Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Never have, never will.

My foot caught in a root and I stumbled, windmilling my arms wildly to maintain my balance. "Shit," I muttered between pants.

Of course, I couldn't blame anyone but myself for my near wipeout. I'd been lost in my own thoughts, ignoring my surroundings, when I tripped. Considering the number of times I've rolled or sprained an ankle, I should know enough to pay attention when running in the woods, and yet my face had almost just become best friends with the dirt.

That being said, it took barely ten seconds for my mind to wander back to my previous train of thought. I needed to figure out how I was going to handle Hiei. I was weighing the pros and cons of being aloof, friendly, or some kind of awkward in between. None sounded particularly appealing. Aloof wasn't going to get me anywhere and, if I was being honest with myself, I did want to make Hiei's presence at the end of my runs a good thing rather than an annoyance. I doubted that I'd be able to be neither aloof nor friendly; I just wasn't good at only being acquaintances. I had to go for all or nothing.

That logic effectively narrowed my choice down to being friendly, which I didn't see as something that would go over well. Hiei would probably ignore any of my attempts at conversation.

Probably ignore? Yeah, right. He would most definitely ignore me.

And that left me in a dilemma. How could I possibly get him to acknowledge my presence and potentially form some kind of friendship?

I leapt a large tree root, lengthening my stride in a well-practiced shift of pace. I enjoyed running in the woods a million times more than running on pavement. For one thing, I ran faster, no doubt because I was always leaping roots. Plus, there was the added benefit of almost complete shade and, while it was still relatively earlier in the summer and wasn't that warm in the morning, I knew that I would appreciate the coolness as the mornings grew hotter.

I passed a tree that I used as a marker for the last half-mile and realized that I didn't have much longer to figure out how to deal with Hiei.

So if being friendly was my best option and even that wouldn't be enough, what else could I do? And that's when it hit me. Why just be friendly, when I could be overly friendly?

Grinning wickedly, I turned a corner in the path and caught sight of the shrine through the trees. I slowed my pace, coming to a stop just below the tree that Hiei was perched in.

"Morning," I called up to the fire demon. I was out of breath and panting, but I made a great show of waving exuberantly and smiling. "How was your wait? Not too boring I hope."

He eyed me strangely, his crimson eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with you?"

I grinned, "I don't see the point in us being hostile with one another. If you're going to insist on being here every morning, then I'm going to have to insist that we talk with one another." Smiling sweetly, I added, "And don't worry. You won't even have to participate. I'd love it if you would, but I can keep a conversation going all on my own. It won't be a problem, just ask Yusuke or Kuwabara, they can attest to my linguistic talents."

Though his face remained studiously blank, I could tell I had caught him off guard. His body posture stiffened, his hands curled into fists, and I could have sworn that I saw his eye twitch.

Beaming, I took a seat against the tree opposite Hiei's perch and looked up at him. "So, are you going to participate?"

Disregarding my question, he asked, "Are you going to insist on prattling away pointlessly?"

"Yes, I am," I said, daring him to tell me not to.

"Hn, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Really? Personally, I disagree."

I restrained an excited smile. In less than five minutes of overt friendliness, I'd gotten Hiei to take part in the conversation. I could already feel a plan forming, a way to get Hiei to open up.

He was watching me, disdain clear in his eyes. "If you believe I will sit here and discuss mundane human topics with you, then you know far less than I was led to believe."

"I'm not suggesting we talk about human crap, in fact human topics are boring. You're a demon; I'm more than willing to listen to the awesome stories you have to tell." I leaned forward, draping my arms over my knees. I was being truthful; I'd dropped my act. Learning about the Makai from a firsthand point of view would be interesting, but I doubted Hiei was going to prove willing to open up to me, at least in the beginning that is.

He proved my suspicions right almost immediately. "What makes you think I'd want to talk to you about the Makai?"

I shrugged. "If you don't want to talk about humans, I figured you'd want to talk about demons. But since you're saying you don't want to talk about either, we've been brought back to my original question. Are you going to participate in the conversation?"

"Isn't that what I'm doing?" A confident smirk crossed his face as he spoke.

"Is it? I thought you were being argumentative. Arguing and talking aren't really the same things."

He watched me, studying me so intently that I had to fight down a blush. When it didn't seem like he was going to respond, I said, "I have a suggestion, if you're willing to follow it."

"What?"

"Rather than having a boring conversation, we can make a game out of it. I'll ask you a question and then you can ask me a question. That way neither of us is talking any more than the other. It's an equal exchange, don't you think?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Is that your first question?" At the baleful stare Hiei sent me I sighed and asked, "Why wouldn't you? It's a pretty simple idea and it could be fun if you're willing to take part."

Apparently deciding to humor me, Hiei said, "What's your first question?"

"I'll start simple. Can you explain your position in the Makai? How about Kurama's?"

"That's two questions," Hiei stated dryly.

