A/N: Fun story, Tax Season got me so fucked up I forgot what day it was. This was almost late. In that vein, Southern Charm will definitely be out tomorrow but not tonight. Sorry guys.

Here we are again! Another chapter! Thank you guys for your support with the new beginning, I am eternally grateful. You're all amazing. Happy Tax Day to all of you, hope it didn't suck too bad. It was a bad one for me, but at least I have fanfiction to keep my spirits up. Also, in case any of you participate, I hope you're all hitting your goals for Camp Nano! Without further ado, here is Chapter 2, in which Hiei and Shinpi are reunited!

Shinpi ignored the new food in her refrigerator, courtesy of Kurama's insistence that she needed to remember to eat and preferably more than once a day, as she passed through the kitchen to get to the half-bath across the hall. Above her head hidden in the ceiling sat a black duffel bag stocked with the clothes she used on her Spirit World designated missions. A demon-hair wig in case a strand of hair fell loose and someone used it track the source. Contacts to darken her blue eyes. Extra knives because one could never have too many weapons. Smoke bombs in small spheres, easy to throw and activate. Mace in other small combustive containers. When she worked for Spirit World the goal was always to do what needed to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. She went through endless lengths to protect her identity. The last thing she wanted was to bring her work home with her. That's the reason she had wards in place all throughout the house to prevent outsiders from sensing her energy. She refused to endanger Hiei and the others by being careless.

Kurama's words tickled her brain. With that in mind, she amended her thoughts and tacked herself onto the list. She would not endanger herself that way.

It struck her as odd that she hadn't put herself at the top of the list of people to keep safe. Just a few years ago it wo0uld have just been her. Then she had to go and get involved with her wily pack of fools and look at the damage they'd done to her. All of the sudden she was she being chided into having to remember to put herself first sometimes. Awful. Sickening.

She smiled as warmth spread through her.

But today she was not crawling onto her washer to pull a bag from the ceiling so she could run off and do someone else's bidding. She was bending down to pound her fist against the center point of four tiles in the middle of the floor, pouring some of her energy into the motion. The section popped up in response and she slid her fingers under the lip, flipping the secret door open. Climbing down into the space, she stood in the dark for just a moment before flipping on the light switch.

Shelves upon shelves lined the walls, burdened with old books and trinkets. Anything of value to her or her history lived down here in this secret space. She'd had special controls installed to control the temperature and humidity. Kuwabara had remarked, once the addition had been complete and she'd shone it off to him, that she'd built herself a museum. It wasn't far from the truth. Though she suspected she had taken far more measures than any museum when it came to securing her artifacts. The walls and ceiling, including the entry panels, were lined with perlite so that fire would never threaten this place. The mechanism for unlocking the room only responded to three energies: hers, Hiei's and Kurama's. She'd only allowed the other two access as a precaution in case something happened to her. And there were two backups only in case one of them also fell. It wasn't a pleasant thought but it was necessary.

This collection had to survive even her. It was the history of her family, of her people, of her homeland. In that way it was haunted by the spirits of her forefathers and foremothers. Her fingers traced the spines of the journals and books until she found the empty spot. She slid her recent read into the space reserved for it, having found no answers in the handwritten words.

Her soul felt heavy today.

Instead of plucking another book from the shelves Shinpi moved to the small reading area she'd crafted for herself. This was a selfish space for her. No extra seats nothing that would give the idea she wanted company.

Hiei had his room where he could hide from the world.

She had this.

The plush armchair accepted her readily, molded to her and she closed her eyes as she curled up in it, drawing her feet onto the cushion and knees to her chest. Leaning her head against the gold and maroon large paisley printed fabric, Shinpi closed her eyes. Taking a nap with ghosts from her past was nothing new to her and right then it was the only company she had.

Exhaustion.

