Again I have to apologize for the amount of time it took me update. I've just been super busy with school. But it's finally happened, I've uploaded chapter four.

So I figured it's about time this Yu Yu Hakusho wedding started getting planned so Kurama's getting to it in this chapter and Hiei and Shiori will share a very special moment. I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters

Kurama woke up in his bed alone. Hiei had been very diligent about following Shiori's rules this whole week since Kurama had scolded him for being a poor house guest. Sure he had snuck into her son's bedroom for a little after hours fun once she was asleep, but he had spent every night on the couch. He had also been doing very well as far as Kurama was concerned. The fire demon had been spending more time in the house and had even been a regular guest at their family dinners. He never said much, but that was just his way. Kurama couldn't take away any points for that. Kurama rolled over and looked at the clock. He didn't have school today, but he had decided that today he would begin to actually plan this wedding. If they were going to have a human wedding they were going to do it right. He was his mother's only son and he would not rob her of this experience. Kurama rolled over to look at the other side of his bed, the side Hiei slept on when he slept there. On the pillow he found a white piece of paper with writing on it, Hiei's writing.

Fox, you told me last time to leave a note if I was going out. I should be back around midday, if not don't worry, I am not returning to Makai just yet and am not sure when I plan to.

Love, Hiei.

Kurama smiled at the signature. He wondered how long Hiei had debated about whether or not to write "love". He took the note and tucked it into a drawer before getting dressed and leaving his room. Upon entering the kitchen he saw his mother preparing breakfast. "Good morning, Mother."

"Shuichi," she smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Well," he said. "I'm afraid I won't have any time for breakfast, I'm trying to get some wedding planning done today."

"How exciting," her smile widened. "Is Hiei going to help you?"

"Oh," Kurama looked to the living room where Hiei should have been. "No, he's out running some other errands, but he should be back around midday. I'm not sure when I'll be back. I suppose however long it takes to find a suitable place for the ceremony."

"Well good luck," Shiori said.

"Thank you," Kurama smiled and left the house.

xxxxx

Some hours had passed and Kurama hadn't decided on a single element of their wedding. This wedding planning was harder than he had imagined, especially for someone as critical as Kurama who wanted to weigh all his options before finalizing anything. He sighed, walking the streets wondering where he should head next, or if he should just go home. "Kurama!" he heard a familiar voice call.

He turned around and was greeted by Kayko running down the street waving at him. "Kayko! How are you?"

"I'm great," she said. "I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?"

"Not much," he said. "Lots of schoolwork. My last year of high school is rapidly coming to a close so I've been preparing for university."

"That must be stressful," Kayko said. Kurama nodded. "So where were you headed?"

"Um…actually I'm looking for wedding venues," Kurama admitted.

"Wedding venues?" Kayko asked. "Is someone getting married?"

"Actually I am," he said. "To Hiei."

"Hiei?" Kayko's whole face filled with surprise as she almost laughed.

"I know it may come as a surprise," he said.

"I'm sorry," Kayko apologized. She immediately felt bad for her reaction. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," Kurama said. The two stood in silence for a moment as Kurama took in their surroundings and realized they were outside of a small café. "Would you like to get some coffee?" Kayko smiled and nodded as they entered the shop.

The two got their drinks and took a seat at one of the tables. "So you and Hiei are really getting married?" Kayko asked.

"Yes," Kurama said.

"How long have you two been together?" she asked.

This was a difficult question to answer. They had never really dated so he wasn't sure how to gauge when they had gotten together. "I suppose officially after the demon tournament," he decided. "He took a position in demon world with Mukuro, but would occasionally come to visit me. I think to be able to keep some sort of contact after everything that had happened between the four of us: Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and I. Eventually those visits escalated to have a more romantic nature." A more physical nature is what he meant.

"It's hard to imagine Hiei being romantic," Kayko admitted. "He's always so angry and mean."

"He does seem that way doesn't he?" Kurama agreed. "But all of that anger comes from a place of hurt. He means well."

"Is he actually nice to you?" Kayko asked.

