THURSDAY

Rich, gooey chocolate flowed down the frozen mountain like molten lava, until it pooled along the edges of the bowl and formed a sticky umber moat. The fudge swirled there with rivers of butterscotch. Three cherry islands floated by, dotted with chopped nuts and peanut butter chips. Visually, the sugary landscape was in ruin, as the toppings churned and formed a murky soup. When the concoction reached Hiei's taste buds, though, he may as well have been eating the culinary embodiment of bliss.

Hiei sat on the sunny terrace, sucking on his spoon between each bite. Inside, the refrigerator and pantry were fully stocked with the items on Kurama's list. He had followed the instructions in that morning's note exactly, and had gone to the correct store, with the correct shopping bag, and purchased all of the correct ingredients... until he reached the cooler. That was when Hiei glimpsed his own personal nirvana on display in a rainbow of varieties and flavors. Red bean bars, mochi ice cream, shaved ice, and watermelon pops called to him in harmony with ice cream sandwiches and giant cones. In the end, Hiei chose mini cups of traditional hard ice cream, with labels that said 'Hรคagen Dazs'. Hiei had no clue what the word meant, but so far, he did not regret his decision.

As soon as he returned to the apartment and put all the other groceries away, Hiei set his cups of ice cream on the counter. He peeled the lids off of the strawberry, vanilla, and banana chocolate ice cream cups, scooped everything into a bowl, and mixed it all together before dousing the entire creation with toppings. He took his snack outside and let his legs dangle through the bars of the railing, staring out over the cityscape while he savored every last bite. Once or twice, he wondered if Kurama would be annoyed that the wallet of money he left for Hiei was a bit lighter than it should be, but decided he didn't care. One thing he learned quickly was that humans liked rewarding themselves for jobs well done. If he was going to masquerade as one, he may as well fit the role by doing the same.

When the bowl was empty, he paid Kurama the courtesy of rinsing it off. After that, he polished his sword to perfection, watched television for about an hour, then spread himself out in the patch of sunlight streaming in from the terrace door and fell asleep. Hiei only stirred when the front door clicked open and Kurama stepped inside, fresh off the train. The sun had traveled since Hiei last opened his eyes, but still beamed brightly and lit up the flawless blue sky.

"I'm home," Kurama announced. He carried out his familiar custom of sliding his shoes onto the rack, setting down his briefcase, and slipping out of his suit jacket. "Based on your relaxed pose, I'll assume you had a pleasant day."

Hiei yawned loudly. His vertebrae popped one after the other when he stretched his arms above his head. He dragged himself away from the glass door and wandered towards Kurama, who bent down and kissed his cheek. Hiei shrugged away the overt display of affection and sat at the counter. Though he remained outwardly aloof, inside, he was pleased. Kurama usually only invaded his space with cloying kisses when he was in a good mood, which meant he wouldn't be perturbed over the ice cream.

Right after he hung up his blazer, Kurama set to investigating the contents of the pantry, as Hiei knew he would. He observed the fox as he nodded with approval, but he paused when he opened the freezer.

"What's this?" he asked. "A little something extra for yourself?"

"A preemptive reward," Hiei said, "for making it through this horrendous week without killing anyone."

"Has it really been that terrible?" Kurama said. "You weren't complaining when we went out to dinner the other day."

"The weekend is yet to come," Hiei said. "Though I predict it will be the most unbearable time of all."

Kurama raised his eyebrows and stared at Hiei suspiciously.

"Just how much ice cream did you buy?"

By now, it was obvious Kurama had noticed the large dish and spoon resting in the otherwise empty sink. He walked past the kitchen island and stepped on the lever of the plastic garbage can, where the ice cream cups had been discarded.

"Really Hiei? All this for lunch?"

"I see nothing wrong with it," Hiei said.

Kurama looked back up at him with a disappointed frown.

"You haven't been training as vigorously as you did when you were living with Mukuro," Kurama pointed out. "If you keep eating this way, you're going to regret it."

"I hope you're not insinuating that I could ever become a fat clod like Kuwabara," Hiei huffed.

"Kuwabara is hardly fat," Kurama replied. "And I happen to know that his diet is far more nutritious than yours has been since you came here."

"Too bad that healthy diet has done nothing to improve his face."

Kurama slid closer and poked his index finger into Hiei's gut without warning. Hiei grunted with surprise, then gnashed his fangs and glowered up at Kurama. The redhead stared back blankly and poked him several more times, jabbing harder than necessary. Hiei knew for a fact that his stomach was as flat and sculpted as ever, but Kurama's point was made.

"Lesson Seven," Kurama stated. "There is a price to pay for overindulgence. Humans need to stay active to stay healthy."

"Fine..." Hiei muttered. "Meet me on the roof and we can spar."