The kind that numbed the feet and the hands, made it seem like you weren't even alive anymore as you moved. It turned Hiei's bones to air and yet somehow, also to stone. He felt simultaneously empty and weighed down. His skin itched under the bandages winding up his right arm from fingers to shoulder, the bindings woven under his shirt to tie off around his chest. A wound he shouldn't have received. He had been sluggish, inattentive. As always when he made a stupid mistake, he refused to be coddled for it. Mukuro had offered to have him healed before he set out for Human World but he staunchly declined. The wound would remind him to pay closer attention, to keep himself in a more alert state no matter his circumstances.

At least, that's the argument he gave to his commander.

The reality was that he was depleted beyond measure and he should have stayed another day or two in Alaric to heal and recuperate. But the longer he stayed in the territory the more likely it was that something else would demand his attention. So he left and dealt with the torn skin, treating it as a mild nuisance. Three days spent on the mission had been enough. It cut the time line too close so he left Alaric as quickly as he could. His feet carried him, even as his body filled with static.

Around his neck lay two necklaces, each made of cords of leather. One his mother's tear stone the other the key to the front door of Shinpi's home. As he stumbled up the front step, he fished that second necklace from under his shirt but it proved futile. He leaned against the door frame for a minute, his eyes closing as sleep threatened to consume him. Without his prompting the door opened. He peeled his crimson eyes open to meet the cobalt gaze of Shinpi as she stared at him.

"You're home." She breathed the words, that keen gaze making quick work of his state. "You're exhausted."

"I need to sleep." He told her quietly.

He didn't want to sleep. He'd only just arrived. What he wanted was to have the energy to throw himself at her, to kiss her and hear her purr his name. If the world was less cruel he'd spend the next several hours just reminding himself that Shinpi existed and that she was his. They would hold each other and lay on the couch and simply be together doing nothing. Or doing everything. Sometimes one turned into the other.

But the world wasn't a kind place and so he pushed passed her into the entryway. He tripped over a pair of shoes that belonged to neither of them, then assessed the multiple coats hanging on the wall. Without emotion he turned to regard her. He didn't have the energy for this.

"Go." She urged him, glancing toward the stairs. "Rest, Hiei. There will be time for greetings later. We'll leave so you can sleep in peace."

He heard the voices of their allies in the living room. Their friends as Shinpi insisted he call them. The sound made him snarl. These idiots were always around and while he normally couldn't care less, right now their existence in his home chaffed him. He just wanted quiet. And he wanted Shinpi to stay. He knew this biting exhaustion was causing his annoyance but that didn't make him any less bitter. Still, he worked to forget that they were in the other room intruding on his homecoming. He crept closer to Shinpi.

In a low voice only for her to hear, laced with all the things he'd felt for her over the last three months they'd been separated he promised everything while saying little. "When I wake up."

She nodded and her fingers cupped his hand, squeezing before she quickly pulled away. He made his way towards the stairs so he could collapse in his room unbothered.

"Hey, is that Hiei?" Yusuke questioned, sliding into the hall just as Hiei put his foot on the bottom step.

"No." Hiei growled at him without looking. "Hiei's dead."

Hiei heard Shinpi shush Yusuke and then explain to the others that they should take their afternoon elsewhere so he could rest. He listened to the voices all run together as they made plans. The front door closed and silence rushed in like water filling the hull of ship, desperate to pull it under the waves. And like a ship Hiei drowned in it, his body giving up as he made it into his room which stood just as he'd left it. He gave up his fight against the hungry maw of sleep and allowed himself to be drug down into it's depths.

"Hiei looked wrecked." Yusuke shoved his hands into his pockets. "That guy is running himself ragged."

Kurama's attention was on Shinpi as Yusuke spoke, going on about how bad Hiei looked, how old the bandages winding around his arm and under his shirt seemed, how exhausted the fire demon had been. Practically swaying on his feet, Yusuke described. Utterly trounced. Kuwabara muttered some heartfelt concern. Shinpi remained quiet as they walked down the street to free the house of anyone's presence. Green eyes watched carefully as the woman stared ahead of them at his side, her jaw so tight the muscle stood out. She looked livid. Seeing Hiei in such a bad state obviously bothered her deeply, but she said nothing.