"Please don't be difficult," I pleaded.

"Hn, you're lucky I'm doing this at all."

I took a deep calming breath. I felt like I was trying to talk to a three year old, a very stubborn three year old. "Are you going to answer my questions or not?"

"Has Yusuke's woman never explained it to you?"

"You mean Keiko?" I laughed. Hearing Keiko referred to as Yusuke's woman was hilarious. It made her sound like Yusuke had some measure of control over her, which I knew was far from true. In fact, it seemed to me that Keiko had far more control over Yusuke than he had ever had over her. "She's told me some things but I'm sure you could explain everything better."

Yet another confident smirk spread across Hiei's face and I resisted the urge to tell him that his superiority was showing. "Hn, you're right, I can explain better than that woman."

"Are you going to explain or are you all talk?"

"Kurama currently holds a position in Yomi's royal court in the Gendar territory. He acts as one of Yomi's numerous advisors, counseling Yomi on a variety of issues ranging from war to feeding the territory's many people. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"Concerning Kurama? Yes. Concerning you? Not so much."

"I am heir to Lord Mukuro of Alaric."

"Lord Mukuro? I thought Mukuro was a woman."

"She is," he answered flatly, his expression bored.

"Then why is she called Lord Mukuro?"

"For years every demon in the Makai thought her to be a man, a king at that. If she were to start referring to herself as a lady, she would no doubt lose many of her supporters as well as her standing in Makai politics."

"Why would being called Lady Mukuro change her standing?"

"You've asked far more than one question," he observed.

Sighing, I said, "You can ask me a bunch too, okay?"

"Hn. Demons respect men more than women; it is simply a fact of the Makai."

"That's dumb," I said, amazed at how backward Makai society was. "Women are men's equals."

Hiei snorted. "Maybe that is true in the Ningenkai, where women's physical limitations are not vital to their survival, but it is far different in the Makai. Most females who attempt to become fighters are defeated before they become even remotely strong enough to have made a name for themselves. Males are faster, stronger, more ruthless, I could continue but I'm sure you get the point. It is simply a fact of nature that men are women's physical superiors and in the Makai physical ability is all that matters."

"I'm just going to go out on a limb and point out that that was the longest speech I've ever heard you make."

Hiei stared at me, unfazed by my attempt at a joke. "Have I satisfied your questions?"

"Uh, sure, I guess. Shoot."

"Shoot what?"

I giggled, realizing that Hiei may not be used to the human expression. "I meant you could ask your question." He watched me, waiting for something. "Sorry, your questions."

"Why do you run everyday?"

"That's your question?" I asked, disbelievingly.

He glared at me. "I was under the impression that it was my turn to ask the questions."

"Right, sorry," I replied, trying to appear apologetic. "Um, well, I run because I love it. Running lets me get away from everything. It's a way for me to relax and have time to think. You run too, don't you? Why do you do it?" I realized that I had once again asked a question out of turn, but this time Hiei didn't rebuke me.

"To train, to give myself an advantage in my next fight."

"Don't you enjoy it?"

"I take pleasure in running only because of the self-improvement it provides me with."

I was silent, trying to fathom how he could do something that he didn't love. How was it possible that he could be so solely focused on fighting?

"Are you done asking questions when you are meant to be answering mine?" So he had noticed that I'd asked questions when I shouldn't have.

"Sorry," I muttered, embarrassment coloring my cheeks.

"Hn. How did you meet Yusuke and the others?"

"Keiko and I became friends in high school. She introduced me to Kuwabara and Yusuke."

And so it continued. Our questions remained innocent and impersonal, but I was surprised by how willing to take part Hiei was. He asked and answered questions with seeming ease, as though drawn out conversations were something he had often.

When I finally glanced at my running watch, I was astonished to see how late it had gotten. I pushed myself to my feet, brushing off my butt as I did so. "I think we should head inside. The others are going to wonder what happened to us."

"Hn." Just like that, Hiei had returned to his short, clipped responses. Rolling my eyes at his unsocial behavior, I waited for him to jump down from the tree and, with Hiei at my side, started toward the shrine.

If all of our mornings were like this, things might prove interesting.

My hair was still damp from my shower when I entered the kitchen. Keiko was sitting at the table, a phone pressed to her ear, her expression annoyed. Leaning against a counter, watching Keiko avidly, was Yusuke, who was stuffing his face with a granola bar. I caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow, mouthing, "Who's she talking to?"

"Mommy dearest," he mouthed back between bites.

I nodded my understanding and jerked the fridge door open, looking for something to eat.

"Mom, I already told you. We're going to stay with Genkai for a few more weeks," Keiko said. I could hear the frustration in her voice and I had a feeling that she was using all her self-control not to yell at her mom. "Yes, Mom, we have the money. Yusuke had been saving for a few months; he wanted to surprise me with a vacation."

