"I would imagine it's a bit of a sore topic for her," Kurama mused. He glanced at his friend. "I'm surprised you stopped her."

"She wouldn't have won." Hiei looked at Kurama for a moment before he resettled himself.

"I remember a time when that wouldn't have bothered you," Kurama pointed out. And he knew that it would have bothered his friend now.

"Hn." Hiei did, too, but that actually didn't freak him out as much as he thought it should. Which he briefly considered freaking out over, and then dismissed the whole thing as too much trouble.

"I think, perhaps, you might be starting to care for her," Kurama prodded. Because yes, now he was really looking for an answer, and Hiei needed the prodding, anyway.

Hiei slanted a Look at Kurama. He already knew what he was feeling, somewhere in the back of his mind anyway. He did not need the fox poking his nose there. "And I suppose I should shove you towards her again?" He looked meaningfully towards the kitchen.

"I don't see why you would have to," Kurama replied evenly, ignoring the Look. "But it is not as unusual for me to take a liking to someone as it is for you."

"Hn." Hiei snorted. "She doesn't need to know that just yet."

"Why not?" Kurama asked. It was a legitimate question, given Hiei's history with information and the withholding thereof.

Hiei gave him another Look. The one that said Hiei was barely comfortable with the knowledge yet and he wasn't just going to go around handing it out. Because he was slightly paranoid still.

Kurama nodded slightly. It was less of the fact that Naomi didn't need to know and more of the fact that Hiei didn't want anyone to know. That made the difference.

"Someone else is bound to notice," he reminded.

Hiei shrugged. He'd deal with that when he had to, and not before. Besides, the two girls did know him well enough just yet to notice the difference, and that was good enough for him.

Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"Yukina will notice," he commented. "Considering the amount of time she tends to spend with Naomi lately."

"Not yet," Hiei said quietly. "Not for a little while." And a little while was all he needed.

"She's perceptive," Kurama pointed out. But he was also sure Yukina wouldn't say anything unless she was absolutely certain and had asked Hiei about it first.

"I know." Hiei sighed quietly. He'd heard something about Naomi possibly going on a trip, which would give him a little more time, as well. Really, once he'd figured himself out he'd let her know.

Eventually.

Kurama nodded again, but didn't push the issue. He had all the information he wanted, for now.

Osanna set everything to cook for a while before she got out plates and things. She glanced over at Naomi with a raised eyebrow.

Obediently, Naomi got up and went out to the other room.

"Food, if you're hungry," she said. Kurama nodded and got up, glancing at Hiei for a moment.

Hiei got up after a moment and moved over with him to go get food.

The rest of the night passed easily, with Hiei staying where he could keep track of Naomi, and the next day Osanna was wondering if Naomi was still going to go on a trip or not.

Oh yes, Naomi was still in a bit of 'escape' mode when she got up the next day. It took a bit of finagling and wheedling, but she managed to arrange things so that she and Osa could go hang out in another world for a little while without anyone shadowing them, which was exactly what Naomi figured she wanted at the moment.

So, when Osanna was ready to go, Naomi opened the book.

Osanna came prepared this time, with a change of clothes for both of them and some other things, just in case they got dropped in the middle of nowhere or something.

Naomi had a vague idea of where they would be dropped, but she wasn't going to make any mention of that to the book. She didn't want to give it any ideas.

"Think you could take us forward two worlds?" she asked it.

The book glowed and took them to Full Metal Alchemist world. And dropped them right in front of the train station at Risembool.

Naomi barely managed to land on her feet, and she reached out to help Osanna up.

"Well, here we are," she said. Once Osa was standing again, Naomi put the book into her bag and looked around.