Finished his carrot, Kurama studied Hiei. He couldn't help but wonder just what the fire demon planned on doing tomorrow. The fox had already decided that whatever buisiness Hiei had to take care of, that it was likely not going to be conducted in Ningenkai. He doubted that Hiei had left Makai knowing he would be away for a few months without having arranged his affairs. That left Reikai, though Kurama couldn't imagine why Hiei would be going there. It was no secret that the fire demon steered clear of the affairs of Spirit World whever possible...

Pieces of the puzzle twisted around in his mind but he could see no clear connections. Giving up on useless musings, Kurama rose when Hiei exited the room but the fire demon was back before he could even take a step towards the door. Heading for the bathroom, Kurama brushed his teeth and changed into pajamas. Suddenly remembering that they had forgotten to pick up a pair for Hiei, Shuichi mentally reminded himself to add that to his list of things to do along with picking his keys up from work, buying more food, and hemming the longer pairs of pants. Thinking of these menial chores helped to keep Shuichi's mind off of the conversation he planned on having with his mother the next day.

Reentering the bedroom, Kurama was happy to see the leftover remnants of food cleared away and crawled into bed next to his crush.

((Zig says yes to giving Koenma ideas. >.>))

Hiei kept his eyes closed as he felt Kurama move closer. He allowed the fox to snuggle up to his side where he leaned against the headboard. The fire demon draped his arm lightly over the taller demon's shoulders and finally allowed sleep to claim him with a contented sigh.

Scarlet eyes popped open as the sky was just beginning to turn pink. Those eyes fell to Kurama, marveling again that the beautiful fox wanted anything to do with him. He thought about slipping stealthily from the bed but he didn't particularly want to leave his love sleeping when they were about to be truly apart for the first time since they started their relationship. The jaganshi wouldn't be able to maintain his light touch on the redhead's mind once he took the portal to Makai.

The fire demon gently brushed a few crimson strands back from the sleeping redhead's face. "Fox." He spoke quietly trying to wake the other demon gently. "It's morning."

OOC:Ready to skip to morning? EDIT: I went ahead and woke Hiei up so you would have something to respond to. Hope that is okay. ^_^

With Hiei's arm draped over his shoulder, the fox allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by the warm, reassuring presence of his love.

---

Some hours later, Kurama awoke to the sound of a soft voice coaxing him to wakefulness. "Mmm... So soon?" he asked regretfully. The fox lay still a moment longer, comfortable snuggled up against his love.

Taking a deep Hiei-scented breath, he finally resigned himself to the inevitable. Opening sleepy green eyes, Kurama took in the face of the fire demon beside him, conscious that in a few hours his presence would be sorely missed.

((Posed from my phone so there might be typos...))

Hiei changed clothes quickly and deposited his dirty clothes in front of the washer in a small heap.Satisfied that he was ready to go, he sought out his fox. The fire demon followed the redhead into the kitchen and sat down at the table, leaning on one elbow as he watched Kurama. Hiei decided he could wait a few more minutes before leaving.

OOC Sorry for the delayed reply. I have been working on stuff for bible school all day.

((That’s fine.))

Pulling the container of eggs, milk, cheese, and peppers out of the fridge, Kurama quickly set to making them some omelets. He whisked the milk and eggs together before pouring it onto a small frying pan he had set to heat on the stove. Once the bottom had begun to solidify, he added cheese and peppers to the middle before folding it over to finish cooking.

A minute later, he plated the breakfast item and slid it in front of Hiei before pouring the rest of the egg onto the frying pan for himself. As it cooked, he set out two glasses and poured some orange juice for them both. It only took a minute longer for his own omelet to finish and he took it to the table to eat it.

Finished with his omelet, Kurama put down his fork and studied the fire demon across the table. The fox knew he wouldn't delay the inevitable but he was loathe to see Hiei go. When the fire demon spoke up Kurama merely nodded. Hiei was a free spirit and to guard him jealously would be the same as smothering him. He would have to trust Hiei, just as Hiei had to trust him.

Standing, he made his way over to the other side of the table and held out his hand to pull Hiei from his seat and gather him gently into a close but loose embrace. "I'm going to miss you," he whispered in the fire demon's ear, letting their embrace linger a moment longer before finally, regretfully, letting go.

((I'm hoping you don't mind if I assumed Hiei would be ok with the hug.))