"There are other ways to stay physically active besides fighting," Kurama said. "Come, I have a better idea."

Kurama changed clothes and made a few phone calls before they left the apartment. He and Hiei walked downtown until they reached some kind of sporting goods store, into which Kurama excused himself for about fifteen minutes. When he once again emerged, he found Hiei waiting on a bench, glaring into the crowd of shoppers and men on their way home from work. Hiei turned around when he sensed Kurama approaching, then gaped with clear befuddlement at the complex footwear he carried under each arm.

"What the hell are these?" Hiei asked. "Some kind of wheel shoes?"

"They're inline skates," Kurama said, "also called roller blades. They're a more modern form of the traditional quad roller skate."

"As if I knew what that was..." Hiei said.

"You'll see how they work when we get to the park," Kurama explained. "I don't expect you'll have much difficulty mastering the basics."

As it turned out, Kurama was woefully wrong.

The pair walked back down the busy street until they reached a large park, bustling with people. A wide field was surrounded by shady trees, which obscured a playground on the other side of the park from view. Broad, winding sidewalks lined with benches and snack vendors cut across the lawn. All around, humans were walking, playing, or picnicking, enjoying the extra hours of daylight that were summer's gift. Kurama and Hiei stationed themselves at an unoccupied bench and sat down. Hiei watched carefully as Kurama took his sneakers off, set them under the bench, and strapped the ridiculous contraptions onto his feet.

"Do you need help putting yours on?" Kurama asked.

"You fool, I don't need help putting on shoes, no matter how absurd they are!" Hiei spat.

Kurama stood by and said nothing while Hiei struggled to figure out the laces and straps. He was still lacing the wheeled boots tightly around his ankles when he sensed familiar energy closing in. Hiei glanced up in horror to see Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, and worst of all, Yukina, strolling up the sidewalk towards them. Three out of the four had their own sets of inline skates draped over their shoulders, hanging by the laces. Only Yukina came unencumbered.

"Look who came to play!" Yusuke laughed. He plopped down next to Hiei without being invited and started putting on his skates.

"I can't believe you actually dragged shorty out to the park," Kuwabara said to Kurama, before he reeled on Hiei. "Oh and I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking!"

He flashed his bandaged hand in Hiei's face, apparently still miffed about the knife throwing incident at his party.

"You're not skating, Yukina?" Kurama asked.

"No, thank you," she said. She was watching with concern as Kuwabara yanked on his skates and snapped the straps tight. "It seems awfully dangerous."

"It's fine, Yukina," Keiko said, who had already suited up and rolled passed the ice maiden. "Maybe you'll change your mind after you see how easy it is."

Hiei was wondering why he didn't get a free pass as well, when he stood up from the bench and immediately contradicted Keiko's assertion. The sidewalk hit his back like a speeding train and knocked the wind out of him. Dazed, he stared up at the empty sky, which was quickly polluted with Yusuke and Kuwabara's laughing mugs. Kurama leaned over as well, but offered a helpful hand to Hiei instead of laughing.

"Oh my gosh, Hiei!" Keiko shouted. "Are you all right?"

"Oh dear..." Yukina gasped softly.

"Looks like you can't be good at everything, shrimp!" Kuwabara shouted. Meanwhile, he was skating circles around the rest of them. He flipped effortlessly between forward and backwards motions as though he had been born with wheels on his feet.

"Later Hiei!" Yusuke snickered. "Maybe you can find a toddler out here to teach you how to skate!"

"Don't worry about them," Keiko said. She grabbed Hiei's elbow and helped Kurama lift him into a standing position. "They're just idiots."

"That I knew," Hiei growled.

Keiko smiled with sympathy and skated after Yusuke and Kuwabara at a much more leisurely speed. To his right, Yukina was sitting down on the bench, content with watching and guarding everyone's shoes. She overlooked Hiei's scraped elbows and infuriated scowl and beamed up at him.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly," she said.

Hiei turned away from her and willed the blush roaring to life in his cheeks to die. His entire weight was supported by Kurama's grip under his armpits, and his legs wobbled uselessly. Hiei wanted nothing more than to chuck the bulky boots to the ground and erase them from existence with his flames, but to admit that Yusuke and Kuwabara outclassed him was unacceptable. Before he left the park that evening, Hiei would best both of them.

"Here," Kurama said. He wheeled Hiei to the end of the bench so he could brace himself. "Why don't you watch me first?"

Kurama glided smoothly down the sidewalk away from him, subtly shifting from foot to foot as effortlessly as breathing. From the waist up, he was tall and relaxed, and swayed lightly like a tree in the wind. His arms were raised the slightest bit, balancing him as he picked up speed. Kurama skated all the way to the next bench before he cruised to the left, circled around, and came back.

