure that there was no reluctance on Kurama's part. No matter how much he wanted Kurama as his mate, the fox would come before his desires. He wouldn't hold Kurama to something that made him feel uncomfortable.

He reached out an arm to draw Kurama closer to him. A hand ran up and down the redhead's neck smoothly. "Are you absolutely sure, fox. There isn't a way out if you decide that you can't take it. There have been some demons forced into a bond like that by people they don't even feel for, and they will never have a chance with anyone else because they carry that demon's mark."

It made Kurama wonder why Karasu hadn't marked him. He was a demon, after all. He couldn't see through the raven-haired man's sadistic ways to his motives, so he had no idea on the matter whatsoever.

"I'd love to be marked by you, Hiei. I could care less about being bound to you forever, because I long to be with you for all of eternity." He said, wrapping his arms around Hiei and offering up his neck. Hiei was still hesitant.

"You know that it will hurt a bit, right? I am going to be biting your neck, so I can't say that marking you could be completely painless." Kurama shrugged and moved so his neck was exposed directly under Hiei's mouth.

"What's a little pain? I don't care about it." He said. Hiei gently wrapped one arm around Kurama's waist and one arm around his shoulder's he then lowered his mouth and began licking his chosen spot tenderly, showering the flesh with well placed kisses. Kurama shivered against Hiei, his licks and kisses were both pleasuring and reassuring to him. He relaxed and allowed Hiei to hold him the way he thought it best to. He was guessing it would hurt less if he just relaxed.

Hiei had withdrawn from his licking and kissing for a moment, a sign to Kurama he was going to bite down. His mouth paused above his neck for a second before fangs met flesh. The fox felt Hiei's fangs pierce his skin. He clenched his teeth, but dealt with the sting as Hiei slowly sawed his fangs and allowed some of his youki to flow from his mouth to Kurama's bite mark. Minutes later, Hiei withdrew, and then lapped up the blood from the small wound gently, stroking Kurama's hair to calm the fox, who on the verge of hyperventilating. He gave the ecstatic boy a questioning look.

Kurama smiled for real, eyes sparkling. "Thank you so much Hiei, I really didn't believe you'd want to be with me forever." With that, he kissed him on the lips with such passion that he almost fainted from it. Hiei caressed the spot on Kurama's neck gently, overcome with joy.

They drew away, and Hiei gently cradled Kurama's face in his hands. The fox had his eyes closed in enjoyment, but was also on the verge of falling back asleep. Hiei let the redhead fall back onto the pillows and lay down next to the fox. Kurama smiled a bit and opened his eyes long enough to lick his cheek gently. No sooner than that, had he fallen asleep in his lover's arms.

As time wore on, weeks passed and winter came, Kurama and Hiei continued to train and life went on. And Kurama found himself almost forgetting Akushitsuko at times but he would have his moments when he needed comfort and support from his lover.

He couldn't help it, and no matter how much Hiei tried, he could tell that Kurama was worried about the day he would return. The anxiety was so clear on his face, and sadly, it wasn't something that he could kiss away like all the other things. He'd just have to see time may heal him, and the day Akushitsuko came back was the day both he and Kurama were ready.

They were sitting back-to-back one day on a window seat. Hiei was sipping his preferred drink; hot chocolate while Kurama took occasional sips of some herbal tea that he liked. It was not only an enjoyable beverage for him, but he found that he was better protected against winter illnesses like the flu and such if he drank it every day.

The herbs he added while he made it did wonders on the immune system. It may not have been the solid protection a stable immune system could have offered, but it was better than nothing. He was beginning not to look as thin, and Hiei was happy to note that Kurama was eating three well-proportioned meals a day like he should be.

The fox was on the slow way to recovery, mentally speaking. He no longer was scared of going out and being among regular people, although he would sometimes get a little scared if someone tired to talk to him alone or touch him. He didn't like being touched by anyone except Hiei. There had been a few attacks by demons, and Kurama still seemed especially scared of them. The fire demon supposed the fear would be there for the rest of Kurama's life, Karasu had broken him, and done many things Kurama couldn't forget.

Kurama stood up for a minute as he drained the last of the cup's contents. He turned to his mate and smiled. "I 'm going to the kitchen for a moment, Hiei. Is there anything I can do for you? I could take the cup to the sink for you. Or, perhaps you would like a refill?" Hiei smirked and stood up next to the fox, before replying.

"Hn, fox. You aren't my slave. I can very well take my own cup to the kitchen. Seeing as we've both finished, how about we walk together?" Kurama nodded and walked with Hiei to the small kitchen in silence. They both placed their cups in the sink and Hiei allowed Kurama to rinse his out. They walked back to their favorite place, the window seat and cuddled up against each other. Kurama occupied himself with watching the gently falling snow outside while Hiei stared off into thin air and thought.

"Winter's coming, it's a really nice scene, ne Hiei?" Kurama said in a soft voice. Hiei turned his gaze to look out the window and think for a minute before replying absentmindedly.

"Yeah, I suppose. I guess snow's better than all that rain this town seems to get up here." Kurama nodded and went back to staring out the window while stealing the occasional glance at his mate every minute or so. This did not go unnoticed by Hiei, who was watching the unsuspecting fox out of the corner of his eye.

When Kurama was simply staring at him, he chose the moment to startle the boy. "It isn't polite to stare, you know. And I thought you were the type of person to uphold those ningen manners that your mother taught you." Kurama jumped involuntarily at the voice and was unable to react before Hiei pounced. Kurama looked surprised. His back pressed hard against the window seat.

"What was that for? You didn't even give me a hint you were going to do that!" Hiei chuckled at this and kissed the tip of Kurama's nose lightly. He licked Kurama's cheek as they both lost their serious façade, the redhead sighed softly.

"Hn. It was your fault you didn't notice that I was watching you. Had you been more observant, you would have noticed that I had been watching you the entire time. Had you known that, you would have been able to avoid being pounced on." Kurama laughed a little, he was in a very bright mood today. So he was willing to joke around.

