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POV HIEI

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Chapter Three

Jumping from tree to tree with one thing on my mind: find Kurama. It should have been simple enough except for the fact that I had no idea where Kurama lived. He had always come to me when he needed me. I had never been to his house.

I followed his scent from Kuwabara's house and was shocked when I reached a mansion. I gaped at the giant house for a moment before walking up to the door and knocking.

Kurama greeted me with a smile. "What a pleasant surprise, Hiei," he said. "Come in."

"They've killed Kuwabara," I blurted out. To tell the truth, the sight of Kurama had me flabbergasted. He was wearing white pants, a black shirt, white jacket, black cowboy boots and a white ten-gallon hat.

He looked amazing.

"Yes, I know," said Kurama. "He will be resurrected tomorrow."

I stared at him. "He what?"

"Koenma is making him into a demon. You can come in off the stoop, Hiei."

"You look hot."

"Actually, I have air conditioning so I am quite cool."

I walked past him into the living room. "I didn't mean temperature wise," I muttered.

I could hear the smile in Kurama's voice. "Why thank you, Hiei. I'm glad you think so."

"Are you going to a party?" I turned to face him and sat down on the black leather sofa by the fire-place, currently devoid of fire. I noticed that his boots had heels. They were women's shoes.

Kurama took the hat off and fluffed his hair with one hand. "No, I just felt like looking 'hot' today."

"Funny, Fox-boy."

Kurama grinned at me and sat down on my left side. "You've picked up Yusuke's nick-name for me." He tilted his head to the side and a piece of hair brushed against his shoulder. I had the strongest urge to reach out and touch it. "I'm glad it caught on." He winked.

"You're wearing shoes in the house..."

Kurama crossed his legs and looked down at the boots. They were sexy. Very sexy. "They're very clean, I just took them out of the box this morning. I was about to leave the house when you walked up."

I touched the collar of Kurama's black silk shirt. It was folded neatly against the lapel of his jacket.

"Hiei?" Kurama said questioningly.

I grunted. "Silk."

"Yes, isn't it soft?"

"For a Ningen fabric..."

Kurama reached into my cloak and felt the red liner. "You're right, this feels much nicer than silk."

"Conceited? You made this cloak."

Kurama smiled. "Oh, that's right. You were saying something about Kuwabara?"

"Why did Koenma kill him?" I asked.

"He's becoming a demon," Kurama explained.

"Why?"

Kurama frowned. "You would have to ask him. Or Yusuke. It really isn't my place to tell you."

Kurama's hand dropped down from the inside of my cloak to my knee. I growled at him. "Watch it, Kitsune."

Kurama withdrew his hand. "What are you doing in the Ningen world?"

"I came to visit."

"Who?"

"You! Gods, you are so aggravating."

"Why would you want to visit me?" Kurama gave me a look of mock surprise.

"I haven't heard from you in over six weeks. I wanted to make sure you were still alive."

"Am I supposed to check in with you?"

"No, but I would appreciate a call every once in a while," I muttered annoyedly.

"Why, Hiei?" asked Kurama.

"I didn't think of why, Kurama. I just wanted to visit you. Do I have to have a good reason to come visit someone I care about? Do I have to make an appointment to see my best friend?"

Kurama smiled but I thought I caught a flicker of sadness in his eyes. It was gone so quickly that I wasn't sure I had seen it. "I'm only teasing you, Hiei. I'm surprised that you came to visit me without an ulterior motive."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I growled.

"Nothing, Hiei. Nothing at all."

"Why do you keep saying my name like that?"

"Like what, Hiei?"

"Like that!"

Kurama looked genuinely surprised. "You don't want me to say your name?"

I stared at him. What is the matter with me?

"Why don't you tell me what is going on in your mind right now?" he asked.

"I would if I understood it." I sighed. "I'm sorry Kuram-"

"You're what?"

"Sorry!"

Kurama's eyes widened slightly. "You've never apologized to me. So far as I know, you've never apologized to anyone."

I closed my eyes and tried to control my temper by clenching my fists. "You enjoy pointing out my faults..." I said as neutrally as possible.

"I'm pointing out differences. It isn't a fault to apologize to someone. Not at all. Nor is it a fault to learn decorum. What I don't understand is where this came from."

