Hiei shrugged. It didn't matter to him what they drank. A thought struck him suddenly. "I won't be able to meet you tomorrow. I told Yukina I'd see her around midday." He grimaced. "She wants to discuss...wedding plans, I think."

Kurama hadn't expected much more than indifference though it made the decision more difficult for the fox. For some reason he felt reluctant to leave Hiei even to make a trip to the store but also craved the taste of sake to complete the unusually exquisite meal. His debate was interrupted however as Hiei explained that he would be absent tomorrow afternoon. Kurama carefully kept the disappointment he felt from showing on his face when he replied, "I'm sure it will be amusing." The fox knew that Hiei would find the planning tiresome and commended him on agreeing to do it anyway for Yukina's sake.

"I think I'll go pick something up from the store," he said suddenly, "I shouldn't be but a few minutes." Kurama leaned in for a quick kiss close to Hiei's ear before grabbing his jacket from it's hook in the hallway and exiting the apartment. Outside the air was beginning to cool as the sun's rays faded, leaving dark shadows between the buildings. He knew the area well and it didn't take him long to reach his destination and purchase the desired item. As he walked back to his apartment, a brown paper bag in hand, he reveled in the cool air against his skin. It felt refreshing after heavy sweetness of the warm kitchen atmosphere.

When his walk came to an end, he was content to reenter the building despite the stuffier atmosphere as he knew who would be waiting upstairs. On his way up the stairwell he decided that it might be best to open the sliding door to allow some air to circulate and prevent the heat from suffocating them. Entering through the front door he had purposefully left unlocked, Kurama kicked off his shoes and removed his coat before wandering down the hall, paper sack in hand, to see what Hiei might have gotten himself into during his brief absence.

"Amusing is not the word I would use." Hiei grumbled.

The little fire demon was left blinking at Kurama's sudden exit. That lasted all of a minute before boredom prodded him into exploring the areas of the apartment he hadn't yet seen. He soothed the little voice that berated him for snooping. 'It's checking the security.' He told himself firmly as he slipped through a door and found himself in the redhead's bedroom. 'There are plants here too.' He smiled slightly. He kept his eyes off the bed after a brief glance sent his mind down paths that would most definitely not help with his plan to take things slowly.

The redhead's closet was no longer full of dreadful pink uniforms, instead nice button up shirts and slacks took up the space. Something shoved in the back of the closet caught his eye and he dragged it out curiously. His breath caught as he recognized one of those very same pink uniforms. This one showed signs of old blood and an unrepaired slice in the middle of the jacket made his eyes narrow. He didn't have to look to see that the tear was echoed on the back as well. 'Why would he keep this?' He wondered, recognizing the damage as the injury he had inflicted on the fox with the ghostslayer. It was Kurama's greatest betrayal of their partnership. 'And he saved your life that night as well.' A small voice pointed out.

Hiei frowned thoughtfully. If he had killed Yusuke and Keiko then, there would have been no parole as a spirit detective. He would likely have been executed and sent to one of Reikai's multitude of hells. In fact, he had often wondered how he had avoided that fate as it was. He never could understand the reason that he and the redhead had been dealt the same punishment when the scales of their crimes were so unbalanced. However he hadn't dared ask Kurama about it, afraid the fox would admit to bargaining for his freedom and then he'd owe the conniving redhead his life. Hiei didn't like owing people anything.

He heard the door open and was back in the kitchen in under a second. The old school uniform tucked back into it's place and no sign that he'd ever been in the darkened bedroom. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to do more than jerk to a stop before the redhead entered the kitchen and he hoped the redhead couldn't tell.

As Kurama walked through the doorway he asked, "Have you ever had sake?" Looking up he noticed Hiei standing a bit awkwardly in the middle of the room and wondered what he might have been up to. There was an air of suspiciousness surrounding the quick demon but Kurama chose to ignore it for the moment. Whatever the other demon had done in his absence was likely harmless enough he reasoned, though still a bit curious.

