By now, it should be evident what the pairing is. If it isn't, you'll figure it out soon enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I just write what the pretty voices in my head tell me to.

Part 2 Chapter Two: To touch a soul

POV: Yusuke

"Brother!" Yukina shouted as she opened the door to admit me and Hiei. "Oh it's been so long." She embraced Hiei, who returned the hug looking slightly freaked out. She let him go and smiled. "Welcome back. Won't you come in?"

We walked in and I immediately rushed to Puu, who was lying in the corner with his head resting on the floor. He looked up at me sadly when I approached. "Puu…" he said dejectedly. I patted him on the head.

"I know how you feel, Puu," I said.

He nuzzled my face with his and seemed to cheer up slightly. I gave him a kiss on the forehead and sat next to him. "Our buddy will be fine, I promise."

"Puu…"

Puu rested his head in my lap and I stroked his feathers. Then he suddenly looked up and went "puu!" really excitedly. I looked to see what he was looking at and saw Hiei standing in front of us. Puu flapped his wings happily.

"I thought you didn't like me," said Hiei as he reached out to stroke Puu's head. It made me shiver because it felt like he was doing it to me.

Puu rubbed his cheek on Hiei's and rested his head on Hiei's shoulder. "Puu!"

"How could he not like you?" I asked. "He's part of me."

"… I forgot." Puu started nibbling on Hiei's ear, then he picked Hiei up by his collar and set him down next to me. He wrapped his wing around us, forcing us closer.

"It was you who didn't like Puu," I said. "Remember?"

"Puu! Puu!"

"I never said I didn't like him," Hiei objected.

"You never went out of your way to be particularly nice to him either. It kinda hurt our feelings."

"Our?"

"Yeah, anything you do to Puu is like doing it to me."

Puu rested his head in Hiei's lap.

Yukina walked in with tea and cake. "Aww, that is so cute," she said. "Would you boys like some tea?"

"No thanks," I said. Hiei elbowed me in the side. "On second thought, I'd love some."

Yukina brought the tea-tray over to me and Hiei and set it in front of us. She sat down on the floor facing us and scratched Puu's neck. He 'puu'-ed at her softly.

"This is the happiest I've seen him in days," said Yukina as she took a sip of tea. I picked up a tea-cup and sipped it. It was scalding.

Hiei touched the cup and it cooled down instantly. I took another sip, it was perfect. I smiled at Hiei. Hiei just looked away.

"You must have been feeling down lately, Yusuke-san," said Yukina.

"Ehh… I'm just worried about Kurama."

"Oh, I know. I went over there yesturday to see if there was something I could do but Kurama-san just needs rest. I'm sure he'll be just fine." Yukina looked from Puu to Hiei to me and back to Hiei as if she were trying to figure something out. "Hmm… Puu seems to be oddly affectionate today," she said.

Puu 'puu'-ed happily again and started nuzzling Hiei's neck some more. Hiei looked at him fondly for a second before leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

My whole body tingled. "Don't make-out with my soul, Hiei. I might get the wrong idea," I said.

Yukina swatted my shoulder and Puu gave her a sharp look before returning his focus on Hiei. He licked Hiei's nose and returned his head to his lap. "Will you excuse us, Yukina?" asked Hiei. "I need to have a conversation with Yusuke and his soul."

"No problem," said Yukina. She stood up and exited.

"You licked me," Hiei accused.

"Puu?" He was getting nervous so I was getting nervous. He lifted his head out of Hiei's lap and turned away.

Is he going to reject me? I wondered.

"Explain your soul's behavior," said Hiei.

"I, uh, already told you that I love you, that means Puu loves you too," I said. "He's more affectionate then I am."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I'm not affectionate enough so Puu does it for me?"

"Do you love Kurama?"

"Well, yeah. I love all of you guys."

"I see…" Hiei looked down at his lap.

"Puu?" Puu looked back at Hiei.

"Puu is just a bit too friendly. He's my soft side, you see," I said. "I can't stand it when he acts all mushy like this."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go back home now."

"Okay, no problem. Let's just thank Yukina and we'll be on our way."

So we were on our way, back on the bumpy train eating crappy snacks from the snack cart and Hiei was barely saying two words to me. "So," I said by way of starting conversation. "Have you decided if you're going to stay with me or not?"

Hiei looked at me for a moment with confusion in his eyes. "Do you want me to live with you?" he asked after a minute and a half of silence.

"I want you to be comfortable. Whatever you want to do is fine."

Hiei looked out the window. "Don't treat me this way if you don't mean it."

"What are you talking about?" My anger flared at the sudden accusation. He thinks I don't care?

"What do you want? What I want is irrelevant, it's your house."

"Do you think I'm being falsely nice?"

"I don't know what to think. It's as if all of the sudden you give a damn about me and I don't know how to take the years of apathy. Where were you all those months while I was in the Makai being mistreated by Mukuro? You didn't send a letter or any kind of word! What do you expect me to believe, the year of silence, or this new caring?"

"We're like a polar match, Hiei. Every time I try to get close to you, you push me away. Like magnets pointing the same way. Don't for one second think I don't really care about you. I don't throw the word 'love' around. I put it where it belongs."

"What is your love anyway?"

I grabbed Hiei by the shoulders. "I want you to be happy. That's all. I want nothing in return. Except maybe for you to believe that I love you."

"That doesn't answer my question! I want to know what love from you means!"

"A few days ago, I made a promise to you; we will always be together. At least as long as you want me around."

"Don't be disengenious."

"Disengenious!?"

"You can't really expect me to believe that you want to stay with me forever?"

"Are we speaking the same language here? If I weren't telling the truth, you would know immediately. I suck at lying."

Hiei glared at me. "What are your feelings for me? Other than love. What else is there?"

"Is that all you want to know?"

"Yes, that is all and then we can drop this conversation."

"There is nothing else."

Hiei sighed and was silent for the remainder of the trip home.

Those boys just don't know how to see what is in front of them… Putridly fluffy I know but I think the time called for it. REVIEW please!