Destin Enchaîné

Me: Well, here you are. Here's chapter 5. In particular, I really like this chapter. We get in a little romance with Hiei, though Kurama isn't so willing to go along with it. Still, I like it. You know what you should do? You should review and tell me what you think. Make my last day of regular school happy. I've been in a really bad mood this week because of end-of-year stress. I've still got a biology course as an acceleration course over the summer, but I rule at biology, so no worries! Consider the fact that I'm going to just update more often as a gift for more reviews. I work hard on this. And don't think I don't know about people who have put this story on their favorites but never once reviewed. I'm watching you! Ah well, read on now. AND REVIEW, TOO.


Chapter 5

Distractive noises echoed through a large ballroom as hundreds of people occupied themselves with the entertainment set up. On the side, a redhead sat in a chair, not enjoying the festivities much. Yuusuke and Kuwabara had neglected to mention to him that this 'dinner' was in fact one of the large formal balls Hiei threw every once in a while. While he had never had a problem for such parties, he could say in all fairness that he was getting close to starvation. His stomach was complaining to him, and he wasn't really in the mood to deal with the festivities because of it. At this rate, dinner wouldn't be served for another few hours. It made him groan in hunger.

If only he could find Hiei. He was generally the only one who was able to hold sensible conversation in this whole event. Most of the other people were here for the party along with a lover or friend of sorts. For that reason, they really had no reason to take much notice to the redheaded teen in the corner. Aside from Yuusuke and Kuwabara, he was the only teen here. Most of the people were of high stature, around their late twenties or early thirties. While he cared deeply for his friends company, they always seemed to disappear at these types of events. He chewed on his lip slightly, getting the feeling that he was being watched. After squirming for a moment in his discomfort, he pushed the feeling to the back of his mind and went back to aimlessly watching the dancers.

It wasn't exactly that Hiei liked these parties either. It was merely to gain the favor of the government. Hiei was a secretive leader of a still famous gang. Though they were famous for their crimes and power, nobody would have suspected that Hiei was the mastermind behind it all. He was almost as good as Kurama was at that sort of lying. Nobody would have believed it if they were told Hiei was one of the most merciless and skilled killers in all of France. They thought that despite his cool nature and dodgy personality, he was a wealthy benefactor, doing business with merchants overseas. Besides, in times like these who could deny a party? It was the one of the darkest eras not because of the economy, but because of the widespread gang activity. Not to mention, the danger of being outside. For years now, there had always been killings, those of the most brutal nature.

So as the men and women swung around in their fancy dresses and suits, Kurama chose to be the oddball. While he still wore the most exotic and foreign clothes there, he was the one who managed to draw the least attention to him. But something brushed his shoulder. It was the odd type of touch that made him shiver. At first, he thought it to be a fly. He swatted near where he felt the sensation, and a few moments later, had calmed down once again. He was sure it was a touch this time, weaving through his hair and pulling at it slightly, as if to coax him somewhere. A little peeved, Kurama tried to swat again, but found his hand caught in a human's grip, the flesh only slightly cooler than his own.

With a soft gasp, he swiveled around from his seat and encased the grip within an amazingly strong hold, conjured up mostly by a sudden rush of adrenaline. He gasped once again as he found none other than Karasu, sitting breathtakingly close. Immediately with this realization he released Karasu's arm and shoved his hands harshly into his lap, forcing back a furious blush. The cool violet eyes remained unchanged, unshaken. After a moment of silence passed, Karasu ran his hand across Kurama's cheek. While the caress remained gentle in was one of the most carnal touches, setting the skin of the teen's face aflame with heat. Trying to force up the courage, to tell Karasu to stop, he stained his eyes to see if Hiei was around. He would certainly not improve. There would be a riot; Hiei's carefully kept secrets would be spilled amongst this outburst of fury. Karasu was someone Hiei absolutely loathed. Generally, anything having to do with Karasu was strictly forbidden. And how angry Hiei would be if he knew Kurama went along with it… The thought made Kurama shiver in fright.

