Setting: Human World, about ten years after the series ends (I'm thinking Kurama should be 25 or so? Sound okay?)
Backstory: At the end of the series, the two had a falling out over their chosen paths. Kurama stayed with his mother and continued his human charade for her sake. Meanwhile, Hiei returned to Makai and reluctantly took up the job of running the patrol groups that keep demons from crossing into the human world (and vice versa) now that the barrier wall between the two realms has been weakened. The two have not seen or spoken to each other since Hiei left.

Hiei leaned against the window frame in his quarters, a crumpled wad of paper in his hand starting to smoke as he stared, unseeing, out into the Makai night. He did not need to see the precise script again anyway. The words had burned themselves into his mind the first time. Damn his perfect memory....

Dear Hiei,

I hope this letter finds you well. I know we haven't kept in touch very well these last few seasons. I understand you are busy with your work. However, I feel I must confess something and it can't wait until I see you again.

I know you are my brother.

I've known for a long time. It wasn't that hard to put together. We have the same eyes, you know? And you have always been so protective of me, from the first time we met. I don't know why you wouldn't tell me. I'm sure you have your reasons but I needed to tell you I know. I haven't told anyone else.

The reason I needed to tell you, is because Kazuma and I are getting married this coming winter. I'd really like for you to give your blessing and I want you to be here to help plan the ceremony. If you refuse, I'll understand, but please think about it. You will always be my brother, no matter what your answer.

Yours,
Yukina

Hiei scowled. He had thought it over....and over....For two months he had done nothing but think of Yukina's upcoming nuptials and her requests. It would now be late summer in Ningenkai and he knew he was out of time to think.

He snorted and went to grab his cloak from the chair he had thrown it over. "It was pointless to think it over in the first place." He muttered as he headed out to inform his second in command of his impending absence. "I never could refuse her anything." He admitted to himself as he set off a few minutes later. The border would remain secure while he was gone. His patrols were well trained.

The short run to the portal gave him more time to think of the other consequences of his decision to return to the human realm. He had not seen any of the other tantei in years, but most heavy on his mind was...

"Kurama." He whispered the name out loud without realizing it. The red head had stubbornly refused to see that he would never be fully content with his false life among the humans. Hiei almost reached out to touch the fox's mind, the way they used to communicate without words, but he caught himself and shut down that train of thought. "Stupid," and even the fire demon himself couldn't say who he was talking about as he reached the portal and plunged through into the world he had worked for years to forget.

After his final mission with Yusuke, Kurama made a vow to himself that he would no longer strive to be the Yoko he had once been, but rather appreciate what he once was and allow himself to enjoy the remainder of his life in the Ningenkai with his human mother. Hiei however, who had never known a mother's love, could neither understand nor accept his decision and returned to Makai without him. It pained the fox to see his best friend go, and doubted that he should ever hear from the fire demon again.

Throwing all of his effort into his studies in an attempt to forget about their painful goodbye, Kurama graduated top of his class with a degree in biochemistry. He soon found work in a lab where here reveled in the chance to study firsthand the scientific intricacies down to the microscopic level of every plant, which he never knew existed before his first high school science classes.

The job paid well and Kurama soon moved out of his childhood home and into an apartment of his own to give his mother and stepfather more time to themselves. It was a modest one bedroom apartment but it pleased him. He went often to visit his mother on his days off and was happy to find that she was doing well. On occasion he would also visit Yusuke and the others. Yusuke hadn't changed much but Kurama couldn't say the same for his orange-haired counterpart. Kuwabara had done a lot of maturing in college and so it came as little surprise when he announced his engagement to Yukina. As happy as he was for the two of them, Kurama doubted that Hiei would approve of the arrangement.

---

Hiei weighed heavily on Kurama's mind today. He'd dreamt about the fire demon the night prior and hadn't been able to get him off his mind. Removing his eye from the lens of a microscope, the red-haired male scribbled down a few notes about the slide he had been viewing before closing the lab book with a snap. He stood and took a moment to stretch before slipping off his white coat. Carefully hanging it on the designated hook by the door, Kurama flicked the light switch and locked the door behind him.

