Chapter 7, Version One

"Kenrin... I wish you wouldn't do this."

Kenrin tightened his arms around Kurama's waist, studying him. "What? I know you don't mind my kissing you, Sh-- Kurama." The new name was pronounced carefully from Kenrin's lips. "So what is that you wish I wouldn't do?"

"Fight for me," Kurama replied, his tone forthright and almost angry. "I wish you would just let me go. I wish you would let me make you forget all this. I wish..." Kurama trailed off, helplessly, and Kenrin only tightened his arms and looked at him in concern. "I wish this could work," Kurama whispered.

"You know what I wish?" Kurama shook his head. "I wish you would give me a chance. I wish you wouldn't automatically assume that I'm freaking out and that I can't handle this."

Kurama studied Kenrin's face. "I lied to you."

"I'm aware of that. You took a big step by telling me the truth. And from what I understand you're lying to a lot of people, so I don't feel put upon."

Kurama smiled slightly. "Well... that is one way of looking at it."

Kenrin studied him for a minute. He raised a hand to brush back Kurama's hair. "So... what do your friends think about all this? I mean, you dating a human?"

"I assume you're referring to those who actually know what I am..."

"Yeah."

"Well, Hiei hates it." Hiei jumped at the mention of his own name. "Yusuke and Kuwabara are also involved in demon/human relationships, though, so..."

"So it can work," Kenrin said with a mischievous glint in his eye. Kurama shrugged. "Here you were leading me to assume you had some reason to assume a human/demon relationship would fail and in actuality you're watching not one but two of them progress."

"They're not easy relationships."

"Who told you life was easy?" Kenrin studied him again for a minute. "Kurama, are you willing to try to make this work?"

"If... if you are, then I am."

Kenrin's arms tightened around the fox again. My fox. For a moment Hiei was nearly ready to jump down from the tree and do battle, but something held it back. It could have been concern for Kurama's feelings, or a simple unwillingness to admit to eavesdropping; but the feeling was older and more corrosive than that. It was inadequacy...it was uncertainty in his own worth. The space inside Kurama's arms--If I deserved to be there, I would have been there long ago.

You never gave him a chance to love you, a small part of himself argued.

And is it fair--to give him that chance now? Hiei looked down, watched the way Kurama watched Kenrin talking, watched the way his eyes filled with something quite rare for the kitsune--unabashed hope. Hiei knew, he knew beyond doubt, that if that heavy gaze was directed at him he would not be able to stand up under it. Kenrin didn't even flinch.

Slowly, masking his energy all the way, Hiei descended from his tree and walked away, leaving the scene as it should have been all along--two young lovers with renewed hope shining over the heads, and nothing lurking in the shadows.

Seven months later

"No one's poisoned the food, you know, Hiei."

"Idiot."

Kenrin regarded him levelly. "That was uncalled for, I think."

Hiei accepted a cookie from the plate Kenrin was holding out to him and shrugged. "You should come back to the party," Kenrin continued, encouraged by Hiei's acceptance of his peace offering. "It's Christmas. You know--fun, joy, etcetera?"

Hiei snorted. "Foreign concepts. You go back--your fox will be missing you."

"He'll be missing you too, you know. It drives him crazy when you do this, show up and then lurk in the corners all evening."

"Then he shouldn't invite me."

Kenrin shook his head. "You are impossible." But there was no malice in his voice, and he left the tray of cookies as he went back inside.

Hiei munched on a few as he continued watching through the window, not minding the snow that fell on them. The bakas were having their annual get together, chasing each other around the room with that strange mistletoe plant, giving each other gifts. They dragged Hiei along every year. The only thing that was different now was Kenrin had an accepted place within the old crew, as accepted as Keiko's.

Hiei watched Kenrin catch Kurama as he overbalanced trying to hang a streamer from the ceiling. Kurama grinned and kissed him. Hiei smiled too, though not as broadly as the fox. He smiled to see Kurama so happy; smiled to see that his mate was so close and so attentive as to catch him when he fell. He smiled to see Kurama so secure in his relationship, and thanked the gods once again that he hadn't stopped his fox from having that kind of happiness. Sure, the first few months of watching them together had been hard, but gradually, and grudgingly, Kenrin had earned Hiei's respect. He was confident and loving, a good combination--confident in both himself and his feelings for a certain kitsune, unafraid to worm his way into an old group and win them all over one by one, unafraid to stay by Kurama's side through the strange things that now occasionally happened.

He was, in short, a good mate for Kurama. Hiei had already told Kurama he expected his old friend to marry this one. And told him, truthfully, that he would kick Kurama's ass if he didn't.

Because everything was as it should be, now. There was warmth and light inside the room; there was love, and it encircled those who sat there. Yukina was happily settled in her partner's lap, secure in everything she should need; and Kurama was also settled, next to Kenrin, their hands lightly entwined. All as it should be. And Hiei was sitting just outside the lighted room, watching it, watching over their happiness and content in it, not feeling the cold around him and not caring to come in out of it.

After all, everything was as it should be.

A/N: To those who want to kill me right now...

Kenrin is a good mate for Kurama. He's the little OC that could and I couldn't stay true to this story without acknoweldging that there was every possibility things would work out for them. I also think it's very in character for Hiei to behave how he behaved in this chapter. Now, I know we're all huge HK fans out here, which is why I'm writing a second ending, the one I originally intended. I just had to throw this out here first.