"Well sorry Mr. I-have-the-third-eye-and-I-am-all-seeing." Hiei tapped Kurama's nose in a way that a parent may have done to their child.

"You should be," he said, drawing Kurama into another kiss and rubbing the mark on his neck. Kurama moaned into Hiei's mouth and he lied on his back fully, Hiei pressing him down with his light, yet paralyzing weight. They broke apart again and Hiei broke the moment by sitting up and pulling Kurama up with him. Although the fox had never really been too hungry for 'action' in that sense, he still couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

"Well, Kurama, I know you're disappointed, but I don't believe we should do anything like that today. Besides, is a window seat really a proper place to do that?" he asked the fox, helping him to his feet before continuing what he wanted to say to Kurama.

"Besides, I was thinking that we could go to a movie or something today and skip our daily training. I was hoping we could lift that anxiety about the two villains. I want you to be able to forget about them for a while and just enjoy yourself." The thought hit Kurama again, like a pound of lead. Perhaps that hadn't been the very best thing to bring up after all. The redhead bit his lip and averted his gaze to hide the shameful fear. He was always afraid that Hiei might yell at him for fearing such a stupid thing.

Hiei rolled his eyes a bit. "Just forget about it, for once. I just want you to be able to do that, it will make me happier than anything else you could try and impress me with." Kurama nodded in an almost dejected way. He then offered up another suggestion.

"I could make lunch for us too. Would you like to go afterwards?" Hiei was just glad that Kurama's mind was going to be off his regular thoughts for each other. Hiei nodded and Kurama began to walk to the kitchen.

"What are you planning on making, fox?" the redhead turned to answer his question.

"I'm not planning anything too special. I still have those leftovers from that nice dinner we had a few nights ago, so I was thinking about reheating them. Why? Is there anything in particular that you'd prefer over this?" Hiei shook his head no and followed Kurama into the kitchen. Although he knew Kurama wouldn't want any help, nor need it, he desired to stay in the same room as Kurama whenever possible. Take it as a demon mate instinct, because often in such bonds, demons stayed with their mate almost every waking moment and often fell into depression when separated for even a short while.

He did a favor for Kurama and grabbed to plates and sets of silverware out of the cupboard and set them on the table. Kurama simply grabbed the warmed food out of the microwave and set them on the table.

They usually didn't eat normally as many couples may have. Neither person had much of a desire to converse at meal times, so they usually kept their gazes averted and thoughts to themselves while they ate quietly. The occasional talking would always be done at the end of the meal, when Hiei would spend a bit of time trying to convince the fox to eat a little more food. He'd always refuse that he was hungry at first, but with a bit of coaxing from his love, he always was persuaded to eat at least a forkful more.

Kurama had run to the sink to do the dishes, and Hiei stood by him as always, his trademark distant looking expression on his face that contrasted the protective glint that shone in his eye whenever he watched over his mate. The redhead looked at him with those unblinking emerald orbs as he scrubbed small bits of food off their plates with a sponge, hot water, and soap. He then began rubbing the carefully with a dishtowel to dry them after he had found them adequately clean enough. Hiei had always said people would think of him as a perfectionist scrubbing those plates endlessly so that every germ that could possibly be there had been scrubbed away. It made sense, seeing as the small cottage had no dishwasher to do it for him.

Hiei had to tug on Kurama's arm to get the boy's attention again. He had gone off into his own little world after he had set their dishes in the cupboard once again, and wouldn't respond to anything he said. Kurama looked down for a moment to collect his thoughts and then looked up at Hiei, understanding what he had wanted to tell him.

"The movies then, Hiei?" he asked in a monotonous voice. He still couldn't get his mind off his current thoughts. Hiei nodded and clasped the fox's hand with his, gently to reassure the boy. It wasn't anything of huge importance, but he could still tell that the redhead was troubled and unsure about what had been going on a few weeks past.

The couple walked together in the cheerful little town. Hiei had discovered over the past few weeks how thee town was. Although it could be considered a village, it was more of a town. A modern feel hung in the air without seeming scarily up-to-date. There was a friendly aura surrounding the town, and almost everybody knew each other.

The town seemed devoid in a way, yet it still had a small movie theatre. Hiei had decided about a week ago it would prove to be a nice distraction for Kurama, even if he had never favored going to such ningen places. If it was what he had to do to help Kurama out a bit, he cared nothing of going. It was just a stupid ningen place, after all. Plus Kurama wouldn't mind if he fell asleep in the middle of this movie anyways.

It was boring as soon as they had sat down. Since Hiei wanted Kurama off of bad things, they weren't going to see a horror, tragedy, or suspense movie. He was doing off after five minutes of listening to the childish plot. Kurama didn't seem very entertained by it either; his head was resting on Hiei's shoulder as he watched through a half-lidded gaze. Occasional, he would yawn, strengthening the will Hiei had to fall asleep on the spot. He leaned his head against Kurama's for just a moment in order to fight off the boredom and fatigue that threatened him.

It was freeing outside. For once, they didn't have to be fighting up on that mountain for the scenery to be like a blizzard. Snow whipped every which was and as they fought, he could hear Kurama's half suppressed coughs and sneezes lost among the whipping wind. They continued to fight despite the foreboding conditions, Hiei was fighting Akushitsuko, and Kurama was fighting a shadow figure.

Blood was fresh upon the powder-white snow, and both boys stumbled, their wounds seeming to overpower them. His head spun crazily, and Hiei found himself doing something that he had never done in a single fight. He collapsed right onto his knees in front of his foe. Without showing mercy, Akushitsuko attacked. Hiei had squinted, expecting a considerably severe blow. Nothing came, there was no pain, nor did he feel as if he had any more wounds than what he had already obtained. He felt something wet and sticky hit his cheek, causing him to open his eyes. He saw Kurama standing in front of his, the blade of a scythe embedded within his left arm. Akushitsuko's claws had made three fine gashes across his cheek, so that must have been where the blood had come from.

