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

"That stupid light needs to be fixed," I muttered, my frustration leaking into my voice. I fiddled with my key, cursing under my breath when I couldn't get it into the lock.

"Do you need me to open it?" Hiei asked, his smirk evident in his voice.

The key finally slid in and I turned it, unlocking the door and entering my apartment. "Nope, I got it." Kicking off my flip flops, I dropped my duffel bag on the floor and turned to look at Hiei. "Welcome to your new home, firefly."

"Hn." He moved past me, dragging my suitcase. His own duffel bag was thrown carelessly over his shoulder. "Where should I put these?" he asked.

"My room," I answered. Grabbing my bag off the floor, I followed Hiei as he headed for my bedroom.

"You're sure you want me to sleep in your bed?"

Did he have to put it so bluntly? That we were going to be living together was a major step on its own. Sharing a bed was pushing my limits. But I wanted to prove to Hiei that I was serious about him. I didn't count living together as a show of my devotion. Hiei was moving in with me to provide me with protection, which didn't have anything to do with our relationship.

It had been nearly two weeks since our first date and Yusuke had decided that the lack of information about Epsilon and Mecca meant that we didn't need to isolate ourselves at Genkai's anymore. Even with Mukuro and Yomi helping us, there had been no word about Epsilon's activities. For that matter, there had been no word about Epsilon period. It was as though the hebi and his followers had disappeared from all three worlds.

Yusuke's decision to leave the shrine was also influenced by his best friend. With his wedding rapidly approaching, Kuwabara felt it was necessary that he return to the city. He needed to finalize a few wedding details and he was hoping to have found and moved into a suitable apartment before he became Yukina's husband. They would be living together in the city, an idea that Hiei wasn't very thrilled about, but I thought it would be good for them.

Once Hiei had volunteered himself as my bodyguard, there was nothing preventing us from leaving Genkai's and I'd insisted on coming home as soon as possible. The others wouldn't be returning to the city until the next morning, but Hiei had agreed to come with me early.

The sound of Hiei dropping his bag on the floor pulled me out of my thoughts. "I wouldn't have asked you to if I wasn't," I assured him. He eyed me for a second longer, no doubt making sure I wasn't lying to him. I rolled my eyes at his behavior. "Don't you have stuff to unpack?"

"Don't you?"

"You're annoying when you act like a smartass," I said, plopping my duffel bag down on my bed and unzipping it. I tossed the laundry that I hadn't washed before we left Genkai's into a pile on the floor, leaving only my clean clothes to be put away. "You can just put your dirty laundry with mine. The washers and dryers are in the basement, so I'm going to wait until tomorrow to wash everything."

Hiei didn't respond, but I saw him toss a pair of pants onto my growing pile and I knew he had heard me. "Normally I'm neater than this, but right now I'm way too tired to care," I informed him, trying to justify the mess I was creating.

"You need not explain to me the way you live. I saw your room at Genkai's. I know how you keep your things."

"Oh, right," I muttered sheepishly. Finished emptying out my duffel bag, I threw it in my closet and grabbed my suitcase, lying it down on my bed. It took me far less time to empty out my suitcase, which contained very few clothes. I placed the bag containing my toiletries to the side and lobbed my sneakers into the hallway. I needed to put them by the front door, but I was too lazy to bring them there. Having emptied my entire suitcase, I returned it to its spot in my closet and picked up my toiletries bag.

Hiei followed me into the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe as I put all of my things away. "You don't have anything to put in here?" I asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Unless you've thrown out my toothbrush from a few weeks ago, no, I don't."

Frowning slightly, I returned my shampoo and conditioner to their spots in the shower. "You don't have a razor or anything? Don't you need to shave?"

"No. Many demon species do not grow facial hair."

"Weird," I said as I slid my toothbrush into the holder beside his. It was strange to see the two toothbrushes side by side. I'd never lived with a boyfriend before. Besides my dad, I'd never even lived with a guy before and the toothbrushes were a sign that my life was changing.

That train of thought reminded me of a question I had been meaning to ask him. "Hiei, what would you say to the idea of meeting my parents?"