Instead of walking the few blocks to his apartment complex however, the redhead made his way to the nearby park. He allowed his legs to follow the familiar paths and direct him to a specific spot beneath a large oak tree. There he lay down upon the cool grass with his arms behind his head and one leg crossed over the other. Kurama studied the deep blue sky until he felt as if he were falling into it and allowed his mind to slip back to the past and recall time spent with a certain fire demon...

Hiei popped out into the human world and took a moment to orient himself and scan his immediate area for danger. The alley he'd appeared in was deserted. He cursed as he realized it was too late at night to make the journey to Yukina's home at Genkai's old temple. He would not want to wake her.

Scowling, he headed for a park he had often slept in during the summer, trying to ignore the voice that was reminding him of the warm room he'd slept in during cooler weather. The big oak would do well enough for the night. He would see Yukina in the morning and try to get through this whole ridiculous affair for her sake. He wasn't sure what he was dreading more: The idea of seeing his sister marry the oaf or.....

He stifled the thought as he leaped into the trees at the edge of the park, making his way through the canopy to the large oak in the center. It had the best branches for sleeping.

So preoccupied with shutting his annoying brain up, Hiei did not register the person on the grass beneath the tree as he landed on one of it's largest branches. He made not a flicker or a sound to give himself away, to any human it would merely look as if a gust of wind passed through the trees.

Kurama wasn't sure how long he lay there on the grass but eventually his body began to register a shift in the already cool temperature of the shade and he opened his eyes. He had closed them at some point both to take in the fresh sweet smell of the grass and to try to imagine the scent of a familiar demon. It was difficult to recall the fleeting aroma but as a slight disturbance in the air caught in the tree above him, Kurama could have sworn that he could smell something of his scent.

Mentally chiding himself for getting carried away, Kurama stood and turned to look at the large oak tree behind him. An old man sat atop the bench beneath its large boughs with a newspaper in his hands. Kurama smiled and nodded in his direction when the man caught sight of him before stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning to leave. He took a few steps towards the gravel path but couldn't seem to shake the feeling of familiarity that had washed over him. Pausing in mid-stride, Kurama slipped one hand out of his pocket to check his cell for the time. The tiny digital display read 6:02pm.

Not in the mood to make something for dinner, Kurama made his way to a noodle stand he knew of that was not too far away. The redhead ordered a single serving of the evening special and gave the appropriate change before taking the handles of the plastic bag offered to him. On a whim, he grabbed some chopsticks and slipped those into the bag as well before turning to leave. Also on a whim, he decided to walk once more through the park to confirm to his subconscious that there was nothing out of the ordinary there.

This plan failed however when that same sense of familiarity returned to him upon laying eyes on the giant oak. The old man on the bench was gathering his things and Kurama converged on the bench when he was gone. The evening air was chilly but not cold enough to deter him from staying as he sat upon the wooden structure and took up his chopsticks in one hand and the still warm box of noodles in the other.

OOC: Yukina wanted Hiei there for the planning too and to give his blessing to Kuwabara. The wedding is still a couple of months away. I figured it gives Hiei a reason to be around for a while. ^_^' Sorry for the confusion. I also apparently got mixed up about where you were. O_o' Nice fix. lol. I'll read more carefully next time.

Hiei had just gotten thoroughly settled in when an all too familiar presence intruded on his senses. A whiff of rose mixed with other, more exotic plant scents confirmed what his spirit sense was telling him. 'Kurama.' Carefully masking his own energy he looked around for the redhead, surprised to see the fox take up the recently vacated bench below his tree.

'Why am I hiding?' The fire demon scowled at the thought. 'I'm acting like a coward.' Disgusted at himself, he let his energy signature return to normal. 'Besides, the tree has probably already told him I'm here.'