OOC: Hugs are good. My kindle is evil though. It ate my post. Gonna try and recreate it now from hubby's phone.

Hiei allowed the redhead to draw him into an embrace and listened to the soft admission. He wasn't sure what to say and Kurama soon let him go. He took a step back, finally coming up with a response. "I'll hurry Fox." He promised.

Unwilling to say goodbye, the fire demon blurred from the room without waiting for a response. He left the balcony door open as he sped from the modest apartment as if to say he would be right back.

As he traveled towards the area he had used to enter the human realm just a few days earlier, Hiei marveled at how much his life had changed in such a short time. He wondered how much more things might change now that his future included a mate. He passed through the small portal he had created to Makai and pushed the thoughts away. There was no room for distraction in the unforgiving land he had long called home.

The fire demon raided several of his hidden caches of loot, taking only the more portable items. He ended up with a sizable pouch of gemstones and another of gold coins. He was fairly certain those funds would hold him until he could acquire a job of some kind.

He headed for the patrol barracks and sought out the amazonian demoness that served as his second in command. He entered her office with only a gust of wind to announce his sudden arrival.

"I am extending my leave indefinitely. Consider yourself promoted." He announced simply. The surly demon started for the door but paused and turned back towards the stunned woman. "If you run into anything you cant handle Koenma will know where to find me." His tone made it clear that he was only to be bothered with an extreme emergency.

With that he headed back to the human realm and closed the portal behind him. He wouldn't need to return to Makai any time soon and an open portal was an invitation for trouble. Hiei couldn't resist reaching out for hos fox before heading for Reikai after he hid his money safely away.

OOC: That was a lot of editing I had to do to get those posts looking decent. SO many typos. lol.

Hiei accepted the gratitude without feeling the need to reply. His portal was ready, so with one last mental caress, he withdrew his mental touch from the redhead and jumped into the swirling vortex he had created. In moments he was standing outside the gargantuan doors to Koenma's office. He glared up at the ostentatious things for a moment, debating his chosen course of action one last time. This was the point of no return. Once a deal had been cut with the toddler, there would be no way for him to back out of it. Reikai contracts were rather ironclad that way.

The fire demon considered his options but once again came to the conclusion that Koenma was the only sure fire way to get what he wanted. He gritted his teeth and pushed the monstrous doors open decisively. Kurama was finally letting him in on both halves of his dual life, even though he could tell the idea made the redhead more than a little nervous. It was only fair that Hiei do something that made him equally uncomfortable for the redhead's sake.

'And it's only for a short time.' He reminded himself as he passed through the vaulted hallway into the bustling office. A few onis paused in their rush to gawk at him but a sharp glare made them think better of confronting him.

He pressed on, dodging the chaos of Reikai's paper pushers and stopped in front of the door to Koenma's office. He considered entering uninvited but he needed the brat in a good mood so he raised one hand and knocked sharply.

A few stops later, the fox exited the bus and waited a moment for it to pull away before crossing the street. He had a few minutes to walk yet before arriving at his destination and Kurama took the time to mentally compose himself. When he reached the front door, he appeared calm but beneath his carefully composed facade, the redhead felt turmoil. How would his mother react? Would she be disappointed? Would she yell, or worse, cry? Or would she perhaps accept the news graciously like Yukina had? Shuichi was definitely hoping for the latter...

Pushing lightly against the doorbell, Kurama wondered if his stepbrother or stepfather would be home as well. If they were, he would have to find time to speak with his mother alone. Shuichi doubted he would have the courage to make his confession in front of everyone, even though their reactions mattered much less to him than his mother's.

---

Koenma was seated behind his desk furiously stamping a never-ending pile of papers. Every time he thought he was beginning to make headway, George would remove a finished stack and replace it with a fresh group in need of approval. Nearly at his wit's end after the endless hours of stamping, the ruler of Rekai practically screamed in rage when he heard the sharp rap on his office door.

"What is it now!?" he roared in frustration, slamming the stamp down so hard on the next sheet of paper that ink splattered onto his shirt. Releasing another shout of frustration, he threw the rubber seal at his assistant's head.

"Ow!" exclaimed George. "I'm not sure I deserved that sir..." said the blue ogre sheepishly.

"Go see who it is you numbskull," Koenma shouted without an ounce of remorse, "And if whoever it is wasn't sent directly by my father, don't let them in," he added grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest to hide the recent ink stains.