Kurama wished, as he had many times in the last few years, that she would speak up. Hiei needed to be made aware of how his self-care or lack there of effected his chosen partner. He needed to make better choices. This was a problem he'd always had, not realizing that other people cared about him. He'd grown so accustomed to dealing with everything alone and for himself he forgot to think about others. It was one of his greatest flaws. And Shinpi suffered for it. Kurama had seen it happen many times.

He reached over and touched her wrist with light fingers, enough to earn her attention without demanding anything from her. Shinpi glanced his way, saw his concern and forced her shoulders to relax. She responded to his touched by looping her arm around his and leaning into him.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." Shinpi told him quietly. "You're a good man Kurama. You must be exhausted dealing me."

"I'd be less exhausted if you'd confront some of your problems." Kurama allowed. "You're worried about him."

"I'll tell him." She assured her friend.

"What are you two talking about back there?" Yusuke looked over his shoulder at them, being far too loud as usual. When he saw the way they were walking, arm in arm so close together, he grinned with a glint in his eye. "You two going to kiss or something?"

"Obviously." Shinpi laughed at him.

Kurama said nothing in a pointed statement that seemed to be missed by everyone present.

It was dark when Hiei awoke. There was water on the nightstand by his bed. A small snack on a plate. He didn't know how long he'd slept but he knew he needed more as he sat up with groaning joints and aching muscles. Grabbing the water he drank the entire glass as quickly as it could comfortably flow down his throat. He ignored the food. His hunger was for something not of the physical plane. The house was dark as he left his room. He moved through the hall to the bathroom and stripped out of his clothes immediately, tossing them into the laundry basket. Incurring Shinpi's wrath because he yet again missed the hamper was not how he wanted this reunion to start. A warm shower left his body feeling quenched in some way he hadn't known he needed. Drying off his damp skin he stood in the steamy room for a few extra minutes to change his bandages. His arm looked passably healed but he wrapped it anyway. He'd bathed without light, not wanting to risk disturbing Shinpi.

The darkness in the house was softer than that of the rest of the world. It held a warmth to it he hadn't been able to replicate anywhere else. He couldn't give a reason as to why he felt that way about it and if anyone asked him to describe it his words would fall short. It just was.

Towel-dried and nude, he crawled into Shinpi's bed. Sliding under the blanket he shifted himself to hold her from behind. She made a contented sound but didn't stir and he relaxed into the moment.

Shinpi never complained about him sleeping in his own room. She understood his hunger for independence. He suspected that she was so amicable because of moments like this, where he wandered out of his solitude and into her arms. Sometimes he needed to be alone to recharge, to exist again, to tolerate the world around him. Other times he needed to meld against her, bury his face in her hair and inhale deeply, and this brought him back to life in a different way. His lids grew heavy once more and he didn't fight this sleep either.

Just as he balanced on the edge of unconsciousness, ready to throw himself into it, he heard her soft voice and it made him smile as some unknown weight freed him.

"Welcome home." She breathed the words in a drowsy voice that was more mumble than anything else.

He didn't respond in any way other than curling more completely against her. After another few breaths he was back in the darkness of his dreams and even that was warmer than it had been before he'd touched her.

The next time Hiei came to there was light spilling into the room from behind the curtains. Not early morning soft golden light but brighter nearly white midday light. The way it filtered in he guessed the sky was wide open which was good because he vaguely recalled there being snow on the ground when he'd arrived.

In rare form Shinpi was still in bed with him. He could tell she was awake too because she shifted as he moved. Turning to face him she offered a sleepy, warm smile that looked like the perfect match to her mussed, sleep-tangled hair. She never stayed in bed this late, not even when he slept beside her. For a moment he feared something had happened while he was away. Had she injured herself? Was she ill? A crease formed in his brow as he looked her over, the haze of well-earned rest slipping by the wayside. There were light purple semi-circles shadowing her blue eyes.

