Disclaimer and warning applies to all chapters.

I should warn you
Things you're feeling,
aren't normal now
Think you need me
it's not easy
The All American Rejects, (Too Far Gone)

Solution

-

"Shuuichi, who is this?"

Kurama looked up, giving a slight smile at his mother's presence and took a deep breath. Hiei was incredibly calm, if not down right oblivious of the ningen woman's sudden appearance and he didn't know whether or not to be ecstatic Hiei didn't care or mildly angry. He decided an easy medium and cleared their bowls of finished ice cream.

"My friend, mother," he answered simply. Short and to the point. He didn't need to give away information that was definitely not necessary.

Her brows wrinkled, hand going up to brush stray hair away from her face as she scanned Hiei's strange choice of dress and spiky hair. "Well, I've never seen him before, dear. Is he new?"

"No. I've known him before last year. We're good friends." He blushed, sitting down with a sigh. Friend? Did Hiei even consider him a friend anymore? And he lied. He never lied if it could be helped.

Kurama sat down, trying to place the look on Hiei's face. It was a mix between confusion and apprehension. He should have known not to bring the fire demon into the kitchen or the house, for that matter. He knew Hiei would be uncomfortable if his mother came and saw him, confronted them. Hiei's black clothes made him resemble a goth and his mother didn't approve of that life style. But of course he did it anyway and decided to be spontaneous, against his better judgment, too. Maybe Youko really was getting to him!

Shiori took a seat beside Hiei, inspecting him further before glancing at Kurama with a disapproving tone to her voice. "Well, he seems nice. . . But it'd appreciate you telling me when you have friends over! Now would you like some tea. . . --" Her gaze settled on Hiei, expecting an answer.

"Hiei," Kurama interjected, hoping the other saw his pleading look.

"No, I'm leaving now," Hiei said with a quiet voice, irritation lacing each syllable as he spoke, standing and frowning. Kurama bit his lip, mind going a mile a minute as to how he wold actually stop the Jaganshi from leaving without looking too hasty. He smiled softly at his mother as Hiei began towards the stairs.

"I'll be right back mother."

"Okay dear. Would you like some tea though, it's no trouble to make it!"

He shook his head politely before walking as fast as he could up each step in a mannered fashion. When he got to the top, he ran to his room and pushed open the door to see Hiei about to climb out of his window and plunge into the unforgiving rain.

"Hiei! Don't go!"

The fire demon stopped with a flinch, turning to face the redhead with passive eyes. "Your mother does not like me." He didn't look at Kurama, instead finding the wall behind him fascinating and crossed his arms with a snort.

"That's not true! She just, she's not used to me having different people over. And I usually talk about friends from school and tell her things and such. . . " Kurama was seriously thinking about kicking himself. Now Hiei was steadily glaring at him, passive ruby had made a drastic transition to crimson red. He had never stumbled over his words so unintelligently before either.

"Hn. So I'm not considered important. I think I understand perfectly, Shuuichi."

The mockery in Hiei's voice hurt, badly. Kurama nearly winced, but stoned his face. Showing weakness was not on his list of things to do. And he knew Hiei would catch it.

"You have it completely wrong. You're the most important person to me, Hiei and. . . " He trailed off, a dark curtain being drawn in his mind and taking his thoughts away.

"Important? I'm not important. To anyone." Hiei snorted again, jumping onto the seal ready to go out into the rain until Kurama's voice stopped him, yet again. He glared at the fox, setting his lips in a thin line.

"You are to me!" Kurama took an experimental step forward and smiled awkwardly. "Hiei, when will you stop thinking that way about yourself?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes, raising his head. "When people leave me the hell alone. I never asked for your companionship. You were a tool and that was all. Simple, but now you're trying to. . . to take everything and confuse me!"

That sentence made something snap inside Kurama and he glared. "I did nothing of the sort! And I'm sorry I wanted to be your friend." He sighed, taking a deep breath. "I'm not trying to--"

"Then why do you love me?" Hiei spat the word with venom, face clouding darkly with undisguised disgust.

Kurama gasped, swallowing the bile rising in his throat and shook his head. "You. . . you heard us then?"

Hiei nodded, scowling.

"And. . . " He laughed, smiling and closing his eyes. "You don't feel the same, do you? I didn't think so, but I just couldn't stop. I did it to myself, anyway. It's no trouble to you so nothings changed. You can leave." Kurama sighed, turning his back to the rapidly blinking Hiei.

"I. . . I never said that!"

Startled by the change in Hiei's usually calm voice, red hair splashed in tendrils as Kurama pivoted, complete shock written on his face. "What," he hissed out, surprised his mouth had the capacity to work.

Raising an eyebrow, Hiei smirked, tilting his head to the side which caused a cascade of ebony to fall into his amused ruby eyes. "I said, since you've suddenly acquired a hearing problem, that I never said anything about rejecting you, as ningen's would say. I just see no realistic answer to why, in all of the Makai would you want to. . ." He stopped, uncomfortable silence taking over.

That was more than Hiei said in the last month. Kurama smiled softly, generously ignoring Hiei's crack at his hearing and barely refrained himself from jumping the fire demon. "Oh Hiei, how could you think that? Why do you think that?" He subconsciously found himself closer to the Forbidden Child than he realized.