With a sigh, the ogre rushed to do his master's bidding. Blue clawed hands pulled the door to Koenma's office slightly adjar and he peered out to see who had dared call upon the prince of Reikai. He didn't immediately notice the presence on the other side of the crack however until by chance he looked down. When he noticed Hiei at last, the ogre let out a tiny gasp of surprise. It had been years since he'd admitted this miscreant into his regal ruler's office...

Shiori was washing dishes when the doorbell rang. She quickly stripped off her rubber gloves and rinsed her hands before wiping them on her apron and rushing to check the door. When she peered through the peephole, she was surprised to see her eldest son.

Hastily opening the door, she pulled the tall redhead into a warm hug, smiling brightly as she released him. The older woman had long ago learned to read her mysterious son's few cues and she could tell he was troubled about something. His bright green eyes always gave away his concern. "Shuuichi! Welcome home! Is everything all right? You usually just come in." She burbled in excitement and concern.

Hiei took the oni's hesitation as an invitation and blurred past the shocked blue creature into the office. He stopped just a foot or two in front of Koenma's desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he took a moment to look the cranky toddler over. 'Not much different.' He decided quickly, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing for his purposes.

"I need to talk to you." He stated flatly. "Alone." He added, with a sharp glance at the lingering oni.

OOC: lol, poor George.

"Hello mother," Kurama managed to say before the smaller woman gathered him into a warm hug that smelled vaguely of rubber gloves and apple-scented dish soap. Gently wrapping his arms around his human mother for a long moment, he was suddenly aware that this could possibly be their last embrace. That thought, coupled with a mental slap from the fox urging Shuichi to pull himself together, made him stiffen.

Letting go at last, Kurama moved inside and closed the door behind him. "Sorry, I'm a bit distracted today I guess," he confessed. "I wanted to speak with you," he began without giving Shiori time to steer the conversation in a different direction, "Alone," he added, just in case Kazuya or Shuuichi were home.

---

George blinked and in that moment the black-haired demon was gone. Turning his back on the door, the ogre cringed when he noticed Hiei was already standing in front of Koenma's desk.

Barely able to see over the towering stacks of paper, Koenma nonetheless recognized Hiei's voice. Somewhere between shock and rage, the toddler sucked his pacifier furiously, a sure sign of agitation.

"Well you heard him George," he said after a long pause in which the only sound in the room was that of him sucking on the sprit-imbued object in his mouth, "Shoo."

Koenma waited for his assistant to close the door behind him before standing in his chair to get a better look at the demon standing on the other side of his desk.

"I take it this isn't a social visit," he said, assuming that Hiei wouldn't be present for anything less than a disaster. "Is there something wrong on the border?" he asked, though he feared to know the answer. Whatever it was, he was sure it would result in more paperwork...

OOC: Congratulations Zig!! You are one of the showcase avis for the new CI. ^_^

Shiori was a bit concerned by her son's demeanor, but she knew he'd tell her what was wrong in due time so she didn't press the issue. His words confirmed her suspicions as the redhead moved into the cozy home. "I'm the only one home." She assured him, suddenly glad that was the case. "Kazuya was called in to work for an emergency meeting and Shu-kun went to study with some friends."

She stepped back and took her beloved son by the hand, leading him into the kitchen and gesturing for him to sit at the table. "Serious discussion require tea, ne?" She smiled slightly, despite her growing worry. he woman did not bother to wait for confirmation before she set about pulling out the jar of tea and filling the pot.

Hiei waited silently for Koenma to dismiss his lackey. Once the oni was gone, the fire demon continued to wait for the toddler to make the first move. Koenma's initial response to his presence would be a good way to gauge the Reikai prince's mood. He wasn't encouraged by the annoyance and agitation he was getting from the godling via the jagan. Regardless, he had come there for a purpose and he wasn't about to waste the trip.

As the irritated princeling finally spoke, Hiei fought the urge to scowl, keeping his face blank instead. He took a moment to decide how to respond, before addressing Koenma's concern first. "The border is fine." He stated calmly. "Or it was when I left Makai this morning." He qualified his statement, not knowing what the situation might be like now. A power vacuum could cause trouble if Sheera failed to hold on to her promotion. Now, for the harder part. "I resigned my position." He admitted, watching the toddler closely to see how he would take that bit of news. I wasn't really the point of the meeting but it would most likely get Koenma asking the right questions to take the topic where Hiei needed it to go. He always did feel better when he could talk less.

