Disclaimer: Yeah…Okay, this has got to be my favorite disclaimer:

I own absolutely nothing; just like the last author you read from, just like the next author you'll read from. You know, we should start an I-Own-Nothing-And-It's-Never-Gonna-Change Club. Don't ya think?

Review Responses: Well…I guess I can't respond individually (which sucks, sometimes, because some of you give me really funny things to say back!) but I can still thank all of you who reviewed.

So we'll give off the list of those who reviewed, thank them kindly, then answer any questions that may have come up indirectly. If I answer them indirectly I'm not breaking any rules! …Right?

Anyhoo!

Thank You:

Evene

KyoHana

KittyLuv

Nyte Kit

Berbec

Lazy Fat Kitsune

Mistress KC – Wanted Dead or Alive

Terri Botta

Now, answering indirectly! …Right?

Ahem…Okay no one correctly assumed the inconsistency, so I'll leave it open, as I…think it should come into play but not be a major plot line. However, three of you opened up some possibilities that should be addressed, both for cause and for aid.

First, Evene mentioned an inconsistency…actually I love the way Evene thinks…it's so utterly confusing that I understood it! You rock! Okay, well, I believe she thought the inconsistency was with when Kuwabara and Yusuke arrived and whether or not they were at the temple. Though not the correct inconsistency, she got very close when she began speaking of the reason why it would take them some time to get up there.

Evene mentioned something about snow. There's your hint on the inconsistency.

Secondly, I believe it was KittyLuv who mentioned Genkai's absence during all this. Yes, she was at the temple. This might be an inconsistency except for the fact that I haven't mentioned Genkai's role in any of it. So when I get to revealing the whole thing, which, alas, is not in the very near future (a.k.a. this chapter,) you'll find out everything as plain as day. You still get a Popsicle for thinking it through.

Thirdly, Nyte Kit thought about Hiei's arrival that night. Though she was incorrect in the inconsistency being whether Hiei showed up that night or the next morning, she was fairly close to hitting right on target. Keep it up!

And Finally, (yes, this is number four) I think KyoHana actually got the inconsistency right…but I can't be positive because it wasn't in her review. I know someone did, but it was in an e-mail. And the only one who sent an e-mail was KyoHana. 8D Congrats.

Clarification:

Hiei showed up at the temple the following morning and that is when he injured Kurama.

Kurama was there at the temple that night so he could see Hiei the next morning.

Genkai was also at the temple because she lives there.

Yukina was at the temple because she lived there (and died there) ((This was not a clarification matter…I was just having fun listing who was at the temple 8D I've got issues))

Notes:

Alright! I'm glad the characters were all in character (…that seemed awfully redundant) last chapter. Let's see how well I do this time!

As with all my other stories, I must apologize for the immensely long span of time between updates. Such a horrible writer's block. But I do believe I'm slowly breaking it down!

Also, I'm having one small problem concerning Kurama's speech issue. Due to him being mute, any telepathic message that he speaks is either backed by extreme emotion to be able to get it through to any spiritual aware person, or can be heard as easily as normal speech by a telepathic person, such as Kuwabara.

My problem is that, in the past chapters, I left his speech in normal "quotations" mostly so it wouldn't 1) give away that he was mute and 2) confuse readers who didn't realize he was mute.

For now, I'm going to just leave it as such because I am not one for inconsistencies when they can be helped. Therefore, I am hoping and expecting all readers to recognize anything Kurama "says" by both contexts and emotional wording/cause.

I hope this doesn't cause too much trouble. Especially sense he talks a bit in this chapter, but the only ones you need to watch out for are the times he talks to Yusuke, though it should be obvious that it is Kurama talking telepathically.

Therefore: Run down!

Kurama telepathic: "blah"

Kurama sign language: "blah"

All thoughts: 'blah'

(take note that all other telepathic conversation will be in : blah : (hence if Youko speaks or Hiei talks telepathically)

This shouldn't be too hard, so good luck!

Oh, and get excited people! FLASHBACK TIME! Weee, you get to know just the TINIEST little bit about that night, but maybe it will help!

(Note: Flashback is in all italics, above key to quote punctuation does not apply)

ONWARD!

­-o-o-o-o-

Embrace the Winter Snow

Chapter 6

-o-o-o-o-

Perhaps Genkai had added a tad too much sleeping serum to Kurama's tea last night.

