Kurama said nothing at Hiei's cold response but turned and left the room as Hiei darted off in the other direction with his new clothing. The fox was a bit hurt. He was merely trying to help but after a moment of reflection realized he was probably over being over expletive. The redhead had grown too accustomed to Kuwabara's slow wit and Yusuke's thick skull. Hiei was unlike either of them and, Kurama reminded himself, far more perceptive.

Doing his best to shrug off his emotions, the fox looked about the kitchen as he tried to decide on something for lunch. It was possible that they would be eating at Yusuke's later so he decided against any sort of pasta or soup. Kurama was inclined to make a salad for himself but doubted that Hiei would eat one as well. Rice balls were always an option but they had eaten that yesterday. Undecided, Kurama returned to the living room and Hiei emerged from the bedroom a few moments later.

The outfit was nothing he would have picked out himself but it was suitable. He had seen far more eccentric outfits walking the city. Everything seemed to fit well with the exception of the pants which weren't as long as he thought they might be. With his coat draped over his arm it almost looked as if Hiei were ready to go out. Kurama ignored the topic of clothing completely and asked in a voice devoid of emotion, "Is there anything in particular you'd like for lunch?"

((Super grumpy after work, decided on a quick post before bed to try to cheer me up.))

Hiei's eyes narrowed at Kurama's inflectionless tone. It gave him no clue as to what the redhead thought of his choice in clothing, but it did let him know the fox was upset with him. The knowledge made the fire demon's stomach roil and his chest feel tight. He hadn't been trying to anger the redhead and he did find himself wanting to know what his love thought. He just couldn't stand being coddled or talked down to. 'He shouldn't have been treating me like an incompetent child.'

'You over reacted and made an ass of yourself.' His mind chimed in, and Hiei felt the sting of truth in the statement. 'Fix it, Baka.'

Hiei shifted his stance and crossed his arms defensively. His eyes drifted to the plant in the corner, unable to meet the fox's gaze. "Kurama...I.." He paused to gather his thoughts. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I know you were trying to help." He managed finally. "I just...wanted to do it myself." It wasn't quite an apology, but it was more than most people would get from him. "Is...is this okay?" He gestured at his attire, hating the hint of nervousness that crept into his tone but unable to stop it.

Kurama's gaze fixated on Hiei's face as he spoke though the shorter demon wouldn't meet his gaze. He hadn't expected an apology but that wasn't exactly what he got either. The redhead nodded to indicate that he understood. Hiei had done an excellent job picking out the clothes on his own and Kurama admitted to himself that he should have let the fire demon pair them on his own. If Hiei had chosen something unsuitable, only then should he have stepped in to gently pointed him in the right direction. Mistakes were a part of learning and Hiei could afford to make a few of them so long as they didn't reveal his identity to unsuspecting humans.

When Hiei inquired about his choice of clothing, the redhead made a show of inspecting his look from afar before stepping closer. Slender fingers deftly flicked the sleeve cuffs up twice on each side to complete Hiei's semi-casual look. "It looks good," he responded when finished, hoping the fire demon wouldn't mind the small touch he had added. If not he could always roll them back down himself. "Now what about lunch?" he asked, bringing up his previous question. Knowing whether or not Hiei wanted to dine in or out would at least be a start in choosing what they would be eating for their second meal of the day.

OOC: I purposefully chose the long sleeves because they would hide most of the bandages on his arm and thus decrease the amount of attention drawn to him. lol. Kurama just totally defeated that. O_o' We'll have to see how that goes when they go out. ^_^' It could actually be fun I think...for me and you anyway. ^_^ Hiei, not so much. lol.

Hiei relaxed slightly at the simple statement of approval, only to tense when the redhead's slender hands brushed his wrists and deftly rolled up his sleeves. The touch made his stomach flutter in a pleasant way and he had to work to keep the emotions off his face. The new look felt bulky on his arms and left far more of the black dragon wards exposed than he would have liked, but he wasn't about to argue with the fox so soon after smoothing things over. He nodded his thanks and then grunted a noncommittal answer to the question of food. "Hn. Doesn't matter. Whatever we have around is fine." He didn't want to go back out just yet.

Despite Kurama's words, he was still more than a little self-conscious about his charade. Dressing like a human wasn't enough if he couldn't act like one. He knew there were many kinds of humans with a variety of personality types. That would work in his favor, but he'd never met a human that thought quite like a demon. It wasn't just the different environment or culture, humans seemed to be genetically wired to react differently to stimuli. The instincts were all wrong and, as much as Hiei cared for Kurama, he wasn't certain he could keep from giving his true nature away if he tried to interact with normal humans on a regular basis.