Kurama was surprised the question had come up again. "Yes he is," Kurama said. "I know it's hard for people to imagine, but he really is good to me. We have a connection that allows him to feel very at ease around me, allows him to be himself." He paused for a moment. "You could say it's somewhat similar to what you and Yusuke have." Kayko's eyes widened as Kurama compared her relationship with Yusuke to Hiei and his. "Yusuke didn't have very many friends in school. From what I understand most people feared him. But you weren't scared and you fell in love with him."

Kayko thought for a moment as she took in what Kurama had said. "You're right," Kayko said. "I guess no one really knows what anyone's like on the inside unless they give them a chance." Kurama nodded taking a sip of his drink. "But it hasn't been that long since the demon tournament ended. Why are you in such a hurry to get married? Don't you want to graduate university first?"

"I've lived over a thousand years," Kurama said. "I don't think graduating university is going to change how Hiei and I feel about each other. Besides, Mukuro keeps him very busy with work. So busy that sometimes we don't see each other for weeks and when we do see each other it can be for only one night. Hiei seems to think that if we get married she'll feel obligated to let him have more time to spend with me."

"Do you think that's true?" Kayko asked. "Do you think she will?"

"I don't know," Kurama admitted. "But I know that Hiei knows Mukuro better than anybody. The two have forged an unexplainable connection. If Hiei says she will respect our marriage, I have no choice but to believe that she will." He thought about the connection that the two had and wondered why Hiei hadn't yet gone to Makai. There was no doubt in his mind that Mukuro was in love with Hiei. She wanted him for her own, but he knew that Hiei didn't feel the same for her. He had been in love with the fox since well before the demon tournament, maybe even before the dark tournament. But perhaps Hiei was aware of Mukuro's feelings and was trying to avoid hurting her as she had been hurt before in the past, as Hiei had been hurt in his own past.

"So when's the wedding?" Kayko asked pulling Kurama from his thoughts.

"I'm not sure," Kurama said. "I'd like it to be done as soon as possible, but it will really depend on our venue's availability."

"And you haven't found one yet?" Kayko asked.

"Unfortunately no," Kurama said. "I don't really have a vision for the wedding like I think I'm supposed to. It was rather unexpected for Hiei to propose."

"Do you want some help?" Kayko asked. Kurama looked at her with surprise. "Well I don't suspect I'll ever be able to plan my own wedding with the way Yusuke acts. I just thought maybe you could use a helping hand."

"You know, I think I could," Kurama said. "I would love your help, if you don't mind."

"Not at all!" Kayko smiled. "Now we've got to find you a venue! Where should we start?" Kayko got up from where she sat and grabbed Kurama by the arm to pull him out of the café. It became clear that with a sixteen year old girl helping to plan his wedding things would get done much quicker.

xxxxx

Hiei walked into the house. It still felt strange every time he stepped through the front door. It was an odd feeling to be a welcomed guest in Kurama's home. He entered the living room and found Shiori sitting on the couch, flipping through what appeared to be an old photo album. "Hello, Hiei," she smiled taking her attention from the book.

"Hello," Hiei said. It was always awkward for him whenever he had to speak to a member of Kurama's family alone. "Is K…Shuichi home?"

"No," Shiori said. "He went out to get some of the wedding planning done."

"Oh," Hiei's eyes drifted to the pictures in the album. He saw a variety of pictures all with the same subject: a small boy with vivid red hair. "Is that Kura…Shuichi?"

"Yes," Shiori smiled. "This engagement has me feeling a little sentimental. You never realize how quickly the time's gone by." Hiei was hardly listening. It was odd seeing Kurama so small. He hardly looked like himself. This man who now had such a striking beauty was at one time nothing more than a joyful child. Shiori noticed Hiei's interest in the photos. "Would you like to look with me?" Hiei nodded silently, taking a seat next to his soon to be mother in-law. As she pointed to each picture she told a story about what was going on when it was taken. Her voice was full of joy and her face lit up flipping through the pages. In this moment Hiei realized that Kurama's love was reciprocated. He had never thought before that the love and admiration Kurama had for this human was well deserved, but listening to her reminisce and brag about her son made Hiei see that they truly had an unbreakable bond. "We don't have many pictures as a family, you know with Shuichi's father. He died when Shuichi was so young. I think that made it difficult for him growing up." She turned her gaze to Hiei. "You know things weren't always so easy between the two of us."

