A LITTLE DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters appearing in this fic are the property of Yoshihiro 
                     Togashi, Studio Pierrot, Fuji TV, and Shonen Jump Weekly. 

Yusuke offered to host the "farewell" party in his apartment while his mother was away visiting an aunt since he had the easiest access to free sake. Kurama looked over at the Koorime and smiled as the team was leaving Koenma's office.

"I'll see you later tonight, at Yusuke's, ne?"

Hiei grumbled something unintelligible.

"Don't you want to come to the party, Hiei?" Yusuke asked as they approached the gates to the Human World. "You and Kuwabara could really go at each other one more time. Who knows when we'll be together again."

Hiei shoved his hands into his pockets and just stared at the ground.

"Maybe Hiei's just not sociable," Kurama offered warmly, as he went to put his arm around the fire demon's shoulder. Hiei backed away suddenly.

"I hate parties," he growled. "And I'll be happy to see the last of you guys if you don't mind."

Kurama frowned as he watched his friend and teammate walk away from the rest of the group.

"Oi, Hiei. Wait up!" Kurama called after him. "I'll catch up to you guys later tonight," he shouted over his shoulder as he ran after Hiei.

"What's with him?" Kuwabara asked, scratching his head as he and Yusuke passed through the gates.

"Dunno," Yusuke replied as the gates shimmered around the two humans. Then, with a smirk, he added, "Maybe he wants to give him a goodbye kiss or something." They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Kurama had to move rather quickly in order to catch up to his soon-to-be-former teammate. They walked in stony silence for a few hundred yards before Kurama decided to speak.

"I really hope you'll come to the party tonight, Hiei. There's something I've been meaning to tell you," the youko said, trying to sound casual.

"Hn. Can't cha' just tell me now?"

"Nope. I want you to be in a good mood. It's too important to talk about now," Kurama answered, looking over at the sour Koorime, as they continued to walk towards the gates of the Makai. "Tell me you'll come to the party."

Hiei suddenly stopped walking. He turned and stared at Kurama.

"I'll think about it," he said softly, and began to flit out of sight.

"You better! It's really important!!!" Kurama yelled as Hiei disappeared into the Makai forest. "You better...." Kurama whispered to no one. "I need to tell you something..."

                                       *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

"Oi, K'rama. How ya' doin'?" Shizuru slurred a bit. "Haven't seen your honey anywhere. Is he coming or what?"

Kurama blushed deeply as he raised his eyebrows and stared at her. He wasn't aware that anyone even suspected his feelings towards Hiei.

"Uhm," the redhead stammered, "uh...I don't know if he's coming tonight. And who said he was my honey?"

"Oh, c'mon, K'rama. I can tell you like him. Anyone could tell just by the way you look at him." Shizuru poured herself a new cup of sake and took a drag on her cigarette. "'n besides, you've never made a pass at me."

Kurama looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"K'rama," Shizuru hiccuped, "all us girls know how you feel about that little runt. Those two morons over there are totally dense about it. None of us can figure out why, but we know love when we see it," she said softly, taking another sip of sake.

Kurama looked back out into the room where Yusuke had finally convinced Keiko to dance and Kuwabara was nuzzling Yukina, since Hiei wasn't in the room. He inhaled sharply and chewed on his lip.

"Everyone knows, ne?" he whispered.

"Uh huh." Shizuru took another sip, then, after a pause, asked, "Does Hiei know?"

Kurama chuckled and shook his head at the irony of the conversation. "Not yet. I was hoping to tell him tonight, but I guess he's not going to show." He felt his cheeks blushing again and looked back at Shizuru. "I guess I'll just have to tell him later," he said, trying to sound convincing. "Where can I get some of that?" he cheerfully added, pointing to the empty bottle of sake.

"Let's go raid Yusuke's kitchen," Shizuru laughed, wobbling off the sofa. "I think yer' gonna' need a drink!"

                                       *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

When Kurama had been injured during their last battle, Hiei stayed with him through the night until it was certain the youko would be all right. At one point, even though his eyes were closed, Kurama was sure Hiei was stroking his hair. When he opened his eyes, he saw a look in Hiei's face that he'd only seen once before, when Yukina had been kidnapped. He thought he had actually broken through that tough exterior Hiei showed to the rest of the worlds. After all that they'd been through together the youko felt certain they were becoming more than friends. Kurama had fallen deeply in love with Hiei. He was prepared to make the ultimate commitment, but when the little runt failed to show up at the party, Kurama was hurt and confused. He wondered if he was moving too fast with the fire demon. He felt sure this was the moment to tell Hiei what he felt in his heart.

