Shesh! It's been awhile! I know have wireless internet! How exciting! So this chapter is long overdo, I had a stroke of inspiration and well, here ya go! Enjoy!

Kuwabara reached for the face cloth that had fallen to the bottom of the tub. He expertly wrung it out, leaned back against the cool porcelain and put the cloth over his throbbing eyes; he had been losing so much time he had no idea of the last time he actually slept. He relaxed as the hot water stole the tension from his muscles. Mentally he imagined the stress and sin floating away with the steam as he reclined in the wide tub. He had left Hiei in the bedroom. After they had had sex for the second time, the fire demon fell asleep giving Kuwabara some much needed solitude.

Kuwabara audibly groaned enjoying the echo reverberating throughout the small bathroom. He shook the exhaustion and fuzziness from his mind and became engrossed in thought.

::Flashback::

Kazuma was six years old. He was standing on the tips of his toes in order to look out the second story window of his bedroom. It was hard to see anything through the pouring rain, but he was relentless.

"What are you doing?" Without removing his determined gaze from the window he could tell the voice belonged to his older sister, Shizuru.

"I'm looking for when Mom comes home, Dad said she should be back any day now. I want to be ready and tell her how much I missed her."

"Dad said that two weeks ago." Kazuma ignored the statement. A car drove by and he leaned even closer to the glass to get a better look. The car continued on its route, obviously not headed to the Kuwabara household. Kazuma used his drooping sleeve to wipe away the condensation his breath had created.

"Kazuma, just get down." He ignored her again.

"You're such an idiot Kazuma! Mom's not coming back! She's gone! Forever! And do you know why?" Kazuma clutched the windowsill between his fingers even more tightly. His turned back only infuriated Shizuru more, she began shouting.

"She's gone because she went crazy! Insane! Nutso! She killed herself! She's dead! No more Mommy! And that's what's going to happen to me and that's what's going to happen to you!"

At this point Kazuma's father burst into the room.

"What's going on in here?" He said looking accusingly at Shizuru. But she said nothing further and stormed out of the room. If Kazuma would have turned around he would have seen how tired and haggard his father looked; there was no way he could have missed the exhausted depression one can only accrue from losing the love of their life.

As he stood glued to the window he waited for his father to tell him it wasn't true. That Shizuru was just lying to upset him. He expected confirmation of what he knew was true- that his mother was finally coming home. Instead he heard his father say gently before closing his bedroom door,

"Kazuma, come on, it's time to stop waiting. Get down from the window."

::end flashback::

Kuwabara sighed as he recalled the memory. It was now more than ever that he cursed himself of his optimism. What was he doing? Had he been so blinded by his hope that he didn't realize the severity of his situation? He was not only fucking one, but two of his closest friends. And he wasn't even gay. One of them had fallen in love with him, and the other- well he didn't know if Hiei wanted to love him or kill him.

Shizuru's words echoed in his head.

"Insane! Nutso! She killed herself! She's dead! No more Mommy! And that's what's going to happen to me and that's what's going to happen to you."

He was disturbed from his reverie by a knock on the chipped and splintered bathroom door swollen from steam. Hiei was awake. He had to quell his immediate urge to send him away.

"Place nice," He thought bitterly, "Or you'll lose time again,"

"What's up?" He called from the tub. He heard the door creak open. By the time he removed the washcloth from his eyes in surprise, Hiei was already sitting on the edge of the tub, eyes roaming over Kuwabara's long reclined body. He blushed furiously, he was never going to get used to being looked at like a delicious meal to a starving man. Before he could tell Hiei exactly that, he was again shocked when the smaller man arose and began taking off his clothes. Although Kuwabara was not gay, he could appreciate how perfectly lean and proportioned Hiei's small frame was- well everything was in proportion except -he noticed with another blush coming back to his face- his engorged member. Kuwabara vaguely remembered the Christian depiction of demons having tremendous genitals, and wondered if there was a connection. Hiei stepped gracefully into the tub, as Kuwabara unconsciously made room for him. He sat between his naked legs and leaned against his chest displacing enough water so that some sloshed over the side of the tub. However, the mess was the last thing on Kuwabara's mind.

"Who knew that Hiei could be so affectionate?" He thought.

"Hiei?"

"Hmm?" He heard Hiei's affirmation rumble through his small body.

He forced himself to bring forth the question. He almost choked on it as he realized with humiliation that Hiei's bottom brushing across his cock was getting him hard. He tried feverishly to remember that he was not gay, and that this was Hiei, the pers-demon, that despised him most in the world. But if he despised him, why was he sitting naked in a tub with him?

"Hiei, about how long have we been sleeping together now?" He had tried to word the question in a way that didn't suggest he had no clue what-so-ever. To his surprise Hiei answered immediately.