Startled, he stiffened faintly. "You want me to meet them?"

I shrugged. "You want me to be your mate, which means we're already in a serious relationship. I might as well introduce you to them now. At least this way, you'll know what you're getting into," I joked.

"I would be honored to meet your parents." My stomach did a little flip-flop at his words. Smiling at him shyly, I tossed my toiletries bag into the bathroom closet and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll call them tomorrow." Turning my back on the fire demon, I grabbed my toothbrush and began to prepare for bed. I hadn't lied when I said I was tired and I couldn't wait to climb under the covers. Hiei joined me at the sink, picking up his own toothbrush. I spit and rinsed my mouth before putting my toothbrush back in its holder. Pulling my hair elastic out, I finger combed my hair and made my way back into my room. "Give me a second to change, okay?"

I took his grunt as a sign of assent and closed the door. My dirty clothes joined the pile on the floor and I quickly tugged on a pair of shorts. I paused with my tank top in my hands, wondering if I should wear a sports bra or not. Swallowing hard and fighting a blush, I slipped the tank top on without putting on a sports bra.

I opened the door and headed toward my bed. "I'm done," I called, folding back the covers and sliding beneath them.

Hiei appeared in the doorway a second later. He studied me and then smirked. In one smooth, fluid move, he pulled his shirt over his head. My eyes widened as he undid his belt and stepped out of his pants. Clad only in his boxers, he joined me in the bed, climbing under the covers.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. Giggling, I turned around and snuggled against him. I ran my fingers gently down his arm, barely touching the skin, smiling when goosebumps appeared on his flesh. He growled low in his throat and I stopped.

Suppressing a sigh, I closed my eyes and told myself not to be upset. I'd come to learn that a growl wasn't a good sign. When Hiei growled, he was signaling that he wanted me to stop, that whatever I was doing was off limits. I was sure that he was only looking out for me, but that didn't me feel any better about it. As Mukuro had said, he was taking his time, making sure I was ready before he took things too far.

Still, I didn't see how touching him or kissing him for more than twenty seconds could possibly be too much for his control.

Hiei seemed to sense the change in my mood and his fingers curled around my chin, lifting it and forcing me to meet his gaze. "Shyle, do not be upset. Just lying here tests my restraint." He paused and I waited impatiently for what he was going to say next. "You are my potential mate and you will remain that way until I am sure you are ready for something more."

"I don't get how lying beside me could possibly be too much for you."

"That is because you do not understand the effect you have on me," he replied. "Go to sleep, Shyle. We can talk more in the morning if need be." He pressed a kiss to my forehead and moved to turn off the light on my bedside table.

Covering a yawn with my hand, I grabbed the phone off the kitchen counter and dialed myparents' number. I tilted my head so that I could hold the phone between my shoulder and ear, listening as it rang.

I moved around the kitchen, trying to find something to eat. Finding nothing, I made a mental note that I would need to visit the supermarket very soon. Someone finally picked up on the other end and I breathed a relieved sigh. "Hello?"

I rolled my eyes. My dad always made the greeting sound like a question. "Morning, Dad."

"Oh, Shy, it's you. What has you calling so early in the morning?"

"Nine isn't early."

"Hm, very true. Regardless, I assume this call has a point."

Glancing into the living room where Hiei was seated on the couch watching the news, I allowed myself a smile. "Yeah, it does. I was wondering if you would mind if I brought someone over for dinner."

"When did you have in mind?"

"Would tonight work?"

"I'll have to ask your mother. Give me a second."

"Sure thing, Daddy." I heard him put the phone down and I pressed my own phone to my shoulder. "Tonight is okay for you, right?" I asked Hiei.

He answered without out turning around to look at me. "Yes. I had no plans."

"Okay," I said, returning the phone to my ear just as my father picked up his phone. "Well, what did Mom say?"

"She would be thrilled to have you and your friend over. Do you have any dinner preferences?"

"Nope. We'll love anything she makes."

"She's been experimenting with some new recipes recently. Would you mind spaghetti?"