His fingers brushed her bangs away from her face then traced down the curve of her jaw. She continued to smile. Tipping her head forward she pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes. Hiei relaxed, allowing his hand to rest on the side of her neck for the moment. This small reprieve had done more to invigorate him than his last several attempts at sleep in Alaric. This is what he needed. Shinpi moved slightly and in the softest of motions she kissed the tip of his nose before pulling back to watch him.

"I'm happy to see you."

Hiei still didn't feel comfortable with this part. He liked that Shinpi often seemed to read his mind—she had the habit of hearing what he didn't say out loud—but it felt like he needed to respond and even after two years his tongue had difficulty forming the words 'I missed you'. So instead he offered her a rare grin, one he saved for occasions like this to remind her that she had a part of him no one else was privy too.

"I told you I'd be here." He told her quietly, in no hurry to end this lazy moment. It was so rare for both of them to be able to sit still and relax together, to pretend the day wasn't marching on without them. Their lives were demanding and often unrelenting. So this, this right here, he would savor until it was taken from him.

She nodded and he knew the spell was breaking because she pulled his hand from her neck and brought his knuckles to her lips. That was it. The sign she was about to move and start her day.

Shinpi, he had learned through one strange experience after another, was an incredibly soft person. Even when he'd delved into her memories, guided by her self-loathing, he had gotten a taste for the fact she cared deeply about those around her but memories were easily tainted. Her vision of herself was not accurate and he'd come to understand this too. She recalled herself as a monster. Cold. Dark. The thing to be feared and loathed. A mistake. A curse. But that wasn't the truth. It was her truth, or maybe it had seemed that way for so long she had forgotten it wasn't, but it wasn't the truth. The truth, the one he'd come to know, was that Shinpi's core was warm and gentle and she craved the freedom to express that kindness without fear.

And to Hiei that kindness with its gentle caring warmth had been a foreign language. He couldn't speak it at first. He didn't even understand it, really. The way she touched him with delicate fingertips while she called him beautiful, it had shaken him to his core. It still shook him. He still didn't grasp it completely. But grasp it or not, he could speak the language a little better now. This was easier than trying to tell her that he missed her, or that he worried about her, or that he sometimes wished his absences weren't so long. This was unspoken and that was his favorite type of language.

So he pulled his hand free from her and pressed his lips to her mouth in place of his knuckles. Not a demanding kiss. Not the searching, imploring, hungry sort of kiss. Just a soft brush of his mouth against hers to let her know he could be gentle too.

"You're early." She commented lightly rising to sit but making no attempt to leave the bed.

"Only by a few days." Hiei mused following her lead. The blanket fell to their waists, spilling into their laps. She couldn't hide the way her eyes raked over him. His lips pulled to the side in a pleased expression.

He loved the way she looked at him.

No one had ever looked at him the way Shinpi did before. Even though he knew she was scanning him for signs of injury, taking count of his new scars or the faint pink lines of skin healing back together, she still had this spark in her eyes that meant she was also enjoying the view. He wished he could return the favor but she was wearing one of her sleep shirts. Though if he wanted he was sure he could slide his hands-

"Let me heal you." She demanded, chin raising to dare him to defy her.

"No." Hiei responded easily. "It'll heal on its own."

"The hell it will. Let me heal you Hiei. Stop being a stubborn fool." Shinpi shifted to her knees, looking ready to pounce. Her dark unkempt hair framed her face as she loomed over him despite the fact that in this body he had a slight bit of height on her.

"I said no." He tried to remain impassive about it. This wasn't actually an argument and they both knew it.

"I'm going to heal that arm one way or the other."

"I'd like to see you try."

Shinpi leaned over him, one hand coming to rest on the headboard to help her leverage herself into his personal space. Her voice grew low, husky, and it drew his attention to her mouth. "You'll see me succeed."

Those words sent a coil of fire through his lower stomach and into his blood and just as he reached out to grab her so he could drag her into his lap she dismounted the bed and danced away from him on the balls of her feet. Spinning around, her sleep shirt and hair both fanning out, she gave him a look of utter challenge. With a cheeky grin she set about preparing herself for the day while Hiei watched from the bed, content to let her think she had the upper hand. He'd gotten himself stuck with the most obstinate, ornery, vexing woman he'd ever met and he loved every goddamn second of it.