In a fervid gesture, Kurama quickly moved his hand up to Karasu's halting the sensuous touch entirely. "Karasu, not here. Hiei will notice us! What are you doing here anyways? Yuusuke and Kuwabara said that Hiei made this an invite only. How did you make in past the guards?" Karasu practically purred at his sudden outburst. The boy was flustered, completely taken aback by his sudden appearance. He felt like he had accomplished something, seeing as he had swept away the boy's stoic behavior just within their first meeting. What; ha had done last time was still obviously affecting Kurama. As he drew back his hands, he though how odd the boy was. On the outside, he seemed really calm and stoic, but if you knew the right nerves to hit, he could be the most vulnerable creature on the face of the planet. He chuckled slightly for a moment before answering the hurried questions.

"You aren't happy to see me, love? I thought after the fun we had last week you'd come visit me on your own," he said, tone seductive. The words were having a clear effect of Kurama. As they sunk in, his eyes widened, Karasu was sure he was trembling, too. "Did you not think that the letter you delivered to me was an invitation here? Hiei wished to invite me to see how I'd… behave. He wishes to start an alliance, because he sees that I match his strength. And besides, don't worry about Hiei. He isn't even here. Let's just say that he had other obligations." As Kurama opened his mouth to question his answer, he covered the redhead's mouth quickly and kissed his forehead quickly. Kurama emitted a sound that sounded like a mix between a squeak and a cry.

"A-Are you sure?" Kurama stuttered, unsure of what to say. He was slightly excited about it, but still slightly worried that Hiei would find out about it or he would walk in while Karasu was kissing him or something. Karasu nodded curtly, though it didn't seem to give the redhead much assurance. Somehow, Hiei seemed to have a knack for digging information out of people, whether or not he had to resort to more drastic means. One death glare had the power to have a body builder running for his life. It was one of the only things in the whole world Kurama feared. Only once had he seen it before, and it had been directed at an enemy over a year ago. Said person was now dead, Kurama had watched horrified on the sidelines as Hiei slashed through his throat with ease. In a second after that thought, Karasu was holding Kurama's delicate hand in his own.

"Care to dance, my love?" The statement in itself made Kurama quiver with an odd sort of pleasure. He liked the term he was being addressed in. It was oddly, intimate. Though he could have imagined Karasu would've called him something much dirtier if they had been alone, he really didn't care much. Perhaps it was because he liked it. Honestly, he didn't know how even masochistic urges could bring two people together so quickly. They'd just met a few days ago, but Karasu was addressing him as if they had been lovers for years. And as much Kurama hated it, and knew how stupid it was, the very sight of Karasu made him swoon. He wanted to go farther with him defiantly. He wanted to get as close to Karasu as he could get. Was it true love? For some reason, Kurama doubted it more than anything else. But still, something in his mind told him not to care. It might have been hormones setting in, or even worse, he might've been turning into some sort of slut. Still, through all of it, he had not dignity, no care in the matter. He only cared to be with Karasu. The rational part of his mind was shoved away as Karasu rubbed his thigh teasingly.

He wanted to say to him that girls are supposed to dance with guys, that it would be indecent to be dancing with another guy in public. It used to never be something he would have even thought about doing. Hell, he didn't even know his preferences went towards boys. It made him feel oddly embarrassed, like there was something wrong with him and he had caught a disease. He had always though of those types of people as disgusting, yet here he was, completely willing to make out with a member of the same sex. It shouldn't have worked this way. He cursed his hormones, wishing that they would stop interfering with his life and embarrassing him. Yet he couldn't help but agree with the dark-haired man.

At the time, Karasu was working on guiding him out of his seat. Kurama was a little reluctant. Not only did he want to sit in his seat and just relax, but also he didn't want to play the dancing role of the girl, which Karasu would certainly push him into. He didn't even want to dance. It was just something he was being forced to do. For a moment, he was bent on escape, so that he wouldn't have to dance and tear away that dignity, so as to fully admit his masochistic tendencies, and so as to claim his role as the submissive partner. He was sure it would be highly humiliating; it would take a large toll on his pride. Yet still, somehow, there was a personality in the back of his head that took excitement out of the situation. Surely, it couldn't have been Youko. His idea of 'Youko' was that of a prideful and vain man, not one of virtue, but certainly not like this.