Yusuke stood against the thin doorframe, watching the sleeping kitsune. The raven-haired man was sweating slightly, an ongoing result of his three hour work out up on the roof.

He pulled on the towel hanging around his neck and wiped his face once more before he threw it to the side (somewhere) and entered the room, walking towards the sleeping kitsune.

Perhaps Genkai had added a lot too much sleeping serum to Kurama's tea last night.

The redhead lay in the soft noon sunlight that filtered through the cracked window. He slept soundly beneath the heavy layers of blankets draped on the low futon. His bright crimson hair was randomly spread about on the pillow, tangled and tossed in the fox's most likely upset sleep. Twisted strands of the garnet silk locks were draped around a bandaged neck and spilt over the pale skin of his face.

His chest rose in slow, rhythmic breaths that occasionally caused one or two strands to twitch and slide from his face with the light push. Long, thin fingers held a gentle grip on the edge of the many blankets, keeping them pulled tight towards his injured neck.

Yusuke sighed. He had to get Kurama up, despite the fox's desperate need for sleep. His need for clean, bandaged wounds properly healed took a much higher priority.

Yet, even as he knelt down next to the kitsune, he beheld a change in Kurama's sleep. The fox's breath hitched in this throat and his head tilted to the side in a distressed manner. Slim fingers clenched the edge of the blankets, knuckles turning near white. His pale pinks lips pursed together in a silent moan that could be heard only by one who had known the fox in several years of indefinite silence.

The soft-faced fox tossed his head in distress as a light sheen of sweat began forming on his forehead, immediately inviting his bangs to stick to his pale flesh. Small beads began to form and roll slowly off his smooth face as a noiseless whimper caused his breath to shake.

It was a nightmare. Yusuke knew it from the multiple times it happened a week, if not a day. It was always the same nightmare, though Yusuke knew nothing of it but for the painful memory it held.

He had no doubt on the subject, however.

Out of experience, the raven-haired detective knew the way to free Kurama from his hell; knew the quickest and most efficient method to rescue his friend.

Kneeling down beside the fox on the futon, he gently bent forward. He scooped the fox's torso into his arms, much as one would a child, and lifted his upper body. Using a quite stealth that he could never possibly possess in battle (it just wasn't his style, after all) he slid behind the fox and leaned back against the wall, gently pulling Kurama against him so that the kitsune leaned against his chest. With his legs on either side of Kurama, he gently wrapped his arms around the kitsune.

Though crude, there was nothing more Yusuke could do, as Kurama grew more distressed, attempting to pull away from the detective. The warmth of another, which was what Kurama had truly lost more than anything else, would slowly wake him up from his hell quicker and more soundly than any amount of shaking would do.

So Yusuke leaned his head against the wall and began to quietly offer words of comfort to the unhearing ears of the fox within his arms.

It would only be a matter of time.

-o-o-o-o-

Cold darkness was all around him in an icy blanket of soothing quietness. The chilly blackness was a calming relief against his warm, flushed skin and the pitch of midnight color around him was silent comfort to the normally hectic routine consciousness.

In fact, the darkness was a familiar haze; a black fog that blanketed the world within his vision. There was nothing around him that was of importance: nothing to hear, nothing to see, nothing to know.

There was nothing.

But then…if there was nothing, why was he aware of it? If there were truly nothing, then there would also be nothing to think of. Yet, he was thinking away, thoughts running slowly through the haze of black fog.

Yes, he was aware, that's what it was. Awareness.

But aware of what? Where was he? He knew this place, he knew this fog. He had seen it so very many times.

That's it. The darkness, the haze, the dulled senses.

But his awareness…

He was awake.

…And the darkness just happened to be because of his closed eyelids. Ah, there, now he could see…

…more darkness.

No, no, that was just the ceiling. Of course it was dark, it had to be the middle of the night. There was only a soft flittering of blue moonlight entering the room, splashing over his face with the gentle sway of the snow-covered branches outside his open window.

Right…he was awake. So…why was he awake, again?

His eyes darted towards the Japanese paper door as a soft thud far in the distance brought his attention away from the hazy fog of sleep.

That was it…not that noise…no, there was one before it…through that darkness, there had been a noise that awoke him from his dreamy sleep.

Something…no, someone had screamed.

