Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and the few original characters. Now... I don't like to see my favorite character behind bars so this chapter will be skipping ahead a bit. I wont be leaving anything important out, but I will be jumping forward. So... I give you Chapter Five: Surprises in store.

))_))_

The week flew by for Hiei. Granger had indeed kept his word and had gotten his privileges expidited and now he had a few books a week. He went through then rather quickly, but he reread them twice, he had nothing else better to do. At least they were able to keep his mind off the distracting images that flashed through his mind. Kurama hadn't told him who the true love of his life was and Hiei was going mad with not knowing. The next time he saw him, he was going to get the answer. And he didn't care how he had to do it.

"Hiei," Granger said as he appeared at the bars of his cell. "You've got visitors."

Hiei smiled and took the position to be transported. Granger escorted him down the hallway to the secluded visiting rooms and when he got there Granger opened the door. He seen Tonya already sitting at the table, watching as Granger took the cuffs from his wrist. Hiei walked into the room and the door closed behind him. Tonya stood up and gave him a quick hug... but there was something off. What was he missing out there while he was stuck in his cell? He frowned as the two of them sat down at the table.

"I can feel something going on with you, Tonya... What's wrong?" Hiei asked, his hands sitting on top of hers.

She smiled faintly and sighed heavily. "It's hard... so hard that you are in here, hun. I just..."

Hiei frowned and looked at her. "What's wrong, babe?"

She sniffled lightly, "I don't want this... Hiei. I thought I could do it..."

Hiei flinched... was she about to break up with him? After such a good week, his high hopes seemed to crash down to the ground and shatter at his feet. "What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

"Hiei, I love you, so much... but the distance... it's too much..." she cried lightly. "I just can't do it... I have to focus on my life... and I can't do that if I am thinking about you in this forsaken place all the time... I haven't gotten a good nights sleep since you have been in here... I'm just... exhausted."

Hiei watched her tears fall to the table. "I never meant to make this hard for you, Tonya. I really didn't."

She nodded as she looked at him. "I... have a confession."

He nodded and waited for her to continue... but what he heard hurt more than he was ready and willing to take.

"I have been seeing someone else for a few days... and I can't split my time between the two of you," she said softly. "I love you, Hiei and I always will... But I just can't do this anymore."

"I understand, Tonya. I do," he said lightly, the pain in his chest burning like a knife sticking out. "I want you to be happy. And I know that it can't be with me. So.. Who is he?"

Tonya blushed. "Actually, her name is Daphne. She's a horse breeder from out of town and she has used one of her horses as a stud. She wanted to keep a close eye on the mare that bears her future colt and... well we hit it off."

Hiei blinked as a smile crossed his face. "So tell me, you have turned lesbian on me? Come on.. I asked for a threesome with another woman and the idea almost sickened you."

She chuckled lightly. "I can't help it, Hiei. She was... WOW."

Hiei smiled, and the pain went away. He didn't feel so bad about the break up that had just happened. He smiled and occasionally chuckled as Tonya went on about her new girl and he couldn't help but wonder if he would see Kurama and hear good news from him as well. "I hope we can stay friends."

She nodded brightly. "I am counting on it. I will always care about you, but just not like I once did."

As the guards came and escorted her out, Hiei gave her a quick hug and wished her luck on her new found path, and she promised to come and see him soon. She went out of the room and Hiei stretched lightly. He really DIDN'T feel bad about what had just happened. He had always thought that there was something missing for her. He could see it in her eyes when they would spend time together. He was glad that she found someone new... for he knew that he couldn't keep her happy while he was in here.

The guards came in with another visitor and Hiei smiled lightly to see Kurama standing there. With his skin looking fresh and renewed Kurama gave him a hug and patted his back. "How ya been?"

They sat across the table from each other and told him that he had gotten a lucky break from Granger and smiled at the glass window to their right. "I am thankful that he was able to bring me some books to occupy my time."

Kurama smiled as he watched Hiei turn to him and smile lightly. "So. I heard that there was something that happened with Tonya... something... unexpected."

Hiei smirked. "Still talking to Trish, huh? Yea... she just told me about another woman in her life that she was interested in. I told her to be happy and that we could still be friends."

Kurama smiled. "Kind of just like me and Trish. Funny."