A very pained look was evident upon his features. His eyes were squeezed shut tightly, and his teeth clenched as he forced himself to breathe evenly Blood ran from the corner of the fox's mouth and with that, he went into a coughing spasm and coughed blood up onto the once pure snow. A smirk larger than anything was visible upon the water dragon's features. With that, Hiei went to attack the demon, a wave of protectiveness enveloping him, the drive to protect his mate overpowering him. Yet still, he couldn't land any injuries, at least not in places that were vital. Not matter how hard he swung his sword, or how fast he pushed his pace, he never saw one look of pain on the demon's features. Not one.

The fox didn't hide behind him like Hiei had desired him to. Alongside him, Kurama ran at his pace, rosewhip in hand to aiding him whenever it looked like he could be injured potentially. Kurama was the one spilling the most blood out of the two of them, and it angered Hiei. He finally ordered the fox to stay back and shoved him roughly out of the way of a flying scythe. He fell and rolled across the ground from the force of the shove, leaving a trail of red liquid in his path.

Kurama's eyes widened as Hiei was it in the back with Akushitsuko's onslaught, but his worry alone didn't linger without other emotions. As Hiei slid smoothly across the ground from the force of the last attack, he heard Kurama's scream pierce the air like a knife. He didn't even care when he felt a downward slash across his back and white-hot pain. He glared angrily to try and find the cause of Kurama's scream.

The dark figure hovered over Kurama's fallen form; a large pool of crimson blood had collected around the redhead. It soaked his already crimson tresses and made the dried blood against his face stand out. The dark figure place a foot on the redhead's back and even at this distance, he could hear Kurama groan at even the slightest pressure o his back. A twisted expression possessed the redheads face, and he had never seen a creature looking so distressed in his entire life.

He was running… running… running. His legs ached, but it was of no importance to him. He had to reach his mate's form, and no matter how hard he seemed to try, the distance between him and Kurama did not decrease drastically. The Jaganshi pushed himself harder than he ever had in his entire life, and his body felt like it was about to explode.

Suddenly, the fallen form appeared right in front of him, as if by magic. The two figures watched in the distance, not finding too much reason to do anything at the current time. He skidded to a halt so he wouldn't trip over Kurama, but found only a similar effect to happen. He tripped over a rock and went flying a few feet away, doing a face plant in untainted snow. He lifted his head and spat, blood coming from his mouth, where he had cut his tongue against his own sharp fangs. Dull pain echoed throughout his form, but he paid no attention. Weakly, he crawled over to Kurama, with shortened breath and a heaving chest.

He brushed away red strands of hair hiding Kurama's pale face, and his breathing hitched when he saw Kurama's expression. Deep fear and distrust was laced in his gaze, and it couldn't have been aimed at anyone other than himself. Kurama's scream echoed through the now silent air once again, and Hiei wondered who the hell had done it this time. Blood covered his hands and he was nearly overpowered by it's scent. He looked down at his mate, and to his horror, it was his own katana that was stuck right through Kurama's stomach, and it was his own hands that were clutching it.

Blood began running faster out of Kurama's mouth as the shock faded from Hiei's system, given way to complete and utter horror. The only thing Hiei was able to see were those sad emeralds with the look of utmost terror and wretchedness inside. There was no happiness, no self-hatred, and not even anger, just that empty, shocked look. A spasm traveled through the fox's body as he vomited and then coughed up a large amount of blood.

His thoughts rushed through his head and it almost made him want to die at that exact moment. Kurama's soft alto bored itself into his mind. "H-hiei…. I thought that you… cared. W-why?" He coughed more blood to add onto the comment, and as luck would have it, he coughed it right onto Hiei's shirt. Guilt and self-hatred now racked at the Jaganshi's conscience.

Soft tears began to fall from Kurama's eyes as he lowered a hand to his stomach and pulled the blade out himself. A fresh wave of blood flowed, and Hiei pulled the fox into his arms, in a way so that the fox was resting in his lap. The redhead was much too weak and frail to protest. His head rested delicately against his collarbone, and even now, Hiei could feel the sticky crimson liquid seeping into his clothes. It wasn't like anything else Hiei had ever felt. His own body was a whirlwind of pain, yet he felt none, physically. He still was unable to answer the fox's question.

So there he sat, his beautiful mate slowly dieing in his arms. There wasn't a thing he could do to stop it from happening, no was there any blame to place on anyone but himself. He pleaded with his mate to forgive him, and believe he had never meant to do such a horrible thing. There were no words to be spoken, so it was either that Kurama was physically unable to talk, or he was so ashamed for trusting him that he wouldn't allow himself to speak. The silence was worse than anything, had Kurama lashed out, cursed him a million times over, and given him a painful death by his whip, he would have felt nowhere near as horrible as this silence. Kurama's eyes stared into his in a disbelieving way. It made Hiei want to retch.

More blood and vomit was added to Hiei's shirt as Kurama began to tremble from coughing and vomiting so many times. His throat must've been burning from the combination of raw stomach acid and blood. He closed his eyes and exhaled lightly against Hiei's chest. It felt so eerie to the fire demon, such a soft breath. He could smell the putrid scent that reeked of Kurama's dry breath. A once pure creature that had previously smelled of beautiful roses now smelled of blood, vomit, and dry tears. The air was so smothered with the scent that it was practically suffocating him. Hiei had never known the purest form of Kurama, because he hadn't known him all those years back. But he still asked himself, how could such a beautiful, happy person ever sink down to this level of misery?

He had simply fallen limp upon Hiei's chest. There was nothing else more complicated than that. How had Youko died like this? The once infamous and cold-hearted had fallen victim to his own partner, and had been unable to fight blood loss. This frail body had been nothing more than a way to buy time, hadn't it? It had been Youko's desperate attempt to save himself, and it had been worse than him actually dieing in the first place. Hiei stoked the hair of the lifeless creature, biting his lip and pleading with the heavens to give his one love back. The fox remained lifeless as ever, not a strand of his hair disturbed.