As he awaited Hiei's response, Kurama slipped the sake bottle out of the paper bag and set it in the middle of the table before stepping around the petite demon to raid the cupboard behind him. A moment later his head reappeared as he pulled out two tiny ceramic cups and a small jar, all balanced upon a tray. Carrying the tray carefully over to the table he began setting up the wine service. Even if Hiei didn't care for the beverage, he hoped the demon might at least take a small celebratory sip. It was no fun drinking alone...

Hiei shook his head. He'd never tried human world alcohol, deeming it to be likely not worth his time. His ridiculously high metabolism wouldn't allow him to get drunk on anything short of ogre killer for more than a minute or so. Not that being drunk in the Makai was a good idea unless you had someone watching your back...'Or you happen to be that idiot Chuu.' To be honest, other than a forced sip or two when he was very young among the bandits, Hiei had never had any alcohol at all. He pushed the childhood memories away hastily and watched the almost ceremonial set up of the sake set with keen interest. "What's it like?" He asked, honestly curious.

OOC: I think that's the crap Chuu drinks when he fights. That super alcohol stuff. ^_^' What do you think of the idea of Chuu being romantically involved with Shizuru? lol. They always seemed like they should hit it off to me. ^_^'

((I can't remember. I dunno, I was under the impression that she'd never find another guy after the one she met during the tournament died. >.<))

The fox first set the two tiny cups aside. Kurama wasn't surprised when Hiei shook his head "no". Taking his gaze off of the fire demon, he worked the top off of the glass bottle and poured sake into the small ceramic jar until it was full. Replacing the cap on the bottle, he turned to retrieved a small wooden tub from a cupboard near the sink and filled it with lukewarm water from the tap. As he nestling the jar inside, he prepared and answer to Hiei's question. Recalling the last time he drank sake, which had been at Yusuke's wedding, he imagined the taste, "It's rather strong," he began, "And bitter," he added decisively. The redhead was dissatisfied with the overly simplistic explanation however, "You should try some after it's warmed. It will be good practice for the wedding."

Hiei frowned. Bitter and strong did not sound appealing at all, but if humans could drink the stuff he would manage. He watched Kurama prepare the sake, no longer looking forward to trying it. He'd do it anyway for the redhead's sake but he didn't expect to like it if it was as Kurama described it. The mention of a wedding threw him for a minute before he realized the fox wasn't speaking of their budding relationship, but rather Yukina's impending nuptials. "They drink this at weddings?" He asked curiously. It would be good to have at least some knowledge of human weddings before he went to see his sister. It wasn't as if the Koorime had any wedding traditions so she was probable going to have a human ceremony.

Unless she chose to take up some of the fire demon traditions....which Hiei wasn't terribly familiar with either, having not had much to do with other demons of his kind. Most other fire demons didn't want anything to do with him when they found out he was half koorime. His dual heritage succeeded in isolating him thoroughly from both his peoples and the rejection still hurt when he bothered to think about it. He packed the depressing thoughts away. Kurama seemed determined to make the evening special and Hiei wasn't about to ruin it by pondering things that needed to stay buried.

OOC: Ten years is a long time and I firmly believe that love can strike twice. It could be a relatively new development too. lol. Maybe Chuu and Rinku are living in Ningenkai for some reason, working for Reikai or something (Heck, they wouldn't even need to pay Chuu as long as they directed him to the best fights and kept him in booze, lol)? He ran into Shizuru and they just sort of hit it off in a loud, bickering sort of way. I just love Rinku and Chuu and thought it would be fun to include them. *shrugs* Shizuru is going to have to come in eventually anyway. lol. Her baby brother is getting married after all.