But who? And Why? He had sensed no demons; no danger; hell, he hadn't even sensed any energy, foreign or friendly.

He roused himself; he had to get up. Genkai…Yukina…they were in the temple. If there was any trouble…anything he'd slept through…he'd never forgive himself.

It was probably nothing, but he couldn't risk it. He fought off the last bit of sleep that clouded his senses and stood, throwing the blankets of the futon off. Reaching his hand to his shoulder, he flipped his hair off his bare skin, the silky strands free of tangles.

Pulling his hand back to his side, he held a bright red rose, its crimson petals velvety soft and stem a deep, forest green. Thorns sharp enough to pierce most substances littered the green lifeline and yet avoided their owner's skin. Lush, smooth-rimmed leaves randomly dotted out between his long, slim fingers.

It was a deadly weapon within his hands alone. He prayed he wouldn't need it.

He moved as silently as a fox in the woods (ironically) as he padded barefoot across the tamati mats of the temple room. As he neared the door, he fingered the rose, preparing to strike as the sound of a foot scraping the mats just outside brought his attention to someone standing before his room.

He raised the weapon as his hand reached out for the wooden doorframe. Slim, long fingers touched the very edge of the rough wood.

It slid open before he could even apply pressure. The rose dropped from his posed fingers.

With wide eyes, he stepped back on impulse, moving as far from the intruder as he could in only two steps. His forest green eyes were full of curious surprise.

What was going on?

The newcomer took a step closer, entering the room. He didn't move at the intruder's entrance, but his wide-eyed expression didn't alter, either. The intruder took another step forward as a smirk began to appear on pale lips.

"What's wrong, Kurama?"

-o-o-o-o-

Kurama shot up, eyes open wide and mouth forming a silent scream. Yet, he did not get far before two strong arms around his torso pulled him tightly back against a muscular chest.

"No! Get away from me!" Kurama's scream rang in Yusuke's head and he shut his eyes tightly against the oncoming headache that such a mental onslaught would surely bring.

The fox's breathing was quick and deep, coming in long, frightened pants as he struggled against Yusuke's hold. However, logic soon overcame his fright and calmed his body within the detective's grasp.

His forest green eyes began to clear from their foggy depths of nightmarish sleep and the fox began to regain his intelligent thought, habit deeming his brain to calm his body. Forcing his breath to calm and his chest to stop heaving under Yusuke's arms, he leaned back against the warm body behind him.

Yusuke quieted him gently as he loosened his hold on the fox. It took several long minutes, but the kitsune was soon back to normal, eyes lightly closed and breathing calmed.

"Shh, you're alright, Kurama." The fox nodded silently as Yusuke continuously encouraged him with comforting words. Though it felt awkward for him, the raven-haired detective had quickly learned that his awkwardness was well worth the escape from Kurama's pain.

Slowly, the fox lifted his hands, just the sluggish way he moved indicating his exhaustion, even after ten full hours of sleep. Moving his hands, Yusuke followed the gestures, easily interpreting as Kurama went.

"Don't apologize," he quickly reprimanded, though did so in a soft voice. Kurama was looking at him, head tilted back and to the side so he could see the detective behind him.

Yusuke gently released his hold on Kurama, confident that the fox was recovering. He gently moved his hands to rest on either side of the kitsune's shoulders. "Listen to me, Kurama… What happened that night…it wasn't your fault; none of it was your fault. Don't you ever blame yourself."

Kurama turned his head back to face forward before slowly leaning against the man's shoulder, his red hair sliding over Yusuke's shirt. The detective didn't seem to notice, he was staring off into a distance that none could see.

"Kurama, what happened to Yukina…there was nothing you could do…There was nothing that you didn't do. I don't want you to ever believe what Hiei said to you… Don't you dare, do you understand me?"

The fox was silent for a long moment, and Yusuke wondered if he had possible fallen back to sleep. But after a period of time, the kitsune slowly nodded.

But his piercing green eyes were focused on the falling snow outside his window.

-o-o-o-o-

"For the last time, Yusuke, I'll be fine for five minutes on my own! Believe it or not, I'm not a child. Now go already!"

Yusuke laughed as Kurama ended his last gesture. "Well, I choose not to believe that, Fox-boy!" He gave a teasing smirk as he ruffed the fox's red hair, creating quite a mess of the locks. Kurama glared as he pushed the hand off his head. "I'll be back in an hour, so stay out of trouble, kid!"

