-1Chapter 6

"Hiei?"

"Don't worry, fox. I wasn't thinking about jumping."

Hiei was curled up on Kurama's windowsill, some seven stories above the ground as the building Kurama now stayed in was referred to as "the Tower." Kurama walked up behind him. "I was more concerned that you were thinking of leaving."

"Why - should I stay? Do you have any more tests for us?"

Kurama was silent for a moment. "No."

"Well, then."

"I was hoping you wanted to stay."

Hiei didn't respond right away. Kurama seemed to take the silence as negation. "It's okay, you don't have to," he said, with horrible false cheerfulness.

Hiei got down from the windowsill and wandered over to the bookcase. "Stupid fox," he muttered.

Kurama turned around to follow him with his eyes. "Well, you're not being very clear."

Hiei faced him, and drummed up his courage. "Is any of this very clear?"

Kurama pursed his lips. "No," he admitted. "Nothing's very clear to me right now."

Hiei found himself with no idea what to say, now that he had thrown down the conversational gauntlet. Kurama watched him with apparently infinite patience. Hiei sensed he was not getting out of this conversation. "Well, if I'm not being clear it's because nothing makes sense to me either."

Kurama moved to stand in front of Hiei, and held his eyes with his own. "Why did you do it, Hiei?"

"I already told you."

"Because you're stupid?"

Hiei shook his head very slightly. "The other part."

"Why?"

Hiei stared at Kurama, befuddled. "Why couldn't you imagine being without me?" Kurama clarified, blushing slightly.

Hiei struggled for a response, other than a shrug, which he knew wasn't going to cut it. Time to be brave again. "Let's just say," he said, with false casualness, "that it wasn't the first time I'd ever thought of kissing you."

"You mean kissing, or the Kiss?"

"Just--kissing. You know."

Kurama leaned forward, and brushed his lips against Hiei's. "Like that?"

Hiei's lips tingled. "Yeah. Like that."

"Or--" Kurama leaned forward again, kissing Hiei a little longer. "Or like that."

Hiei felt half a smirk cross his face, recognizing the fox's game. "No, more like--" He leaned up slightly and, throwing caution to the winds, kissed Kurama thoroughly. "Like that."

"I see. Well, that seems to be an excellent reason for keeping me around."

"Exactly," Hiei said, wrapping his arms around Kurama's waist. "Who else am I going to kiss?"

"No one," Kurama growled warningly.

It was a full smirk that crossed Hiei's face this time. "No one," he agreed.

Hiei had never kissed anyone else, so he had no idea whether the bond he and Kurama now shared affected what they did, made it more pleasurable. All he knew was that it was what he had dreamed about.

When they broke apart for a minute, panting, Kurama said, "If it makes any difference, Hiei, I'm very glad you kissed me. In more ways than one."

"That's a relief," Hiei admitted. "I'd hate to bind you up like this without your consent."

Kurama kissed him again, lightly. "Consider it consented."

A/N: This may prove to be the last chapter of this fic. I'm sorry for the long updates and quick conclusion, but I'm absolutely run dry on inspiration. I am toying with an idea for another chapter, though, so we'll see.