((I guess I'm just kinda hesitant to include them because I don't think I could play either of those characters very well. >.< I could give a shot at Touya and Jin if you want to bring the whole team in though. Hm, but that leaves Suzaka and Shishi as well... T_T))

Kurama nodded, "The bride and groom will drink together in ceremony to solidify their unification," he said, recalling the ceremony that Yusuke and Kieko had partaken in. "Should Yukina and Kuwabara choose a traditional wedding that is," he added, recalling the growing popularity of more westernized marriages. "If that is the case, as part of Yukina's family you should also drink to their union."

Deeming the sake warm enough, Kurama pulled the jar from it's bath and set it down on the tray. The redhead then lifted one of the cups from the tray and held it in the palm of his hand with the other hand cupping the side of the ceramic. "Hold it like this," he instructed, allowing Hiei a moment to take in the positioning of his hands before setting the cup in his lover's hands. He reveled at the brief contact with the other's skin but remained focused on what he was trying to teach.

The fox waited until Hiei had positioned the cup properly in his hands before taking up the jar and pouring the fire demon a glass. "Wait for the toast to drink it," he added as he poured himself a glass, then taking it up he said, "To love!" and clinked his glass gently against the one Hiei was holding. "Now we sip," he instructed, waiting for Hiei to raise his glass so that they may drink together. When Hiei raised the glass to his lips, Kurama did likewise and took a sip of the warm milky liquid.

OOC: I thought about bringing in Jin and Touya at least for the wedding (do you think those two have more than friendship happening? I do.), but I don't feel we need to overcrowd the story with Shishi and Suzaku. If Jin and Touya live in the Makai their wouldn't be a lot of reason to include them before the wedding. Chuu and Rinku seem to be kind of a set, being from the same team and all. I sort of see them as being almost like brothers. I can play both of them if you can play Shizuru? *shrugs*

Hiei listened intently to Kurama's explanation. His nose wrinkled in a grimace as the fox informed him of the toast he'd have to make at the wedding. 'Toasting to my sister tying herself to the oaf. That will be hard to swallow.'

He was distracted from his musings by the redhead's hand brushing his own as he placed the tiny flat cup in it. Adjusting his grip as instructed, he waited patiently for the toast but hesitated just before drinking. 'If drinking this stuff is part of human mating ceremonies...and Kurama is toasting to our...er...love...' His face was puzzled as he eyed his small cup of alcohol. "So is this sort of like a wedding ceremony for us?" He asked, confusion obvious in his voice. He didn't want the fox to misunderstand. It wasn't that he wouldn't like to mate with the redhead once they had a chance to figure their relationship out. He just thought it would be best to discuss it first.

((I honestly can't recall their interactions very much so I'm not sure. I could play Shizuru but I'm just confused about what would be happening with them, why they'd be around and how they'd meet up with her, etc. Also, I don't think Hiei has to make a toast from what little I read about the sake part of the wedding ceremony as it's a bit different than the western traditions but he can think that if you want him to. Or maybe Yukina will have a Western wedding, who knows. ^_^))

Though Hiei's cup halted in front of his lips, Kurama took his sip anyway, hoping that Hiei might follow suit. The words that came out of his mouth however completely took Kurama by surprise and he nearly choked on the beverage. The alcohol burned as it went down the wrong way and Kurama burst into a coughing fit as his lungs tried to rid themselves of the foul substance. When he was finally able to breathe again, Kurama's watery eyes focused on the black-haired demon before him. "No Hiei," his voice was hoarse and his face was flushed. "This is just a casual drink. At a wedding, ceremonial cups would be used and the bride and groom would alternatively take sips from the same glass," Kurama explained hastily, wondering if Hiei believed he was marrying them with a bottle of sake bought at the local convenience store. It seemed Hiei had a lot to learn before the wedding and he hoped that between Yukina and himself they could prepare the fire demon for the ceremony.

((Also, oops. I guess Japanese ceremonies don't have bridesmaids or best men so by my description. Keiko must've an odd ceremony that was some weird mix between the two. >.< If you're wondering, here's a helpful link on the subject: Traditional Japanese Weddings))

OOC: *cackles at Kurama* Umm...I don't know. We don't need them right now. I was just thinking it could be fun to bring them in later if things get slow or anything. *shrugs* We can just wait and see how things go, kay?