He had no control, as he was led the center of the dance floor, followed by Karasu. He was tense, wanting to struggle out of the strong grip that encased him. The grip around him tightened somewhat, limiting his motions to those of which Karasu approved of. "You need to relax," called a voice through the void, resembling that of Hiei's in almost every way. "Now, now, love. Are you going to be so uncooperative as not to dance with me?" Once again, the tone was deep and low, voluptuous in its own way. His struggling stopped soon after Karasu tightened his grip to the point where Kurama was sure that he would be suffocated. He actually exhaled in relief when as soon as he followed Karasu's movements, it became about ten times easier to breath than just a few minutes ago.

Miles away, Hiei stood, daggers drawn in defense. Gray skinned bodies continued to launch themselves at him to their own will. He gritted his teeth angrily, seeing these zombies as obstacles, something his enemy had most likely set up to delay his arrival to dinner tonight. Generally, he wouldn't worry. Being a leader of a dangerous gang, he knew well enough how to fight, he required it out of everyone in his group. What he was worried about was why these servants had been sent. What if Kurama was in danger of something of that sort? He couldn't bear to think about it. Secretly, he cared so much more for that boy than he had ever shown. Not only that, Kurama showed potential. What type of potential, you ask? Unlocking the secrets of this world was something Hiei had tried to do forever. No matter how many times the information came close to him, he couldn't grasp it. Kurama could help him with it. In exchange for such information, Hiei could give him a prize sought after by almost every living being, an eternity.

Images of the redhead's smiling face cascaded through his mind again. In his absentmindedness, he had slipped up, allowing one of his foes to strike at their will. His lips parted in momentary pain when the sharp tip of a blade tear through his skin, effectively shredding the fabric of his shirt and lacerating skin and muscle. Though the cut was deep, the blood only flowed momentarily, and the damage done had a minimal effect on him. To show his valiance and apathy towards pain to his foes, he thrust his fingers downward into the wound, drawing blood. Then, he licked the smallest amount off his fingers and launched himself at the nearest person. His first successfully left a bloodied imprint on his victim's cheek, and he took advantage of the surprise this caused by stabbing hard with the weapon he held. In a second, the weight of the body gave out; Hiei pulled his dagger out and allowed his kill to fall to the ground. That's what he got for the unprovoked attack.

Obviously, he had done a good amount of damage by killing the first one. Now distraught, his enemies were a lot easier to fight. Either he had killed the strongest one in their group or they hadn't expected his power to be so great. The next one was easy. Hiei waited for his change and then charged form behind, swinging his foot high and making contact with the target, the back of his enemy's neck. The force wasn't enough to kill him, but he still slumped over and fell to the ground, unconscious.

As Hiei turned, a gray blur caught his eyes. His eyes were unable to track such fast movement, and before he knew it, he flew across the alley and into a wall. He swore, he could see stars at that moment. As he slid down the wall helplessly, he felt a sticky trail of blood as he smeared it onto the cold surface. Finally, he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. When his vision had finally cleared he sat up and found his enemy gone. The coward had run. He snorted and got up, wiping his dirtied hands on his shirt with disgust. What a waste of a fight. Well, at least he could get to the party now. He was sure Kurama was worried. The teen seemed to make it a habit of staying by him at these things. He's seen Kurama panic when he couldn't find him. Not wanting that to happen much longer, he reminded himself that he had to change out of the dirtied clothes and clean himself. Kurama would be equally disappointed if he appeared there looking like this. Besides, it wouldn't leave a good impression on his guests he reminded himself bitterly.

He was in a bad state of mind when he finally got home. With a single angry gesture, he threw his torn cloak and shirt onto the couch and inspected his wounds. As he had expected, they were already healed to a point of bare visibility. The most noticeable parts, surprisingly, were bruises. They were a nasty shade of black and blue, still slightly sore when touched. It only took him a few moments to head back to his room and grab the necessary attire. To cover the wounds on his neck, he wore a well fitting turtleneck sweater. To accompany it, he chose a matching pair of dress pants. That would be formal enough, he though in a sardonic manner, even when he knew everyone would be docked in their best attire. Despite that, his best attire had been ruined with blood and a long tearing slash across the front. He could really care less. All he needed to do was take a shower and then he could be over to the damned ballroom.