He also loved teaching her lessons, but that could come later.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she brushed her hair, catching his eye through the mirror.

Hiei weighed his answer carefully. "Better. The last month was longer than the rest. Just before I came here I had to take out another camp that had infiltrated Alaric's forest. We tried to take a prisoner but these fools are proving more adept than the others. They're getting smarter. The ones who didn't die ran without bothering to fight."

"They did that to you?" Darkening blue eyes glanced at his arm then up to his face. "I'll see them in pieces at your feet."

"It's been done." He assured her. "We razed the camp to the ground. There is nothing left of it. The handful of cretins who escaped weren't responsible for this."

She seethed quietly, but visibly, for a moment. Swallowing down her argument she closed her eyes. When they opened again they were clear and she was lighter. "I'm just glad you're back."

"Me too." The words slid off his lips without hesitation. "How long was I asleep?"

"Nearly two days."

Hiei exhaled sharply, annoyed with himself.

"I have something that might help." She offered, putting the brush down atop her dresser. When she turned, she leaned against the drawers and offered him a playful grin. "I got you a present."

"A present?" Hiei frowned.

Shit.

He had forgotten. Again. He'd shown up in time for their anniversary, but he had forgotten they were meant to do things for one another. What had she gotten him? What was he supposed to get her? What did you get a woman capable of turning the skies black with her fury but was also known to play games with the children of the block? Jewelry? Weapons? She'd already taken the head of her greatest enemy so he couldn't rely on that old trick.

"You look a little pale. It's nothing terrible, I promise." She teased him.

"What is it?" He asked cautiously.

"You'll like it." She promised.

"That does nothing to dispel my unease Shinpi."

"Good."

Shinpi licked her lips, staring at the wall with a scowl firmly in place. Hiei was upstairs doing something. Getting dressed? She wasn't really focused on his movements. Her thoughts were preoccupied with the image of his bandaged arm. Waking up with Hiei holding her was one of her favorite things in the world. But seeing him wounded filled her soul with heat in a different, less pleasant way. The idea that he faced such constant danger, on orders or willingly, wasn't the issue here. It was his job. She could take it up with Mukuro if she started to feel he was being treated unfairly, but he had signed up for this when he agreed to work for her.

No. The problem was that she couldn't be out there with him, watching his back. Honestly, she'd feel a little better if Mukuro went with him. Goddammit this was infuriating.

Everyday her agreement with Enma grew more and more burdensome. She should be out there with Hiei on the front line protecting him. Working with him. Piecing out this information so she could finally come to some conclusions that meant something. She had her suspicions and her theories but with this choke chain around her throat and her short leash she wasn't able to confirm anything. Enma said she'd come back for a reason. That it would eventually come to light but she had to work for it. She'd done nothing but work for it. Her lips pulled back over her teeth in a silent snarl. Working for others had never been something she excelled at.

Cutting ties with Spirit World would be the sweetest thing to happen to her in years. Oh gods, she hungered for that moment. True freedom. Then there would be no one stopping her from marching into Makai and slaughtering the entire, endless army of these youki inhibitor pushing cretins, climbing her way over their corpses to look their leader in the eyes to watch them fill with fear as she ended this. Let her see someone else to raise a hand against her fire demon after that.

The front door opened and Shinpi roused herself from her thoughts, slamming a neutrally happy expression into place to replace her previous scowl she turned to greet whoever it was that hadn't bothered knocking.

"What's that look about?" Hiei asked her, garnet gaze sliding over her.

"Did you just come in through the front?" She asked, blinking. "I thought you were upstairs."

He frowned at her. "I left a half-hour ago."

"I must've been distracted." She breathed, turning back to the now cold cup of coffee she'd been holding onto. "I can't believe I didn't notice."

"What has you in your head?" He slid into the chair across from her, brows pulled together. "Did something happen while I away? You didn't mention anything in your letters so I assumed everything was fine."