The pain of the loss began to tug at his heart in an extremely painful manner. He bit his lip very hard and held the limp form of a broken creature to his body, hoping that Kurama's eyes would open once more, and he'd see a happy smile again. He even raised his ki to the temperature Kurama liked while smothering the pale face in kisses. It was only yet another attempt to try and deny the fox was really dead. Denial is more painful than anything any being, demon, human, or hanyou can ever experience when fighting with your mind, which tells you the logical thing. Nothing is more painful than wishing something were not true, when you know it really is true, and you're just trying to save what can't be brought back. An almost seizure-like shudder passed through his body and he gasped out as an unbearable pain clenched at his heart.

He gasped out as the sudden pain overwhelmed him. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. He felt so helpless, and so scared about what was going to happen now. Without his mate to stay with, and to be able to show him that he was the braver one, he felt lost. How could his mate leave him like this? They had a bond! They were supposed to live many happy years together before they died.

He felt tears well up in his eyes. Fruitlessly, Hiei tried with al his might to force them back. He had never cried before, so why should he cry now? He bit his lip as he stared guiltily down at the deathly pale face tat was once the reincarnation of one of the most infamous demons ever to have lived. Why had he fought with Kurama all those years ago? He could barely remember. All his memories seemed to be just a simple blur to him. He desperately wanted to forget all about the fox demon he had called an enemy, then a friend, and finally, a mate. His relationship had changed for the better over the years, but it felt unbearable for him to deal with right now.

Finally, he felt the tears fall from his eyes. It wasn't hat he had finally given up on trying to hold them back, it wasn't that he had allowed these tars to fall… they just did. Hiei sniffed softly and hugged Kurama's body to himself tightly. "Kurama. Why did you have to leave me?" he whispered to nobody. More tears fell and a sob escaped his lips. He had loved Kurama so much, so why was it the fox who had to die? He begged desperately with the heavens for their places to be switched.

He heard footsteps approaching, and he stood up angrily, wiping the tears from his eyes. These people would pay. He had only finished that thought when he felt a searing pain in his chest. He collapsed to the ground to join Kurama. He looked up, seeing Akushitsuko hold the katana the fire demon had stabbed Kurama with. Blood flowed out of a chest wound and he could feel blood flowing from his mouth. How ironic, he was going to die from his own weapon. It was his last thought as he hugged Kurama's form against his, his world fading to black.

He heard Kurama urgently whispering in his ear now. "Hiei… Hiei!" he groaned. His voice sounded so far off, so distant. His eyes flicked open sleepily. In the dark theatre he cold see a very worried looking boy. It took a minute for Hiei to realize where he was, and that this was actually reality. The pain of Kurama's 'death' in the dream was slow to fade. He hugged Kurama possessively to his chest, just to ensure he wasn't and illusion.

After a moment, he spoke to Kurama. "What was I doing Kurama? Nothing that got any attention, hopefully." Kurama shook his head as an answer.

"You were thrashing about, though. What was happening? Did you have nightmare or something?" Hiei still clung tightly to the fox so as not to let him slip away from him. He swore that he'd never let Kurama out of his sight again after this. His senses snapped back into place, and he smelled just a fain scent of the boy's blood.

"Kurama, why are you bleeding?" he asked, still keeping a tight hold on his beloved. He looked up to see Kurama smile faintly. He scowled at the lighthearted expression and ordered for him to answer the question. Kurama shook his head before answering.

"You just scratched me with you're claws while you were asleep. It isn't that deep, so it's no cause for concern. Hiei pulled the kitsune to his feet and led him out of the theatre by the wrist. He was busy scolding Kurama for not worrying enough about himself, and how it was foolish not to care if cuts like that may become infected. The fox could be really stupid sometimes, saying that these injuries weren't vital. He pulled Kurama into the house and wiped an herbal disinfectant that Kurama kept in his medicine cabinet and wrapping a bandage around the area. Kurama was very curious as to why Hiei had overacted so much.

"Ano… Hiei, why do you worry about this so intensely?" he asked in a tentative voice. Hiei grabbed the fox's shoulders and stared him directly in the eyes, boring his crimson orbs.

"It's a simple concept, fox. You should know very well even a cut this small can cause infection. Would you really want to take that risk? You of all people should know that it's important to take care of those types of things before they come back to haunt you."

Kurama sighed and swallowed Hiei's answer without reply. He motioned for Hiei to follow him, and they sat down on the window seat to look out at the snow. He still clasped Hiei's hands, enjoying the warmth that radiated from the pale flesh. It was snowing quite heavily now, and they seemed too caught up in watching it fall to talk. Kurama traced a finger down the glass to follow water from a snowflake that had fallen onto the window on the outside and melted to a tiny stream of cool water. He leaned his head against the cool windowpane and sighed as they watched the snowfall. He was comforted by warmth from body heat he felt nearby, and closed his eyes. This was better than any date that Hiei could ever take him on. Just being with his mate and being able to watch something in nature he enjoyed made him feel like the luckiest person in the universe, despite whatever happened to him.

He contemplated snow and winter. He had loved it since he was a small child, running and playing in the snow with his friends may years back.

Snow, however, also symbolized death. It was something most people either didn't acknowledge, or had no clue about such a thing. It came after fall, when all the trees died, as if demolished by the very thought of such a thing. Very few things thrived during the winter. In the department of plants, usually only evergreens were seen in the winter. But they supplied no food to the animals that didn't hibernate. The sharp and hard pine needles had no nutritional value, like those cold-blooded people who managed to escape death. Even animals that didn't hibernate in the winter could easily be killed off, famine was a dangerous thing during these cold months, and the only things sited for such a harsh environment were those pine trees, unable to sustain anything except themselves.

This could be drawn off of life. People were the snow, the evergreens, the animals that didn't hibernate, or the animals that did hibernate. If you were a cold-blooded person, you were the snow, like Karasu, Akushitsuko, and Shin. If you were a person who was cold to most things, and you were able to survive because of that, you'd be like Hiei. If you were trying to brave the threat of death, like the animal that didn't hibernate, you were like Hikaru. And now you came to Kurama. He was possibly the worst category of them all. If you tried to hide from death, and held a fear of something, Kurama was your person. He sighed. Maybe even if he didn't survive, he could at least say he tried. He'd go and face those two demons, no matter what the odds.