But he had been a shadow in Kurama's human life before and it was no longer enough. He took a deep breath to steel himself. "Actually, let's go out instead." He blurted, before he could talk himself out of it.

Hiei seemed okay with the slight alteration to his look and Kurama let himself relax and put their small disagreement behind them. The fox rather liked the way Hiei looked with a few inches of his bandaged arms exposed. He found the fire demon's narrow wrists to be rather attractive and the glimpse of the wards reminded him of the shorter demon's power. It might raise a question or two but Kurama didn't think it would be too hard to cover. Something about a burn would not be too far from the truth and should suffice as long as the person asking didn't get too curious.

When Hiei answered his lunch inquiry, Kurama nodded vaguely and began sifting through options in his head. He was considering sashimi as an option when Hiei interrupted him with a sudden change of plans. The redhead merely shrugged and asked, "Did you have anything in mind?" uncertain if Hiei meant Yusuke's or somewhere else. Kurama was leaning towards the second option but wanted to be certain to avoid any possible confusion. It had been a while since he'd dined out anywhere besides Yusuke's ramen shop and the redhead found he rather liked the idea of a lunch date at a restaurant that served more than just noodles.

((Yeah, I thought of that but didn't think they'd be going anywhere for a bit besides Yusuke's. We'll have to see what happens. Also, sorry for not posting until now, work called me in. T_T))

Hiei shrugged. "Don't care." He answered flatly before amending. "Not Yusuke's." He wanted to test his new look, see how well he blended with the normal humans. He couldn't do that at Yusuke's because the baka was bound to have something to say that would draw attention to them. Yusuke always had something to say when the fire demon wore human clothes.

Wanting to help Kurama decide, even though he had no idea what sort of restaurants were in the area, Hiei dredged up a suggestion. "Somewhere with meat?" He said after a brief pause. Noodles were filling but they were only good for quick energy, protein took longer to digest and provided a more even fuel source for his high metabolism.

OOC: It's fine, I didn't sleep for about 36 hours so I was useless yesterday anyway. Plus, I had to do my homework. ^_^'

Kurama's stomach gave a tiny flutter when Hiei replied that he didn't care where they went so long as it wasn't Yusuke's restaurant. 'Our... My first date...' he thought with a small amount of trepidation. It wasn't the usual human sort of nervousness but rather anxiety about choosing the perfect restaurant and hoping that Hiei would do alright in a more formal atmosphere. For starters the fire demon didn't use cutlery, something most humans would find rather uncivilized... For this, Kurama quickly thought of the perfect solution and nodded when Hiei suggested meat as the main course.

Confident with his choice, Kurama led the way back out onto the balcony. He regretted the temporary loss of his keys and the thief found himself seriously considering sneaking into work later to get them back. He let the idea fade into the background of his mind. It wasn't a necessary adventure and they already had plans to go to Yusuke's later but if there was time later he decided he might reconsider the operation. The redhead nonchalantly leaned against the balcony and waited for the coast to clear before leaping down to the pavement below and set out for the destination he had chosen when Hiei joined him.

((Bleh... >.<))

Hiei followed without bothering to ask what the redhead had decided on. He trusted Kurama not to take him anywhere unpleasant...at least not without fair warning. It only took a moment to fall into step beside the taller demon, Hiei's faster pace making up for Kurama's longer strides. He carried his new coat, using it to conceal his sword. He was reminded again of his need for a weapon that was more easy to hide. He had seen swords that could be collapsed to fit in a pocket. They didn't have the durability of a real sword, but it would be better than nothing. Either that, or he needed to brush up on his dagger skills. 'That might be a good idea anyway.' He decided. He'd have to return to the Makai to get some funds and then it would be simple enough to get what he wanted.

Kurama walked along with his hands in his pockets feeling slightly nervous but also looking forward to what he considered their first date. Though they had spent the earlier part of the morning together, there had been shopping to focus on. Though he knew Hiei would be on guard at the restaurant, it would be nice to sit down and focus more on each other. His heart beat faster as he looked down at the demon beside him. Hiei didn't look bad in human clothes though his own attire probably suited him best. His new coat was folded over one arm but Kurama found himself eying Hiei's empty hand. Slipping his own hands out of his pockets, Kurama let them casually dangle at his sides as they walked. What would people think seeing them walk together hand in hand? Recalling Yamata's words the redhead decided at once that it didn't matter. The fox let his hand bump into Hiei's almost as if by mistake then decidedly entwined his fingers in the other demon's warmer ones.

