He gives me that sweet smile again, those beautiful brown eyes sparkling in the sun. "Hey. I've been waiting for you for some time now."

I grin brightly back at him and feel Hiei's energy rising behind me. His face is hard and stern, hands shoved in his pockets and head slightly cocked. "I didn't know you'd be here, Koenma."

My arms wrap around him and he hugs me back. "I persuaded my dad to let me stay here. And it worked! I'll be going back to school tomorrow and we... we can... we can start from where we left off, right?"

The question freezes my thoughts for a moment. I look back at Hiei and he's still standing the same way. "Umm." Of course as nice as I am, I can't turn him down. "Yeah. I'd love that."

Then, something weird happens. i feel Hiei's body shift and feel a stabbing pain in my heart. He shifts again and walks away. "Hiei!" But Koenma catches my arm.

"Forget him. The important thing is that we're together again. Nothing can separate us, not even your friend, I just know it!" Koenma takes my hand and smiles bigger. "I love you."

I want to return his words, but something wells up in my chest and I can't breathe. I look back seeing no signs of him. My heart about gives up. You can do this, I tell myself. "I love you too." It's the only lie I wish I never have said. Those three words doesn't mean anything to me for him anymore. It means a lot if they are directed to someone else I yearn.

I wake up in the middle of the night, half asleep meeting a pair of red eyes. "Hiei?" I whisper.

"Shh. Go to sleep Little Red." I feel something warm on my forehead and he disappears. My eyes close in exhaustion and I forget everything that just happened.

In the morning, Koenma waits for me in front of my house as usual. He takes my hand and I almost want to yank it away. His touch is different from what I remember. School's going to be rough from now on. Koenma tells me everything about his dad's home, how he had servants, beautiful girls to do his work, and how bored he soon became. He begged his dad to allow him to move back here, closer to me. Guilt rushes in my veins as he talks. I'm not even sure how long I'LL be able to keep it up.

In school, everyone is fussing over Koenma's return, but my attention is somewhere else. I search for a certain vertically challenged, spiky haired, red eyed boy whom I owe an apology to. But people surrounds me like towering walls. Everyone's voices ringing crucially in my ears. The bell hasn't rung yet and there's still a good five minutes. I take a step back while everyone circles around Koenma and run off inside the building.

I climb up the stairs knowing he's probably there. And I'm right. Hiei looks over the fence to where I was just at. He's been watching me. "Good morning Hiei."

He stays silent. I walk next to him and rest my forearm on the railing. His gaze doesn't falter and I'm sure I know why. There's a barrier around him and it's not going down anytime soon.

"Hiei-"

"Do you see it, Little Red? The great opportunity for a friendship? But he won't talk to her because he knows she's already got someone to love. He's afraid." I frown at his words then follow his gaze. I don't see any one that fits his description.

"I don't see anything." I admit shyly.

"Because you are a fool, Kurama. You don't see anything because your kindness and innocence blinds you from seeing anything. You're too blind to even see who is truly in front of you." His voice rises at each sentence. "Someday you'll figure it out, but by then, it would have already been too late." He turns around and sighs deeply.

I don't get him sometimes. That's why I find him funny. "I don't get why you're trying to say. I'm not blind. My visions are perfect and I see well in the dark."

But that only seems to make him angrier. "You're a fool!" He repeats again, louder this tim. "You don't realize what I'm talking about! Admit it! You're afraid you'll know and hurt your precious lover. Let me tell you something, Little Red, if he dares hurt you I'm slicing that beautiful face of his from your point of view. I'll slice it off and throw it in a river."

I'm confused. When has Koenma hurt Hiei? My expression angers. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about. Koenma has never hurt me!"

"You lie! He hurt you the first day we met! Stop acting like you don't know what I mean Little Red!" He stops and takes a few deep breaths. "All I'm saying is," Hiei begins softer, "I don't want to see you like that again." His hand touches my cheek. A small flashes on his face for a second. "You're too good for that bastard." He turns around and walks away. I want to run after him, but my feet won't listen. It's as if my feet are glued to the ground.