He had forgotten completely about the mate who had been sitting just a little ways away from him on the exact same seat. He jumped out of surprise he felt the source of warmth settle next to him, rubbing a warm cheek against his neck. Kurama and Hiei sat there for a long while, watching the peacefully falling snowflakes from their seat. He felt and arms wrap itself around his waist and pull him close. With a light sigh, Kurama closed his eyes and relaxed for the first time in forever. He allowed his mate to just hold hi there. His eyes were shut, and he enjoyed it as Hiei embraced him.

A tongue slipped out of Hiei's mouth to lick the fox's cheek lovingly. Kurama's calm appearance faltered for a slight moment, but automatically leaned closer and allowed Hiei to lick his cheek after a single moment o thought. He felt like crying again for some reason, he felt like something bad could happen at any minute, and he'd be alone, away from the person he loved most.

As if he had read Kurama's mind, he held the fox tighter, looking gently into his eyes. "Stupid fox…." He muttered absentmindedly, with no meaning as he traced the outlines of Kurama's face and ran fingers through his hair. Kurama relaxed against his body, once again while closing his eyes and exhaling contently. A sudden presence that both sensed snapped the out of the dream world they had both entered.

He had stood up really fast, and Kurama had leapt out of his lap before he fell to the ground with the force of Hiei getting up. They both immediately ran to get their shoes. Hiei looked at his fox and growled angrily. He wouldn't allow Kurama to come with him. He would no longer allow the potential for his mate to be lost yet again. Strangely enough, it seemed as if the dream had taught him a sort of lesson. There was no way in the seven hells that he could let Kurama accompany him.

The fox protested when he was shoved back roughly by the black-clad figure. He grabbed his shoes and slipped them on against the Jaganshi's will. An echoing silence passed before Hiei growled stubbornly and forced the fox to sit down, ordering him to remain in the house where he wouldn't be able to be harmed. With that, he protested in an angry soft alto.

"Hiei! I thought you wanted my help! Why can't I fight with you? Please just let me. Wards do not restrain me this time, and we've been training. I swear that I have enough confidence to stand up to them. I want so much to prove myself Hiei! Why won't you allow such a simple thing as that?" he said in an exasperated voice, plagued with his desperation. Hiei seized Kurama's face and looked straight into the fox's eyes, the utmost serious expression inside of his crimson orbs.

Their lips met in a searing kiss, and Kurama felt his knees give out. Luckily enough for the boy, he was still being held up be his strong demon mate. He rubbed his lips against Hiei's during the kiss, desperation growing with the longing to be of aid to Hiei in battle. They held very tightly to each other, Kurama's nails were dug into Hiei's back so deeply that blood trickled down Hiei's skin. The intensity of their kiss did not waiver until the broke apart, gasping for breath.

"I can't lose you Kurama! Please stay here. This fight is not worth sacrificing the life of a mate. I can't allow it and I won't allow it. I'd be lost without you. So why can't you see that fox?" Kurama's eyes sparkled sadly, and he hugged the demon's body even tighter than he had before.

"Please, then. I know that you don't want to lose me. But I don't want to lose you either. I love you so much Hiei, and if you allow me to fight by your side, not only do I swear that I will make sure I don't die, but I'll do anything for you. I'll be the best mate a demon could ever have. Please, please, please…" he said, begging for his wish to be grated. Hiei only looked amazed. He laid a hand on the fox's cheek and blinked. Never had he expected to hear something like that from Kurama. It almost made his heart want to sing.

An unknown force broke down the door and a splitting crack resounded throughout the room. Hiei drew his sword at the sight o the two demons standing at the entrance. Akushitsuko and another man stood at the door. He could see Kurama begin to tremble with one look at the two. Hiei wondered who could possibly be scaring him so much. He heard one word uttered by Kurama. The mystery of the figure and Kurama's fear shattered from the atmosphere.

"Karasu." He whispered. Hiei had only heard of the sinister figure before. This was the first time he had ever seen Karasu, so he hadn't known who that had been. Poor Kurama looked more scared than he had ever seen him look before. He understood now where the fear of people Kurama got came from and why it did. The figure was very intimidating in a way, mouth and nose covered with a silver mask so that you could only see narrow violet eyes.

"How have you been doing, my pretty one?" asked the masked figure standing behind Akushitsuko He heard him take a slight step towards Kurama. He saw the fox's eyes flick to his, pleading for something that Hiei couldn't make out. He'd have to help Kurama fight this time. It was not good to have to deal with fear during a fight. He stayed close to Kurama as he saw the raven-haired man making his way over to Kurama. It only heightened the redhead's fear, as Karasu stopped, right in front of him; he heard his mate's breath quicken considerable. He could almost hear the fast pounding of the human heart just listening as he stood next to him.

Karasu outstretched a hand to lift Kurama's chin. By now, the human was much too scared to be able to move. Hiei swore that if Karasu touched him any more than what he was already doing, he'd be a dead demon in the slightest second. Karasu saw the mark on his neck, and abruptly let go of his chin. He chuckled for a minute before making comment on this.

"So I see you've found yourself a mate. I thought you could do better than this, after all you could attract something much better than that forbidden scum" For once in his lie, Kurama was angered by what he had said. How dare he call Hiei 'Forbidden scum' as if he wasn't worth anything.

He drew out a rose, ready to fight After all this time of training for hours with Hiei, perfecting every technique, every move, and every attack, he felt ready to fight for once. No longer would he be a weak person depending upon someone's help for survival.

Karasu smirked. "It seems as if you've acquired some fighting skills over the time I have searched to find you. Although I could hardly say they would be enough. You are like a rose. Although you may have your thorns, you are only a fleeting thing, and you can easily be destroyed." Hiei growled and shifted into a defensive posture, sword glinting dangerously in the light. He wouldn't allow Karasu to do anything to Kurama while he was standing. If he wanted to get to his fox, he'd have to step over Hiei's dead, unmoving body to be able to do it.