Hiei's eyes widened when he felt Kurama's cool, slender fingers entwine with his own. He glanced at the redhead questioningly. Even without much experience with human society, the fire demon knew that human's were not accepting of same sex relationships. Still, he slipped his fingers between the fox's, twining their hands more tightly together in the process, and ignored the stares they were getting from the other pedestrians. If Kurama wanted to send out a message to the gawking humans, Hiei wasn't going to argue with him. It would keep the fawning females from getting any ideas about stealing his fox away from him.

Kurama smiled and shrugged, oblivious to the stares they were getting from passersby. Shuichi had always been very careful about his image but Hiei had him questioning that practice. What did it matter what humans he barely knew thought of him? If they saw him for what he really was, they'd run in fear. Kurama wasn't yet ready to give up appearances altogether, for his mother's sake and his coworkers in particular, but decided he could let himself slide a bit in the anonymity of the streets at least.

Hiei's hand gripped his tighter and Kurama felt a tingle work its way up his spine, still unable to believe he had been oblivious to his feelings for Hiei for so long. The redhead slowed his pace slightly so that his companion wouldn't have to walk as fast to keep up and because he didn't want their walk to end just yet. The slower pace added an extra ten minutes to their walk but also ensured that the restaurant would only be sparsely populated by the time they got there with most of the lunch crowd already gone.

Kurama rather regretted their arrival despite the small pangs of hunger his stomach was giving him. Slipping his hand from the other's grasp, the redhead entered the establishment he had led them to and was immediately greeted by the sizzle of the grill. Shuichi led the way to the bar seats overlooking the grill where a chef was busy preparing an order. Menus were set out on the counter and Kurama gave it a quick glance before setting it back down. He already knew what to order for the both of them.

((Stopped there to see if there was anything you wanted to do before I got too far.))

Hiei glared off a few of the more persistent gawkers during their walk but otherwise did his best to seem unaffected by the humans' they passed. Nonetheless the fire demon was somewhat relieved when they arrived at the restaurant. He wasn't used to attracting so much attention in the human realm.

The delicious smell of sizzling meat and spices wiped most of his discomfort away in a rush of hunger. He hopped up on a stool beside Kurama and watched the chef working the grill. Curiosity lit his crimson eyes and he glanced around at the few other patrons to see what was expected of him in this place.

OOC: Might be helpful if I knew where Red has taken them.... O_o' No idea what Hiei is looking at. lol

Kurama watched both the chef and Hiei as he waited patiently for a waitress to come take their order. After a few moments a rather short young woman with long black hair arrived with a smile to take their drink order. She spared Kurama only a glance before focusing intently on the shorter man beside him. After a brief moment of awkwardness, Kurama politely asked for two glasses of water and taking her cue, the young woman excused herself to fetch the requested beverages.

Hiei kept his face carefully blank as the human female stared at him. He wasn't certain what she expected of him and found himself somewhat disturbed by her intensity. He was relieved when Kurama took her attention by ordering and then she went away. He scanned the room for danger, finding nothing unusual, before he returned his attention to the redhead beside him. He had nothing important to say and talking to fill the silence was decidedly not his style, so he just studied the fox's human features. The way he held himself, the look on his face, the sparkle in his green eyes that Hiei knew he might never identify the cause of. 'You're beautiful.' He said silently, his expression showing no indication of the telepathic link he was maintaining between them, as he shifted his gaze back to the chef's activities with complete nonchalance.

Kurama was mildly amused by the human female's interest in Hiei. Though Hiei seemed oblivious to the reason for her attention, Kurama was glad to find that his love remained focused on him rather than the waitress. By appearance alone the woman didn't seem a bad match but the fox couldn't imagine Hiei ever taking that sort of interest in a human being. 'You look handsome,' he thought back wistfully as emerald eyes took in the sight of the demon beside him. Beneath the human garb, Hiei remained himself, the same mysterious demon that Kurama admired.

Kurama tore his eyes from his companion when the waitress returned with their drinks. She didn't seem to realize his staring in the least and still circumnavigated Hiei like a moth drawn to flames. She asked for their order with another smile in Hiei's direction but again it was Kurama who answered. "We'll have two orders of the steak kabobs with a side of rice," Kurama said in a neutral tone that hid his mood. Though the woman's attraction to Hiei had been amusing at first, it was already starting to annoy the fox as he began to feel the first pangs of jealousy.

Hiei blushed lightly at Kurama's compliment but was distracted as the waitress returned. He studiously ignored the female's attention. It was disconcerting, the way she looked at him. Did she somehow know he wasn't human? He shook the thought away. 'Impossible.' He let Kurama do the talking and relaxed slightly as the strange human moved away. 'What's a kabob?' He asked curiously. It wasn't term he was familiar with.

