Is this real chapter 3

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho but I often wonder what would happen if I did.

'I've never been fond of happy endings.'

Valerie DZ

xXx

The first thing Kurama registered when he woke up was the cool breeze that ruffled his hair and sent chills down his spine. It carried on it a familiar scent that disappeared as soon as it had come to him. Shivering, he cracked an eye and haphazardly reached for a warmth he distinctly remembered existed last night. When his arm met cold sheets he sat straight up and looked around. What a strange dream.

Kurama slowly pulled himself out of bed, one sore limb at a time. He wasn't at all surprised to see his room a wreck and his clothes missing. Frowning at the open door and windows he called out for his friend before seeing a pad of white paper and pen out of place amidst the mess of books and papers on his desk. Slowly he padded over to the pad and lifted it with steady fingers. Recognizing Hiei's fast and barely readable handwriting instantly, Kurama smiled. So he had opened the windows, probably to give him some air.

"Thank you my friend." He whispered to the refreshing breeze that filled his room. Still smiling Kurama laid back down on the bed, perfectly content to let the mess lie there until he was rested enough to clean. Closing his eyes he dreamed of sweet fire demons and dancing Youkos.

xXx

ring ring ring

Kurama groaned, 'Who the hell is calling me now?' rolling over he glared at the radio that flashed bright red numbers at him. The storm had reset his alarm clock.

Picking up the phone and giving the talk button a moody push Kurama gave the politest greeting he could muster;

"Yeah?"

"Morning to you too sunshine, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Olivia?"

"Are you really that surprised?"

"No, what time is it?" the woman on the other line gave a sigh.

"Twelve thirty." Kurama buried his face and gave a slight whimper. Rolling onto his stomach he gave a soft sigh.

"So, are you feeling better?" 'Feeling better? Oh! I told her I was sick.' Kurama smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I'm still a little groggy so I think I'll stay in one last day, just to be safe." He heard Olivia give a low laugh before saying goodbye;

"I love you. . ." Kurama's smile faded slightly, he tried to reply the way she wanted him to but memories of a distant fantasy were still clinging to his eyelids.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said softly before hanging up. Turing back onto his back he relaxed and spent the rest of that afternoon thinking about soft skin and fiery red eyes.

xXx

The forest was dark and cold, the chill of morning clinging to his damp skin. Shivers erupted up and down his spine till he was shaking and struggling to stand. He'd spent a whole day and night in these woods and had lived a hell more horrible than the surgery for his Jagan eye. There was no comfort in staying away from Kurama, no true justifiable reason not to just tell him that it wasn't his fault and that he. . .

Hiei could feel the sting that told him he'd spent far too much time away from Kurama, a sudden sound startled him. Spinning he came face to face with an anxious blue faced demon.

"A-a summons, f-from Lord Mukoro." Hiei nodded and snatched the orb from it before it scurried away. He watched it disappear into the darkness of the lonely forest before breaking his summons against the bark of a gnarled dead tree. Mukuro's face looked distorted against the deep ridges on the old oaks surface but was commanding none the less.

"Hiei, your presence is required, return to the castle immediately." Brief, to the point and painless. Theirs was a strictly business relationship and showed no signs of escalading to something in any way romantic. That was something Hiei admired in her, she knew when to and not to be emotional. She knew to pull back before things got bad so she made an excellent leader, it also seemed to make her immune to love.

"Damn cyborg."

xXx

"What have you gotten yourself into this time Hiei?" a single blue eye roamed over the fire demon's sorry state. He had collapsed onto the floor and was fighting the constant and ever increasing waves of desire that seemed to crash into him. A feral voice in his head demanded it's lover while a softer calmer voice told him to fight for his freedom.

A darkness clouded his eyes, a darkness that made all but the pain fade away. Not even unconsciousness could save him from this. . . .

xXx

Kurama kicked at the remote, too pissed to bother picking it up. Why the hell had everyone chosen this day to pick on his friend when he was around? Kuwabara and Yusuke never seemed that interested in picking on Hiei when he wasn't around to receive the insults and retaliate in some very Hiei like way. The thought made him smile.

A knock on the door to his apartment distracted him from his daydreaming.

"Shuichi are you in there?" His mother, he had invited her and Olivia to spend the day with him and the others, to introduce the only two women in his life to his closest friends. When he'd gotten sick of hearing the constant jibes at Hiei Kurama had escorted Olivia and his mother to the car before chiding Yusuke and Kuwabara on their behavior. He'd left them there, almost completely thunderstruck at his protectiveness over the fire demon. He took his mother home and then his girlfriend before returning to his apartment in a bad mood.

"Did what your friends say about Hiei really bother you that much son?" My mom knew Hiei, she'd met him during one of his afternoon visits to my window. His choice of entrance had raised a few eyebrows at home but as my mother grew to know him she began to realize that there were certain things Hiei did that were just him. His actions, thankfully, no longer needed an explanation. Mine, however, did.

I opened the door and allowed my mom inside.

xXx

Cold, every where. Loneliness and fear. Where was the warmth he'd finally obtained after all these years? Kurama had opened a flood gate and now all he could do was fight for what he wanted. But what did he want?

xXx

"I guess I'm just worried about him, when I tried to contact him at his work they said he wasn't there." Shoiri looked to the ceiling in thought.

"So he lied to you."

"Yes but that's the problem, he's never lied to me before. If anything he's always been bluntly honest with me, that's why I'm so worried. What if he's in trouble?" Shoiri, understanding better than Kurama would have liked, offered him a reassuring smile.

"If you're so worried about him why not go looking for him?"

xXx

"To what do I owe the honor of this visit Youko?" Mukuro smirked at the red head before her. Kurama nodded and stepped forward,

"My visit concerns Hiei, have you heard from him recently?" Mukuro paused briefly before answering,

"Hiei has returned to his post. He's a bit busy now unfortunately and won't receive visitors," She looked up and gave him a tiny smile, "but I'll tell him you stopped by." There was an awkward silence that stretched out, seemingly echoing the last syllable of her words.

"Okay then, I was just concerned is all. Thank you for your time." Kurama turned to walk away,

"Funny thing that Jagan eye of his. . . ." He paused in step, Mukuro's pen never stopped scratching at the paper on her desk, "So many rumors of what it's capable of, so many stories. . ." Kurama turned to look over his shoulder at the woman, " Strange tales of Hiei as well." He listened intently to the silence that followed, she was trying to tell him something, but what?

Mukuro gave a weary sigh before continuing, "Imagine the resilience it takes to have such a device implanted in your body. Nothing else compares I'm sure, except. . . ." her voice carried off as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Kurama turned to face the her and she looked up with tired eyes.

"I need to see Hiei."

xXx

I would write more but I'm still working out a few bugs in this storyline. I'll update as soon as I can.

Jynx