"Really?" Hiei asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes," Shiori said. "For a while he could be so defiant, when he was happy he was perfectly content, but if I tried to reprimand him he would…" She sighed. "It was almost as if he was someone completely different." Hiei nodded and smiled. Yoko's strong spirit had been present in Kurama even as a child. "But then I got sick and he was so worried about me. He was constantly by my side; somehow all of that defiance just vanished. Since then things have been so easy, but I always wonder if I should have done things differently to compensate for the loss of his father. If there was anything I could have done to…"

"I think you did a fine job," Hiei interrupted. "Shuichi cares for you above all others. You are a constant thought on his mind."

"That's nice to hear," Shiori said. She looked into Hiei's eyes, noticing for the first time the distinctive hue. "You have such beautiful eyes. So unique."

Hiei's eyes quickly darted away. "Thank you," he said politely. "I believe they're from my mother."

"You never met her?" Shiori asked.

"No," Hiei said. "I was a baby when they cast me away. Years later when I returned I discovered that she killed herself from grief."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Shiori said. "She must have loved you very much, even if she couldn't have you."

"I suppose," Hiei scoffed. He remembered hearing his mother cry for him, pleading with elders to keep him. He supposed that was love, but it didn't matter. It hadn't been enough to keep them together, to keep him from the harsh life he had lived.

"Believe me, Hiei," Shiori said firmly. "It is a love only a mother can know." Hiei stayed quiet. He didn't want to enter into a debate about the motherly love he had or had not received as a child. "So these eyes of yours, what makes you think you got them from her?"

"I…I have a sister," Hiei stated uncomfortably. "A twin sister and hers are the same." Shiori looked at him in confusion. If they were twins born of the same parents the trait could have very easily been passed by their father. "We only share a mother." Hiei quickly realized that this would be highly uncommon for someone who did not asexually reproduce. "It's somewhat complicated."

"So you do have some family," Shiori said trying not to dwell on the paternal confusion. "Did you two grow up together?"

"No, she stayed with my people…with my family," Hiei said. "It was because of my father that I wasn't accepted, but for Yukina that wasn't a problem."

"Yukina, that's a beautiful name," Shiori said.

"Yes," Hiei said. "It is." He thought of how the sound of his sister's name delighted his ears. How knowing she was nearby made him feel not so alone and how he would kill anybody who put her in harm's way.

"But you have a relationship with her?" Shiori asked.

"I do now," he said. "I've watched over her to make sure she was safe since I discovered her existence, but it wasn't until more recently that we met."

"And she's been accepting of you?" Shiori asked. "Not like the rest of your family?"

Hiei stared down at his hands. They had stumbled into even more uncomfortable territory than speaking of his mother. "She doesn't know," Hiei said.

"What doesn't she know?" Shiori asked.

Hiei fidgeted at the question. This was one area of his life he had not wished to share. Truthfully, he didn't want to share anything with these humans, but he would rather talk about anything other than this. "She doesn't know that I am her brother," Hiei admitted. "I found her…we all found her, Yusuke and Kuwabara, and…horrible things were being done to her. We freed her and she has since been searching for her long lost brother…not knowing that he was in fact the very one who saved her from Hell…that he found her long ago and has been trying to save her from the cruel reality of the person he's become ever since."

Shiori took hold of Hiei's hands drawing his eyes to her. "Whatever you have done, it can't be so awful that she wouldn't want to at least know you exist. By searching for you she has taken the first steps toward accepting you into her life. I would hate for you to miss out on the chance to finally have a family."

"She wouldn't want me as her family," Hiei stated. "No one possibly could."

"Well you'll never know if she does or doesn't if you don't tell her," Shiori said. "She wants to know her brother as desperately as you wanted to know your sister. You have kept yourself hidden for years because you're afraid of losing her once she finds out what you've done. Don't let your past define your future because it will destroy you. And it will destroy the life of the person you've decided to embark on a future with. The person who has chosen to make you a part of his family."

Hiei's face turned dangerously stern as he gripped her hands tightly. "I would never do anything to hurt your son," Hiei's voice was intense. "I promise you that. I love him above all else and would go to whatever lengths necessary to keep him from harm." The words were true. Kurama had been the only person to ever openly love him and one of the first and few people to show him genuine kindness. So many times he had watched the redhead in peril and pain and each time he had silently wished to destroy those who hurt him. Now this human was suggesting that he could potentially harm Kurama. He would die before he would hurt him.