The cool water washed over his back as he stepped into the shower. His anger slowly melted to slight irritation as he sat on the shower floor and forced himself to relax. He'd been stressed way too much as of late. It couldn't be leaving a good impression on Kurama, certainly. After all, he hadn't even told him a few days ago that he had been the one who needed to relax. Oh, Kurama. How stupid he could be sometimes, will at the same time, remaining smart. How could someone human do that? The redhead was the epitome of perfection, almost like a walking god. As a boy, he held more beauty than the most breathtaking woman in the world. And yet still, he was innocent, chaste, intelligent, and talented. It seemed unreal. Didn't Kurama have even one downside? He asked himself. Of course he did. He had to. Otherwise, how could he call the boy human? But you think he's too perfect to be human, anyways. Taunted a voice in the back of his head.

He shook his head listlessly, fury bubbling inside. Shut up! He told himself, scorning the phrase, and slamming his fist into the shower wall, bruising his hand painfully. With that, he jumped from the shower and wrapped a towel around himself, cursing Kurama and his own thoughts. He was glad that his hair didn't need too much care. Otherwise, he felt as if it would have been a waste to even go. As he dressed, he dug around in one of his drawers for a spare pair of sunglasses. His normal pair had been broken during the fight. As he completed dressing, he added one more thing to his outfit, a silver crucifix a loved one had given him long ago. He tied the red satin around his neck and was out the door, a slightly pessimistic aura hanging around him.

They were all laughing and partying when he walked in the door. He was glad of that. At least they weren't panicking and trying to figure out where their host had run off. The party was going on as planned, except for one thing. Kurama sat alone in a corner, looking slightly troubled. Immediately the image hit a soft spot and he made his way over to him sitting down in a chair next to him. The boy looked shocked by his appearance, maybe even more troubled. His expression was that of almost fear. Though he didn't show it, his heart went out to the visually distraught boy.

"Hiei!" He stuttered out, the word almost a trademark saying. Kurama looked unsure about something, Hiei noted. In his eyes, he saw the boy as sad. He almost felt guilty when he told himself that this could've been caused by how long it had taken him to get here. The wounds were a painful reminder of that, but the looked on the pale face tugged at Hiei's heartstrings painfully. It wasn't like Hiei was used to such a thing. He used to be a being of no emotion, one that killed without mercy and left no second thought to it. Yet the sight before him hurt more than the sharpest knife could. It almost made him want to pound that beautiful face to a pulp. He didn't like these emotions, the feelings of regret and guilt. Without volition, the brushed a stray lock of hair away, going numb from pain when Kurama shifted away from his touch uneasily. Yet his face remained slack, never paying homage to the pain raging within. Maybe that was why nobody had ever bothered to get close to him, or managed to worm their way into his heart. The ghost of a creature, this shadow, no, image of perfection, had done it. Kurama and that stupid beauty of his had done the impossible. Was lust this way? Or perhaps he felt more than lust. No, that wasn't possible. He was nothing more than an animal, even worse, he had no feelings, and he felt, if anything, lust. And even with that, even lust seemed impossible. He'd never had a lover in his lifetime that really mattered anyways. He hated most people and most people hated him.

He still couldn't find the courage to ask what was wrong after all of that. Even after the heated moment, he still could not swallow his pride and show how much he actually cared. It was one thing to dream, yet another to act. He wished to be able to talk to the redhead and touch him without fear of scaring him away. Everyone knew that he wasn't supposed to feel emotions such as these. Yet here he was, acting like a giddy teenaged girl with his dreams, feeling heated after every chance he got to touch the vision of perfection he had come to know.

Still, after all his angry declarations within himself, he couldn't help but slide a little closer to the boy. He imagined Kurama as an elusive flower, pale petals glowing in the moonlight. Heh… it wasn't all that hard. As it was dark in the ballroom, it was as dark as a summer night. Now that he looked at the redhead, his skin did seem to glow, as brightly as flowers that only bloomed by moonlight. If he were to reach out and touch that face, would he feel its warmth? Or would it just appear cold to him as everything in the world did. For as long as he could remember, he had been cold, longing for something warm. But in the dark sham of a life he lived, he never encountered to warmth of the sun's rays, or even that of a human touch. The idea of actually touching Kurama scared him for a moment again. What if he killed that warmth with a single touch?

Long ago, Hiei had a distant memory from his childhood. Back then, he had still been a loner, but he had been a happy loner. He had giggled while out traveling with his mom, and played among the trees in the city park. What stood out to him was when he had discovered a beautiful flower, growing alone, in a clearing coved with nothing but the generic grass. Being childish, he had pulled the flower up, and brought it home. Even after putting it in water, the pretty flower had only lived a few days. And one night, when he had been holding it, the petals simply crumpled and fell to the ground.