"Nothing happened. I've just been thinking a lot lately. I've been so busy that instead of getting to ruminate through the day it hits me all at once." She sighed, letting the pleasantly bland mask fall away.

"I didn't get you anything."

Shinpi blinked a few times, screwing up her face. "What?"

"I forgot that it was customary to get gifts for anniversaries. I didn't get you anything. I went out to try to find something but honestly, even after all this time you're still an enigma and I don't always know what you might want." He admitted frowning. "Tell me what to get you."

She frowned at him, and it deepened into a scowl. He visibly braced himself, studying her with a squint.

"Seriously Hiei? After two years you still don't know what to get me?" She sighed heavily, shaking her head.

The sound of him shifting in his seat brought her attention down on him like a laser sight. Then she relented and smiled, laughing.

"I'm just messing with you Hiei. I don't need a gift from you. I'm just glad you're finally home."

He glared at her. "That isn't funny. You know I don't like when you do that."

"I know darling but sometimes you make yourself a large target." She teased, her foot reached out to rub against his calf. Hiei glanced down to the table, one eyebrow raised then slowly the corner of his mouth began to tip up. "Have I mentioned how happy I am you're home?"

"You know, I don't think I believe you." Hiei leaned forward over the table, tongue sliding over his bottom lip as his attention turned just the best sort of dark as her foot trailed upward. He scooted himself closer to the table. "Why did you get me a gift if you don't want one?"

"You'll find a way to repay me." Shinpi assured him.

Hiei's eyes closed, head turning just slightly to the side as her toes grazed his inner thigh. When he opened them again, it was with a look that telling of the fracturing of his restraint. Just as his finger grazed her ankle to grab her she pulled away.

"You teasing me is getting a little tiresome." He warned her, unsteady breathing lighting his words.

"And what, exactly, are you going to do about that?" She asked, one eyebrow raised. Her chin rose slightly, the glint in her eyes dangerous.

Hiei breathed out slow before shoving himself away from the table. The chair legs scraped against the floor loudly. He stalked over to her side of the table.

"You better hope you didn't just scuff my floor." She told him, glancing to his face.

A hot hand touched the back of her neck, fingers trailing up into her hair. Shinpi fought back a smile. Unraveling Hiei was always worth the effort. He was a man who tried to keep himself under wraps but he had loose strings all over the place and all she had to do was tug. His fingers closed around some of her hair, using it to pull her head back.

"And if I did?" He asked her. "What, exactly, are you going to do about it?"

She swallowed, attention unable to leave his face. Her eyes kept dipping down to his mouth then jumping back up to his eyes. Those beautiful, dangerous, garnet colored irises nearly gone for the size of his swollen pupils. Her lips parted in a breath.

"Hiei." She spoke his name with a tinge of desperation.

"Yes, princess?" He bowed his head down, just close enough to almost kiss her. "Is there something I can do for you?"

She reached up and grabbed him by the head, yanking him into a kiss that was nothing like the one they'd shared that morning. Starved, she refused to let him go. Rising from her seat Shinpi moved her hands from his hair to his shoulders, turning him toward her as she leaned back against the table. Hiei growled, gripping her hips, yanking at her clothes.

Shinpi offered a surprised cry as he hoisted her onto the table, the sound swallowed by him deepening their kiss. Teeth dragging on her bottom lip he pulled back to look into her eyes. He didn't say anything, just looked at her, but that was enough to send her pulse racing. Deft fingers toyed with the button of her jeans, his grin a slow burning fire.

"Tell me you want me." He demanded quietly, but not softly. Not even close to softly.

"I want you more than revenge." She told him, focus erratic as he leaned over her. Everything about him broke her ability to think into shards. Her hands gripped his shoulders a little desperately. Sometimes she worried Hiei was a dream and she'd wake up alone, covered in blood at the bottom of that cavern she'd created and this life will have all been her brains final moments to ease her pain.

But Hiei was real. He bit her bottom lip, humming in satisfaction, pulling away when she went to kiss him. With a whine she tugged him closer, shifting under him to try to get as much of their bodies to touch as possible.

