I don't own anyone you recognize…duh

Yuske had won, making the ultimate sacrifice to save Keiko using his life energy in place of his tapped out spirit energy, risking death. Kuwabara had selflessly donated some of his energy to the fallen hero, leaving them both slumped on the crumbling tower's floor. "Well now I suppose we'll have to travel to the living world with both of them on our backs" Kurama looked at the humans passed out on the floor.

"Like I said, babysitting" he turned to look at kurama. "Here's what I don't understand why would he bother saving her if he died in the process". 'Stupid humans'

"Trust me Hiei there are reasons. You-"

"I'd never do it. The challenge is enough without taking on someone else's slack"

"Never Hiei?" I think you'd surprise yourself if you truly thought about it." Kurama walked to the wrecked tower's edge Hiei followed slowly behind. They glanced down at the rubble, the fires, and the girl laying crookedly on a pile of plant people, her arm slung over a small cat. Hiei stared closely making sure her chest rose and fell, making sure she was still breathing.

'Raven?' her mind was so jumbled he doubted that she heard him.

'Hiei?! You're ok. Yuske, Kuwabara, kurama are they all alright?" She panicked rapidly her eyes blinking hard trying to focus on any one spot, her free hand going to her forehead.

'They'll live.' He looked over at kurama who was smiling knowingly. Hiei sneered turning away from the fox. 'So what damage has your clumsy actions gotten you'

'Well I…I didn't pass out! I'll wait till I get home for that' Hiei could see her stupid proud grin all the way from the top of the tower.

'Close your eyes. You proved no walking house plant is a match for you. I won't leave you here' he reassured her.

'Can't. There's still some around here if-' She winced as she sat up; chimera voiced her displeasure before scampering behind Raven's back. 'If I let down my guard it'll only take one or two of them to take me down'

"I'll protect you" he said both to raven and aloud to himself.

'Can I trust you Hiei? I have every reason not to' she stared upwards her mind still fuzzy all she could really see was the grey clouds above her.

'You're right. I'm a real bastard' he frowned. 'You need to find someone you trust who can protect you' he walked back to the center of the tower with the rest of the group.

"Hey Hiei" She yelled making her head hurt more than it already did. "If you let me become plant food I'll never forgive you." She smiled as she closed her eyes. She did trust Hiei, she had no choice in the 

matter whenever he was near, she felt safe downright happy. He had wronged her terribly but still, she wanted just to be wrapped up close to him sleeping safe in the snow.

"No Kurama I wouldn't die for a loved one. Feelings are for fools" 'And who would protect her if I were dead. I just need to get her back where she'll be safe from monsters like me'

"I won't disagree" Kurama shrugged.

"You get the big stupid one and I'll take the spirit detective and the fool down there" Hiei began to slump Yuske over one of his shoulders.

"You're not going to make her walk" kurama grinned.

"If I have to carry the lot of you knocked out I will Kurama" Hiei warned as he jumped down to the rubble. He went over to pick up Raven when, just as she had said one of the surviving plant people grabbed at her. His sword was through the zombie like creature before its claws scratched her skin. She hadn't moved an inch but her eyes fluttered open.

"I trust you Hiei" She smiled, moving to get up. He put a palm to her forehead and pushed her back she fell un gracefully to her ass. "Ow. Idiot" She grumbled sowerly, he couldn't help but chuckle at her grumpy face. He put his hand under her knees and put his shoulder at her stomach carrying the poor girl upside down facing his back. He felt her body relax falling back into unconsciousness.

"Well at least now I'll get some peace and quiet" He began his sprint away Raven's cat galloping to keep up.

They were all at kuwabara's house when it first hit Hiei. "Where does she live?" He laid her down on Kuwabara's floor watching over her as he spoke.

"Um I don't really know. I think she told me once, downtown somewhere. I really wasn't listening cause it was lunch time and my sister packed me-"

"When I want your life story I'll be sure to beat myself in the skull till I regain common sense" Hiei sneered. Raven was sleeping contently her hair in front of her face, blowing upwards every time she breathed out.

"Just wake her up. Hey Raven! I called Urameshi's mom, but I don't even know her last name, geeze her parents must be worried sick. Raven!"

"Somehow I doubt that" Hiei knew as well as anyone that Raven's parents didn't miss her, that Raven might not even have a last name, that she was all alone.

"Huh? Raven! Hello anyone in th-" Kuwabara tried again.



"Would you shut up! She's not going to wake" Hiei barked sick and tired of Kuwabara's voice more than anything.

"Well there are only so many demons in this city, though quite a bit more than I expected. We should be able to track her energy and scent back to a general area" kurama grinned at the sleeping girl. Looking over at his friend. What an odd couple, so hell bent on being self reliant, independent and well guarded yet they seemed to have no control over their thoughts for one another. Hiei's battling spirit and loner demeanor and Raven's awkward rebel attitude seemed to clash but when they did, they made fireworks.