((Oopsies, sorry about the screw up. I thought Hiei had waited until the very last minute to come. ^^; I'll edit out the last bit of that post, looks like we're both guilty of not paying attention!))

Kurama carefully opened the container of noodles and took a thoughtful bite. His mind was too caught up in with the strange sensations he had been feeling for it to be open enough to receive the small bit of information that the tree behind him could have passed long. He had just raised his chopsticks to take another bite when the sensation of familiarity magnified by a hundredfold and pinpointed itself to about ten feet above him and two feet back.

Kurama's grip loosened in surprise and noodles fell back down into the container in his lap. The energy that emanated above him was unmistakable as he realized that what he had been trying to deny was in fact true. The redhead carefully lowered his chopsticks and set his takeout down on the bench beside him. For some reason his throat felt inexplicably constricted all of a sudden.

The fox allowed himself a moment to regain his composure before slouching against the back of the bench and tilting his head back to look up at the crook of the tree. Sure enough a small black figure could be seen lounging among the oak's branches. Allowing his head to fall back into normal alignment once more he casually said as if speaking to no one in particular, "Hiei, come down and share some noodles with me." The act was so familiar that it almost seemed like nothing had changed.

Hiei hesitated only a moment before blurring from his perch to stand before his....before the fox. "Kurama." He greeted the redhead flatly, his voice carefully devoid of the emotions he was feeling. Kurama's tone and posture gave him no clue about the fox's emotions. A hundred thoughts crossed the fire demon's mind without showing on his face. Though he wouldn't admit it, one of the most prevalent thoughts was: 'I've missed him.'

As he had hoped, the fire demon abandoned his perch and came down to stand before him. His greeting seemed rather cool to the fox but Kurama knew better than to believe that the friendship that had been stretched and torn nearly ten years ago would be miraculously healed in an instant. He hoped that over that time span however, Hiei had found it in his unbeating heart some sort of understanding regarding his friend's decision. Forgiveness wasn't the most weighty question on his mind however as he studied the unchanged demon standing in front of him. 'Why has he come?' It was a question to which Kurama couldn't even begin to guess the answer. He wouldn't bring the topic up right away however as he feared it might only push him further away. So instead he held out the takeout box, "Here, eat them while they're warm." Kurama forced his lips into a friendly smile. He was genuinely glad to see Hiei again but worried about the reasons as to his coming.

Hiei blinked and eyed the white cardboard container warily. He sniffed surreptitiously, trying to identify the contents. After only a minute, he gave up and hesitantly reached for the container. He wasn't fond of human food as a rule, having preferred to catch his own meals during his imprisonment in the human world. At least that way, he could be relatively sure the meat wasn't poisoned. Kurama had introduced him to the few dishes he did like, and he had taken to only trying new things on the fox's suggestion. Perhaps this was a test, was Kurama checking to see if Hiei still trusted him? Hiei blinked at the thought. 'Possibly.' He considered it, 'Or it could be a trap.' He snorted and grabbed some of the noodles with his fingertips, eating them quickly and hoping the silent message came through in his actions. 'I still trust you, Fox.'

"It's your supper, Fox." He grumbled as he grabbed another bite. "Eat some."

Kurama found it difficult not to laugh at the serious manner in which Hiei scrutinized the box of noodles but managed to stifle everything except for a coy little grin. He allowed the fire demon to remove the box from his outstretched hand and introduce his fingers inside to pull out some sauce-coated noodles and quickly insert them into his mouth. From his mannerisms, Kurama could tell that Hiei was only doing it for him. The fox knew that Hiei much preferred procuring his own meals to most human dishes but through experimentation he had been able to get the fire demon to eat at least a handful of them. Allowing himself to relax a bit, Kurama picked up the chopsticks and took his turn at the noodles. His human half was telling him that Hiei hadn't washed his hands and as such eating the noodles he had touched would hardly be considered sanitary but the fox let it slide.