I closed the refrigerator door, a bowl of fruit salad that I'd made the day before in my hand, and glanced at Keiko. She was tapping her fingers against the table top agitatedly, her eyebrows pulled together in irritation. "The diner will be fine for a few weeks," she sighed. "Our loyal customers will still be around when I open the restaurant back up. Trust me, please; I know what I'm doing."

I grabbed a fork and dropped into the seat across from Keiko. Popping the lid off the fruit bowl, I started eating, my eyes on my friend.

This was what Kurama had been talking about. Keiko had to lie to her mother, had to pretend that Yusuke didn't have enough money to support them for the rest of their lives. I was glad that I'd promised Kurama that I would come clean to my parents. The last thing I wanted was to spend the rest of my life lying to them.

Which reminded me. I needed to call my parents. Not to tell them everything, but to set up a day for me to come over for dinner. I'd drop the demon bomb on them over my mom's wonderful cooking. Or maybe I would wait till we were eating my father's dessert. Either way, I planned to tell them over food, when they were both full, content, and hopefully drinking wine.

Keiko punched the end button on the phone savagely and slammed it down on the table. Shoving her fingers through her hair, she glanced at me. "Parents are so annoying."

I grinned. "Only because they care."

"Bullshit. They go out of their way to be smothering and overprotective. It's like some sick hobby."

"Touché."

"Don't attempt to sound sophisticated, Shy," Yusuke said. "It doesn't really work when you have yellow bruises all over your neck and face."

"Way to be blunt."

"I try."

"Of course you do," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Mind if I use the phone? Seeing you talking to your mom reminded me that I need to call my own parents."

"No problem," Keiko answered, sliding the phone across the table.

I was reaching out to grab it when it vanished, seemingly into midair. Cackling at the doorway alerted my to Yusuke's involvement in the phone's disappearance. "You want this?" he asked, dangling the phone between two of his fingers. "Come and get it."

"Give me the phone," I demanded.

"No way."

I shoved my chair back, jumping out of it and lunging toward Yusuke. He darted out of the way, taunting me as he bolted through the living room. "Too slow."

"Don't piss me off, Yusuke. Give me the phone."

"I repeat, no way."

"Damn it, Urameshi," I yelled, chasing him around the couch.

I skidded to a halt, following him as he randomly changed course and dashed into the hallway. He was halfway down the hallway when the door to Kuwabara's bedroom flew open and smashed him in the face. I was on him before he had a chance to recover and yanked the phone out of his grip.

"What the hell just happened?" Kuwabara asked, emerging from his room.

"You assisted me in getting the phone from dumb ass here," I answered, kicking Yusuke in the ribs.

He groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his face. "Jeeze, Kuwabara. Way to help the enemy."

"The enemy? You mean me?"

"Who else would I mean?"

"I'd watch what you say," I warned. "You're still on the ground and I am more than willing to kick you again."

Kuwabara eyed us warily and said, "I'm going to go get something to eat. Have fun doing whatever the hell this is." He bolted past us toward the kitchen.

"Way to go, you scared off the mighty Kazuma Kuwabara," I quipped.

"Oh yeah, blame it on me."

"Thanks for the permission, but it seems unnecessary seeing as I already blamed you." I smiled down at him and added, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go call my parental figures."

I was entering my room when Yusuke said, "I doubt they want to hear from you." I laughed but didn't respond, closing my bedroom door behind me.

Flopping down on my bed, I dialed my parents' house and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" I recognized the voice as my dad's and I grinned.

"Hey, Daddy! How are you?"

"Shy? We haven't heard from you in ages. It's good to see you're still alive and well," he joked.

"Yeah, well, I like to leave time between contact, to build up suspense and all that."

Chuckling, my father asked, "Why did you call?"

"I was wondering if you and Mom would mind if I dropped by sometime soon for dinner?"

"We'd love it if you came over. When were you thinking?"

"When ever is good for you guys will work for me," I answered.

"Give me a second and I'll ask your mother." I listened as he put the phone down and yelled to my mom. She hated when he did that; she was always scolding at him for calling through the house. A minute later, he picked the phone back up and asked, "How does this Sunday sound?"

"That works for me. Thanks, Dad. I'll see you then."

"Sure thing, sweetie. See you Sunday."

"Love you, Daddy."

"Love you too." The line went dead and I hit the end button.

Alright, so Sunday would be the day when I dropped the bomb on my parents. I prayed that Kurama was right, prayed that they'd accept what I had to say and take it in stride.

If only I could do more than pray.

AN: Alright, so we had some Shyle/Hiei interaction. What did you think? I tried to keep Hiei in character, but it was rather difficult seeing as he was actually taking part in conversation. No worries though, it'll all be explained in time.

I definitely didn't get eleven reviews last chapter, but that's alright. Still, three was kind of a downer. Can I hope for more than that this time?

P.S. I have a one shot up. Check it out and tell me what you think.