OOC: I love how Kurama's words were an echo of Hiei's lol. Just in a completely different tone I'm sure. lol. That made me giggle.

Koenma started to nod absently, mulling over other possible reasons for the ex-criminal's sudden appearance but stopped dead when Hiei revealed that he had in fact resigned from his position as head of border defense.

"You did what?!" he asked, his voice something between an angry roar and a fearful squeak. Putting Hiei on border patrol had been an elegant solution to more than one problem. And though he hated to admit it, the fire demon had done an outstanding job these past few years.

Clearing his throat, Koenma forced himself to remain calm. "I uh...assume you had a good reason for doing so?" he asked hesitantly, aware of the piercing red eyes glaring his way.

---

Kurama allowed himself to be lead into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table as his mother indicated. Her smile brought warmth despite the fearful chill in his heart and he couldn't help but smile back, even if it was only a weak imitation.

Shuichi watched his mother fill the teapot before allowing his gaze to wander about the kitchen. He noticed the sink half-full of dirty dishes and the newspaper left open where Kazuya had presumably left it when he left for his meeting. What attracted his attention most of all however, were the photos that decorated the refrigerator door. There was one of Shiori and Kazuya together - their wedding photo, and one of his brother on the day of his high school graduation. Proudly displayed beside these was his own photo. Green eyes stared back at him from beneath red bangs, a smile on his lips. But who was the man in the photo really? This fake human male, this imposter? What did his family really know about him? His coworkers? His friends? Even Hiei didn't know the half of his deepest, darkest secrets...

A day would come when he would inevitably return to his home world; a day Kurama secretly feared. The fox had spent so much time running from his past that he wasn't sure what he would have to go back to or what new alterations he would have to make to his personality. He silently prayed that decades would pass before that day arrived, and that until that time, he could continue to ensure his mother's health and happiness as Shuichi Minamino.

When he was a small child, their roles had been reversed. Shiori had poured her heart and soul into making a heartless demon happy. Instead, she had unwittingly taught a monster the meaning of love. Since then, Kurama had taken it upon himself to give back to her what she had intended to bestow upon him, providing her with the perfect son any human parent could dream of. For the first time since nearly sacrificing his life to save her, he would selfishly ask her acceptance of a marring trait.

Aware that he had been unusually silent for a long time, Kurama turned his attention back to his mother. He hoped that she would understand. He had been far from honest with her the past 25 years but for once he wanted to tell her the truth. She deserved to know something about his true self, even if he would never divulge even a minuscule fraction of the rest.

((I uh...got a bit long-winded. O. o))

OOC: I am gonna post for Hiei and then edit Shiori in so I will be less likely to lose the whole thing.

Hiei found the octave of Koenmas voice piercing but his reaction to the simple announcement was as expected. He waited placidly for the toddler to get around to asking him why and he was not disappointed. "I cannot lead the border patrol without spending most of my time in Makai. That is no longer satisfactory to me at this time. I want you to approve a temporary relocation of my legal citizenship...to Ningenkai." There it was. The point of no return had long passed. The words were out and Hiei felt oddly okay with his decision. Unfortunately he was rather sure the nosy toddler would not be satisfied until he knew all the details of his sudden change of heart about the realm he had worked so hard to escape years before.


Shiori bustled around the familiar kitchen gathering her favorite tea tray and cups. She was growing even more concerned with her dear child's silence. Normally the redhead was full of chatter about his work during his visits. Something was decidedly wrong. Only when she had the tea prepared and served did she break the heavy silence. Perhaps Shuichi needed a nudge to get him talking. "Okay. Now we have our tea. What is it that has stolen the sparkle from your eyes Shuichi?" She asked with a worried smile. "It isn't like you to be so quiet. Tell me what is bothering you."

OOC: Done except for foxing the typos and formatting it. Night! Edit: Fixed it now. ^_^

Koenma listened intently to what the fire demon had to say. ”Ningenkai huh?” he asked suspiciously. He couldn’t help but wonder at Hiei’s sudden change of heart. Once upon a time, spending time in the human world would have been akin to torture for the demon and Koenma couldn’t possibly fathom a reason for him to suddenly feel differently about it.