Hiei licked his fingers and then crossed his arms as he watched the fox eat. His mind raced. Things couldn't just go back to the way they were. It was never that easy. Kurama was still stupid for pretending to be something he would never be. The thought broke the spell of nostalgia that had come over him, reminding him that he and the fox were no longer...whatever they had once been. The fire demon's posture stiffened and he carefully closed off his expression to keep from showing how much the thought bothered him. Five minutes around Kurama caused him to feel more emotions than he had dealt with in years. If they were only going to end up fighting again, it wasn't worth it. He was poised to leave at the first opportunity but for some reason he hadn't yet. The fox was bound to want him gone soon anyway. He would just wait a bit longer.

Kurama took slow and careful bites of the noodles as he mulled over how to approach the situation. It was quite difficult for Kurama to believe that Hiei had returned after years of silence to the place he assured everyone he hated. The reason for his appearance burned in his mind and he glanced over at Hiei as if looking at his person long enough might reveal to him the answer to this mystery. Instead, all he saw was the same Hiei he had seen ten years prior with no differences or clues as to his appearance.

It was rather clear that he was feeling just as awkward as Kurama himself was and wished that he could do something to ease the situation but as cool as his actions were when dealing with humans, there was something about Hiei that could sometimes disgruntle him. At a loss of what to say he simply asked, "How long will you be staying?" The question was a bit upfront but he couldn't bear not knowing the answer, even if it was one he didn't want to hear. He wanted to add that Hiei would always be welcome either at Genkai's or his own apartment but a lump in his throat wouldn't allow it.

OOC: Do you think Genkai would still be alive?

Hiei thought about it. "Hn, until winter at least." He said after a few moments. Yukina's letter hadn't been specific as to the wedding date. He wasn't sure why, but he continued, confiding in Kurama as he used to. "Yukina wrote to me." He said leadingly, wondering if Kurama knew anything about the contents of the letter.

((That's a good question... I could go either way on that one. The temple goes to Yusuke's gang even if she is gone though.))

Kurama's heart nearly skipped a beat when his worst fears weren't confirmed but rather the opposite. It seemed they would have an entire season at least to come to terms with each other. Kurama only hoped it would be enough to bridge the ten year gap. He was even more surprised however when Hiei continued on to explain that Yukina had sent him a letter. He could only guess at its contents but combined with the predicted length of Hiei's stay, it was enough for Kurama to understand the reason for Hiei's visit. "She summoned you?" he asked warily, uncertain if Hiei had heard of the news or if Yukina was planning on telling him in person.

'Summoned is not the word I would use.' Hiei shrugged and scowled. "She knows." He said meaningfully. "And she wants me to give The Oaf my blessing." His scowl deepened into a grimace at the mention of his future brother-in-law. Without thinking, he sat down on the bench beside his longtime companion.

Kurama nodded in understanding, "No one told her Hiei," he reassured, "She's a bright girl. Kuwabara has come a long way as well, you'll see," he added in that same reassuring tone. He could tell however that the subject didn't bode well with Hiei as a grimace darkened his face. Kurama was glad when Hiei chose to sit down beside him. He was happy that they still seemed to be on speaking terms at the very least. Around them the sky began to darken and various shades of red and orange glowed overhead, only partially blocked by the foliage of the large oak.

Hiei snorted his doubt at Kurama's claims about the oaf. "Hn." A thought struck him as he noticed how late it was getting. "Won't someone be worrying about you?" He asked flatly. "I'd hate for you to arouse suspicion from your mother because of me." He couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of his voice as it occurred to him that Kurama might have someone other than his mother waiting at home. He stood and turned away from the fox. "I won't keep you." He prepared to blur away. There were other parks in the city.