The fire demon snorted, skeptical. "Because I'm worthless. And you are obviously not. Killing is the only thing on my mind, not ningen emotions. They get in the way."

"That's not true. Yuusuke loves Keiko dearly, and their relationship has never got 'in the way'."

Hiei nodded. "Yes but they don't fight yokai together, now do they?"

Blushing, Kurama shook his head. Was this Hiei's way of actually considering a. . . relationship? And after so long of being simple comrades in battle, after so long of Kurama hopelessly in love, it could very well become a possibility.

"No, you're right. But we can fend for ourselves as we always have. it wouldn't change." Kurama sat on the bed, ignoring Hiei's questioning gaze and studied his nails quietly, trying to stop the giddy feeling bubbling up inside him.

"Hn."

Once again, silence filled the air and Kurama had to stifle a nervous twitch. Awkward silences were one of his most hated things, nearly as bad as unkept facial hair. He shuddered.

"So. . . where does this leave us, then?" He asked quietly.

Hiei shrugged, stepping from the seal and sliding down the wall, closing his eyes. "It's up to you, I suppose."

"Hn." Kurama laughed as Hiei glared at him.

-

"Yuusuke, what name do you thinks the cutest for a boy?"

Keiko had told everyone earlier, and everyone excepted it well and offered them congratulations.

Keiko sat on the now clean couch with Botan and Shizuru, poking her boyfriend in the back of his head and causing his focus to demolish. Kuwabara howled with smug laughter, killing Yuusuke's character in Mortal Combat and doing a victory dance. Yuusuke glared, sulking. Kurama sat on the floor with Hiei, smiling at the two.

"How should I know Keiko, I don't pay attention to that stuff."

"Oh! How about Subaru?" Botan piped, giggling pointedly.

"Subaru Urameshi?" Kuwabara blanched. "Sounds weird. And what if it's a girl?"

Shizuru's foot connected with his cheek, pushing him against the floor viciously. "And did she ask you, baby brother?"

Kuwabara soundlessly inched into a corner as a smirking Shizuru sat back down, smiling at Botan.

"How about Amoura? If it's girl, that is," Kurama suggested, smiling brightly at Keiko, glancing at Hiei's bored expression.

"That's not bad, actually. I'll consider that one, thanks Kurama!" Keiko grinned happily, standing up and walking into the kitchen. Yuusuke followed with a lopsided smile.

Kuwabara yawned, glaring at Hiei. "Are you sleeping shrimp?"

Kurama watched ruby eyes open, blink and narrow in a fraction of time. "Shut up idiot. This is boring and I'm getting impatient." He turned to Kurama. "You promised we'd leave soon."

Laughing nervously, Kurama blushed. "Well, yes I know, but this is probably the last time all of us we'll have time to be together."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

Kuwabara slid over to Shizuru, grinning slyly and whispering. "Hey, they're having a lover's quarrel. Heh heh heh."

Both demon's sent death glares over in his direction and the force sent him reeling, with the help of Shizuru's punch he cowered in a corner again.

Standing, Kurama stretched. "Well, let's leave then, I wanted to look over colleges anyway." Hiei snorted, turning his head away.

"Hey, Kurama, c'mere!" Yuusuke shouted through the kitchen opening, grinning madly.

Kurama sighed, smiling apologetically at the slumped form of his 'lover'.

I wonder if I can say that. Lover. It sounds so. . . strange. He said he needed time, so it's not official but I'm so close to having everything I want. . .

And what could Yuusuke want?

He sighed again.

Well, this chapter made me frustrated, partly from my lack of sleep too. And I hate it. Sorry if it's utter crap, but it wouldn't have gotten out if I delayed writing it. Hopefully, the next will be better. -hides- Oh, and Shiori's views on the goth life style doesn't reflect my own, so no hate mail on that. I kind of took my own mother's opinion on that. And many fics use some Japanese language but since I'm not (although I can speak some) I don't write it in. Thought I'd throw that out there.

Evene: I don't know, sweet snow came up in a bunch of fanfics, and I decided I loved how cute it sounded. It fits, as well. Hiei having an obsession with ice cream of all things. Thanks a trillion haha.

KyoHana: Thanks for liking!

kikira-san: You are welcome! It's so completely clichéd and pisses me off sometimes how much of a baby they make him. I wish he'd spike the ice cream. . .Thanks!

shiorifoxiesmom: Hahah, yep! Thanks!

Everqueen: Shank you!

Kuranga108: Aww, thanks! Yeah, the games were cool beans haha.

Chaos Guardian Sethros: Ohhh, okay. I don't know how I got 1000. Thanks a bunch!

spirit-gun: Bwahaha. Sadly it wasn't fire and brimstone. Thanks!

FoxofRoses: Yep, he does. Thanks!

Kaori Minamino: Yeah, I laughed at picturing that in my head haha. Thanks!

princess-sunshine: Hey, thanks! Huggles to you too. My Hiei muse is getting too cocky from being noticed lol.

LadyRainrin: Thanks! Glad you likey.