Hiei looked at him and took the lead. "Spill it fox, did you tell him?"

Kurama blushed lightly and shook his head. "Not yet... I wanted to a while ago... but things prevented me from speaking my mind."

Hiei frowned at the tone in his voice. "You okay?"

Kurama nodded and smiled brightly. "I will be... in a minute. I have to tell you, Hiei..." Kurama paused... unsure once again that he should speak from his heart. "I still don't know if he reciprocates my feelings. And that scares the hell out of me."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Just tell him. You pushed and pushed until I asked Tonya out. And now I am going to do the same. JUST TELL HIM."

Kurama nodded and smirked slyly. "As you wish... Hiei the man that my feelings are for is you."

Hiei froze and blinked. He stared at the fox in front of him and thought that he had heard incorrectly. He felt Kurama's hands cover his own and he looked down at them. "Me? Wh... I.. I don't understand."

Kurama sighed lightly. "I didn't at first either, Hiei. But Trish push me until I finally did know for sure. That I would rather spend a few minutes a week with you, than a lifetime with anyone else. Even Trish. It's you, Hiei, you are the one that I want."

Hiei looked down, knowing that his silence was going to be interpreted as a rejection... but his mind couldn't think... he couldn't form any words to say to the fox. He looked up and seen those beautiful green eyes staring back at him and it clicked. He smiled lightly. Kurama smiled back and knew that Hiei understood.

"Why wait so long to tell me, why not before the guards ushered you out so quickly?" he asked.

Kurama shook his head. "It was my plan to tell you then... but the guard standing behind me made me hesitate. It's bad enough that I just admitted everything in front of the warden over there."

Hiei smirked and glanced sideways at the two way mirror, where he knew that Granger was getting his earful. He smiled as he turned back to Kurama, his hands curling around Kurama's slender fingers. "If only times were different. I would have reacted differently, rather, DONE something different..."

Kurama blushed at the implications behind Hiei's words. He was curious what Hiei wanted to do. But he knew the rules and Hiei knew them too. He knew that there was no type of contact like that allowed. Hiei chuckled lightly and watched the color rise in Kurama's cheeks.

"I always thought it funny," he said.

"Found what funny?" Kurama asked, confused at the turn of conversation.

"Funny how a simple statement with a hidden meaning could make even the toughest of people blush," he said and smirked. "Even now... your cheeks are getting redder and redder the more I say."

Kurama could feel that his face was on fire. But there was more that Hiei had to say. He needed to hear Hiei say more. And as if reading his mind, Hiei continued. "You were afraid that your feelings wouldn't be returned, once they were admitted. You were foolish. You are special, Kurama. You always have been. And always will be."

Kurama felt tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as he smiled back at the Fire demon before him. "You... you have the same feelings?"

Hiei smiled and looked down at their entwined fingers. "I wouldn't have risked my freedom for any random person, Kurama. Not when I would have lost any chance that I had to know you in a whole other light."

Kurama chuckled lightly. "I wouldn't have died forever, Hiei. I would have gone back to the Demon World."

"And left Shiori behind to suffer with grief," he said and tightened his fingers around Kurama's. "I hate to see people suffer on my account. Me not stepping in would have put your death in the Human World on my hands, so to speak. And I would have seen what she went through. I would have felt guilty about it, and she would see that I was there. She would know that I was possibly there and hadn't done anything to stop what could have happened. And that is something that I cannot live with. And I doubt that you would have been able to either."

Kurama looked at him. "You have come to care about her, even though she is suspicious of you."

Hiei nodded. "Everyone is suspicious of me, always have been, therefore, I cannot hold it against her in any way."

Kurama smiled. "You have changed, Hiei. You need to stop it, right now."

Hiei frowned. "What? What are you talking about? I haven't changed."

Kurama nodded with a chuckle. "Yes you have... you were so closed. You didn't share anything about anything and frankly... it is a new trait for you that I am not very fond of."

Hiei shook his head. "So you want me to stay the way I was? The selfish, self centered little punk that I was?"

Kurama nodded. "Where is the fun in it, if I can't dig to get my information. I am a fox, I love a challenge... and you were always my favorite challenge."

Hiei smirked. A challenge. That was interesting. He heard the door open behind Kurama and frowned. Kurama looked down with a heavy hearted sigh and refused to move. "I don't want to go..."

