Naomi glanced at him when she got back. After a moment, deciding that he was probably just contemplating something, she went to pack some of her things. She knew what she would need for a trip to see her father, and was just glad that she'd already had her human night for the month. One less thing to be paranoid about.

Even as she packed, she couldn't help but glance outside to Hiei.

Hiei was keeping track of her, listening to her as she packed and keeping half his attention on her. He wanted to know where she was. So he'd be ready to go when she was, of course.

Naomi noticed when his youki brushed against hers a few times, and she brushed back. She wasn't used to anyone keeping tabs on her like that, and she blushed slightly. She was kind of flattered, really, but wouldn't quite admit that maybe it was something more. She finished packing her things and brought her bag downstairs.

Hiei looked over at her when she came downstairs again, raising an eyebrow in silent question. He didn't have anything to bring besides what he already had with him, but he did want a bit of advanced warning before they left so he could go tell the fox.

"I'm ready to go whenever," Naomi said, setting her bag by the door. She'd changed clothes while she was packing, into something more suited for traveling further north.

Hiei nodded and hopped down from his perch, going over to her. "I'll be back in a minute." He looked at her for a moment, just looked, before he slipped off to go talk to Kurama. Whom he assumed was still with the foxling.

Naomi blinked and nodded. The look he'd given her was a little strange; he'd never looked at her like that before. It didn't make her uncomfortable, though; instead, it made her almost feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside. She'd never had anyone look at her before as if she might be worth something.

Indeed, Kurama was still with Osanna. She had been showing him her garden, and he was actually kind of impressed at how vibrant and diverse it was, considering the climate and what Osanna's skill level should have been. She was actually very talented, and it showed.

Hiei walked over to them, not stepping on the plants. He knew from experience how aggressive foxes could be about their gardens, and even though he knew he could beat Osanna easily, he didn't want to.

"Fox," he said, looking at Kurama. "I'll be gone for a few days." Meaning he'd be off with Naomi and Kurama was on his own if he somehow managed to get into trouble, since he was a fox and had a unique ability to find trouble wherever he went.

Kurama raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Gone?" he repeated. It was obvious Hiei was going with Naomi, but he hadn't thought Naomi was going anywhere so soon.

Hiei nodded. "She's been summoned to visit her family." Which he figured was succinct enough. While Kurama hadn't been there when Naomi had received the message, he saw understanding gleam in Osanna's eyes. She made a face but nodded to him, clearly grumpy that she had to go but grudgingly pleased that he was going with her.

"I see," Kurama replied, noticing the look in Osanna's eyes. She seemed annoyed, but not worried, so he relaxed a little. "Take care, then." In the meantime, he would keep Osanna company.

Hiei nodded and flitted away again to go rejoin Naomi. He nodded to her to signal he was ready, standing with his hands in his pockets at the moment.

Osanna grumped a little but went on with her tour. Hopefully Hiei would punch one of them for her.

Naomi nodded and gestured to her car. She had a standing agreement with the parking guard at the train station, and he would let her leave her car in the lot for a few days while she was away. One less thing to worry about.

Hiei got in carefully. He didn't have much experience with cars, and what experience he had was not pleasant.

Hopefully this would be a very short trip.

Naomi didn't comment on his unease in the car. She knew he wasn't comfortable in them, and she did her best to drive easy and minimize any bumps or swerves. The drive to the train station was only about twenty-five minutes, and she parked in the back corner of the lot.

"From here, we take the train," she said as she killed the engine.

Hiei nodded. Okay. Trains weren't quite as bad. They were just as noisy, but as long as he could find a spot that wasn't crowded he'd be fine. Kurama had dragged him on a train once, and he'd been tempted to strangle the fox afterwards.

Naomi went up to the ticket counter and bought a pair of tickets, and then gestured for Hiei to follow her to the platform. They still had about ten minutes before the train was supposed to arrive.

"So why did you want to come?" she asked him after a moment or two.

"I want to meet your family." Hiei shrugged. He'd heard of bad parents before, but these ones were at the top of the list.

Not to mention he sort of wanted to see if he could scare them into submission. Or get a fight out of them. Either one worked.

"You said that," Naomi replied, "but why?" That was the real question. And she had a sneaking suspicion it was because of Andromeda's unexpected visit. Naomi had made sure to bring the book with her; she didn't trust her stepmother not to send Andromeda again to root through Naomi's home looking for it.

"I'm curious," was what Hiei settled on. He didn't see any reason for her to know his whole reasoning, not really. Not at the moment. He looked at her again, judging her reaction.

Naomi raised an eyebrow a bit.

"That was a little evasive," she replied after a moment. She got the distinct feeling there was more than he wasn't mentioning, but there was no way for her to make him talk. So she would have to wait and see if he said anything else on the subject.

"Hn." Hiei didn't bother denying it. He knew she was smarter than that. So he simply said nothing. He looked down the train tracks once he heard the train getting closer, his eyes narrowing just a little.

The train arrived right on schedule, and Naomi waited until the commuters had gotten off before stepping through one of the doors.

"Which seat do you want?" she asked him when she found an empty section. She preferred the window seats, but she would take the one he didn't want. She was more comfortable on the train, after all.

Hiei moved over to the window seat and sat down. There was another set of seats across from theirs, and he looked at her before looking at those seats. Maybe that would deterr other people from joining them.

Naomi caught the hint and sat down across from him, putting her bag on the seat next to her. She knew from experience that this particular ride was never full, so it wouldn't be a problem if she took up two seats.

"It will be a few hours," she said. "Maybe four or five, depending on how many stops they make today."