"Well the only lengths that seem to be necessary are accepting the love he has chosen to give you," Shiori said. "To do that, you have to realize that you deserve to be loved and that includes the love you haven't yet given yourself."

Hiei didn't speak. Loving himself? What was there to love? He was a cold, cruel monster. A convicted criminal who could never possibly make up for what he'd done. But then he thought of the time he had spent with Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. With them he had committed many good acts, though not enough to eradicate his history. Even so they had chosen to be his friend. Though he rejected the notion, he had entered into a sort of friendship with them, more than that with Kurama. The love he felt for Kurama was so much stronger than any evil feeling from the past. He would never stop being angry or lose the need for violence in his life, those were inherent feelings within him, but Kurama had filled him with the need for more than that. He needed to see the fox, needed to hold him in his arms, needed to know that someone out there who was also at war within themself needed him too. Then there were the other two. Despite the fact that he had sworn to exact his revenge against Yusuke, the ex-spirit detective had easily accepted him as a friend. And while Kuwabara was an incredible fool he was entirely good natured and always hopeful about Hiei's place in the group. There were three people, three good people, who cared about Hiei. If they could put aside his past, why couldn't he? "Perhaps you're right," Hiei said. "Thank you for sharing those pictures with me. I've just remembered I have some things I need to do before Shuichi returns home." With that he rose and left the house, feeling even stranger than when he had entered it.

xxxxx

Kayko and Kurama's search for a venue continued. Although Kayko was full of enthusiasm it had not been much help in making Kurama more decisive. "Perhaps I'm just too picky," Kurama suggested.

"No," Kayko said. "There's no such thing as too picky when it comes to your wedding. You only get the one. You have to make it special." Kurama nodded. "We'll just keep looking." Kayko yawned.

"You're tired," Kurama said. "We can just pick up tomorrow."

"No, it's okay," Kayko said. "We can keep looking."

"Kayko, please go home," Kurama said. "I think all the venues in Japan will still be here tomorrow. It'll be better if we have fresh eyes."

"Okay," she yawned. "But we'll find it tomorrow."

"Yes, we won't stop looking until…" a gust of wind blew by. With it a sea of pink petals floated between the two of them and caught in Kayko's hair. Kurama reached out and took one from her head. "Cherry blossoms." He turned to look in the direction the breeze had come from.

Kayko watched as his eyes closed and he seemed heavy in concentration. "Kurama…?"

"Maybe just one more stop," Kurama said quietly as he began moving against the breeze with determination. Kayko walked quickly to follow him. She wasn't quite sure where they were going, but still she followed without question. Eventually they came upon a garden area full of cherry trees, their blossoms falling gracefully to the grass.

Kayko gasped. "It's beautiful." She looked around to take in her surroundings. The pink trees had grown in such a way that they formed two effortless lines leaving a clearing of lush, green grass between them.

"Yes," Kurama said placing a hand on one of the trees feeding it his energy and testing its own.

"How did you know this was here?" she asked.

"When I saw the blossoms I knew that there must be at least one tree nearby," he stated. "I felt for its energy and when I did it was so strong I knew there would be several, but I did not expect it to be this beautiful." His eyes closed once more as he deeply inhaled the air around them. "This is where Hiei and I should be married."

"You think so?" Kayko asked excitedly.

"I do," Kurama was still in a sort of trance. "This is it."

"Do you even know where we are?" Kayko asked searching for some sort of landmark.

"I'll be able to find it," he stated pulling his hand from the tree's trunk. "Thank you for being here with me Kayko."

"Thank you for letting me be here with you."

Kurama smiled as the two left the field and began walking back to town. "Kayko," Kurama said as they neared her house.

"Yes?" she looked at him.

"I was wondering…if you'd like to be my maid of honor."

"Really?" she stopped walking. "Are you sure? That's a really big responsibility."

"I believe it's the maid of honor who helps the bride with all the planning and since it seems I am to be the bride at this wedding I believe that makes you the best candidate for maid of honor," he explained.