Kurama rolled his eyes. Why had he even opened his mouth? …er…or gestured with his hands…?

The fox gave a tired sigh as Yusuke jogged over to the staircase that led down to the civilized world below the temple compound. The fox sat on the cold concreted of the garden bench, the only object not covered with half a foot of snow.

It was beautiful, even Kurama could admit that; possibly the most beautiful thing he saw in anything anymore. But it was still snow.

It was cold. Icy to the touch. It hurt to stay in contact for too long.

…It was just another form of pain.

The fox gave another sigh and gave a weak attempt at drawing his thoughts away from such dismal despair. And, as always, his attempt was half-backed and pointless.

Nothing every changed that way. He didn't suppose anything ever would.

: You should not think such things Youko's voice was earnest, but not hopeful. Despite the comfort the fox spirit often gave him, Youko was nothing but a hypocrite.

That fox didn't believe anything would get better. He was just better at keeping his thoughts hidden.

Kurama gave another soft sigh, this one silent to the outside world. He was sick of sighing.

"Then why don't you stop?"

Kurama froze, his entire body going stiff at the sound of the new voice. A voice that he had not properly heard in five years. His breath hitched in his throat and he could feel his palms grow clammy with sweat.

He didn't want this. He didn't want to see him. He didn't want to hear that voice. He was imagining it. If he imagined it gone, it wouldn't be there.

: You think that plan will work now, with him,when it failed to work with the pain:

Why did that damn fox only ever speak when he wished for nothing more than silence?

"Will you not even look at me?" Kurama's attention was immediately caught and his eyes lifted in a darting speed, connecting with crimson orbs.

Green eyes were narrowed to slits and formed a death glare worthy of the applied name. Those endless depths held nothing but hatred and a fierce, burning urgency, though what for was unreadable.

And, sure enough, the figure before him still stood, despite his desperate will to imagine him away.

Hiei did not back down, or even flinch, from the look Kurama bathed him in. The fire demon simply met the glower with an emotionless mask. There was nothing to gain from returning the fierce stare.

The fire demon did not pull away from the staring contest, but continued with a conversation that, for the first time in the history of their acquaintance, would be one sided on his part.

"Will you not speak, Kurama?" Hiei knew very well that that fox could not. He remembered perfectly the words with which Yusuke had used to jab him in the chest earlier that same morning.

But he wanted proof. He wanted to know why. And he would provoke the fox, if need be, to get his answers.

Kurama's glare did not end, but he stood, feet bare in the snow, and turned away from the fire demon. As he began to head back to the temple, he spoke simple words, the message easily picked up by Hiei's Jagan.

"You of all people should know a wordless man when you see one, Hiei."

The fire demon was not satisfied with this alone, though it was the proof he needed to confirm the fox's inability to form words any longer.

"And why is that, Kurama?" He slowly climbed the stairs up to the temple's outer porch right behind the fox. Hiei could easily feel the unease and uncertainty flowing off the kitsune.

He obviously wanted away from the fire demon. He'd get no such thing until Hiei was satisfied with the answers he received. Surely Kurama knew this.

"Perhaps because you once spoke less words than I. Though, no longer can you claim that attribute."

Kurama never turned around as his words formed with fierceness in Hiei's mind. The fire demon held back the pain that such an angry onslaught might cause an inexperienced mental talker (A.K.A. Yusuke.)

"No, I suppose I can't. Though I don't suppose the demon who did such could do so easily, either." Hiei truly had no idea what had possessed him to say such words, or what they might truly mean.

He cared not for what they stood for, or the anger he might receive. What he wanted was the reaction from such a mention. As far as he was concerned, from all that he had seen in the past two days, everyone babied Kurama.

He was a spoiled child given anything he'd wanted because someone had hurt him. Now it was time to see if the five years' worth of ego-boosting had gone to his head.

For, of course, Hiei believed that Kurama most likely deserved what he had received. The fox knew how to protect himself; had he been so unable to that he had allowed an enemy access to his throat, a being's most vulnerable body part, than he was either a fool or an idiot.

And Hiei would find out which it was.

Kurama, meanwhile, had stopped dead in his tracks, halfway down the temple porch and soon to round the corner to the west-facing side. But he took no further step, instead choosing to turn around and regard the fire demon with a look twice as fierce as his last.