Hiei stood up across from him and pulled him to his feet. Walking around the table, he pulled the fox into a gentle hug, and Kurama wrapped his arms around the demon's waist. He buried his head into Hiei's shoulder, mumbling something that only Hiei could hear. Hiei smiled and tightened his hold before he seen the guard approach behind Kurama. Kurama decided he wasn't going to get another chance and pulled back slightly, only to lean in and kiss Hiei. Hiei's eyes flashed at the gesture, one that was against the rules. He wanted to pull away... but he simply couldn't. Kurama did though. He smiled lightly and kiss his cheek before pulling out of Hiei's arms and was escorted out of the room. Hiei stood there, knowing that he had broken a rule... hoping that Granger was checking his voice mail on the other side of the glass. He looked down... he might lose the chance to see him again...

"Come, on, Hiei," Granger said behind him as he opened the door. "This still isn't a congical visit."

Hiei frowned and knew that anyone and everyone that was on the other side of the glass had seen, and that many people weren't going to let him get away with it. He held out his wrists to Granger and was cuffed and escorted back to his cell. He sighed heavily and looked down as Granger closed and locked the door behind him. Granger seen him and smirked.

"I said before, your good behavior will get you far in this place," Granger said to him and Hiei turned to face the man. "I think my staff and I can overlook that whole scene. As long as you can try to resist the temptations."

Hiei felt heat rise in his cheeks as he stared at the man. "I... don't get it. I broke a rule, and you are going to overlook it?"

Granger smiled. "Young love, Hiei. Very special. Very strong. I can understand that he couldn't resist. And I am just hoping that in the future you can try to keep temptation at bay. I told you before. If you behave here, you will get far."

With that, Granger turned and walked away, leaving Hiei standing there blushing as he recalled the feeling of Kurama's lips to his own. He smiled as he walked to his bed. He leaned back and thought back on his visit with the fox, that was one that he would remember for the rest of his life.

))_))_

Over the next year and a half, Hiei hit his two year mark and Granger appeared at his cell one morning. The oversized man smiled down at Hiei and watched as the small demon sat up in bed, throwing his legs over the side of his bed. "It's Tuesday, Granger. You don't normally come to visit me unless it is Friday."

Granger chuckled, causing his large belly to rumble and ripple, as he seen Hiei stand up and walk to the bars. "Today is a special day for us all, it seems."

Hiei frowned as he wrapped his hands around the bars and leaned into them, a habit as of late when talking to either Koenma, the guards, or else Granger. "Why is today special?"

The warden smiled. "I know that you have been keeping track of how long you have been in here, Hiei. Today is a special day. How long have you been in here?"

"Two years, one month, and thirteen days," Hiei stated flatly. "What about it?"

Granger smiled. "Your behavior has impressed me and the ones above my head. They have decided to give you a greater reward than just letters, books and mementos from your friends and loved ones. They have left me with a choice to grant you something that I know you have been looking forward to."

Hiei looked at him and a faint smile crossed the demon's lips. Could it be? Granger smiled down at him. "I think you can be trusted enough to visit your friends and loved one unsupervised."

"You trust me?" Hiei asked, slightly surprised that the warden that was once so strict with him, was starting to grow soft. "What on earth did I do to earn that?"

Granger smiled and reached into his coat pocket. "These are the rules and guidelines that pertain to the congical visits. They are pretty much the same, but your trust is the main ingredient."

Hiei took the paper that Granger handed him through the bar and opened it up to read it. He came to two specific guidelines that made him smile. "Visitors have up to two hours? I never knew that."

Granger smiled. "Each prisoner's visits are different. Seeing that your friends come back EVERY single Friday, I was able to request a little bit longer time for you. But I have a feeling that you are interested in something else on that paper."

"Any day and time that the visitor has requested?" Hiei read and looked up into Granger's smiling face. "You put that in there too?"

This time the warden shook his head. "Natural guideline. It is all about trust you know. So if trust is established, then the visitors may come during the three scheduled days and only in between the times indicated."

Hiei smiled as the warden nodded to the demon and smiled lightly. "I hope that you do not disappoint me Hiei. You have been an example of the perfect prisoner... except for that one little incident..."