"Please Hiei, I need you." She whimpered against his mouth as he teased her with a nearly-kiss.

Those were the magic words apparently because he was on her without any further preamble. The last coherent thought Shinpi could form was thanking herself for buying such a sturdy table. Unlike a foldout card table, this one definitely wouldn't buckle underneath her. Or, at least, it hadn't yet.

And it had been tested several times.

…

Hiei stood in the kitchen with a smirk firmly in place as he watched Shinpi try to resettle herself. She didn't seem to know where to start, looking lost as she stood there leaning against the table in jeans she was lucky he hadn't destroyed trying to pull off of her. His satisfaction couldn't be hidden. Watching Shinpi try to recover from him was one of his guiltiest pleasures.

"Your shirt." He gestured to where the garment hung on a chair.

"Oh. Right." She blinked once and then grabbed the shirt, pulling it over her head in a slow motion.

He chuckled.

"Where is your shirt?" She asked him.

"You ruined it." He reminded her. "It stood no chance against you. Truly a one-sided battle."

"Oh that's right." Shinpi nodded. After another second she ran her fingers through her bangs then rubbed her palms down her clothes. Inhaling slowly and exhaling slower, she seemed to regain some of her sense. After that she shook off the haze and then shot him a look. "I swear you do that one purpose."

"I do."

"Bastard."

"That's accurate."

She glanced over him. "Going to elaborate on that tidbit?"

Hiei seemed to realize that he'd given something away, his good humor slipping just a bit. "Maybe later."

Later never came when he said that ao she let it go. Pushing him had never worked and she didn't think that had suddenly changed so she didn't try. Instead she offered him the reprieve of moving on to a different topic.

"We're going on a vacation." She told him.

His eyes widened and she saw him panic. Whatever he was imagining, it probably involved loud, crowded places and bright, constant light where he had to do things he didn't want to do for the sake of experiences he would never actually enjoy or care about. He grew stiff, nostrils flaring as he decided to fight her. It was so easy to read him sometimes and impossible at others. At least she knew she could put him at ease.

"Alone." She explained. "Completely alone. We're going camping in the mountains. I've found the perfect little cabin. Both Mukuro and Koenma know not to contact us. We won't even be taking our communicators. There's no electricity, no television or radio. The closest neighbor is three miles away, I measured myself."

"How does Mukuro know?" Hiei questioned with genuine surprise.

"Because I told her." Shinpi offered back. "I wrote to her about a month ago. I'll admit she hesitated to accept it at first but I am quite convincing."

"And how did you manage to convince her to pretend I didn't exist for a week?" He crept closer to her, intrigued.

She just offered a smile in return. "I told her that if she gave us this, you'd return with a clear head. That's all. She told me I was a distraction that you didn't need. I told her that if she wanted you to be focused then you needed your fix."

"And that worked?" Hiei didn't seem convinced.

"I think she only put up a fight because she felt she had to." Shinpi shrugged. "That woman is a menace."

"Funny, I've heard her use those exact words to describe you. I must attract menacing women into my life." Hiei crossed his arms over his chest. "So, when does this vacation start?"

Shinpi glanced at the clock she kept on the wall above the table. "Officially? Tomorrow morning. But we can leave whenever we want."

"And it'll be just us? No Kurama?" He checked. "No one else? This isn't a trick to get me into a mission?"

"No tricks darling. I thought that after working so hard what you'd want most was a break, and honestly, that's what I want too. I figured a nice retreat where we would unreachable would sate us both for a while. Plus, there are hot springs nearby and you know I can't resist a nice hot spring." Shinpi cupped his cheek then kissed him so gently it felt like a feather gliding over his mouth. "Is this alright?"

"Yes." He rubbed his hands from her shoulders down her back, holding her waist just as an excuse to keep himself close to her.

"Good because I've already packed."

Hiei rolled his yes. "What gear do we need for camping?

"I'm not sleeping in a tree, Hiei." She deadpanned.

"Your loss."