Kurama watched the woman's back as she retreated, a tiny frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Hiei seemed unaffected by her attention and the fox couldn't distinguish his feelings on the matter but refrained from asking. 'So much for our date...' he thought, already feeling it tainted by the presence of their overly attentive waitress. As Hiei's thought appeared in his subconscious, the fox did his best to agitation aside and focus on making the best of the situation. Hiei after all was ignoring the advances made on him so he really had nothing to worry about; it was merely bothersome.

'Grilled pieces of meat on a stick,' he responded, careful to shield his other thoughts from leaking through. Before them, the chef had received their order and began preparing the kabobs. It wasn't just steak that was pierced through with the wooden needles but rather small pieces of peppers and onions as well. Once the sticks were loaded with alternating pieces of food, the chef laid them across the fire of the grill to cook. The meat was already marinated but the bits of pepper and onion would give it additional flavor as it cooked over the open flame.

Hiei nodded almost imperceptibly in acknowledgment of the redhead's answer. He sniffed at the scent of cooking meat and vegetables appreciatively. 'Hn. Looks good.' He said, sticking to telepathy rather than speaking aloud. He wasn't sure why he was against his innocuous comments and questions being overheard by the flow of humanity around them. He only knew that the silent communication made him more comfortable, helped him pretend he was alone with his fox.

Unfortunately, the intense attention from their waitress was spoiling the privacy. He could feel her eyes on him even from across the room. He made the mistake of glancing her way and was rewarded with a shy smile and a little wave that had him hastily turning away with wide crimson eyes and a scowl. 'Kurama, is that female trying to get me to mate with her?' He asked incredulously, his mental tone full of disgust and horror at the idea.

He knew some demons mated with humans and that in and of itself wasn't what nauseated him, though he had never personally understood the appeal. It was more the fact that he recognized her behavior as being similar to some of the females who had hounded Kurama in his youth. Her weak flirting and fawning mannerism made him want to flee the premises immediately, but he was no coward. He did want her to stop though, and his keen mind began sorting through options for making it clear he was not interested.

'Smells good...' Kurama corrected him, his mouth watering. He could almost taste the spicy sweet taste of pepper and onion through the smell alone and it was making him hungry. Fortunately the sizzle of the grill drown out the low growl of his stomach. He didn't question Hiei's use of telepathy; it kept the nosy waitress out of their business, though he wondered if their silence was only increasing her efforts to attract Hiei's attention. The fox did not miss Hiei's swift glance in her direction or the wave he was rewarded with and resolved to start up a vocal conversation to ward her off when Hiei interrupted his thoughts with a question.

It was the redhead's turn to scowl, though his face quickly returned to an impassive mask. Shuichi thought of various ways of responding to the question but dissatisfied with each of them settled on the simplest of answers. 'Yes,' he said, unable to hide the distaste that accompanied the thought. She wasn't exactly trying to "mate" with Hiei as humans might view it but her advances made it clear that she was at least hoping for a date. If Hiei wanted to think of that as mating, Kurama wasn't going to stop him, especially given that it would probably repulse him more to think of lying with a human female. Or maybe it was the fox himself who was repulsed by the idea of Hiei lying with another as both a pang of jealousy and desire rushed through him at once.

Hiei's scowl deepened before he arranged his features into a less revealing expression. This would not do at all. 'How do I make her stop?' He asked, suppressing a shudder as he met the redhead's green eyes. The flash of jealousy that had come through with Kurama's last answer had not gone unnoticed and it would have been amusing if not for the fact that the stupid female was still staring at him whenever she got the chance.

Kurama said nothing at first, his thoughts closed as he pretended to watch the chef turn the kabobs. There were a number of ways they could go about informing their attendant that her attention was for naught. A few rather possessive ones came to mind first, mostly fueled by jealousy, and Kurama quickly pushed them aside. They would only serve to draw more unwanted attention. Verbally confronting her was another option but likely an awkward one. Kurama had always coyly ignored his own suitors or politely declined them when necessary and realized that he didn't actually have any good advice for Hiei. Lifting his water glass for the first time, Kurama took a swig before setting it back down in front of him. 'That's for you to decide,' he relayed at last, unhappy that he couldn't offer any better advice.