Hiei picked up raven again and left the home looking for the place where Raven resided. It took him hours, going from tree to tree, going down blocks and streets and such till finally he found it. A house, he wasn't expecting her to live in a house with… people, he could see them inside. A family? Was she like kurama in that she adopted a human persona and life? Hiei looked at the house it was an ugly shade of purple and was in less than prime condition but he was sure she'd have something positive to say about it. 'Must be nice' he saw silhouettes of people moving about, quite a few of them. Raven had found a place where people wanted and cared for her, Hiei would just have to move on continuing his life on the fringe of the human realm and the spirit realm. The two would go their separate ways. Hiei jumped to the window he assumed to be Raven's it was already open. 'Always so careless' he shook his head as he entered the room. There wasn't a lot there. A bed a mirror, cloths strewn about. Is this what a home was? He wouldn't stay to find out. He placed Raven gingerly on the bed she shuffled a bit getting comfortable on the familiar surface. Hiei smiled he could watch her from a distance now that he knew where she was, no stupid talisman in her boot would hide her. He went to the window sill and he went to move when she spoke up.

"Hiei. See I could trust you after all" She sat up her head still hurting.

"Hn. Didn't have much of a choice. You were out like a light" He didn't turn to look at her.

"For the most part yeah" She shrugged. "But when I was awake I had a wonderful view of your-"

"Don't be childish" He spat.

"Fine, your no fun." She crossed her arms. "What are you going to do now?" She stared at him, she always liked the way he stood, with his shoulders as far back as they could go trying to elongate his small frame he always looked ready for whatever would cross his path. She missed him, cold attitude and all she didn't want him to leave. Though she didn't believe he'd want to stay; no one really ever wanted her around. No one wants a mutt. Even so she wished that he would.

"Hn. I'll have to check my day planner. I have a clean slate now-"

"Clean slate? Hmmm you got caught didn't you?" She laughed now it made sense why he was helping humans.



"Yes" He gritted his teeth.

"Sorry, touchy subject I guess" She bit her lip she didn't have much to say but she had to make him stay if he left she'd never see him again. "If you're hungry there's food downstairs. Those guys" She paused hearing the group down stairs making quite a ruckus. "They don't bite. Scratch that they do bite, but not hard and with the best of intentions" She smiled. 'Am I so bad at conversations that my best plan is delay his escape with food? I'm an A class fool'

"Your family?" He looked at the door leading to the rest of the house.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" She looked at him in disbelief.

"Huh?"

"You know damn well I don't have a family, well I do but-"

"Forget them" He didn't want her to think about them they didn't deserve her time. He saw her face it looked cold and in deep thought. He tenitivley moved closer to her. "Im sorry"

"Hiei you're going soft. Two sorrys in one day. What have you been reduced to?" She tried to laugh but it was hallow, she was still thinking about her lack of family. Those kids downstairs were like her, run aways, outcasts, and rebels. For the bunches of people she knew and talked to she always felt alone.

"At least I'm not moping like a lost puppy" Hiei sneered. Raven gritted her teeth and stood up wobbling as she did so.

"Hiei I-"Her voice was muted as Hiei kissed her. He bit at her lip making it bleed he could taste her. She moaned slightly in pain but mostly at the feeling of his smoldering lips against hers. Hiei pulled back panting and looked at her. She took a minute to collect her thoughts. She looked like she was going to cry. 'What have I done? I hurt her. I really am incapable of affection'. "You shouldn't do that Hiei" she put her fingers to her lips. "Kiss people when you don't mean it" She muttered to herself.

"Why can't I mean it? Is it because I am who I am? The forbidden child can't mean to kiss someone, want someone?" He growled heading for the window he had heard those words once before.

"I may be a mutt but I do have feelings Hiei! I don't want you to want me to kiss me, and then get bored I can't handle that. I'm not a play thing, I refuse! I've lived without closeness before I can do it again." She yelled back at him tears welling up. Hiei stared at her wanting to run, wanting to stay, wanting to hit her wanting to love her. He couldn't decide, he couldn't deal with emotions.

"Then show me one that means something since I obviously can't do it right." he stated calmly. Raven swallowed hard, she was nervous, she was putting a lot on the line if she really allowed herself to fall head of heals for the demon in front of her. She sat on the bed, and he sat next to her, his fiery eyes never leaving her. She placed her hands on his cheeks, hesitating for a moment. She grinned at Hiei while pulling her hands away his face was as serious as ever.



"It'd be easier if you weren't so matter a fact about it" She kissed him on the cheek then down his neck slowly biting where the neck became shoulder.

"You bite like a girl" Hiei sneered, a lighter tone to his voice than usual. He ran his fingers through her hair as he felt her mouth on his kissing him tenderly. He felt awkward, it being so soft he was afraid he'd ruin it somehow. Just then he felt a jolt. Raven had bit his lip, hard.