It was his business to know Hiei’s reasons behind the sudden request for immigration however. ”You know I can’t approach a request like that without knowing your motives. I need clear reassurance that you will not reveal yourself or cause problems while in Ningenkai. Apart from your previous crimes, you’ve behaved well enough… Tell me, what is your reasoning behind this sudden urge for relocation?”

Clasping his hands behind his back, Koenma slowly sucked on his pacifier, curious to hear Hiei’s response to his question. He wondered if Yukina had perhaps played a part in the fire demon’s decision…

---

Kurama gratefully accepted the steaming cup of tea that his mother offered with a word of thanks. He cupped his hands around the porcelain object, allowing its warmth to seep into his skin.

As his mother prodded him to speak, Kurama suddenly felt very awkward. He had thought about having this conversation long and hard but still hadn’t come up with a satisfactory way to express himself. Perhaps there really were no ideal words, and in any case, his time had run out. With his mother looking at him so expectantly, he would have to say something.

”I have some news to share,” he began hesitantly. ”I…met someone,” he said slowly, ”A love interest you might say…” he added, a slight blush spreading across his normally fair skin.

Hiei was expecting the question but that didn't stop a faint blush from staining his pale skin as he thought of how to answer. "I've become...involved with someone living in the human realm. I wish to relocate there to be with my...mate." He said slowly, the word slightly stilted as he'd never had much cause to use it before and it still sounded strange to his ears. "Only for a few decades." He added quickly, not wanting the toddler to think he wanted to live in the human realm indefinitely. "I promise to play nicely with the humans while I'm there." He finished snidely with a roll of his crimson eyes to hide his nervousness. Koenma could say no and now that he had made the request, the toddler would be watching him too closely for him to safely use less legal measures to get his way.

'Hn, then I'd just have to set Kurama loose on him.' He thought, suppressing a smirk as an image, of his redhead manipulating the pacifier sucker into doing anything they needed him to do, played in his mind. Hiei was fairly certain the fox had done just that all those years ago to get them off with such a light sentence after they stole the three treasures. Certainly, Hiei knew he had deserved a far worse fate than playing spirit detective and being on probation, though he was never able to fathom why the fox had faced the same punishment when his crimes were far less severe. He didn't dare ask Kurama, for fear of finding out what the fox may have done for him.


Shiori smiled happily at her son's news. Shuichi had never expressed any interest in dating before and she had begun to wonder if he'd ever settle down and start a family. "That's wonderful news, Shuichi!" She burbled excitedly. "Who is she? Is it anyone I know? How long have you been together?"

She was trying to picture what sort of woman her son might have found for himself but she couldn't come up with any image that seemed to fit. Shuichi had always avoided girls in school, though the girls had certainly not avoided him. The only people he'd ever really even made friends with had been those two delinquents he tutored in junior high. She had been so proud of her son for helping those less academically and financially gifted then himself and it was good for him to have friends; even loud, brash, violent ones. Her son often seemed so distant from his peers when he was younger. It had been one less thing to worry her after her long illness.

She caught her mind wandering and cut off her stroll down memory lane in order to listen to what her son had to say. This was an important day after all.

OOC: I would think from what we have said up to this point, that Shiori has never been introduced to Hiei, ne? Oh and lol, Hiei's vague answer makes it sound like he could be involved with a human. That should blow Koenma's mind. lol.

Koenma paid close attention to Hiei's response, ready to weed out possible false truths. The explanation that followed however nearly had him rolling around the floor in laughter. Hiei? Fall for a human woman? The joke was almost too much for the infant toddler.

The laughter continued for a good thirty seconds until Koenma realized that Hiei wasn't joking then faded into a wracking cough as the ruler of the spirit realm did his best to salvage his composure.

"Yes, well I'm sure you won't mind if I ask the name of said person?" he said, "For legal purposes of course..." Koenma added, though it was clear that he was personally interested in this tidbit of information.

---

Kurama tried not to let his face fall. Of course his mother would assume that his love interest was a woman. It was the normal thing for a perfect son such as himself to do.

Kurama took in the smiling face of his mother. It broke his heart to ruin her dreams of attending his wedding and doting on grandchildren. His mind was made up however and Shuichi took a moment to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to say.

"We've been officially dating for a few days," he began. That part was easy enough at least... "His name is Hiei. I don't think you know him," Kurama finished, his tone even despite his rapidly beating heart.