Would Kurama be like that flower? If he chose to confess his feelings, and maybe even possibly gain him as a lover, would he die? Certainly, he would get old, and his beauty would fade away. Sternly, he told himself in his head that he wouldn't allow that to happen. He could give Kurama an eternity, and the beauty would remain unfading. Perfection never died, and it never faded. Kurama was perfection.

Kurama shifted slightly in his seat when Hiei's hand fell onto his thigh, as if by accident. Though the touch was gentle, almost to an eerie degree, Kurama squirmed under it, getting a glimpse of Hiei's true emotions came through to his aura. Never had Kurama seen someone so sad, and so longing. He was sure that he could clearly envision Hiei's eyes, even if sunglasses had always hid them. The touch itself was sinful, though. It made Kurama's cheeks heat up with embarrassment. Impure, yet oddly delightful, Kurama was sure he could feel his skin crawling under the very touch. He paused to open his mouth, perhaps to protest. He blinked and found their faces inches apart. Somehow, he wouldn't be surprised if Hiei would have kissed him right at that moment. Oddly, the thought was exciting in a way. He tried to smile; yet it was so hard. He could feel his eyes fluttering shut, his face drifting closer to Hiei's out of its own volition.

Hiei pulled away very suddenly after that, breaking the moment, and whipping some sense into Kurama. Briefly, he stretched his arms, acting as if nothing had happened. He blamed it on hormones. Surely, he had to have been hallucinating. Yeah, that had to be it. Hiei seemed to be thinking along the same line, too. Hiei stretched and stood. Somehow, he felt that if he asked Hiei about what had just happened, he would have either said it was a mistake or he was hallucinating. Something along those lines, at least.

"Come on, Kurama. They're serving dinner now." Kurama scampered up, excited to hear those words. He was hungry, and the food that was served at these parties was always good. The only thing he didn't like was the fact that Hiei didn't eat here. He always came saying he'd eaten before, and that he didn't like the food. No matter how many times Kurama tried to offer Hiei something, he always refused. He didn't really care tonight, though, as he scampered over to the circular tables where the guests were gathering. After making his speech, Kurama sat and food was served. It was really good food. He didn't think that he'd ever had such a delicious meal in his entire life. Hiei, meanwhile, sat off next to Kurama watching as if it was the most fascinating activity on the face of the planet. He didn't know how someone could eat so fast while still seeming graceful at the same time. But then again, Kurama always outclassed people in grace, whether it was in fighting, walking, or something random like eating. That's why Hiei saw him as the epitome of perfection.

As they got down to dessert, Kurama and Hiei chattered quietly. While Hiei sat, place settings untouched, Kurama sipped from a glass of red wine. Hiei couldn't help but stare at Kurama's lips, wondering how he had come so close to kissing that beautiful flower no more than a few hours ago. He wanted to try it again, but Kurama was smart, and he would get ideas. That wasn't what he wanted. It just so happened to be that Kurama was finishing his wine when Karasu walked by. It was a surprise when Kurama jumped halfway out of his seat and nearly choked on the liquid. Karasu sat down next to Hiei as Kurama set aside his wine glass, a furious blush just barely hidden while he wiped his mouth with a napkin. Hiei glared at Karasu, then looked to Kurama. At least he had calmed down now. He dismissed his suspicions about his rival and noted to talk to Kurama that night about it.

"Hello, Karasu. I haven't seen you all night. Where have you been?" Hiei asked, just barely managing to conceal his bad temper towards the man. He then turned away and looked back to Kurama, who was stoic, not even caring to gaze at Karasu. Observing Karasu's behavior, he decided that Karasu wouldn't be ant threat to him right now. "Well, I apologize. It's late; we need to be going now. Karasu, I'll contact you in a few days. For now, best wishes." Though the words were some of the kindest Hiei had ever spoken, they didn't sound genuine. With that last word, Hiei pulled Kurama away from Karasu, dragging him towards the exit. Idly, Kurama turned as Hiei dragged him, straining to see the one behind him. He waved once before finally allowing himself to be led fully away from Karasu. Luckily, Hiei had been to preoccupied with dragging Kurama away to notice that Kurama and Karasu had exchanged their silent farewells. An earlier promise bound them together, the one where Kurama had sworn earlier that he'd find a way to visit that week. That had been shortly before they separated, out of knowledge that Hiei would arrive soon.