"That wasn't my fault," Hiei snapped. "Hakanaru was responsible for that, and I was merely defending myself."

"I know, but I can't make an exception... not even for you," Granger said. "I do regret having to reduce your energy levels to nothing... but hey... you are not the only one in here with one of those on."

Granger pointed to Hiei's right wrist. There was a large metal cuff with a tiny little key pad for a code to be punched in. Granger was the only one who could remove it, but Hiei wasn't concerned with that. Maybe it was for the best, for his restlessness had somewhat gone down a few notches. He was able to sleep at night without waking up several times during the night to pace until he felt calm enough to sleep again.

"And besides, it was supposed to go on when you first got here," Granger said. "But I could see the remorse written on your face after a few days and figured that you wanted to get out of here as soon as you could."

"I still do want to get out of here," Hiei said flatly. "Not that you are the reason."

Granger laughed and turned to leave. "Your extended visits will not start until later next week, so your visiting on Friday will be still be only fifteen minutes each."

Hiei groaned. "And you had to give this to me now?!"

Granger snickered. "I figured that would give you something to write to him."

Hiei turned his face away as he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He sighed heavily and then watched the warden walk away. Extended and unsupervised visits. That WAS something to talk about with his friends later this week. He sat down on the bed and reached under his pillow. He pulled out the pad of paper that the warden had given him several months ago and the pen that was attached to it. He began to write down his thoughts to one person in particular.

))_))_

Shiori seen a letter in the mail a few days later and smiled as she read the name. She had finally pried the information out of her son the moment she first saw the names on the letters. They had come from a prison and she had demanded to know the truth. He had told her that the mugging that had happened a while back was a bit more than that. He had told her that the mugger had shot him in the shoulder and showed her the scar. She was mortified that he had kept that much information from her. He explained that Hiei had struggled for the gun and it had fired again, killing the mugger by accident. He had been charged with murder for it, even though Kurama had the bruises and the gunshot wound to prove that it was only self defense, but the judge hadn't seen it that way. She was still uneasy with her son going to a prison to visit someone there... even if he was visiting his best friend. But he had told her that Hiei was defending him, and that he was only there because of him. And that he HAD to see him.

"Shuiichi!" Shiori called as she walked into the house. "Mail!"

Kurama appeared at the kitchen entrance and wiped his hands on a dishtowel as he frowned at her. "From who?"

Shiori frowned at him and held out the envelope. "Who do you think?"

Kurama smiled lightly as he walked over to her and took the envelope. "There is no way he got my letter yet..."

Shiori rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he wanted to say more than he did the last time."

Kurama chuckled lightly as he swept the towel over his shoulder. He ran his finger under the edge of the letter and pulled out the paper. He turned and walked to the kitchen to finish making the pot of tea and poured two cups as he read the letter...

"Dear Kurama, I got a visit from the warden this morning. I wanted you to be the first to know, and I wanted the information to come from me. Starting next week I will be granted extended and unsupervised visits. Granger told me that the Prison Head of Superintendents had thought that I had given them enough to trust me. I wasn't supposed to be granted this for another six months. But I guess behaving in here does have an upside."

He smiled lightly as he walked into the living room with his mother's cup of tea. She smiled and thanked him as she took her cup, noticing that his eyes hadn't left the letter in his hand. She watched as he turned away and walked back into the kitchen, sitting at the table with his own cup as he continued with his letter. She smiled lightly and wondered how long she was going to keep a certain truth from her. She knew that her son had feelings for the boy behind bars, and she guessed that the feelings were returned, for the moment the first letter came, and the truth about Hiei came out, he had torn open the letter and smiled as he read the whole page.

Kurama smiled as he read the rest of Hiei's letter, learning very quickly that the extended and unsupervised visits meant that his mail wasn't being read anymore. For he was going into detail about things that was blacked out on the letters before. He smiled.

"I am looking forward to spend some quality time with you, Kurama. I am going to ask Yusuke and the others to keep to a certain DAY. I don't think I can manage extra days and time with them... fifteen minutes is sometimes more than I can handle. But you... I will definitely look forward to two full hours behind closed doors with. I look forward to holding you in my arms. Being able to hold you without the guards coming in to stop me. I miss you so much right now. But I know that I deserve to be here. I still wouldn't change what I did. I never will. I love you too damned much to let someone take you from me. I look forward to seeing you on Friday. I am hoping that I get a response to this. And I want details... don't be shy... for the letters that we write are no longer being read. I want to read what you have in mind for us... - Forever yours, Hiei."

