Note: -Twiddles thumbs, yawns- I am soooo tired :)

P.S. I don't know what everything is called in this game. I'm making it up as I go along...

P.S.S The whole Dad situation I got off of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour :)

P.S.S.S. ...-Holds up a 'Will take suggestions for inspiration' sign-

"Kurama!" Hiei called from the top of the stairs, hoping the fox would hear him if he had already arrived. He ran through the door, pulled off his shoes, and then started down the hall. He took a deep breath, getting ready to call for his friend again, when he collided with him going around the corner. Both fox and fire demon fell heavily to the ground with different pains and bruises. Hiei's head, neck, and chest hurt while Kurama's knees, stomach, and back hurt. Hiei was the first to climb to his feet, rubbing his head and then holding out a hand to help Kurama up. When they were both upright again, Kurama smiled at the boy. "Alright, you have my attention. What is it?"

Hiei shook his head, to clear it, before he answered him. "Kurama, what's a sleep over?" He said, eyes half daring the fox to laugh at him for the question. Kurama didn't laugh, but he did cover his mouth so the boy wouldn't see the smile there. There was a nearly overpowering urge to tease the little demon, but he managed to suppress it and walked with the boy to the kitchen. "A sleep over? It depends, how many people would be there and what's the occasion?" He asked as Hiei climbed into his chair. Kurama took a chair across from him and waited as Hiei thought for a moment.

"One person and... I don't think there's a reason for them coming over," Hiei said quietly, avoiding the use of Nana's name at all costs. Kurama already thought he knew who the 'one person' was, since Hiei only had one friend from school that he allowed to come over to Genkai's temple, but didn't say it out loud. That would only set the boy off, especially since Yusuke and Kuwabara kept calling Nana his 'girlfriend.'

"Well, then a sleep over would just be having a friend spend the night so you could play some more. You might watch shows, play games, or-"

"I wouldn't have to paint my nails would I?" Hiei said with a slightly hopeful expression. "A lot of girls in class talk about painting their nails during sleepovers... I wouldn't have to, would I?" At this point Kurama did start laughing, unable to answer without the image of the boy demon with puffy pink nail polish on floating into his head. Hiei turned a dark red and looked away, wishing he hadn't said anything at all. After a while the image faded and Kurama got control of himself again. Hiei shot him a glare that read 'You About Done Now?' and Kurama tried for an apologetic look.

"No Hiei, a lot of girl's have sleep over's where they do each others hair and nails, but boys don't usually do those sorts of things," Kurama said, feeling a little bit better as he saw Hiei relax at those words. The image tried to force its way into his mind again and he fought it off, not wanting to upset the boy further. "...At the festival, what's the fish game?" Hiei asked next, giving Kurama something new to focus on other then that image of pink nails.

"The fish game? Oh, you mean where you catch the fish to take home?" Kurama asked. Hiei shrugged quietly, biting the corner of his lip. "I think so, I'm not sure," He answered, pulling his legs up into the chair with him and then sitting, cross legged, in his chair. Kurama smiled at the small display of child-like behavior and then tried to think of a way to explain the game. "Well, your given two small paddles made of paper to catch the fish with and your put in front of a large container of water and small fish. You have to try to catch the fish with the paddles before the paddles become useless. It can be very difficult because if your impatient then you'll scare the fish away, but if you wait too long the paddles will become weak and won't hold the weight of the fish anymore. Understand?"

"I think so. You have to try to catch the fish before the paddles get too wet to be useful anymore, but you also have to be careful so the fish don't swim away from you when you try to scoop them up, right?" Hiei said, looking at Kurama for a sign of confirmation. Kurama nodded and Hiei smiled, obviously pleased with himself for having understood Kurama's explanation, no matter how simple it was to understand. The fox shook his head, smiling, and then said in a matter of factly voice, "If you want to have Nana spend the night you'll need to ask Genkai first. This is her home after all."

"Just because I want a friend to spend the night does not mean it's Nana!" Hiei yelled, looking slightly offended and annoyed. Kurama smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, your right. I suppose you have many other friends who would want to spend the night at your house that paint their nails, correct?"

"...Touché," Hiei said, acknowledging that Kurama had cornered him. Hiei had made a few, tenuous friends at school, but none were as close as Nana was. She was the only one of his friends that visited him at his home and that invited him to her house. He rarely went to her house, but on the few times he had gone her family had seemed nice.

Her mother had been a little nervous around him at first, and had asked many questions about the 'bandages' on his arm and forehead, but after the tenth interrogation or so she seemed to settle down and accept him. She wore a lot of perfume and cooked often. She seemed surprised when Hiei told her he wanted to cook his own meal, and wouldn't let him. It had sort of miffed him for a while. She was nice, serious, and somewhat quiet.