"Moshi-moshi?" Kuwabara's voice answered through the telephone.

"Oi, Kuwabara? It's Kurama. Ogenki desuka?"

"I'm cool, Kurama. Ogenki desuka? Gomen, I didn't get to say goodbye to you at the party, you slipped out so quietly. You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, arigatou. I was just wondering if Yukina had said anything about where Hiei was going or what he was doing."

"Nah, nothin'. As a matter of fact, I even asked her about it 'cause she seemed a little upset that he didn't show up at Yusuke's. She hasn't seen him for awhile, either. She's stayin' at Genkai's. I could ask her again when I see her tomorrow, if you'd like?" Kuwabara offered.

"No, that's all right. Give her my love, dozo. Sayonara."

Kurama noticed his hand was trembling as he hung up the phone. He went back to his desk to continue working, but after a few minutes he found his eyes were beginning to burn. He turned off the desk lamp with a sigh. The house was very quiet, since Shiori and his step-father were away overnight, visiting friends. He leaned his elbow on the arm of his chair as he rubbed his aching forehead. He sat in the dark for a few more minutes before pushing himself away from his desk. He moaned as he flopped down onto his bed. Snuggling his pillow, he fell asleep, not even having changed his clothes.

                                       *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

His nightmare was incredibly violent. Past battles played over and over in his dream, but instead of having the successful outcomes they did in real life, each one ended the same. Hiei would be standing over the wounded youko, laughing at him.

"You think I could love you? I can't stand the sight of you, you stupid human. You disgust me! Why don't you just die?"

"Hiei?! Doshite??" the youko cried out in his dream. Then a flash of light blinded his eyes. A huge explosion startled the redhead awake.

Kurama sat up gasping for air and looked frantically around his room. A violent thunderstorm was pounding away outside as lightening made him look at his open window. He closed his eyes and hung his head. His shirt clung to his wet skin and his bangs were matted to his damp brow.

"Oh...." he said softly, looking back up at the window, as his eyes welled up with tears. He lay back down, burying his face in his pillow as he began to cry. The rain was making its way into his room and he groaned as he realized he'd have to get up and close the window, blocking out the storm and any chance of Hiei coming in.

Kurama sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He roughly wiped back tears with his palms, letting his fingers weave into the damp hair on the sides of his head. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh. He placed his hands down by his sides and looked off into space, as new tears streaked down his cheeks. Shaking his head with a sniffle, he got up, and padded over to the window where the rain had already made the floor quite wet. He slowly closed the window as the rain continued to spray in. The kitsune leaned his head against the glass, watching a few rain drops trickle down, mimicking the moisture running down his face. He sat on the large sill, pulling a leg up and wrapping his arms around it, resting his cheek on his knee. The dejected human began to sob. "Hiei...." he whispered.

"Why are you so sad?" a deep voice asked softly from a darkened corner of the bedroom. Kurama flinched as he looked around the room, which was occasionally lit by flickering lightening.

"Hiei?" Kurama had been so distraught by his nightmare that he didn't even feel Hiei's ki when he slipped in through the window before the storm hit.

"Are you seriously injured?" the Koorime asked, taking a few steps out of the darkness. Kurama looked out the window as the storm roared in its full fury.

"Hai, you could say that," he answered, with a catch in his voice. "If you consider a broken heart a serious injury." Kurama looked back at Hiei's dark face.

Hiei moved a little closer.

"I just wanted to let you know that I would be in the Makai for awhi....."

"Ai shiteru, Hiei."

"......for awhile." Hiei took a breath and continued. "I didn't think anyone would miss me at Yusuke's party, so I...."

"I said ai shiteru," Kurama repeated, his voice cracking.

Hiei inched closer. Lightening illuminated his face.

"I heard you the first time, fox," he whispered.

Kurama looked down at the floor, hoping it would somehow swallow him up. His chin began to quiver as he felt hot tears roll down each cheek. Hiei moved forward so his body just touched Kurama's knee. He placed his finger under the kitsune's chin, lifting it to look at his tear stained face. They stared at each other for a few moments before Kurama found the courage to speak again.

"I've done everything that I know to get you to notice me as something other than a team mate, Hiei." Kurama's voice was thick with emotion, but he was determined to finally tell the youkai how he felt. "I've tried to get close to you; I've tried to be more than just a friend. I thought you were beginning to have some feelings for me, too, but I guess...I really misread....I guess you don't have any feelings for me at all." The disheartened kitsune wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and sniffed.

"That's not true, fox," Hiei replied, placing his hand on Kurama's raised knee, not daring to look directly into the sad emerald spheres. "That's not true. It's just...it's just that I...I don't know how to tell you what I feel for you, so I thought it was better that I left."

