A hot shower was exactly what I needed after the hospital. My mind was still foggy with worry and anxiety, but being clean went a long way with pushing it off to the side and pretending it didn't exist.

I changed into a sports bra and some sweatpants and sat down at my desk, staring at the papers neatly organized into their subjects. Schoolwork seemed so pointless when the fate of the known world was at risk but normality breeds focus, and focus on anything other than the insanity of late was exactly what the doctor ordered. No reference to the psychopath that almost killed my friends intended.

I huffed and tossed my pen down, leaning back in my chair. I had to finish this homework but I couldn't stop the intrusive sound of insects or the memory or Keiko's whimpers as she lay helplessly on the ground.

A tapping at my window startled me out of my chair, but the familiar boy on the sill balanced precariously caused my heart to swell. I stood up on my bed, unlatching the lock and pulling it open for Hiei to drop in without a sound. He took stock of my room, touching the trunk I had pushed up against the wall and making a slow trek to my desk. I watched him inspect my homework and the letter I had ready to be mailed in the morning and marveled that he had actually come.

Hiei finally turned to acknowledge me, lending his hand for me to get down and eyeing me properly. Suddenly it felt very... intimate... Hiei alone in my room late at night and me only half dressed. I cleared my throat and he smirked at my discomfort.

"I uh- I wasn't expecting you." I explained lamely, yanking my sweatshirt off the back of my chair and pulling it on.

He ignored that and moved to my bookshelf, inspecting the titles. I watched him, crossing my arms and contemplating him. It was unusual to see him out of his element.

"Can I take your sword?"

His entire body tensed, his eyes narrowing in distrust. I held my hands up, sitting down to make myself seem smaller to attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Just being polite. It just seems uncomfortable having to carry it around all the time."

"A warrior does not find his weapons to be a burden." He sniffed, standing and looking at the pictures and knick knacks on top of the dresser.

I sighed and fiddled with my bracelet, lost in how I was supposed to move forward with him in this situation. He was fixated on one of the pictures and somehow I knew exactly which one had caught his interest.

"That was when I was six." I tried to break the tension again. "My dad used to practice kendo and he would humor me."

"Your father was wise to teach you to fight young."

"Unfortunately it didn't really stick. I've always been a poor student."

"It can't be helped. You aren't a warrier."

Okay, that stung a little. "What am I then?"

The corner of his mouth quirked in amusement. "A troublesome human."

He turned to me, his features soft, and my heart swelled. These moments, when he looked at me like that, were my favorite. I returned his smile and held out my hand. He hesitated but slowly took my hand, the cool blue flames licking up our arms where our skin met. I shivered at the feel and he cradled the back of my head, letting me rest on his chest.

"I miss you when you're out in the woods." I confessed into him.

His fingers tangled in my hair, massaging my scalp gently. I hummed against him and delighted in this piece of him physically manifesting around us. For the first time I was curious what he saw when he touched me.

"I... find your presence soothing." He admitted, so soft I almost missed it. I sighed and breathed him in, the woodsy, spicy scent I knew meant 'safety'.

"I'm glad you came."

He hummed, the vibration tickling my cheek. It was comforting to have him so close after the events of today.

I raised my hand to push the light switch down and hesitated. What would Hiei think if I couldn't focus? If I had to spend too much energy like at the hospital?

Hiei took my hand in his again, stroking my skin gently. I squealed when the room turned black and my head bounced on the pillow. Somewhere in that moment he had shed his jacket and a strong arm rested over my waist so I turned on my side and nuzzled back into him, pulling my comforter over us.

I lifted his hand and held his knuckles to my lips for a moment, settling in and smiling when he pulled me closer.

"I can feel your mind racing." He broke the silence, his breath on my hair.

"Today was... hard." I confessed, staring at the dark wall. He didn't say anything, waiting for me to continue, and I considered my words carefully. "We found the doctor. He almost killed Kido and I have no idea if he will ever be able to walk again. Keiko was bit by demon mosquitos and got really sick. My cousin's powers are in remission for some reason or another and Yusuke had to fight to kill today. The doctor would have died had Genkai not been there to heal him, and Yusuke would have been irreparably changed."

"You've experienced most of this before; what makes today different from the island?"

I couldn't answer, chewing on my lip. The image of the teal haired stranger was impossible to shake, his voice echoing in my mind. It felt so real, but visions in the middle of the street weren't generally accepted as fact. Or sanity for that matter.

Hiei turned me in his arms and curled his finger under my chin to stop me from looking away. I swallowed hard, holding my thoughts close like he could see them dancing in my mind and would leave at my weakness.

"You saw something."

I wasn't going to cry in front of him again. I wasn't.

But his eyes bore into mine and even in the darkness his red eyes shone in the moonlight. My heart was so loud I couldn't hear him breathe. I opened my mouth to dismiss it but his features sharpened, warning me against lying so I swallowed instead.

His eyes flicked between mine a moment before he nodded once, seeming to understand my silent plea to not have to talk about this right now. He cradled me to him, tucking my head under his chin. I inhaled at the hollow of his neck and shivered when he trailed his fingers down my back.

I curled my fingers into the fabric of his shirt and nuzzled as close as I could, exhaling and felt myself starting to drift while he played up and down my spine.

"Tell me something that makes you happy." I murmured, desperate to prolong this moment until the inevitable moment I passed out in his arms.

"You." He kissed the top of my head and settled down. "Go to sleep, my troublesome human. I won't disappear."