"I'm fine! So I screwed up an easy shot! Kuwabara does that all – will you stop that?!"
After the encounter in the park, the four had returned to Yusuke's house and Yusuke had insisted on looking Hiei over. All four boys crowded into the bedroom, Hiei crouched on the mattress, and Yusuke started his examination. So far, the little demon was being uncooperative.
"Just let me see it!" Yusuke snapped, and when Hiei turned away, he grabbed the smaller boy's hair and made him turn back.
"It looks fine, Yusuke," Kurama said, glancing at the glowing third eye Hiei was usually so proud of.
"He feels fine," Kuwabara added.
"What does that mean?" Yusuke asked, letting go of Hiei's head.
"I mean his energy," Kuwabara said, "It feels the same. I think you're just paranoid."
"Oh, so I'm the only one who saw him bomb the sneak attack?" Yusuke demanded.
"I'm fine." Hiei said angrily, "There's nothing wrong with me. There's nothing wrong with the Jagan. And I am done talking to you about it."
Yusuke couldn't stop the blur before it was gone.
"Hiei!" Yusuke snapped but stopped at the bedroom door. "Oh, come on…"
Keiko, who had been waiting for them when they arrived, was sitting on the couch and reading. In an attempt to thwart Yusuke, Hiei had sought refuge with the girlfriend.
"Well, he knows how to beat me, I'll give him that," Yusuke said but went into the living room anyway.
Keiko didn't look up as Yusuke approached. Hiei moved closer to her. She smiled and ruffled his hair, ignoring Yusuke studiously as he watched them.
Keiko, despite what she'd seen of him at the Dark Tournament, could never get over the fact that Hiei looked like he could be ten years old. She treated him like a kid, and though usually Hiei loathed this kind of attention, today it was working in his favor. She cuddled him and Yusuke would not bother him for fear of angering Keiko.
"Hiei, come on," Yusuke said, "I'm not done. I'm just trying to help."
Silence.
"Leave him alone, Yusuke," Keiko said, "He's spending some time with me."
"He doesn't need time with you," Yusuke said.
"Well, I want some time with him," Keiko said haughtily, "You see him everyday. This is my turn."
In a purely childish, and purely human gesture, Hiei stuck his tongue out at Yusuke.
"Oh, that's mature!" Yusuke snapped, "Tell her why you don't want to talk to me, Hiei."
Silence.
"Yusuke," Keiko closed the book and looked him in the eye, "I said, leave him alone."
"…fine…" Yusuke gave up and went in toward the kitchen. He leaned over the edge of the couch and whispered to Hiei on the way, "But she can't protect you forever…"
Hiei watched him go. When he didn't come back, Keiko sighed and turned to the demon beside her.
"I think you ought to tell me what this is about," she said.
"And I don't think there's anything wrong. I don't know what he's so upset about."
Hiei spent the next half hour telling Keiko about the library the day before and the fight that morning. She listened without saying anything, but he could tell she was worried too. The other two boys had long gone home and Yusuke had yet to return from whatever part of the house he'd wandered off to.
"But I don't want him upset," Hiei admitted, "Or the others."
"Hiei, he's going to worry about you no matter what happens," Keiko told him, "That's Yusuke. It's kind of what he does."
She smiled but he looked away.
"He cares about you, Hiei," Keiko turned his head back towards her. "All of us do."
His eyes were confused. Keiko wondered if that was a new concept for him, and was afraid that it might be.
"It'll be OK," Keiko assured him, "I'm sure you're right, and it's nothing. But just remember that we're here for you, OK?"
Hiei nodded and climbed off the couch. Yusuke promised he could sleep there that night. Keiko wished both of them good night and left.
But Hiei didn't sleep. What Keiko had said kept replaying in his mind.
Not that he could hear it over the pounding headache.