Kurama studied the Koorime's child-like face, searching for a way to make him understand the depth of his feelings. He put his hand over Hiei's and held it as he lowered his leg.

"Everything I have, everything I am, I want to give to you," Kurama began softly, tears filling his eyes again. "My body....my heart....even my soul, they belong to you now," his voice cracked.

Hiei looked up at the most beautiful creature he'd ever met making these wonderful admissions of love to him....to him. How could someone as incredible as Kurama, as beautiful as Shuuichi, possibly want him? His mind was swimming with thoughts he'd never imagined were possible. There was an ache in his chest he'd never felt before, either.

"Do these belong to me, too?" Hiei whispered, wiping a tear from the kitsune's cheek, rolling the moisture between his fingers, returning his hand to caress the redhead's damp face.

"Everything," Kurama whispered back, looking into the ruby eyes of the brooding Koorime, pressing his cheek into Hiei's warm hand.

Hiei looked down at Kurama's mouth and suddenly needed to kiss him, but how? He'd never kissed anyone in his life. With trembling fingers, he lightly touched Kurama's lips.

"I don't even know how to kiss you," Hiei said, his voice barely audible. "And I want to kiss you so much...." Hiei's voice choked, as his eyes suddenly felt hot.

"You want to kiss me?" the kitsune whispered breathlessly.

"Hai, fox. I do. I just...I don't...."

"Just let your lips touch mine. And then do what I do...if you want to..." Kurama sniffed.

Hiei lifted Kurama's damp face up a bit, and, after adjusting his angle a few times, let his lips touch the redhead's lips. Kurama sighed as he closed his eyes, letting his mouth take a little more control of the kiss. Hiei responded by slightly parting his lips and feeling the tip of Kurama's tongue just brush his lower lip. He felt a tingle go through his body and he stepped back.

Kurama swallowed hard and gently smiled up at the startled youkai.

"Well?" Kurama asked, panting slightly.

Hiei felt his cheeks blush as the corner of his mouth rose into a small smile.

"I think I need to try that again, kitsune."

"Hai....me too." Kurama pulled Hiei gently towards him and let his hands wander around his back. He closed his eyes as Hiei's mouth found his, this time with more assurance than before. Hiei closed his eyes, too, feeling his entire body lean into Kurama's, wrapping his arms around the kitsune's shoulders. He felt a warm stirring in the pit of his stomach and a strange sensation deep within his loins as his body rubbed against the kitsune's. Kurama moaned softly as the kiss deepened, Hiei following the kitsune's lead with ease. The kiss broke only after the two needed to stop and catch their breath. Hiei sat on the other side of the sill and looked over at the panting youko.

"You're trembling," Hiei gasped, his own body shaking, as he stared into Kurama's eyes. "Are you cold?"

"No," Kurama answered, looking back into Hiei's crimson orbs. "Are you?"

The Koorime reached over and took both of Kurama's hands into his smaller ones.

"I've never had these kinds of feelings for anyone or anything before I met you, kitsune," he began, rubbing his rough thumbs over Kurama's smooth knuckles. "Shimatta. I never even kissed anyone until just now. I'm not good at expressing anything other than anger, Kurama. I've never had to think about it. I...don't know...if I can now. But I tell you, honestly, I do have deep feelings for you."

"You really never kissed anybody before me?" Kurama asked, brushing away the remaining signs of tears off his face. "Does that mean you've never....you know...."

"Never," Hiei answered with a touch of a grumble.

"Not even with Mukuro?" Kurama pestered.

"No," Hiei growled under his breath. "Though I think she tried to seduce me once...."

Kurama chuckled. "Don't you know if she tried to seduce you?"

"I don't know about shit like this, Kurama!" Hiei looked away, actually embarrassed by his lack of experience.

Kurama looked down at their hands and inhaled deeply, letting the air return slowly.

"Would you like to learn?" Kurama looked over at Hiei with a suggestive smile.

"What, here? Now?"

The kitsune rose and stood in front of the nervous fire demon. He placed his arms around his shoulders and rested his forehead against Hiei's warm Jagan.

"We have the house to ourselves all night, Hiei. I could teach you whatever you wanted to know...."

"Would we take our clothes off, kitsune?

Kurama frowned.

"Sure," he chuckled. "We can, if you want."

"Good, 'coz my butt's soaked from this window sill," Hiei announced, standing up as he pulled the back of his trousers away from his skin, making a face. Kurama had been so enraptured by the prospect of finally loving his Koorime that he didn't even notice his backside was wet, too. The team mates looked at one another and smiled.

Kurama's eyes sparkled as he led Hiei to his bed.