Later that night, an hour or so before dawn, Kurama tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. With a sudden vision, he jolted out of bed, breathing choppy.

"Stay away from my baby!" The distant shout was angry. He cupped his hand, in sudden remembrance of its pain. As he watched her fight, he felt more and more disheartened. With a quick swing of a hand, she was knocked against a wall. She slid down it feebly, without much more enthusiasm to get up.

He was running as fast as he could, through corridors filled with cobwebs and dust. The patter of his small feet could be heard throughout the rickety old mansion. He finally reached the door, panting from exhaustion. Hearing footsteps descending from the stairs, he gasped and hid, scared of being found. He found himself wedged under the space of an adjacent couch, just a bare fit. Emerald orbs peeked out from under the space as he watched the pair of feet travel past his hiding spot.

There was a sudden shock to his system, causing his body to go rigid. The sensation of dragging across the floor, being pulled from his hiding place gave him yet more another adrenaline rushes. Still, he remained frozen, eyes the size of saucers remained unblinking, showing his fear. He was even more frightened as the man brought his bloodied hand to his mouth and licked across the length, as if to test him. He was struggling, pleading with his captor in his native language. Yet he couldn't imagine why the predator would've understood him anyways.

"No!"

Kurama started out of his trance and wrapped a blanket around his shivering body. Perhaps he should go see Hiei, he thought while heading towards his room. "Hiei?" He called softly as he nudged Hiei's bedroom door open. Nobody was there. Yet still, the temptation to go in was overpowering. Hiei's room was rather odd, though it could compliment his clothing choices well. There was no other word to describe it except gothic. The room was painted all black, with accents of red, particularly on the bed, an oddly erotic picture of red and black silk. Something caught the corner of his eye. The edge of a brown cardboard box protruded slightly from under the bed. Ignoring his conscience, he knelt on the floor and pulled the box out curiously.

It was filled with books, twenty or thirty hardcover volumes were packed into the box. Curiosity overpowering him, he reached in and spread the books on the floor. For a moment he was slightly frightened that Hiei might have walked in and gotten mad. He looked behind him, breathing hard and expected to see an angry man ready to press a knife to his throat. There was no such thing. He relaxed, and then noticed. One book in particular caught his eye. The copy was old, part of its cover peeling from age. Could it be?

It was, indeed an exact replica of the book he had held nearly ten years ago, when he and his mother had first come to France. But why would Hiei have it? He thought. Maybe it was just a coincidence. He opened the book, finding his old home's address in it, written in blood red ink. His eyes widened, this couldn't be a coincidence, could it? After quickly replacing the rest of the books and pushing the box under the bed, he tucked the mysterious book next to him under his blanket.

"Kurama?" A questioning voice called to him. He nearly jumped out of his skin. Without a doubt, he was sure that it was Hiei. To his surprise, Yuusuke pushed the door open, giving him a questioning look. Thank god, at least it wasn't Hiei. "What are you doing here, Kurama?" He asked in a soft whisper. Quickly, the redhead found an answer.

"I was looking for Hiei. I had a bad dream and I was scared." Kurama made sure to make his voice sound unsteady and frightened. Immediately, Yuusuke's expression grew softer and he made his way over to Kurama, guiding him to his feet and drawing him into a secure embrace. Kurama at first didn't respond, but decided to go along with it. Casually, he leaned his head against the crook of Yuusuke's neck and closed his eyes softly, making sure that he came across as scared. Otherwise, Yuusuke would surely know that he was lying. This was suspicious as it was, telling Yuusuke his 'problems'.

"Well, come on. I'll take you back to bed," he whispered gently, guiding Kurama away. "Besides, you know Hiei doesn't like people in his room, even if it's in the best intentions." He continued while gently stroking Kurama's hair. While making sure the book remained concealed, he let Yuusuke lead him back to bed and hold him for a moment until he decided to fake sleep, just so that he could be alone.

When Yuusuke finally left, he let out an exasperated sigh. Thank god. After placing the book safely in his hiding spot, he curled up under the covers and allowed sleep to claim him.