It had been a few days after that 'incident'. The flitting shadow stopped by a tree. Should he tell him? The feeling had grown so much that it threatened to overwhelm him. Kurama was so much more than a friend to him now. Kurama was...was...

What was that? He could feel Kurama's aura flicker. What was happening? Without another thought, he headed to the source of the ki outburst...and came face to face with...Tokiya's apartment? What the hell? Were Kurama and Kajiko actually enemies?

Immediately, he rushed inside...only to find that...

Kurama and Tokiya both looked flushed, their bodies slick against each other, tangled up in bed.

Hiei felt his heart break. Mikagami... Kurama... Kurama was not his...will never be his. He was his brother's. He turned away from them quickly.

Kurama chuckled at that. He thought Hiei was funny with that priceless expression.

Hiei could feel it even more now - the pain. Just days ago, he had experienced it and now, it was here again. Again. It was happening again. He held on to the side of the window and whispered. "Goodbye Kurama."

Kurama looked at the shadow of his departing friend. There had been a silent streak of pain in his aura. Why? Why could that be when he only caught him in bed with...? He sat up quickly.

"What is it?" Tokiya asked gently.

"Hiei. Could it be that-?" Immediately, Kurama stood up and dressed. He looked at Kajiko then ran to catch up with his friend.
 

It had took about twenty minutes for Kurama to find Hiei. Surprisingly, Hiei was just in front of a lake somewhere, waiting for him.

"What do you want, Kurama?" Hiei asked, expressionless.

"I was wondering why you-?"

"Why what?" Hiei snarled.

"Were you looking for me or Kajiko?"

"I felt your aura flicker." Hiei reasoned.

"Oh."

"And I had wanted to talk to...Kajiko." Hiei continued. He couldn't tell Kurama. If he did, Kurama would just be pained and he didn't want that so he was going to keep the pain for both of them...and for Kajiko as well.

"Oh."

"Is that all you wanted to ask me?" Hiei asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Kurama said. "I have to get back now. Your 'niisan is very grouchy now that he's become human."

Hiei allowed himself a bitter grin.

"You okay?" Kurama asked, noticing.

"Never better." Hiei replied.

"Okay." Kurama said before turning to leave. "Bye."

Hiei turned his back at his departing friend and faced the lake, the moon, the stars. "Goodbye Kurama. Please be happy with him."

He looked at the ground. He couldn't deny the pain in his heart - it was too much. But he will hold on to it for now...for them.

"I guess it's over now." he whispered to the air.

"Alone?"

Hiei turned swiftly to the new voice. It was...Honshu. He didn't move or try to get away. "What do you want?"

"I..." Honshu started but then looked down.

"Hn." Hiei muttered and turned back to the lake.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"

No answer.

"Look I'm sorry for what I've done. I-"

"You've said what you have to say, ne?" Hiei told the brown-eyed being. "Now, leave."

"Hiei..." Honshu whispered. "I feel for you."

Hiei immediately turned to Honshu with an angry glare. "Stop it!"

"It's true." Honshu continued. "I didn't realize this before but-"

"Thank you for my life. That's enough to pay for your crimes. Now, leave!"

"Hiei, please understand..."

"Leave!"

"No." Honshu muttered.

"Are you going to threaten me now?"

"No." Honshu whispered. "But I need you to-"

"To what?" Hiei snarled.

Why did it hurt? Why did it hurt to be snubbed like that. "Hiei..."

"I said 'leave'!"

"If you don't want anything to happen to your loved ones, listen to me. I will not force you but you need to listen." Honshu said. He had to make Hiei understand. "You know you can't fight."

Hearing the threat that he expected, Hiei finally listened, not saying anything else.

"When I first met you, I wanted you to feel pain because I thought you deserved it. I was wrong. I guess no one deserves pain. And I feel for you...I'm close to loving you. After what I saw..."

"Pity?" Hiei asked with fury. "You feel for me because of what you saw in my memories? Because you pitied me?"

"No, Hiei." Honshu explained. "I know I've been bad to you but even during that time-"

"Your speech is over, Honshu." Hiei told the half-god. "Leave me in peace."

Honshu closed his eyes and disappeared. He felt bad at the dismissal. Was this the pain of real love? His father had told him about it. Love was painful. How did he come to love Hiei anyway? And why?

At that, Hiei flitted to the crook of the tree above him and settled down. Honshu... He had some nerve coming to him after all that had happened. And Honshu said that he felt for him... Hn. That couldn't possibly be true. No
one was supposed to feel for him as he was supposed to feel for no one. He sighed. Finally, he closed his eyes and slept.

Honshu couldn't leave. Seeing Hiei like that, peaceful, vulnerable, he couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the half-koorime. It was extraordinary. He was close yet so far. He wanted to touch him but he couldn't. He wanted to love him but he wasn't allowed.
 

"I never realized that you have friends." Mikagami teased his quiet younger brother.

Hiei played along, trying to forget the pain. "And you have friends."

Both grinned at that.

Hiei looked Mikagami in the eye. "And I have a brother."

Mikagami nodded. "And I have a brother."

They both gave a little smile at that.

"Mikagami!"

"Hiei!"

Mikagami and Hiei's face quickly became guarded again, their walls up.

"Hey, Hiei, what are you-?" Yusuke asked but then stopped as he saw Mikagami with Hiei. A knowing grin was then plastered on his face.

Kurama chuckled as he realized what was on Yusuke's mind while Kuwabara tried to analyze the situation. If Yusuke knew the truth...

Both meijins just glared at them.

"Mikagami, what's up?" Recca said but paused as he saw Hiei with the others.

Fuko and Domon also stared at them.

Yusuke then turned to Hiei, the grin still there. "Anyway, we have a new mission. You could, ahem, come to the, ahem, meeting place later on and, ahem, finish your conversation with, ahem, your 'friend'."

Hiei was still glaring full-force at Yusuke and Kurama who had knowing faces. Of course, Kurama knew the truth but he was still acting like that.

The Hokage team and Urameshi team then chuckled but immediately stopped as they saw, along with the death glares of the two meijins, the ensui and the katana.

"Let's get away from these losers." Mikagami suggested as he turned to leave.

Hiei followed his elder brother in silence.

When they were far enough, Hiei looked up as Mikagami spoke.

"You have a mission. Don't go dying on me...again. I've just found you."

"And I've just found you."
 

After a few more minutes of giggling, they finally settled down.

"I don't understand Mikagami." Recca said, staring at his departing friend.

"I figure I'll never understand Hiei." Yusuke muttered from his side.

Kurama smiled. "It's because they're creatures..."

Everyone looked at him then looked back at the two meijins.

"...Creatures of the silences."

~OWARI~