Hiei wasn't sure he'd even acknowledged that Kurama could be so angry.

"You dare to mock me, fire demon!" The voice held much more Youko in it than true Kurama, but there was no mistaking the angry mix of both voices intertwined with the spat words. "Leave this place, you are welcomed here no longer, hiyoukai!"

To say that Hiei was surprised would be an overstatement. Though a bit taken back by the order, which only provoked a certain sense of angry defiance, Hiei stood his ground.

"And if I don't?" The fire demon knew what boundaries he was pushing. He was close to pushing the Youko in Kurama out for good, and then he might have an actual fight on his hands.

Not quite what he had been looking for, but he might be able to get answers out of the less refined (and more prideful) spirit fox.

Kurama's eyes narrowed and flashed gold. Though they retained their green color, Hiei could see where some of the liquid yellow color had remained. He was definitely pushing boundaries.

"Shuichi may still protect you, half-breed (Why? I haven't got a clue) but do not expect the same treatment from me." His voice was icy cold and deeper. All traces of Shuichi, despite his outward appearance remaining human, were gone. "Enter these grounds again, fire demon; threaten his well being once more…and I will have your head…despite what Shuichi may say of it."

With that, Kurama turned and immediately entered the temple, using the closest available door and sliding it shut with a slam behind him.

Hiei watched with emotionless eyes, letting the fox retreat into his safe-hold. He did not move, however. He did not leave the temple grounds, nor even stray back to the garden.

He had not received the answers he had wanted. He had not gotten the information he desired.

And that was simply unacceptable.

-o-o-o-o-

Hope you guys like it. I was up till three writing it…I'm a bit iffy on parts of it, mostly the end where Hiei and Kurama talk…though I mostly like it. Just a few bits I'm not so sure about.

Oh well, you live to learn only after you've learned to live.

Author's Notes:

…The warmth of another … was what Kurama had truly lost more than anything else… Translation: Of everything that happened to Kurama, the pain, the injury; out of everything he lost: his voice, Yukina; what he lost the most, what hurt him the deepest, was the loss of his lover.

You know, I've begun to realize that I write a story, then re-read it and have no idea what the hell I was trying to say. It's like…I get really philosophical ideas without knowing it, write them on paper in nice, fancy ways, and then when I go back to proof read, I'm an idiot who looks at the sentence and goes "Huh!"

…Just…no, there's just no comment to that.

…Entire Flashback scene… Please note that it is important to realize two things in that Flashback. One, I never once mentioned Kurama's name in it (until the last line, but that was dialogue) and Two, I never once mentioned the sex of the intruder. Please don't forget that and make assumptions on it.

…But it was still snow…It was cold. Icy to the touch. It hurt to stay in contact for too long… Ahem…Hint: He's not talking about snow anymore.

…He was sick of sighing…"Then why don't you stop"… Please note that Hiei is one of the Telepathic people mentioned earlier in my beginning chapter notes. He can hear Kurama easily.

…As far as he was concerned… everyone babied Kurama… I actually very much like Hiei's manner of dealing with this confrontation. Instead of saying "Hn" every two seconds and being cold and rude, he's pushing for answers and doing what he has to do to get them.

Including saying hurtful things.

But, then again, please keep in mind that Hiei has not forgiven Kurama and, in his eye, the fox has been babied. He's been hidden from all painful things in the world and given everything he could need.

In Hiei's eyes, Kurama didn't do everything possible to protect his sister and, therefore, deserved what had happened to him.

Whether this is true or not (and we honestly don't know at the moment…well, I do, but you guys don't) it is Hiei's view and it will affect the way he deals with the kitsune.

Alright! I'd like to mention that, while Hiei may seem out of character in the last conversation, it would be awfully hard to put him perfect. After all, we base "In character" as being the way the characters acted in the show. And we never saw Yukina get murdered or Kurama mute, injured, and once in love with Hiei, now did we?

So I'm going on how I think they would best react, as well as what fits the story best. So…nnn –sticks out tongue- deal with it if you don't like it.

8D Enough yelling at the readers. Not nice, no no…bad author bad author!

Kit: …You have had too much sugar.

So…any comments, questions, or more guesses on anything, just send it in a review.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all liked it!

Sorry, once more, for the delay!