"That sounds good, actually," I said. "What time should we come over?"

"Around six?"

"I asked you, Dad."

"Right, right. Come around six," he instructed, intentionally sounding overly authoritative.

"I'll see you tonight," I said, laughing at him. "Love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, Shy. See you later."

I hung up and returned the phone to its charger. "There's no food here, so do you want to go get breakfast somewhere. I know this really good place near here. It's like a ten minute walk."

"Hn," he answered, standing up and moving to grab his jacket.

I headed to the door and slipped on my flip flops. Neither of us had brought up our conversation from the night before and I wasn't eager to do so. I wasn't sure how I felt about Hiei's restraint, despite the fact that it was good intentioned. I couldn't help but feel like he didn't find me attractive.

Shaking my head, I reached for the doorknob, eager to get outside and do something to distract me. Hiei surprised me by pulling me to him and kissing me deeply, his tongue working magic on me. "I apologize for last night," he murmured against my lips. How was it that he knew exactly what I had just been thinking about? "It is far easier to control myself when we are not in your bed."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." He kissed me once more, before releasing me and opening the door. "Lead the way."

"As you wish, firefly," I teased, darting past him to the door that led to the stairs. He followed me into the stairwell and we started down the first flight side by side.

"Why do you insist on taking the stairs?"

"I don't know. I haven't taken the elevator since the day I moved in and it doesn't make sense to start now. Why? Do you want to take the elevator?"

"No, the stairs are fine with me. I was simply wondering why you would prefer stairs. I remember a time when you complained about a set of stairs." My thoughts flashed to the time in question and I blushed. He was referring to the night I had told my parents about demons, the night that I unintentionally hurt him.

"Yeah, um, I was tired and it was late. Plus, those stairs are way longer than these are." We exited the stairwell and made our way through the building's lobby, heading outside and walking down the street. "Will meeting my parents make you nervous?"

"Hn. I have fought demons many times stronger than me and risked my life more times than I care to remember. Your parents are not very frightening."

"You only say that because you haven't met my mom."

He chuckled, but chose not to respond. We walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. At some point I entwined my fingers with his, but neither of us spoke. When we entered the small diner, I smiled at the woman in charge of seating.

She led us to a booth and informed us that our server would be with us in a minute. I didn't bother opening my menu since I always ordered the same thing, but I watched as Hiei opened his. He studied his menu, his eyes roving over the pages.

The diner didn't serve classic Japanese food and I realized that Hiei probably didn't know what anything was. Tugging his menu out of his hands, I grinned at him. "I'll order for you, okay?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he narrowed his eyes. "Hn."

Our waitress arrived at our table, a writing pad in one hand. "Good morning. What would you like to drink?"

"A water," Hiei said, still eyeing me intently. Was he worried he wouldn't like what I ordered?

"Orange juice, please."

"With or without pulp?"

"Without."

"Okay," she said, scribbling on her pad. Glancing up once more, she asked, "Are you ready to order?"

"Yep. Two Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and two sides of bacon."

"Is that all?"

I glanced at Hiei. "Do you want hash browns?" When he made no move to answer, I elaborated, "They're potatoes."

"Hn."

"And a side of hash browns," I told our waitress.

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks." She picked up our menus and left.

I leaned forward in my seat, grinning at Hiei. "You'll like it, I promise. Belgian waffles are freaking awesome."

"So you say," he muttered. I stuck my tongue out at him and kicked his shin under the table. His eyes darted to my lips and I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly embarrassed. Hiei spoke after a long moment of silence. "Are you going to go for a run today?"

He'd been running with me everyday, though I didn't see what he could possibly enjoy about running at my pace. "Probably not today. I have to go food shopping and do our laundry, so I won't have a lot of time."

"I will come with you to the supermarket." At my questioning look, he added, "You will need protection."

"Right, I keep forgetting about that."

Our waitress returned with our drinks and told us that our food should be ready in a few minutes. I watched her leave. Glancing back at Hiei, I frowned when I saw that he was drinking my orange juice. "Hey," I snapped, reaching out and grabbing the glass from him. "That's mine. You should have ordered your own if you didn't want water."