Disaisfied with the noncommittal answer, Hiei frowned and wracked his brain for information on human courtship. Snatches of television glimpsed through store windows and snippets of Yusuke and Keiko's tumultuous relationship drifted through his mind. The latter were discarded almost immediately; Yusuke's idea of romance was clobbering anyone who looked at his wife wrong. Finally he settled on a behavior he'd seen from couples in the park, where he had frequently spent his days. Whenever they wanted to deter other suitors....

He shifted closer to Kurama and reached out to hold the fox's hand, twining their fingers together intimately. It was a possessive gesture, true, but hopefully subtle enough not to cause a scene while still getting the idea across that he was taken.

Kurama gaze turned from the grill to look at Hiei when the other took his hand but didn't argue. His delicate fingers confidently interlaced with Hiei's to complete the intimate gesture. Well aware that they were being watched, the fox leaned in close to Hiei's ear to whisper the words, "I love you" both because he meant them and to solidify the unspoken statement they were making for the sake of Hiei's crush.

Satsu lingered not far from the bar wiping and rewiping the tables closest to the the two clients who sat at the bar. The redhead wasn't her type at all but the shorter man with him was something else. It wasn't often that she found men similar to her own stature that were so good looking. Realizing that she was staring, the waitress sighed and forced herself to look down at the table in front of her. There was something mysterious about her new crush but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. His dark allure was to be admired but that wasn't what made her curious. There were bandages around his hands however and she couldn't help but wonder why.

Given his mixture of casual and expensive clothing items, she wondered if he wasn't a member of one of the local gangs. Her mother had warned her against dealing with thugs but she couldn't help it... His looks made her melt and she couldn't stop herself from smiling and waving when he glanced her way. She was resolved to do her best to attract his attention while he dined and leave him her number before he left. Moving to wipe down another nearby table, Satsu allowed herself another glance in her crush's direction and gaped at what she saw.

The waitress froze as the taller man leaned in so close she thought he might kiss her crush. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized the redhead was only whispering something into the other's ear but as the redhead pulled away she noticed the pair's intertwined hands for the first time. The wet cloth in her hand dropped from her hand to the ground when she realized that the mystery behind her customer wasn't what she had been fantasizing; he was gay. She could see the chef motioning to her that their meal was ready but ignored him, too devastated to approach the couple.

Instead, she bent down to retrieve the cloth and took it back the kitchen to fetch a clean one. There, she forced herself into composure before reappearing in the main room to present her customers their dishes and refill the redhead's glass though she felt nothing but animosity towards him now. With a darkened smile she bid them to enjoy their meal before skirting away to finish wiping down the furthest tables in silence, leaving the couple to eat their food in peace.

Hiei tried to suppress the slight blush that stained his cheeks at the softly spoken declaration. "Hn." He replied, but he squeezed the redhead's hand in his overly warm one. He felt the eyes that had been haunting him disappear and he realized the action had done as he intended but he didn't release Kurama's hand. Finally, a much subdued waitress returned to present them with their meal before making a hasty exit. Moving too quickly for the humans to see, Hiei leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his love's cheek. Smirking slightly, he then gave the slender hand one more squeeze before untangling the digits and turning his attention to his food. The overeager waitress was nearly forgotten as he glanced at the gorgeous creature beside him as he silently began devouring the grilled meat and vegetables.

OOC: Sorry for the delay. I was packing to leave for my parents' house (where I am now). The internet here is kind of FAIL so I probably won't be on much for a couple of days. I'll try to post at least once a day though. Barring unforeseen circumstances. ^_^'

Kurama glanced over at the waitress from behind Hiei. He felt no regret as he noted that their little scene had worked, and turned his attention back to his love. A faint blush had spread across Hiei's cheeks and Kurama turned back to the bar so as not to call attention to it. A slight squeeze on his hand told him Hiei felt the same and the redhead allowed himself a small smile. The chef plated their food but their waitress was nowhere in sight. The fox's stomach let out a low complaint but he ignored it, happy that their attendant had finally given them some space. She appeared a few minutes later to present them with their meals before fading into the background.

Kurama eyed his food hungrily and was about to slip his hand away to start eating when he sensed movement and felt a sudden peck on his cheek. The redhead blinked in surprise but didn't let his expression betray him to the man behind the counter. As he felt the squeeze on his hand, surprise faded to be replaced a wonderfully warm sensation. As Hiei's hand slipped from his own, Kurama caught Hiei's smirk and allowed a peaceful smile to wash over his features. Hiei eagerly dug into the meal before him and Kurama followed suit. Lifting the first kabob to his lips he bit off the first piece of meat and chewed it slowly despite his hunger. The meat was spicy yet sweet and after allowing the flavors to dance across his palate for a moment, he swallowed and dug in to the rest of his meal with gusto.