Kurama didn't pursue the subject. Hiei would be able to judge for himself the progression that Kuwabara had or hadn't made in his eye when he next saw him. There was no sense in arguing over it and Hiei seemed to think so as well as he changed the subject. This topic didn't seem to be any friendlier however as it was obvious from the tone of his voice that Hiei indeed hadn't forgiven him for his decision. Kurama would have liked to relay the news of his new apartment on happier terms but it seemed that Hiei didn't even plan on staying long enough to hear him out. "Wait Hiei!" he called in a desperate attempt to delay his friend's hasty departure, "Things have changed, I live on my own now."

Hiei froze at Kurama's plea but he didn't turn around. He didn't know what Kurama was trying to say. "Changed?" He heard the slightly stiff question slip from his lips before he had even finished forming the thought. 'He's still playing human.' He thought acidly. 'Nothing has changed.' Still, the dark haired demon could not bring himself to move away without hearing an answer from the redhead. 'Best to get any hopes crushed now, before I grow to depend on them.' He steeled himself and waited silently.

Kurama felt the fury of the fox rise up in his chest at the tone that Hiei responded with and did his best to push it back down. He stared at Hiei's unmoving back with an obvious frown on his face if the fire demon bothered to check. He had been referring only to the change in his living arrangements but it was obvious that Hiei expected more than that. "What I meant," he began, still uncertain of the words to follow, "...is that with my new living quarters, I can stay out and Mother won't worry." Kurama knew that what he was saying was most likely a disappointment to Hiei but he would not be forced to feel ashamed of his decision.

Hiei jerked his head in a nod, the familiar feeling of disappointment flooding through him. Kurama had not changed his mind and Hiei could see no reason to change his own. They were at an impasse. "I see. Congratulations." He couldn't take it anymore, figuring out Kurama's motives, when he didn't even understand his own emotions was a ridiculous idea to begin with. Anger, sadness, disappointment, fear, and another sweeter, more painful feeling that Hiei had never dared try to identify all warred for his attention. He needed time to think, to plan his responses to the redhead before he let something slip that would hurt them both. 'I have to go.' He didn't realize he'd projected the nervous thought to the fox along with a smattering of his tumultuous emotions. He darted away without giving Kurama a chance to respond. He'd see the fox again once he'd had time to prepare himself.

((EDITED!!!))

Kurama felt a sinking sensation lodge itself in his gut as he realized that he'd not only failed at repairing his friendship with Hiei but also more likely than not done their relationship even more harm. He heard Hiei's voice in his head telling him that he needed to leave followed by a completely unexpected assault of emotions. Frozen in place by the strong sensations of anger and disappointment, Kurama didn't call out to stop him this time. They were only hurting each other and Hiei already had enough to sort through with the contents of Yukina's letter.

Kurama sat down heavily on the wooden bench but the place now felt tainted by what seemed now like obvious mistakes. Despite his intentions, the fox had pushed too quickly, seeking the familiarity of the past and the warmth of an old friendship. He had foolishly hoped that he could bring Hiei home with him and that they could pick up where they had left off before his departure. In Hiei's eyes he was becoming too human, too tamed to even understand his own nature. Kurama had turned what was once his greatest weakness into his life's devotion and it was understandable that Hiei could not comprehend the reasons for this choice and even Kurama had to admit that his decision was far from logical but driven purely by human emotion.

Picking up the remnants of his now cold dinner, Kurama tossed them in the nearby trashcan and exited the park. The night watch would soon come to kick him out if he tarried any longer and there was no other point to staying; he'd already done enough damage as it was. The redhead let the tumult of emotions Hiei had let slip earlier play again inside his mind as he walked home and realized as if for the first time that he could not fully understand Hiei's resentment for his choice. Ten years ago he had decided that the demon was merely angered by his weakness and disgusted by his desire to become a ningen but Kurama was beginning to discover that perhaps things were not as he had believed.