"Four weeks, and five days."

"Wow well…"

"Are you surprised that I remember? I can recall the very minute you said yes."

Kuwabara felt his draw drop slightly in amazement.

"Why… why do you remember so accurately?"

Hiei shifted against him, brushing his soft skin against Kuwabara groin again. He prayed Hiei didn't notice him getting hard. Oh, what the hell was he worried about? How many times have they had sex already? Finally he spoke up again.

"I've wanted you for a very long time," Kuwabara's next question came from shock and curiosity, not hope or longing.

"Hiei, are you… are you in love with me?"

Hiei dexterously rearranged himself so that his back was on one side of the tub, and Kuwabara was on the other. Now they were facing one another. Kuwabara admonished himself when his member didn't soften. Hiei stared at Kuwabara who shifted under his gaze. Eventually he realized that Hiei had just zoned out in his direction, lost in thought.

"Love is a ningen word that is superficially known to me. Are you asking if I long for you? Yes. Are you asking if I find myself wanted to be by your side? Yes. As I've said I'm only superficially acquainted with the word love, but my only fear of using it wrong in my ignorance would be that it wouldn't express enough how I feel for you, it wouldn't be a potent enough word. What word is there in the ningen tongue that is stronger than love? Find that word for me, the one that suggest limitless, and that is the word I would use."

Kuwabara was speechless. He felt wildly guilty. He had not just led the guy on, he had slept with him multiple times. He wasn't even gay. Well… he hadn't been acting exactly like a straight man. He felt his guilt weigh him down as he sank deeper into the tub. More water sloshed over the sides. When he spoke, it was honestly.

"… I never knew. I thought you hated me." He forced himself to meet Hiei's piercing carmine eyes, "Hiei, I don't want to hurt you."

"If you're referring to your relationship with the detective," Kuwabara hadn't even thought of that, "I admit I was jealous at first, but I realized I had no right to be," This was new, Hiei looked slightly uncomfortable, "I spoke to Kurama, he informed me that humans are capricious in their relationships until they mature. As if 'testing' for a suitable mate- dating is the word that I believe he used. He said humans are usually ignorant and it takes a long time for them to find themselves and what they want, even though their lifespan is incredibly short."

Kuwabara's brain felt hazy again. He was so tired. He couldn't only imagine the black bags dragging down the skin under his eyes.

"I don't want to hurt Urameshi either," Kuwabara dipped his hands in the soapy water. He brought his two index fingers and two thumbs together in a makeshift wand and blew a tremendous bubble with the circle. Hiei looked as if he didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused at the childish behavior during a serious conversation. Kuwabara was too exhausted to care.

"What do you want, Kazuma?" He swatted away another bubble, "Stop it, how old are you?"

"At the moment?" he thought inwardly.

"I can't think. What I want more than anything right now is- "

'to stop being crazy,'

"-to go to sleep,"

Hiei's expression softened, "you do look tired," he said sympathetically, "I haven't seen you sleep in a while. Is it your insomnia?"

"So is that the lie I've been telling them?" He lifted himself out of the tub and grabbed two clean towels from the shelf handing one to Hiei. He dared not look even look in the mirror; he could feel how terrible he looked.

"I need you to do something for me." This wasn't good. Kuwabara couldn't depend on other people for the rest of his life, but he needed this one night of sleep- to clear his head. Hiei stood patiently waiting for Kuwabara to continue.

"I need you to watch me sleep," he came up with the lie on the spot, "I think my insomnia is derived from not feeling comfortable being alone; I want you to be with me when I sleep. Most importantly, there is a very good chance I'm going to wake up and start talking to you, want to get out of bed, go do things this is called- "

'my other personality coming forth,'

" -sleepwalking. No matter what I say, what I do, especially if I erm… try to seduce you," Kuwabara blushed furiously, but he couldn't risk the possibility, Hiei's devilish smile worried him when he looked up, "you must convince me to sleep or at least stay in bed for about eight hours."

Hiei nodded once, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's going to be difficult-" Hiei began

"I know, keeping me asleep, don't let me get up-"

"-being in the same bed with you and allowing you to sleep."

"…Oh," Hiei smiled so genuinely Kuwabara's heart leapt.

"I'll do my best to keep my hands off you,"

They walked to the bedroom. Kuwabara was too tired to remove the towel around his waist. He crawled into his bed water droplets dripping from his body. He felt the mattress compress as Hiei got comfortable next to him.

"Hiei?" Kuwabara mumbled, his eyelids were so heavy, "don't leave me."

Kuwabara had already fallen asleep before he could hear Hiei say with compassion in his voice,

"I'll be here, while you sleep, and when you wake up."

Oh Hiei you're so romantic. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks to Nurdgurl for being so divinely patient !

TM29