"Well then of course I'll be your maid of honor," Kayko beamed with joy as she began walking again. "Oh this is so exciting! Are we still going to get together tomorrow? I think we should. There's so much stuff that goes into a wedding, you need decide on flowers and tuxes and my dress…"

"Yes, well we can discuss all that tomorrow," Kurama said. "I think we've done enough searching for one day."

"Okay," Kayko agreed. Kurama could see that her mind was still running a list of all the preparations for the wedding.

"Do you think you could talk to Yusuke and Kuwubara about being groomsmen?" Kurama asked.

"Oh, that would be perfect," Kayko gushed. "The four of you together for you and Hiei's wedding."

"Yes, well…" They arrived at her front door. "Come by my place tomorrow after school?"

"Okay," she smiled before hugging him and entering her house. He smiled as he watched her go and began walking home.

xxxxx

Kurama stepped into his bedroom. It had been a long day of wedding planning and chatting with Kayko. It was nice to have someone to help, even if it wasn't his fiancé. And Kayko had seemed more than happy to help. She had probably been planning her wedding since she was a young girl, as all human females seemed to. This made her far more helpful than Hiei, who had just discovered the custom, and even more knowledgeable than Kurama who had never imagined he would be playing the bridal role in a wedding. He wondered if Hiei would even be interested in knowing any of the details beforehand or if he would simply find out the day of the wedding when he experienced them. He sighed. Hiei hardly seemed invested in the actual wedding at all. But was that so abnormal for the groom? As long as they ended the day as a married couple, Hiei would be content. And that was enough investment for Kurama.

"Kurama?" Hiei called from outside the door. "May I come in?" It was odd to be asking permission to enter; he typically just appeared in the bedroom whenever he pleased.

"Of course," Kurama opened the door, allowing the fire demon to enter. It was strange for him as well. He had half expected to find Hiei already in his room when he arrived home. "How was your day?" Kurama shut the door behind him, joining Hiei to sit on his bed.

"Fine," Hiei stated. "I spoke with your mother. She was looking at pictures of you as a child."

"Oh," Kurama said embarrassed. The thought of Hiei, who had never had a true childhood, looking at pictures of him blowing out birthday candles and smiling toothlessly into a camera made his face turn pink. "Anything interesting?"

"Not particularly," Hiei said. "You seemed a very pleasant child and it is obvious your mother cares for you very much."

"As I do her," Kurama said, his face cooling.

"You're very much alike," Hiei said.

Kurama smiled. "I can only hope so," he said. "She's an incredible woman."

"Yes." Hiei nodded in agreement. Now that he had met her he could finally concur with this statement. "She showed me a great deal of kindness," Hiei admitted. "I can understand your fondness for her." Kurama was shocked. Perhaps he should leave Hiei alone with his mother more often. "Anyway, after speaking with her about you…there's something I want you to have."

"Oh?" Kurama asked. What on Earth had they talked about that had Hiei in such a mood? He watched as Hiei reached into his pocket and pulled out a shining object hanging on a string. "Hiei…" Kurama felt short of breath. It was his mother's tear stone. "I can't possibly…"

"Still insisting you're not interested in me that way?" Hiei asked.

"No," Kurama said obviously. "I just know how much it means to you."

"I want you to have it now," Hiei stated, holding it loosely in his hand. "When your mother and I spoke I thought of the love that you have chosen to share with me despite what I am. Despite everything, you've never asked me to change."

Kurama touched Hiei's arm. "I don't want you to change. I like you the way you are. What would I possibly ask you to change?"

"You're familiar with my past. You know what I've done and what I'm capable of, yet you have accepted me regardless." Hiei spoke as if recalling a planned speech from memory rather than answering his lover's question.

"Well you haven't asked me to change either," Kurama said. Hiei turned to look at him. "My past is not so different from yours, Hiei. As demons we've been forced to make certain choices, but you can't let your past define your future."

Hiei's eyes widened. Were Kurama and his mother so much alike? "That's exactly what your mother said when we spoke."

"A wise woman," Kurama smiled. "What other advice did she offer?"

