M-d: I'm finally back!

Hiei: WHY?

M-d: Because.

Hiei: okay.

M-d:…o.o…

Ruby eyes opened to find the wall of Kurama's room. He sat up slowly and looked around the area. It was still night - it was pouring outside. He looked down to find himself under the fox's covers. He turned over to find the kitsune asleep beside him.

'What…happened?'

He focused his vision on Kurama trying to remember.

He remembered.

'Kurama!'

He had held him. Comforted him through the night. He looked to the window across the bed. Held him through the rain of the night.

"Kurama…."

The fox slowly opened his emerald eyes to look up at him.

"Hello Hiei. Are you feeling better?"

That's all? He had just helped him through the most painful feeling he had ever felt. During the weakest he had ever been. And all he said was 'Are you feeling alright?'

Hiei nodded slowly.

"What did I say?"

Kurama sat up in bed beside him.

"Nothing."

He stood and checked outside.

"You cried yourself to sleep and ,being myself, I let you sleep in my bed so your cold wouldn't get worse." He turned back to the fire demon.

"What happened..?" He asked the question quietly as if trying to hide it from the world.

Hiei looked to the carpet beside the bed. Should he tell him?

"Let's just say…it's a long story…." He didn't feel quite like telling Kurama his life story at the moment. He was starting to feel the symptoms of his cold.

Kurama gave Hiei a look of worry. "Alright. Let's go downstairs."

Hiei followed Kurama to his kitchen and took a seat in one of the wooden chairs while the fox prepared something for them. Hiei listened to Kurama's light humming and the sound of the rain outside. Hadn't Kurama wondered what he was sobbing about last night? Now he had to explain everything to him. But how? He couldn't just say 'look at my life'. He sighed. What to do?

Kurama placed a cup of hot cocoa before Hiei before he took a seat beside him quietly. There was a silence between the two as they listened to the pitter patter from outside.

"Are you ready to talk about it?"

Hiei looked Kurama in the eyes and tried to find the words to say. He turned back down to his cup.

"Well…I mean, when I was little, as you know, I didn't have normal things. I didn't even have a house or shelter every night. I didn't have anyone to talk to or to just play with. And, as you also know, a little child loves to play - all the time."

He paused.

"But unlike normal children I knew that I was alone. I knew that other children were around and that I wasn't supposed to be alone. I used to watch them from the bushes at the edge of the villages and see them play a simple game of hide and go seek. I didn't know the game - but I knew that should. I never got the chance to really be a kid. And all of a sudden I was older - I wasn't a child anymore and I knew that I couldn't play anymore - even if it was a little game to myself. Around that time there were bounty hunters after me all the time. I almost never got a chance to relax and I was forced to fight all the time. I couldn't act like myself anymore. I had to be cold and mean. I tried to find ways to be happy - to find something to smile about. But I didn't find anything.

"And then all of a sudden I heard a tale of a sword that had enough powers to make anyone happy. The Sword of Darkness. I knew I wanted to be happy - I'd do anything. That's when I recruited Gouki and you to get them."

He stopped. Kurama knew the rest of the life story. He took a sip of his drink.

"Why didn't you just say so?" Hiei looked at him - shocked.

The two gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours. Kurama broke the contact.

"Well, I myself have a confession to make."

Hiei kept his ruby gaze on him, waiting to hear what the fox could possibly have kept to himself.

The kitsune sighed.

"Ever since I met you I could sense that you weren't happy. That you wanted to be happy but couldn't be. And ever since then I've wanted to make you happy - to see you smile and to see your true self. Not the person I see in the tournaments or on a mission. Not the person who hides himself from the world."

"Hiei…."

"I..love you. If you don't share the same feeling I understand - but I just had to tell you how I feel." He rushed the ending - trying to make sure that Hiei heard everything before he made a decision.

Hiei's breath caught in his throat. Kurama.. loved him? But… how could this be? The kitsune. The perfect warrior and person. Loved … him?

"Really….?"

Kurama smiled. "Yes Hiei, I do with all my heart."

Hiei smiled. A smile that he had kept to himself since he was little.

"Kurama….I love you too." He said in a whisper.

The fox almost pounced on the fire demon in a tight embrace.

They shared the hug till the light shine through the storm clouds and the sun came out to shine upon the world.

"Thank you Kurama. For saving me from the depths of this world."

M-d: Wah!

Hiei: …you make me sad…

M-d: I'm sorry this chapter was kinda short…but it's over! I'm SO SORRY for keeping everyone waiting!