Nana's father, on the other hand, had pulled him off to the side as soon as he stepped through the door for a 'talk.' He had then been told that if he got any ideas about hugging her, or kissing her, or anything else had had one thing to remember: He didn't mind going back to prison. Hiei, who was not afraid in the least of this human father but really didn't want him to think he liked Nana that way, had instantly started to try to explain that Nana was his friend and not that kind of friend. At this the man roared with laughter and clapped him hard on the back, explaining that Nana had said he was fun to tease. He had learned to both avoid the man and to wait to see if he laughed when he accused Hiei of something.

He supposed everyone at Genkai's temple liked Nana as much as her family liked him. She didn't take any crap from Yusuke and often made him angry with her own comments. She seemed to see Kuwabara for the fool he was, and acted on those feelings. She seemed to alternate between liking Kurama and Genkai and being annoyed by them for different reasons. He didn't know how she felt about Yukina. She seemed to avoid Yukina completely for some reason he didn't quite understand.

He sighed and put the puzzling thought aside. He'd ask Nana why she acted that way tomorrow, right now he needed to ask Genkai if it was okay to have Nana spend the night. He quickly climbed out of his chair, thanked Kurama, and bolted out the door again. If he knew the old woman by now, she was probably playing video games or something...

Nana was also looking for someone to ask her questions too. Tanabata was in only a week and she wanted to know if she could spend the night at Hiei's house then. It only made the most sense, especially since Hiei didn't seem to like being at her house very much. He really wasn't much of a people person. Sometimes she didn't think he was really a person, though she wasn't sure why. He sure didn't act normal all the time, and he was always kinda grumpy but she wasn't sure that was why she felt he was... different.

Every once in a while she caught sight of something in his too sharp teeth, or red eyes that made a silent sense inside of her scream in panic. As if her friend were some kind of predator, something to be feared and hated on sight. She had a feeling that was why other children avoided him, but she had never seen anything that seemed to confirm these thoughts. It was because of that she had chosen to take a chance, she could remember that, but... After that it was all blurs. A boy shoving her on the playground. Playing at the park. Red, a lot of red, on her friend.

She shook her head. She had never really understood where these odd memories had come from, but they bothered her a lot. That and those horrible nightmares...

"Daddy!" She called out, hurrying down the hall. Her father sat in his study, pouring over papers, and she ran to him out of a strange, primal fear that rose from the memories of her friend and the dreams. She threw herself into the safety of his arms and curled up there, calming back down. He set his papers down and wrapped the child in a hug, feeling a slight shiver in her body. "What's the matter honey? Mama have the A.C. on too high again?" He asked, hoping the light joke would calm his frightened daughter. She settled slightly and then smiled at her father.

"Nothin' Daddy," She said, not understanding why she had acted that way. She had just been so scared... "Hey, can I spend the night at Hiei's?" She asked suddenly, mind getting back on track again after the fearful moment passed. Her father frowned at her, rubbing his chin with obvious reluctance. "Going to spend the night at a boy's house? I dunno... Who's this Hiei again?" Nana giggled and gave her father a little shove, making him laugh. "I don't care, just be sure to mess with him for me. He needs to loosen up some."

"Kay daddy!" Nana said, smiling. "Festival night, okay?"

"Okay, okay, when you go just be sure to be nice to everyone." Nana ran out of the study, yelling out a promise, and bolted into her room. She knew she wasn't leaving for a while, but she had to plan ahead! She didn't think Hiei was going to have the slightest idea what to do, so she'd have to pick up his slack. She grabbed her overnight bag and threw her journal inside, then she began searching through her CD's and games. She grabbed two of her horror games and a few of her favorite CD's in the bag. She headed into the family room then. What sort of movies did Hiei watch?...

Later that night both children awoke from separate nightmares. Nana's nightmares involved a bloody monster that chased and killed her in her dreams. Hiei's were less distinct. He could recall pain, fear, blood, and the horrid knowledge of wishing to escape and knowing he could not. Beyond this knowledge there were images, smells, and sensations, but nothing that made sense. He didn't fall back asleep that night.

Note: Sorry for shortness, but I have church in the morning:)

Anywho, again I'm open for suggestions-

Inner Fangirl: She's beggin for them no- CHIBI HIEI!

Me: Leave my characters alone darn you! Anyway, seriously I'll try to work with any suggestions so long as it has nothing to do with aliens, an alien invasion, Hiei being an alien, or the Easter Bunny.

...-Considers putting short clips of lyrics before chapters if the lyrics fit-

Inner Fangirl: ...You know most of this is your notes-

Me: SHUT IT WOMAN!