He smirked at me and leaned back in his seat, a self-satisfied look on his face. Glaring at him, I took a sip and placed the glass back down, making sure it was safely out of his reach.

"Anyway, back to what we were talking about before. I might go for a run after dinner with my parents, depending on what time we get home. Would you come if I did?"

He nodded. "Yes, I would."

We chatted idly until our food came. Our waitress placed our plates before us and assured us to get her attention if we needed anything. I giggled when Hiei eyed his food uncertainly.

Grabbing the container of syrup, I leaned forward and poured it over his waffle. "Come on, firefly. Try it."

He watched me as I prepared my own waffle, drenching it with syrup and cutting it into bite size pieces. Meeting his gaze, I popped a piece into my mouth and chewed. Frowning, he picked up his fork and knife and cut himself a piece of his waffle. I snacked on a strip of bacon while I waited for him to try it.

Hesitantly, he raised his fork to his mouth and took a bite of the waffle. His eyes widened and he hastily cut another piece. Laughing at him, I focused on my own meal. We ate in companionable silence. Hiei was so absorbed by his waffle that he barely spared me a glance.

Once he had finished with his waffle, he took a share of hash browns and started to eat at a more reasonable pace. "You like it?"

"Hn. Don't gloat. It's unattractive."

"So is stuffing your face." He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth, and glared at me. I held up my hands in surrender and muttered an apology. "I was just making a point. No need to get all huffy. Are you going to eat your bacon?" I asked, noting that the plate of bacon sat untouched.

"No."

"Can I have yours then? I love bacon."

"Go ahead," he said, pushing the plate toward me.

When we left the diner twenty minutes later, I was full and content. I took his hand, slipping my fingers between his, and rested my head against his shoulder.

I spent the rest of the morning doing laundry, Hiei lurking behind my shoulder the entire time. Our trip to the supermarket was entertaining. Hiei clearly had little experience with food shopping and he vowed that he would never accompany me again, proclaiming that Kurama or Kuwabara would be able to provide me with protection on any future trips.

I messed with his shirt collar, trying to get it to sit flat. Hiei had allowed me to pick out his outfit, which I had been grateful for. His normal, all black attire would not be appropriate for meeting my parents.

"It is fine, Shyle," Hiei muttered, clearly exasperated. He pushed my hands away gently and gave me a once over, causing me to blush. "Your skirt is twisted."

"Oh, thanks," I mumbled, straightening it. I slipped on a pair of flats and waited for Hiei to grab our jackets. He handed me mine and guided me out the door, pulling it closed behind him.

"You are far too nervous."

"Yeah, well, I have to make up for you. Just because you have nerves of steel doesn't mean I do." We took the stairs once more and headed toward my car. I unlocked the door and climbed into the driver's seat as Hiei settled himself in the passenger's seat.

I talked the entire ride, trying to fill the silence and distract myself from my nerves. If it was possible, I was more nervous this time than I had been when I told my parents about demons. I parked in my parents' driveway, but didn't get out of the car.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, I took a deep breath. "Let's go," Hiei said, opening his door and stepping out. I closed my eyes tightly.

"Please let this go well," I whispered as I took a hold of the door handle. "Don't scare him off." It wasn't as though my parents could hear me, but it made me feel better all the same.

"Are you alright?" Hiei asked, his voice slightly worried.

"Yeah, perfectly fine."

AN: I feel really guilty that it took me five days to update, which is silly since most people take much longer, but whatever. Although, now that I think about it, maybe I should take this long more often. Nineteen reviews?!? That's freaking awesome. It blows thirteen out of the water, that's for sure.

Anyway, I loved Columbia University. The campus is gorgeous and I liked the core curriculum they have. My sister ended up coming with my mom and I and the three of us had a lot of fun.

My AP scores finally came. I got a five on both, which is wicked exciting. I literally screamed when I saw my scores. I'm pretty sure I scared the crap out of my dogs, but who cares.

So, yeah, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys are incredibly awesome. Would it be possible to get twenty reviews this time around?