They both attacked at the same time. Kurama conjured his whip and with a flick of his wrist, it lashed out at Karasu. He smirked and dodged it while at the same time, dodging Hiei's sword thrust. Akushitsuko stood a few feet away, looking purely amused at their futile attempts to successfully land serious damage upon Karasu. This had been a worthwhile partner to invest his time in. He hadn't been weak like Shin had been. Hiei leapt in the air, and did a sort of flip. Coming at Karasu with his sword pointed down, aimed right towards stabbing through Karasu's head. It usually would have been a very successful move, had it not been for the offensive move Karasu made at the last second.

Hiei felt something explode near his stomach; blood flew from a new wound. How had that happened? He certainly knew that Karasu hadn't done anything extraordinary. At least, he hadn't seen anything. Could it possibly be that Karasu was a Quest Class demon?

Kurama ran over to them, looking very concerned about his newly acquired wound. He furiously tries to attack again, lashing his rose whip out while running to Karasu's side. It had been a very effective move to use during their train. Karasu caught the whip with his bare hand and exploded the center of it, rendering the whip useless. There was an explosion next to Kurama's arm, and he fell to the ground, bleeding very badly.

To this point, Hiei was very worried about what would happen to Kurama if they dragged this on much longer. If this guy's desire to kill the fox were so great, than it would be most likely that he would die trying to achieve this goal. It wasn't good. Hiei had guessed that he was manifesting bombs that they wouldn't be able to see. That could particularly fatal if they didn't watch how they moved. Quest Class demons had always been very strong. With this, he stood up and ripped wards off his arms. It had never been that he had to turn to this to be able to defeat someone. Dangerous youki crackled in the air. He'd finish this before Kurama could be endangered any more.

He saw Karasu smirk. Hiei knew that he wouldn't comprehend this attack even if he had heard of it before. This was the strongest attack in his technique. It left only destruction in its path, and anyone within this path would be incinerated before they could even think about getting out of the way. He wouldn't be able to control it once it was released on its destruction streak. Kurama looked curiously at him. He had no idea what he was up to; he blinked at the serious look on the fire demons face. "Get behind me," he ordered. It was in an extremely serious tone. There was not even a protest on Kurama's part as he took a step so that he was standing behind his mate.

His arm simply smoked. The pure power of this attack reverberated against the walls of Kurama's house. He was suddenly overcome by worry about the manner. What would happen once this dragon destroyed the half of the house it was released upon. He knew that it would travel in a straight line, but what would happen to this house? Kurama needed somewhere to live, and it wouldn't help if he destroyed this home. However, it was a life or death matter that couldn't be ignored.

"Jao Ensatsu Koku Ryuu Ha!" A large, black dragon erupted from his arm. He didn't think Karasu would be able to avoid it, but you can't always assume that you'll be correct in your assumptions, right? So what if this assumption proved to be incorrect, would it be a fatal mistake. No, there was nobody in the three worlds that would be able to avoid his black dragon.

Luck must not have been on his side that day. It was a horrible twist of fate, but somehow, Karasu leapt to the side and avoided the massive dragon he had once been in the path from. This couldn't be good. Hiei had almost no energy left from this attack. He could already feel the effects of the energy drain on his body. He felt about ready to faint after this.

Akushitsuko, however, stood right in the path of destruction of this large dragon. He didn't seem to even make an effort to move. In fact, Hiei could have sworn that he saw the demon smile before the black flames engulfed him. Akushitsuko smirked to himself, how fitting, a pathetic death for someone pathetic as him. He had realized that he had loved Shin, just the moment before Hiei had shot the black dragon. This was a pathetic trait worthy of such a death. He smiled; he would now be reunited with Shin, so that they could face the fate they deserved together. At least he could never be truly alone again.

Karasu smirked and licked some of his own blood off his fingers. Hiei looked to be in shock. How could he have avoided that? It had been aimed right at him, he had been directly in it's path. So why was he still alive, not even sustaining wounds near to what you were suppose to get when you were in the path of such a menacing foe. He attempted to raise his sword again; he wavered a bit in holding it. Kurama was too astounded at what Hiei had just done, unable to move.

Suddenly, Kurama ran out in front of Hiei. He had to protect his mate as well. As a second tactic, he drew out a blade of grass. Although he wasn't experienced as he should have been, he'd protect Hiei at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing his life for him. He loved him much too deeply to allow Hiei to be killed without protecting him. After all, what would life be like without Hiei? He didn't even want to think about that. Karasu laughed smoothly and reached out to pat Kurama's cheek. He was pleased at the angered reaction when Kurama lashed out of him, giving him a nice, deep gash on his arm.

"I have to admit, Kurama. I am very impressed in how you have been able to strengthen like this in the time it took me to find you. Had I given you six more months, you may have been almost a match for me. However, that does not change what you are. You are weak, fragile, and it is easy to crush you."

Kurama lashed out again, doing a flip over Karasu's head and giving him a nice gash across the neck. It didn't seem to have any effect of the demon, though. He grabbed Kurama by the wrist and threw him against one of the remaining walls. Kurama groaned and fell unconscious. This seemed to anger Hiei greatly; he rushed at the unsuspecting Karasu with his sword tip pointed straight at his heart. He turned in time. Although he received a fair gash across his arm, he seemed unfazed. His sword shattered, most likely from an explosion from Karasu's bombs. He wouldn't give up without a fight.

He raised his fists and began attacking Karasu with punches and kicks. Although his youki was almost completely gone, and his sword had shattered, he still had a driving fire in his heart to kill the menace that had once threatened Kurama, so that it may never need to frighten him again. Kurama blinked softly as he came to reality with the world again. He felt almost unable to move. He winced at an attempt to stand up, pain shooting through his left leg with the slightest movement. He suspected it broken. It wasn't anything horrible, though. He had dealt with worse before, and he'd deal with this. Wincing he stood up and limped over to Karasu in a weak attempt to inflict more damage and aid his mate in this demon's demise.

Hiei ran and blocked an explosion. It would have been a fatal blow to the fox, but in the way Hiei ran, he only received a minor blow to his side. Kurama 's eyes widened in shock from his mate's actions, he knew Hiei was probably already weakened from all the youki he had lost. He pleaded for Hiei to stop blocking all the attacks and stop fighting. He didn't only worry for his lover, but he felt up to this point if he had to watch Hiei get hurt anymore he'd die of it. He had to protect Hiei at all costs, but he wouldn't be able to if he kept fighting.