OOC: In case it wasn't clear, the emotion Hiei doesn't understand is affection...possibly love. He's never had experience with it so doesn't recognize it. I figured we wouldn't want things to go too quickly but I wanted to leave Kurama with some reason to hope. Hiei doesn't really seem the sort to voluntarily deal with his emotions unless he's cornered. lol Anyway, I can see Kurama being to overwhelmed to notice it with all the rest but if you have him thinking it over later I wanted to be sure you knew it was in there. ^_^'

Hiei landed in a tree on the other side of town a few minutes later. He flopped onto a large branch and brooded. 'What the hell is wrong with me? Why does Kurama get to me this way?'

After several hours he fell into a restless sleep, waking at dawn and heading for the temple to meet with Yukina. He knew she always rose early to feed the birds and he hoped her routine hadn't changed. He wanted to speak to her alone...or at least without the idiot around.

((EDITED!!! I almost completely changed my previous post so hopefully it sounds much better now. ^_^ I'll save the part about Hiei not confronting his emotions for a later post but it will definitely be on Kurama's mind at some point along with the brief feeling of affection he received but didn't fully recognize at the time.))

Kurama stepped through the threshold of his apartment some ten minutes later. He slipped off his shoes at the door and casually flicked the light switch in hallway, illuminating his small flat. He paused, seeming to take it all in for the first time. 'Would Hiei ever be happy in place like this?' he asked himself cautiously but then pushed the thought aside. He was done thinking for the night.

Making his way to the bedroom, he set clothes aside for the next morning before snatching up a pair of pajamas and heading for the bathroom. He was tired of thinking and hoped that a hot bath would help relax his mind and body enough to sleep. As he soaked in the hot water however, Kurama found that the usual calming effects of an evening bath were completely lost on him and twenty minutes later he gave up and drained the water.

Clad in pajamas, the redhead returned to his bedroom and slipped under the covers. Laying on his side he looked out at the pale moon and for some reason felt vaguely comforted. It took a few hours for sleep to come but when it did it held him fast until morning when the droning buzz of an alarm clock woke him from his slumber.

---

Kurama jolted awake at the sound. Resetting the alarm, he rubbed his temples with his free hand. Sleep had not brought him the peace he sought either. Extracting himself from the tangle of blankets that his bed had become, he dressed slowly and made his way to the bathroom to ready himself for the day. He didn't feel like going to work today but hoped that the normalcy of the action might help to clear his mind.

OOC: I read it. ^_^ Very nice. Hmm...I'm thinking Genkai should be dead by now. She left the place to Yusuke but he lets Yukina live there and keep it up. If nothing else it gives us one less character to keep up with. I have taken Yukina for now. Hope that is alright. ^_^'

Hiei landed lightly in a tree overlooking the temple grounds. As he'd hoped, Yukina was out in the backyard spreading seeds for a smell flock of late migrating birds. He stood for a few minutes watching her, marveling at the gentleness she was embodied. He wondered if he could ever have been that way, so open with his emotions, so trusting. 'No, probably not.' He mused, unable to imagine it. Finally, the little ice demoness brushed off her skirt and started to head inside. Hiei dropped down behind her with a small flare of youki to announce his presence. The little birds flew away from him and Yukina froze in mid-step before whirling around to face him, tears brimming her eyes.

"Aniki?" She whispered shyly.

Hiei nodded. "I'm here, imouto."

He was shocked as he suddenly found himself with his arms full of sobbing ice demoness, his cloak absorbing her tears before they could solidify. He stiffened, unsure of how to react. He wanted to comfort her, to make her tears stop, but he wasn't sure how. Scanning his mind frantically, he recalled a movie he had once been dragged into watching with the other tantei, something Urameshi's woman had insisted on making a group outing. 'It's worth a try I suppose.' He hesitantly wrapped his arms around his sister and began rubbing her back gently. "Hush, imouto. It's alright. I'm here. Don't cry. I told you I would never make you cry." He murmured, slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation. However, at the same time, part of him reveled in the contact. 'My sister. Mine. My family.' A small voice in the recesses of his mind chanted gleefully.