"Do you understand the mechanics?" Kurama asked.

"What is the point of this activity, anyway?" Hiei said.

"It's a form of recreation," Kurama said, "as well as good exercise."

Hiei breathed out harshly and ignored that Yukina was still right behind him on the bench. He pushed away from the wooden backrest, remained standing for a few seconds, and fell forward into Kurama's grasp as soon as he tried to take a step.

"Try not to think of it like walking, or running," Kurama instructed. "Focus on maintaining your center of gravity before you try to move."

"Don't you think I'm trying?" Hiei snapped.

"You can hold my hand, if you like," Kurama said. He offered a supportive smile, but Hiei only glared and grabbed the hem of his sleeve.

Kurama skated by his side at a snail's pace, and flung his hands out to steady Hiei whenever he started to topple. He still relied on Kurama for balance, but within a few minutes, Hiei was moving along under his own power. His feet threatened to fly out from under him with each rocking motion, and his hips jerked forward now and then without his permission. He did not fall again, though.

Soon, Hiei was ready to skate without assistance, even if he was about as stable as a house of cards. He rolled cautiously down the gentle hill where they first started, leaning from side to side in an effort to propel himself. He was beginning to develop a rhythm, only slightly unbalanced, until a small girl who was also wearing roller blades sped up alongside him. The girl, who only came up to his elbow, glanced at him dubiously as she passed. With a raise of her eyebrows, she said,

"Can you even skate?" and zipped away before he could respond.

The girl's sudden intrusion on his concentration caused Hiei to hit the curb and tumble into the grass. Hiei growled deep his throat and glared dangerously at her back. A high ponytail whipped around like a lively tail behind her as she zoomed off, her skillful footwork mocking him one last time. Hiei was about to scramble to his feet, fists clenched, but before he could pick a fight with a random child, Kurama appeared and helped him up.

"It wouldn't be conducive to your efforts if you were to murder a grade schooler," Kurama said sweetly.

"Are all human children such disrespectful brats?" Hiei grumbled.

"Sometimes," Kurama said. "Are you ready for a break, yet?"

A long way off, Hiei watched Yusuke leap into the air, grind across the seat of another bench, and jump down on both skates without flinching. Just ahead of him, Kuwabara was skating backwards on one leg in loops around Keiko, who seemed to be shouting something at both of them.

"Not even close," Hiei said.

Luck was with Hiei for a while. The weather remained spectacular, comfortably warm air settling around the park with only the hint of a breeze. He was soon able to move around proficiently, a feat that did not go unnoticed by Yusuke and the others when they rejoined him.

"Nice job, Hiei!" Keiko congratulated. "I guess it's no surprise someone like you could learn how to roller blade so quickly."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Yusuke said. "It looks to me like he can still barely stand up."

"Think again," Hiei countered. "By the end of today, I'll put your abilities to shame."

"You're awfully cocky to be challenging us already," Kuwabara said.

"Perhaps a challenge is just what you need to put you in your place," Hiei spat back.

Up until this point, Yukina had been satisfied watching her friends, or admiring the scenery and flocks of sparrows who hopped around in the grass. She stepped up behind Kurama, who was observing the exchange between Hiei and Kuwabara with interest.

"I think I'll go get everyone some drinks," she told him, "since it looks like you're all working hard."

Kurama nodded kindly to acknowledge her. His attention was pulled away again when Kuwabara skated right up to Hiei and cracked his knuckles.

"Good luck, if you think you can take me on," he boasted. "My sister taught me how to skate when I was in Kindergarten, and she's like a drill sergeant. I could roller blade in my sleep with both legs tied behind my back!"

"Need I point out how that's physically impossible?" Hiei snapped.

"Whatever!" Kuwabara barked down at him.

There were only a few centimeters between them now. On his bulky roller blades, Kuwabara was even more gigantic than usual. Hiei puffed himself up to meet Kuwabara's defiant leer. Inexperienced as he was, he refused to back down to such an unworthy rival.

"If you're such a quick learner, then how 'bout a race?" Kuwabara said. "All the way to the end of this sidewalk and back."

"I see you've forgotten that speed is my specialty," Hiei said. He smirked and folded his arms, growing more confident already. "Compared to me, it will look like you're standing still."

"Yeah, we'll see," Kuwabara huffed. He turned his back on Hiei. "You may be fast on your feet, but this is different. I've been watching you wobbling around like a drunk. You'll fall before you get halfway."

"Kurama!" Hiei shouted over his shoulder. "Initiate this race, so I can leave Kuwabara in the dust."

"Hiei, I appreciate your sudden enthusiasm, but are you sure this competition is wise?" Kurama asked.