His mate's only reply was "Do you think I'm so pathetic as to quit, fox? You may think that I'm not willing to take a few blows for you and deal with a bit of pain so that you won't have to feel them. Well, you're wrong about that. As long as I'm still standing, I'm going to fight alongside you and block any attacks if I can that come your way."

His eyes widened as Hiei blocked another explosion for him. It exploded right near his shoulder. What worried Kurama more than anything was how much blood was coming from the wound. He knew there was an artery near where this explosion had occurred, but he hadn't actually considered the chance that his artery might have been cut, or worse, exploded. Kurama screamed his name as he fell down to the ground, vision blurring slightly.

The redhead ran up to his fallen mate. Tears bit dangerously at the edges of his eyes as he bent don and turned Hiei over to look into his glazed eyes. Hiei chuckled softly reaching a shaking hand and placing it on the fox's pale cheek. Worry was laced across his beautiful features; he reached a hand down to the wound near Hiei's shoulder and grabbed a towel that had been scattered nearby. He applied a hard pressure against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Blood soaked through the towel and stained it red within seconds. Kurama's eyes widened as he pressed harder, a horribly desperate attempt to try and stop Hiei from bleeding to death. Karasu stood respectfully off to the side. If Kurama loved his mate this much, he'd allow the time before Hiei died to be as private as possible, no matter how much Karasu thought Hiei was scum, he knew how some demons could be around their dieing mates.

Hiei smiled half-heartedly at his attempts. Blood was already soaked completely into this towel. Kurama threw it off to the side and picked another one up, bringing it up to Hiei's wound and applied the hardest pressure he could without injuring the fire demon further. Hiei held Kurama's free hand gently as he stared softly up into Kurama's desperate, teary eyes. He knew of the inevitable already. He really didn't care, though. He was going to die for a good cause, protecting the one he had loved most. Kurama gave up when the second towel was pretty much soaked in blood. His sad eyes questioned with Hiei, the one question within them, evident to even the light-headed Hiei. They asked: Why did you do this for me? Hiei slid a hand weakly to his cheek.

"Kurama, I need you to promise me something." He said out of nowhere. The redhead was so startled by his weak and faltering voiced. It was such a soft voice, it almost seemed like the times Hiei would whisper softly to him those loving words he enjoyed most. This time, though, was not enjoyable or romantic by any means. The softness, accompanied by weakness made Kurama want to just die inside. Kurama brought a hand up to Hiei's, the one that rested on his own cheek. He rested his hand against the pale, sweaty one. He held back his tears for once. He'd be strong for Hiei now. If he cried, it would just be proving his own weakness.

"Kurama, I need you to please live for my sake. I don't want you to commit suicide. I know that the pull may seem strong after I die, but you mustn't. I swear, these feelings are very much like a demon relationship, and it will be very hard thing to get over this like humans can. There is something that I never told you about us. Youko and I figuratively speaking, to be truthful, we were horrible enemies. I was mad at you. Remember when I told you about my past, and I wouldn't allow you to know the name of the person who had killed my family? Well, I probably should tell you. It is your past, after all. You were the one who killed them."

Kurama didn't look like he was able to believe it. His eyes blinked innocently, his mouth opened with a long pause before he spoke; it took a long time for him to be able to process words. "Hiei, how could I have been so cruel? Even more than that, how did you ever fall in love with me, knowing this?" Hiei chuckled and closed his eyes. It could only be a few more minutes. He could feel himself growing more lightheaded by the second.

"I don't care about that, idiot. I love you for you. I don't love you simply because of Youko; I just love your innocence and kindness. Why am I to hold a grudge for something you can't even remember?" Kurama looked really ashamed. Hiei had a justified reason to hate him, yet he didn't? Why was that?

The Jaganshi's voice had grown weaker now, yet he spoke up again, ignoring the shortness of breath, fatigue, and lightheadedness. His hand quivered a bit against Kurama's cheek, but did not fall because Kurama held it there. "Please, just promise me that, Kurama. I love you too much to think that you'll kill yourself over such a simple thing as my death." Kurama felt tears gathering in his eyes, and protests pushing to escape his mouth. He however held both back. If Hiei was really dieing, he needed to be able to grow up and just promise him this one thing.

"Yes, Hiei, I promise you. I love you too." He said, a solitary tear falling from his left eye. Hiei gave a very soft chuckle that sounded more like someone exhaling. In a very weak voice, he said

"Thank you, Kurama. You're so strong, you make me proud." Tears collected at the corners of his eyes, and he smiled a little. He had waited for a long time to hear Hiei say that. He hugged the fading warmth to his chest sadly as he felt Hiei's hand slip from his cheek. He held him until long after he wasn't able to hear Hiei's breathing again. He looked disbelieving for a moment before he broke down in tears, questioning why for what seemed like hours. He felt Karasu put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me, fox. I'm not going to kill you since your mate doesn't want your death, but I want you to come with me." Kurama was about to stab Karasu through the heart with his grass blade before a voice broke through his anger and sadness.

"Spirit Realm, Special Defense Squad. You're under arrest, Karasu" With that, the raven-haired man smirked. For once, he didn't try to run. He had been wanted for many years, on the run from them on charges for imprisoning people and killing quite a few important figures in the Rekai. He had also been charged with Kurama's entire village's death, around 300 people killed in one night by his command, not to mention, they were all humans, two of them being Rekai Tantei. They listed off the charges. Kurama's eyes widened at the last thing the said.

"Murder of Spirit World's detectives, Urameshi Yuusuke and Kuwabara Kazuma." He interrupted them, wiping the tears out of his field of view.

"They were Spirit Detectives?" he asked quietly. He had learned a long time ago what a Spirit Detective was from Koenma. Perhaps they had known he was a fox demon, and that's why they had always called him 'Fox boy'. A kinder member walked over to Kurama and put a hand on his shoulder in a friendly way.

