A/N: Okay now since this is my only active story now I find I have so much more time to work on it, and I find myself wondering exactly what I'm going to do for this story and what I'm going to do in the next chapter. It's all a little strange actually!

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, that's it for now… wow for once I don't have like 5 things to touch on… another surprise!

Chapter 8: The Not-So-Secret Plan

Kurama's P.O.V

Yusuke and Kuwabara came back not long after Hiei's confession and I could tell he was more than overjoyed, so that now he wouldn't have to sit and suffer through my questions.

But the truth was that I had so many other questions I wanted to ask him, so many that I didn't know how to put them all into words.

Hiei found any excuse not to have to look at me the rest of the night, while I found myself watching him more than usual.

I felt like it was more of a protection thing than anything else.

I watched as he tried to act as normal as possible, as he shouted at Kuwabara for taking the last piece of cheese pizza yet flinched away when anyone got near his wrists.

And when we watched the movies that they had gotten, Hiei watched the screen with blank, hollow eyes and it took everything I had not to confront him right in front of the other two.

I was so scarred for my friend.

I told him before the others came back that after the party ended tomorrow he would be staying with me and after fighting for a few moments he finally agreed.

There was simply no way I could let him live within that house now. Not when I knew that he was, in fact, capable of taking those desperate measures.

I told Yusuke and Kuwabara not to go to sleep tonight, to stay awake because I needed to talk to them about something very important. I was determined to fix this situation and whether Hiei wanted it or not I had to tell the others.

Not because they were also his friends, because I knew he really didn't care much for them; but because I know in the back of my mind that I really would not be able to do much by myself.

I watched him for the rest of the night and wondered what he was thinking about. When he finally went to sleep I had to wonder what he saw behind those lids.

In Yusuke's room, where we had decided to 'sleep' I waited in my sleeping bag on the floor as Yusuke and Kuwabara made their way out of the room.

Hiei was next to me under the blankets that Yusuke had loaned him, I must say he contrasted very much in all of his black against the white blankets.

'I'm sorry I'm about to do this Hiei.' I thought to myself, wishing that he could hear the words I was too afraid to say.

'But someday maybe you'll thank me. I'm just not capable of doing this all by myself, you've entrusted with me this huge secret that you've been carrying on your shoulders, now you must also trust me to help you fix this.'

With an exhale of breath I got up from where I had been and went to the closed door. I looked back once at his sleeping figure in this dark room then forced myself out.

The rest of the apartment was dark except for in the living room where one small light was lit and Yusuke and Kuwabara waited.

"What's this about Kurama?" Yusuke asked me with seriousness in his brown eyes, I looked away as I sat down on the couch and breathed evenly to keep my composure.

I wanted to come out and tell them what I was thinking, but that was to sudden, I needed to find some way to ease into this; why I'm not sure.

"Did anyone else notice Hiei's actions today?" I asked looking from the floor up to their faces, I could see the confusion that they really didn't want to show. Was I really the only one who gave enough care to notice?

… What am I saying? Most people don't even care enough to remember Hiei's name, of course I was the only one.

"Not really, he seemed exactly like he does everyday, maybe a little more anti-social than normal but that's about it." Kuwabara stated.

I sighed, pushing down all of my second thoughts about telling them at all.

"I have reason to believe that Hiei's being abused." The words were poison to my lips and they sent a sickening chill down my spine, saying it seemed to make everything that much more real.

"No way." Yusuke said in disbelief, his eyes had widened for only a second. "Why do you think that?"

"He's started flinching away from everyone and I've seen the lacerations on his body that are too straight and in too many numbers to be accidents." I had to leave Hiei with some dignity, what he had done would be between only he and I.

"What makes you think that he's just not doing it to himself?" Kuwabara asked.

"Hiei would never do that, he's told me before that he would never go so low." My heart clenched as my mind thought about my friend throwing everything aside and breaking under the weight and trying to end it all.

It couldn't be true.

"I don't know Kurama he seems like that kind of person, I would never put self mutilation past him."

"He's not doing it to himself!" I nearly shouted, catching myself at the last moment when I remembered that Hiei was still sleeping.

The room went silent, Yusuke and Kuwabara watched me for a long moment as I tried to compose myself once more.

The truth was that speaking everything threw it into a reality much different then when you just think it. Speaking the words confirmed the fact that this was really happening and I'm not sure I was ready to think that my friend, who I've felt to be so strong, could do these things.

"Hiei is my best friend." I told them, "and I know him a lot better than both of you, he would never do these things to himself."

I could see the doubt in their faces, but they put it aside to hear me out. "Okay, so…?" Yusuke trailed off.

"So we're going to have to fix this situation, and I can't do this by myself."

"So what are we going to do?" Kuwabara asked with what looked to be anticipation from where he sat next to Yusuke. I could tell that he was more on-board about fixing it than Yusuke was, even though Hiei and Kuwabara hate each other I can tell Kuwabara really does care.

"Honestly… I don't know. He'll be staying with me for a while, until we can get this under control. I'd like to see to what extent this really is also." I stated, averting my eyes.

"And then?"

"Well he already knows that I intend to fix this."

"So he's going to rebel." Yusuke stated and I nodded.

"Right, but I don't think he would go back on me so far as to return home, but there is the slightest chance that he could go to one of your homes." I looked between the two of them now. "Which is one of the reasons why I'm telling you this."

They nodded, "but how are you going to fix it Kurama?" Kuwabara asked leaning back on the couch they were on that was perpendicular to mine.

"It will take time, somehow we'll have to find a way to get him out of that home for good."

"We could kill his parents." Yusuke's always so quick to violence.

"I was thinking something a little more legal."

"Oh," his shoulders dropped noticeably. "Maybe we can just decide that later?" He asked, "take one thing at a time."

I nodded, "I suppose." My mind had been so completely filled with a mixture of unhealthy emotions that I had nearly forgotten that it would be easier to take things one at a time. [1

"Well then, until our next meeting is called to order?" Yusuke asked, readying himself to stand up.

"Neither of you say a thing to Hiei." I told them, meeting their eyes. "You're not supposed to know and if he finds out about any of this he's going to rebel even more."

They nodded and stood up, "don't worry Kurama, the secret is safe." Kuwabara said, he then squeezed his lips together to show that he wasn't going to say anything; Yusuke nodded beside him.

I exhaled a heavy breath then followed them as they made their way back to the silent, dark room.

I laid back down in my sleeping back and looked at my sleeping friend, I couldn't help but see the impression of suffering that lay thick on his features, I don't understand how I hadn't see it before.

I wanted so very badly to take him away from all of this, everything he had come to know as reality. I wanted to embrace him and somehow convince him that everything would… or rather could be okay.

But how was I supposed to convince him of that when I wasn't completely sure about that outcome myself?

A/N: Yay! Very emotional chapter I suppose, at least we get to see what Kurama's thinking about it all. I think this is going to be the only chapter that I make in Kurama's point of view, only because I think it has more feeling from third person or Hiei's point of view. But if you think differently please, feel free to let me know your thoughts.

[1: I know that this sounded like Kurama was thinking about self mutilation or something like that, but that's not how I intended it.

My mother always told me that if I kept worrying about people and letting myself be sad for them and such I would eventually make myself sick, so when I say they were unhealthy emotions I simply mean that he was worrying and being sad all at once.

Please review!

-Forbiddensoul562