"No Kurama, let him!" Kuwabara said. "This guy needs to be taught a lesson."

Kurama glanced between the two of them. Hiei could see, behind the glassy surface of Kurama's green eyes, a deep, internal dialogue raging. The contemplation lasted only a moment, though, before Kurama stepped forward and said,

"Very well."

"I hope you packed a mop, Kurama," Yusuke said, "For when Kuwabara wipes the floor with Hiei."

"Oh, knock it off, Yusuke!" Keiko scolded. "You're just as bad, or did you forget what happened Sunday night already?"

While Yusuke and Keiko bickered on the sidelines, Kurama stepped up between Kuwabara and Hiei. Kuwabara was hunched down, knees bent. He was prepared to take off like a bullet the instant the challenge began. Hiei had mastered standing still, if nothing else, and mirrored Kuwabara's stance, adding his own flair by clenching his fists as if to knock out his competitor's teeth. Both men stared at their distant goal, focused on nothing else.

"On your mark," Kurama announced, "get set, GO!"

Kuwabara exploded from his starting position. His powerful legs launched him forward with each wide sweep. He gained velocity quickly, but Hiei was able to keep up by allying himself with gravity. The fire demon crouched and allowed the downward slope of the hill to pull him, until he was rolling so quickly that it would be impossible to stop if he wanted.

Air currents pushed his hair back as he flew along the sidewalk. Soon, he was swaying, one foot after the other, propelling himself the way Kurama had shown him. Astoundingly, he was able to stay at Kuwabara's heels, and was ready to overtake him. He threw care to the wind and increased the speed of his stride even more. Balance meant nothing. The only objective was to nose past Kuwabara and somehow change direction without falling when he reached the end of the path.

Hiei's eyes were locked on his prize. He was ahead by a neck now, gaining ground. He could hear Kuwabara's labored breaths in his ear. Hiei was so intent successfully pivoting when it came time to double back that he was numb to his surroundings. It was only when Kuwabara's arm grazed him that he realized what was happening.

"Watch out!" Kuwabara yelled.

At first, Hiei had no idea where the cold slush that sprayed his face originated. He crashed into the concrete, tangled up with two other bodies, blinded by an unknown liquid. Hiei untangled himself from the mess of limbs and sat down on the grass. As soon as he wiped the sticky mess from his eyes, his horrible predicament came to light.

Yukina was sprawled out on the sidewalk, her blouse and skirt drenched by the sugary beverages she'd been carrying. Kuwabara was beside her. His chin was gashed and bleeding, but his wide mouth and boggled eyes expressed a deeper horror. Onlookers gave them a wide berth and whispered behind their hands.

"Y-Yukina..." Kuwabara stammered. Someone must have lit a fire under him, because his skin suddenly glowed red. "Baby... oh man! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Yukina looked down and examined herself, as though she couldn't be sure of her condition without checking carefully.

"I'm a little damp..." she confessed.

The instant Kuwabara lassoed his senses, he jerked towards Hiei and screamed at him.

"Nice going, you little klutz!" he shouted. Half the people walking by turned to stare. "I told you to watch out! Now look what you did!"

"You crashed into me first!" Hiei roared. "This would never have happened if you'd kept your trollish arm out of my way!"

"My arm was trying to stop you, so you didn't smash into Yukina like a bowling ball!" Kuwabara yelled back. Every vein in his neck was bulging. "But you completely ignored me! It's like you don't even care about her!"

Hiei was a twitch away from revealing his relationship to Yukina and knocking Kuwabara's lights out in one fell swoop, when their companions arrived on the scene. Kurama rushed to Hiei's aid, and pulled him to his feet, and away from Kuwabara. Kuwabara himself stayed on the ground, so intent on berating Hiei that he seemingly forgot about Yukina until Keiko skated up and asked if she was hurt.

Kurama's reassuring grip on his shoulders did nothing to quell Hiei's fury, until he felt the tickle of long red hair against his ear.

"It's best if we excuse ourselves now..." he whispered. "I think you've exercised enough for one day."

Since it was clear Hiei would never confront Yukina and apologize on his own, Kurama offered his deepest condolences, and promised to buy her a new shirt, though she politely refused. Kuwabara finally peeled himself off the pavement and devoted his attention to Yukina again. After everyone had retrieved their shoes, Kuwabara left with Yukina in a hurry, so she could return home and change. Keiko and Yusuke headed off to have dinner, and Hiei was left alone with Kurama once more.

Kurama carried both pairs of roller blades. Hiei refused to touch his at all. They walked silently back towards the apartment, until Kurama finally said,

"So, did you learn anything from this experience?"

Hiei gritted his teeth.

"Yes. I now understand why humans are so pathetically out of shape," he said. "Their exercises are disasters waiting to happen."