Kurama smiled lightly as he felt the heat begin to rush to his cheeks. He had to stand up and turn away, the letter still in hand. Hiei had requested that he write him a dirty letter? No... a dirty letter was a huge understatement. Hiei BOLDLY requested him to describe in detail... wow, the thoughts were endless. He smirked and looked at the letter again before he folded it up and returned it to the envelope. This was going to be fun. Youko was going to have fun with this. He smiled lightly as he picked up his cup and walked into the living room to finish his studies for the night. Shiori still believed that he was going to college. He had dropped out when one of his Plant Biology papers was given a failing grade. He was outraged with the teacher and had told him that he didn't know what the hell he was talking about. Kurama knew plants, and he knew what they could do. The foolish teacher would never understand the true things that the plants that he deemed harmless could do with just a touch of demon energy. He folded his legs underneath him and placed the Biology book on his lap, and the pad of paper on top of it. He smiled and turned to a new page.

"Responding to his letter already, huh?" Shiori said sarcastically as she flipped the page of her magazine.

Kurama frowned and looked up to her. "Not just yet. I still have a paper to write."

"Sure ya do," she said flatly and glanced at her magazine again. "So how is he doing?"

Kurama smiled lightly. "He is good. Got some news from the warden today and wanted to tell his friends himself, before the warden decided to call and tell everyone."

"What kind of news?" she asked looking up at him.

Kurama groaned lightly, wishing that she wouldn't have asked. "Just that his visits would be extended, that's all. It was only fifteen minutes before. But now he was granted thirty minutes."

She smiled lightly. "That's good. Fifteen minutes isn't very much time."

Kurama nodded lightly. "I know... but hey... the rules are set for a reason. And who are we to judge them?"

Shiori looked at the phone as it rang, she answered it on the second ring. "Yes, this is the Minamino household... yes he is... just a minute," she held out the cordless phone. "It's for you darling."

Kurama sighed heavily and sat his books to the side and reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Kurama, it's Koenma," the voice said. "I wanted to call and give you some news. It's about Hiei..."

"I actually already know," he replied lightly. "Yeah, he told me about that already."

"Hiei told you that he was granted extended visits?" Koenma asked. "No one else was told, you were the third person I called. Yusuke said that the last letter or call that he had gotten from him was about a week ago."

"Well, I just found out myself," Kurama said and Shiori smiled lightly at him. "But I had figured that he would have told them too... I guess he didn't get the chance."

"I guess not, either that or else he didn't want anyone else to know about it," Koenma suggested, a deeper meaning behind his words. "But how am I to say who he tells or not?"

Kurama chuckled lightly. "I'm sure there was a better reason than that, sir."

"Well, since you already know, I am sure he gave you the schedule," Koenma said. "So I guess I will see you later then."

"Yes, sir, I will talk to you later," Kurama said. "Alright... bye."

Shiori took the phone from Kurama and hung it back on the charger. She looked at her watch and smiled. "I have to get ready for work. I have to work a double tonight. Will you be alright by yourself tonight?"

Kurama nodded. "Yes, mother, I will lock the doors behind you."

She smiled and stood up from the couch and walked to the other room to get ready for work. Kurama smiled lightly and waited until his mother walked out of the house. He locked the doors and turned on one of the lights in the living room and settled down on the couch with an excited sigh. He smiled as he took the pad of paper and began to write.

"You wanted smutty details," Kurama said as he signed the letter. "You got smutty details."

With that, he put a stamp on the outer envelope and used his energy to send it to the Demon World. It would reach Hiei by tomorrow and he smiled to think how Hiei would react to his words. He wondered what he would reply. The thoughts sent shivers down his spine. He turned out the lights and went to bed, hoping and praying that his words weren't TOO BOLD...

))_))_

End of Chapter Five: Surprises in Store. Hope you liked. So... please leave your comments and your reviews and any requests that you might have and I look forward to hear from all of you. So hope you enjoyed and will continue to enjoy as the rest of the story progresses. So until then... ta ta for now.