"She said that I need to learn to love myself in order to be able to accept your love," Hiei admitted. He paused for a moment. He had no desire to receive the same lecture twice. All he wanted was for Kurama to accept the stone. He looked at Kurama and saw that the redhead was patiently waiting for him to gather his thoughts. Finally, Hiei asked, "But I'm not sure I know how to love myself and if I can't learn to…"

Kurama squeezed Hiei's hand. "Then I will love you enough for the both of us," he smiled. Hiei's free hand pushed forward to offer the stone again. Kurama stared at it. "Are you sure you want me to have this?"

"When I was a child it was the only thing that brought me happiness," Hiei recalled. "But now I get that feeling elsewhere."

Kurama took the stone from Hiei. "I will gladly return it if you change your mind."

Hiei looked deep into the fox's eyes. "If you are willing to put aside my past, and help me to do the same then I won't be needing it anymore. Your love brings me more happiness than this stone ever could." Tears formed in Kurama's emerald eyes. It was a genuine proposal. Suddenly, this wedding seemed more real than it had even hours ago when he had began to plan it. Hiei's eyes scanned Kurama's expression with confusion. "What's wrong? I've upset you."

"No," Kurama shook his head. "Not at all." He looked at the stone in his hand. It was beautiful. "You've just taken me by surprise." He pulled the string over his head to hang the stone around his neck. His hand clutched at it. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Hiei said. The fire demon looked at Kurama with hesitation. "There's something else." Kurama stared at him. What more could there be? "When your time here is over and we return to the demon world together…I would like us to be mated."

"You would?" Kurama asked, not even realizing if he had said the words out loud.

"If you wouldn't mind," Hiei said.

"Of course I wouldn't mind," Kurama said. His head was spinning. He knew this human marriage didn't hold much meaning to Hiei, but a demon mating was serious. It would create an permanent bond between them and he was certain it was not a choice Hiei had taken lightly. "I would love to be mated with you." His hand touched Hiei's cheek. "But you realize my time here won't be through for some time. Shiori is slated to live a long life. It will be decades before I permanently return to Makai."

"I wouldn't care if it took centuries," Hiei placed his hand atop Kurama's. "No amount of time will keep me from choosing you as my mate."

As Hiei stared into Kurama eyes the fox could see the uncertainty in the scarlet orbs. Not uncertainty of his feelings for Kurama, but of whether or not it was okay to express them this way. Kurama smiled before kissing Hiei. "You know, I was going to go straight to bed, but I think I could manage staying awake for a while," he kissed him more passionately this time.

"Believe me I would love to," Hiei pulled away. "But…I want to remember this moment like this. I didn't give you the stone expecting anything in return."

Kurama backed away. "I didn't mean to imply…" he began. "I know your motives were genuine." Kurama immediately felt bad. He knew that this gesture couldn't have been easy for Hiei and had meant only to reward him, but in the process he had offended him. "Well I know you've been confined to the couch, but I doubt my mother will know if you're home or not. Do you think it would mar the moment entirely if you were to sleep here, with me tonight?"

"I shouldn't," Hiei said.

Now Kurama was offended. This grand gesture of love and commitment and now Hiei wouldn't even share his bed? "Well if rules are rules," he said, disappointed.

Hiei sighed. "I will stay until you fall asleep," he said. "Then I will leave to sleep on the couch, as are the rules made by your mother." Kurama smiled happily as he got up to ready himself for bed. Hiei moved to lie down and was soon joined by an overjoyed fox who positioned himself eagerly in his arms. "Straight to sleep, Fox."

"Of course," Kurama yawned. "I've had quite a long day planning for our wedding. Not all of us get to spend our time leisurely looking through old photo albums."

"It is your wedding," Hiei stated. "I couldn't care less so long as we are wed."

Kurama smiled as the fire demon confirmed his earlier theory. "Well luckily for me I've found a helper," he said. "I ran into Kayko and she has agreed to assist me in the preparations."

"Hn, you ladies have fun," Hiei teased.

Kurama swiftly nudged Hiei for his comment, but found himself too tired to say anything in retaliation. "Well she'll be coming by tomorrow to go over more of the details. I expect you to be nice to her."

"Go to sleep, Fox."

"Fine," Kurama closed his eyes and rested against his lover as he drifted off to sleep.

So that was chapter four, I hope you liked it. Leave a review and let me know what you thought. As usual flames are welcome. I promise I will try to be better about getting the next chapter up!