"I might bite like a girl but point is I bite" She smiled mischievously. "Not as good as you do I admit." The look in her face wasn't hurt it was playful and snarky. Hiei wouldn't ruin it unless he did nothing. He pushed her shoulders down to the bed, his weight on top of hers he stared at her and she stared back. He kissed her again at first trying to be gentle but lost the attempt once he felt her arms around his back pulling him closer still. Her fingernails dug into him as she felt the warmth of his body surround her. He pulled away smirking at Raven's flushed face. He pulled his cloak off tossing it over raven's head. She sat up and pulled him under as well. "I take it back you are fun. When you want to be" She grinned kissing him fast before pulling the black fabric off of them.

"Trust me I don't plan to make a habit of it" He sneered.

"I'll take it when I can get it" She grinned they just sat there inches from one another. Raven pulled him down to the bed gliding her hands up his arms and down his back tracing his spine, making him shiver ever so slightly.

"Raven-" Hiei began to speak when he felt a new sensation Raven's tongue at his stomach inching up to his chest and to his neck and to his lips, only half kissing him too much of a smile on her face. She wasn't as foreign to affection as Hiei was, though just as hesitant, maybe more. Hiei pulled Raven's shirt over her head tracing his fingers over her pale flesh. But his exploration of her body lead him to something, a scar his hand wouldn't leave that spot almost entranced by it. Raven watched and something went through her head, she laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hiei was frowning his fingers still hovering over the scar.

"You doing that, it reminded me of something" She grinned slightly.

"I wouldn't think that memory would be humorous" He looked up from the scar, at her.

"No not-"She bit her lip closing her eyes a flash of that memory swirled in her head. Hiei touched her scar again no longer exploring her body now just reliving his sins. "No not humorous at all. It reminded me of something else though. A um a human TV show, a line from one to be more specific" She shrugged.

"How does anything human apply to you and I" Hiei sneered.

"Well here's the line. My love for you is like this scar ugly but permanent" She smiled nearly laughing again at the cheesiness of it. Hiei rolled his eye but allowed the somber moment to pass. Maybe the stupid humans were on to something. He began to kiss and more often than not bite at her skin. It 

seemed Hiei was far more comfortable biting than kissing and Raven didn't mind. Time passed and between the sheets of her bed the two got closer and closer. Raven laid on top of Hiei's chest as they slept but when she woke up he was nowhere to be found. She looked around the room and saw that Hiei's cloak was missing as well. He had used her once again for what he wanted and left her. 'Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me' she frowned getting out of bed feeling lingering touches from her one night lover. She put on some clothes. She would forget him again she swore. She looked down at her boots pulled them off sloppily almost falling to the floor and with tears in the corners of her eyes she winged them at her wall leaving a wide dent. The door swung open and there was Hiei with a quick look of concern then one of question.

"What the hell are you doing? Or is this how you get dressed every morning?" He sneered walking into the room.

"You didn't leave" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve her face red over her quick actions.

"Hn. Not yet. But I will. I'm not a house trained dog. I won't be cooped up in here with you and those degenerates downstairs. I'll leave for days and weeks." He looked out the window he was contained in a city he wouldn't be contained in a house. He waited for her to slap him across the face.

"But you will come back. I can take you leaving, I know you well enough to be certain you'd go crazy in one spot" She grinned at the man who looked impatient from just standing the hallway for too long watching him stare longingly to the window. "But you'll come back, once in a while for more than just a night?" She looked at him hopefully. He nodded, Hiei had never had a place to go back to, only places to run from he had a safe house now an ugly run down safe house. And he had someone to come back to someone that didn't care what people called him, didn't care that his blood wasn't pure. He walked over to where her boots had fallen on the floor picking them up holding the ratty things in his hands.

"Give them here" Raven reached for them but Hiei moved quickly down the stairs with the boots still in hand. Raven ran after him. "Give then back Hiei their mine" She yelled as they entered the dining room Raven's friends looking around confused.

"Did you buy them?" he looked at her smugly. She glared back lips tight with frustration."Then they're not yours".

"If you don't give them back I'll take them back" she demanded.

"Really?" Hiei just laughed, he didn't hide his smile he didn't have to, Raven wouldn't use it against him, or would she.

"Really" Raven tackled Hiei to the ground knocking over her friend Eli's oatmeal in the process.

"Leave it to Raven. She brings the first guy here in a year or so, and all hell breaks loose" he tried to scoop up his spilled breakfast watching to two pull at each other's hair and bite less than softly. Hiei did leave two nights later. Raven always left her window open and Hiei always came back no matter how long he left her. She would leave food on her windowsill for nights he didn't want to stay but still 

stopped by just to check on her. The fool and the idiot, the mutt and the forbidden child the two who didn't understand love or friendship, found a way to awkwardly make it work for them.

Well that's it. I thought about doing a sequel that has to do with the Ankoku bujutskukai (the dark tournament) or a Kurama story what do you guys think?