I gritted my teeth. "Mukuro," I said. "didn't like it when I was rude to her guards."

"Hiei, please relax. I'm not trying to grill you here. I'm just making conversation. If this makes you uncomfortable, change the subject."

My neck became hot at the thought of telling him what I came to tell him originally. The heat is the demon equivalent of a Ningen racing heart.

"You look flushed, is something the matter?" asked Kurama

"Mukuro wants me to be her mate," I replied as fast as possible because the words burned my throat.

Kurama nodded impassively. Or what he thought was impassive. I knew better by now. That information bothered Kurama very much. What I couldn't figure out was why. "I thought she might," he said.

If he wants to pretend not to be upset, I will play along. "I told her no."

Kurama nodded again.

"I need you to heal my cuts without getting upset," I said without thinking.

"Cuts? I don't smell blood..." Kurama said.

"I'm masking it."

"Hiei, why would you be cut?" The concerned look in Kurama's eyes made a lump form in my throat. I wanted to choke back my emotions. That one look was my undoing.

I released my blocks which also weakened me significantly. Kurama gasped. "She beat you for it?" he whispered harshly.

He started to pull my cloak off me. "Wait," I said. He pulled his hands away. "Don't get upset when you see them. Do not get upset. Promise me."

Kurama bit his lip.

"Promise!"

"I can't promise that, Hiei."

"Then pretend not to be upset."

"That I can do."

I sighed and shrugged my cloak off. Kurama helped me out of my shirt and started unraveling the bandage that covered most of my upper-body. I felt Kurama's fingers fumble when he reached the first cut. "Hiei..."

"Pretend!"

"Al-alright." Kurama uncovered the rest of the cuts. They were all over my back and they were very unpleasant."

"Do you know what they say?" Kurama asked in a cold, unreadable tone.

"No."

"Do you want to?"

I nodded.

Kurama traced his finger under my shoulder-blades, his hand was shaking. "Harlot." He touched the cut on my neck. "Skank." He traced his finger down my spine. "Whore." He touched the left side of my lower back. "Cursed." He touched the other side. "S-slut." He touched the middle of my back. "Bitch." He touched my left shoulder-blade. "C-c... I can't, Hiei."

"I need to know what that woman carved into my skin," I said, angry.

"Cunt," he whispered. He touched my right shoulder-blade. He didn't say anything.

"What does it say, Kurama?" I asked gently.

"No, Hiei. Just let me heal it."

"What does it say?"

"It says... 'I f-fucked your mother.'"

I turned to face him. "Now heal them," I said. "I don't want any scars."

Kurama nodded with clenched teeth and reached into his hair for a seed. "Did she hurt you anywhere else?"

"Only my pride."

After a few minutes, I felt the wounds heal. It was a horrible stinging itch which Kurama tried to soothe with some kind of flower's nectar. I felt the tickle of a plant that I knew was cleaning the blood.

When Kurama was done, I turned to face him and thank him but he surprised me by placing both hands on my chest and I felt his ki going into my body and mingling with mine. I stared at him, shocked. "What are you doing? I'm okay now." I whispered.

"This is not okay, Hiei. It is very much not okay."

"What are you doing?"

"Feeding you. Is that alright? You need some extra ki to help heal."

"Isn't it easier to hug me?"

Kurama looked at me with sad eyes. "I know I told you I would pretend not to be upset but it's too hard. Will you forgive me if I cry?"

"If I say no, will you not cry?"

Kurama shook his head as the tears started falling.

"Stop... Don't cry for me."

"It hurts, Hiei. What she did to you hurts me."

I pushed his hands off my chest and wrapped my arms around him. He was shaking.

"I'll never forgive her, ne-ver."

"Don't cry," I said uselessly.

"She didn't touch you did she?"

"Other than with the knife, no."

"Oh thank the gods for that!"

I rubbed Kurama's back until he stopped crying than pulled away as gently as possible.

"I feel very foolish," said Kurama.

"Why?" I asked.

"For crying."

"It isn't foolish if you have a good reason. You did."

"Your back is healed."

Yes, but who will heal your heart?

Sorry about the OOC with both characters. It's just hard to write something emotional going on between the two of them without having some OOC in the mix.

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