A/N: Still hopin' for feedback. Enjoy Chapter 2!

Why Do You Care?

Darkfire lurched forward from unconsciousness. As her heart slowed, she looked around. The walls were covered with strange designs that she could find no words to describe. A curtain hung over the door on her left; a bare window on her right. Her bed was on the ground and her pillow a rolled up blanket. No bandages covered her skin.

No wounds either.

The curtain drew back enough for Hiei to come in.

He did not smile in greeting.

"Come on." Then he left.

She pulled gently from the bed and got up. Her feet carried her faithfully to the doorway. Upon pulling back the curtain, she was greeted with cold glares.

Hiei grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. "We gotta get you some new clothes."

"Why?"

"You smell like blood." He pushed her into a building and up a flight of stairs. Opening a door at the top of the landing, he forced her in. Before entering himself, he looked around the hall. Then he shut and locked the door.

She sat on the floor, watching him move to the window and draw the curtains.

Only then did he turn on the ceiling light.

He rummaged through a small chest and pulled out a pair of black pants. Then he tossed a black tank top at her. It had a turtleneck-type collar, but it was extremely loose. Closing the trunk, he stood and motioned her over. Getting up, she picked up the pants he'd let behind and hurried to him. He opened another door and shoved her in.

"Clean up in there. There's a shower and stuff," he said.

Before he shut the door, she asked, "Do you have any scissors?"

"I think there's some in the cabinet." Then he pulled the door closed.

Darkfire put her new clothes down on the sink. She turned on the water in the tub and let it get hot while she looked for the scissors. Finding them quickly, she began cutting away her long hair.

And she kept cutting until she looked like a boy.

Then she pulled the stopper up and got in the shower, dirty clothes and all.

The warm water washed over her bloody, grimy skin. She shed her clothes, and sat on the bottom of the tub. Her fingers wrapped around a bar of soap and began washing her body. Then she washed her clothes. Finally her hair.

Turning off the water, she wrung out her clothes as much as she could before hanging them over the edge of the bath. She found a towel and dried herself off. Then she dried her bra as dry as it would get, putting it on. Darkfire pulled on the black pants, tightening the straps around her ankles. Next she slid on the oversized tank top. She tucked it into her pants, and then pulled most of it back out so it folded over the edge of the waistband.

She opened the door and stepped out.

"There's some food in the kitchen," Hiei announced, passing her with a mere glance.

"Thanks."

Then he stopped and looked at her again. "Darkfire?"

"Yes. I know, I cut my hair. I never liked it long."

He nodded, glancing back into the bathroom.

She looked back too. "I'll clean it up after I get some food. If that's all right."

"You can do whatever the hell you want."

"Whatever I want?"

The demon started back towards the kitchen. He'd almost forgotten that she didn't have that luxury for five years. Stopping again, he looked over at her. "Sure, you don't have to ask my permission. Unless you want to go out. Make sure you tell me."

Darkfire nodded once.

"Right." He finally made it to the kitchen, the girl right behind him.

There was a small plate of cold ham in the center. A box of crackers sat beside it.

"It isn't a lot," he said, sitting.

"It's a feast." She pulled out a chair and grabbed a slice of ham. Folding it, she got two crackers and made a small sandwich.

"Feast? What did you eat?" He picked at a bit of the meat.

"Sometimes a stale piece of bread. Water mostly."

Hiei almost felt sorry. He was not a compassionate demon so it was difficult to feel that kind of emotion. What he could not understand, though, was her want to close off all emotions. Pain was a valuable feeling; it allowed one to sense danger and one's own limits. Anger, some small twinge of happiness, fear, hope…these all helped one survive. And she shut them all off. She did not just dim them down, she destroyed them.

He had seen her picture in the file Koenma, the prince of Reikai, had given them before the mission. She had looked happy, full of human emotion. There was life in her eyes and a smile on her face.

That smile…would she ever use it again?

"Hiei, is something wrong?"

"What?" He blinked, finding himself already staring at her. "No, I'm fine."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"What would make you say that?"

"You've done nothing but stare coldly at me for the last minute. I thought—"

"No, you didn't do anything. Eat."

She obeyed quietly. Then she said, "What I ate depended on how well I obeyed his wishes. That's why I didn't eat well: I did everything in my power to disobey. I paid in blood for it."

His eyes turned to the ham. "I saw the scars. They're worse and in greater number than even mine."

"You're a fighter."

"Yes." As she started making another "sandwich," he added, "Don't eat too much. You'll die."

Finishing what she had, she sat back. "Why do you care?"

That was the question he'd been asking himself the moment they got the case.

That smile.

Was that really it?

"Hiei?"

"I don't know why I care. I just wanted to get back home."

"Is it nice? To be back home?"

"It feels the same." His eyes came back to hers. "Do you miss yours?"

"Not anymore, not really. I used to, but it hurt too much. I don't remember much about it anyway. It was a long time ago."

"Don't expect her to be happy." That's what Koenma had told them before they left. So he did not imagine such. Still, he had anticipated some kind of emotion from her. Here she was, though, brutally honest and as stone.

He stood. "Wait here," he ordered quietly. His padded feet carried him silently into the front room and to the door. With excessive speed, he opened the door.

Kurama's hand hung in the air, ready to knock.

"Fox."

"Over excited are we?" the red-head smiled.

He stepped back, letting the taller demon in before shutting and locking the door once more.

"How is she?"

Hiei called, "You can come out now, girl."

Darkfire had not really intended on getting up, but since the demon seemed to desire her company she walked to him. "Hello, Kurama," she greeted. No emotion.

"Hello," he replied. "You cut your hair. It suits you!"

"It makes her look like a boy," Hiei huffed.

"I know," she said. She touched it; an automatic reaction that had remained intact.

The fox put his hand over hers softly, but she pulled sharply away.

Anger flashed across her eyes and her jaw tightened. She took a firm but light stance.

Kurama held his palms to her. "Forgive me; I did not think."

Emotion.

"Darkfire, calm down. He only touched you," Hiei said, moving for her.

Her long nails lashed out at him; he avoided easily.

Fear.

He grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her. A sickening crack sounded as she popped her shoulder from its socket and twisted around to face him. In shock, he let go. When she slashed with her other hand, his right flew up in a block. Her nails ripped through the bandages and cut his skin.

Anger.

She stumbled back, her first clumsy, uncalculated move so far.

Hiei took this chance to get her in a firm hold.

As expected, she struggled violently.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed. Her teeth got a grip on his bicep. When he did not react to her satisfaction, she bit harder and shook her head a little. He flinched this time, but resulted in him tightening upon her.

"Relax, damn it! I'm not gunna rape you!" he snarled.

For a second she tensed, and then relaxed in his arms.

Kurama and Hiei's eyes met.