"Yes, and they were some of the best around. They were great people. Kurama looked down and hugged Hiei's limp body to his, beginning to cry again.

"You know, we've got you a new house. It's across town. You know that nice log cabin, right? It's all yours. You'll find some food for yourself there. How about you head over there now?" Kurama shook his head for a moment.

"No, I want to spend a bit more time with Hiei. He needs to have a proper burial. But I promise you that I'll go later." The squad member nodded and walked over to the others in his group. They all put their hands up, and in a flash of light, they were gone. Kurama was left to cry into Hiei's hair softly, carrying him near the forest and digging a grave before laying him to rest. Tears fell down his face as he kissed the lifeless lips for the last time.

As he walked to his new home, he collapsed on a small couch, hugging Hiei's sword and white scarf to his body. He could still smell his mate's scent on it, but it didn't hold the warmth that he was used to. It was without comfort or life. He cried softly into a pillow. Maybe it would be good if he got some food into his stomach.

He ate something that wouldn't need any preparation. And although he ate a lot for Hiei's sake, he felt no hunger at all. As soon as he had finished the meal, he ran right into the bathroom, feeling sick to his stomach and threw the entire thing up into the toilet. He had tried to keep it down, yet his system seemed to automatically reject it.

He gagged as he finished, and gulped down some water to soothe his burning throat. He sighed and walked lifelessly to the bedroom, with a bed and sheets already made for him. He crawled under them without much care; he didn't even remove his clothes before he did so. He just buried his head under the blankets and sobbed until he fell asleep, only to be plagued with bloody nightmares of Hiei leaving him and replays in his mind of Hiei's death and what that night had led up until he had actually fallen. Tears fell from his eyes even in sleep, and no comfort was brought.

It didn't improve as two monotonous weeks passed, seconds ticking away as if they hadn't been seconds at all, but rather, hours at a time. He'd eat every day, but he rarely kept much down. No matter what herbal conceptions that were supposed to help settle his stomach, or even the light chicken broth he tried to eat was usually thrown up within a few minutes of swallowing. He only ate for Hiei's sake, trying to push himself along just to keep the promise he had made to his beloved. Suicide, however, was looking more appealing with each passing day. He relished the glints of blade, imagining how smoothly they could stab through his own heart, or how easily they could inflict mortal wounds on his wrists.

He cried softly as he went to grab himself some breakfast. A banana wouldn't even be kept down in his stomach, so why did he bother? His throat burned from all the times he had thrown up his meals, and vomit was now an ever-present taste on his tongue. He couldn't think straight anymore, so without much interest, he threw the fruit in the trash.

These two weeks had taken their toll on him. His eyes were bloodshot from crying so much, and dark circles had formed beneath the emerald orbs. His eyes were if he was sick, dull and lifeless. The beautiful crimson tresses he had once cared to keep neat were known unkempt and tangled. He wanted to walk to Hiei's grave again, he'd go there every day to pray, and spend a little time with his deceased mate. So, grabbing Hiei's sword and slipping on his shoes, he headed out the door, blasted by a gust of cold winter wind. It was freezing out there, and he didn't have a jacket, but he could care less. It took him forever to reach Hiei's grave. When he did, he sat on his knees and prayed for Hiei's safety as usual. He then drew a single rose out and set it gently on Hiei's grave as an offering to him.

Tears fell simultaneously from his face again as he lay down next to the grave in the snow. He cared nothing of the dangerous cold biting at him; he hugged the last remainders of Hiei to him, the sword and scarf and sobbed softly again. How could this happen?

He sighed and fingered the shiny blade he held in the shiny blade; it could so easily draw blood. The idea was almost too appealing to him to resist. No! He had promised that he wouldn't do this, he mustn't! But… Hiei had left him so alone. How was he expecting him to live his life alone until he died of natural causes?

He was sorry that he couldn't keep his promise to Hiei. He was also sorry he couldn't protect the town like he had promised Koenma. He could probably find a replacement for him, anyways. This couldn't be avoided, because he couldn't live without Hiei.

I'm sorry, Hiei. I know that I promised you, but I can't help it. I'm so alone………….

I can't live without you. Please understand, Hiei. And with that, he drew the blade up and slashed across both wrists, deep enough so that his arteries would be cut, deep enough to kill him. A lone tear fell as he collapsed to the ground, blood staining the snow around him, like the idea of suicide stained people's minds. He smiled as he felt his heart slowing after a long time of bleeding. He could no longer sense his surroundings, he just felt like he was slowly falling asleep.

---

Somehow, Akushitsuko and Shin had gotten their way. The great Youko Kurama was finally dead. Yet there was nothing glorious or profitable about it. They had both died horrible deaths by the hands of the ones the so desperately tried to kill. They had died when they could have just left them alone, and lived happy lives that would have been more profitable than this. Yet they had been greedy, and taken the harder way.

As for Karasu… He had allowed his sadism to take over, and for that, he'd now be in a prison for the rest of his days, rotting away uselessly.

It all comes down to it, in life; true happiness is not profit, amount of friends, or even quality of family. It's having someone who truly cares, like Hiei. Someone who would overcome a grudge held for years, just to be with you, no matter how much of a right they had to hate you. It is something Hiei had learned before he died. A valuable lesson that anybody could learn however, killed him. And in desperation, his mate had taken his own life.

It goes to show you the effects of fighting and hate, even years after they do leave, the cost of death can result in. And that in itself, is sad enough.

Me: Well, it's done so I shall finish my ramblings for now. Huge thanks to four people, some people who really helped this story along.

Suzuna- Gave me ideas! Yay! You rock so much!

Evene- I love you too! You wrote well-rounded reviews that helped me along throughout the story. Plus, you've reviewed a very long time!

Nyte Kit- Even if it was for one chapter, I'm still so glad that you could lend me your time and be kind enough to be my beta!

Lol - And thanks to you, I got my motivation. I got reviews from you since the beginning, so I appreciate it. Thanks!

Well, are you happy that I killed them all? I suppose not. It was a kind of stinky ending, but I actually satisfied. Leave a review and tell me you thoughts!