Hiei watched the fox try to drown himself (literally) with the tiny sip of alcohol. However he was a bit relieved when the fox explained the situation clearly. The fire demon wasn't ready for the commitment of mating...or marriage or whatever the redhead might eventually want him to do. He wondered if they would have some sort of human ceremony when the time came, something the fox's mother could attend. His eyes were soft as he thought about it but he caught himself quickly. 'Getting a bit ahead of yourself.' He chided himself silently, but he couldn't shake the warm feeling that the possibility stirred in him.

Wanting a distraction from his thoughts, he raised his cup in a token salute to the demon before him. "To you." He said quickly, downing the fiery liquid in one sip. The taste was hideous, but he ignored that and pondered the sensation it created as it slid down his throat thoughtfully. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he fought to keep his reaction hidden. 'It burns.' He could eat fire for breakfast but this was different, a chemical induced pain that left an odd warm numbness in it's wake. Not overly unpleasant really, but not something he could see the allure of either.

((Alright, sounds good. ^_^))

Kurama might have chuckled at the minute change in Hiei's expression were he not still recovering from the burning sensation in his windpipes. "You'll want to sip it at the wedding," he reminded the fire demon gently, "It's considered impolite to drink it all at once." Kurama took another sip of his own cup as if demonstrating before setting the half-empty cup back down on the tray to go check the rice cooker. The light indicated that the cooking process was finished and the redhead opened the lid to check the contents. The rice inside was fluffy with no indication of excess water or burning, just as he had expected. "The rice is done," he announced, closing the lid to keep the contents warm. "What about the rabbit?" he asked curiously. His stomach was beginning to warm with the aftereffects of the alcohol, which only served to increase his appetite.

Hiei acknowledged the reminder with a shrug. He was rarely concerned with being rude. He placed the little cup down on the table and went to check the meat again. The outside looked done, crispy with the sugar from the jelly caramelized over it. Pulling out his small knife, he poked it into the thickest part of the animal and watched with satisfaction as the juice ran clear from the small hole he'd made. "It's done." He said, reaching in and pulling the pan out with his bare hands.

Sliding it onto the counter, he eyed his handiwork critically. The roasted rabbit looked really good and the vegetables had soaked up the drippings from the meat just as he had planned. The fire demon wasn't sure what to do next. Normally he would just cut off a chunk of meat and eat it from his knife, but he had the feeling Kurama would prefer something a bit more formal. "I cooked, you can serve it." He said, making it sound like he was doing it to divide the work rather than because he didn't want to break any of Kurama's human etiquette rules. Satisfied, he dropped into one of the chairs at the table and waited.

Kurama gawked as Hiei pulled the large roasting pan from the oven with his bare hands. The fox knew that Hiei's body was fully capable of taking the heat as he had seen the fire demon produce and hold flames in his hands before, but his human half hadn't been expecting the unusual sight. The redhead quickly recovered however and chided himself for his momentary lapse. It seemed he was becoming more accustomed to the human world than he'd like to admit.

Kurama nodded and moved in to take over the job of cutting and serving the meat. His first line of business was slip a pot holder under the pan lest the hot container begin to melt the counter top. He then set to work quickly and efficiently carving the small carcass into portions small enough to be picked up with chopsticks, though Hiei likely wouldn't bother with the utensils he had set out. It was more out of habit than anything really...

Once this task was finished, he retrieved the bowls he had set out and filled them with rice before setting them back on the table. The redhead then did the same with the plates for the meat and vegetable. Satisfied with the place setting, Kurama sat down in his own chair across from Hiei's his face aglow, "Itadakimasu!" he said respectfully before taking up his chopsticks and slipping a piece of the juicy dark meat into his mouth. He allowed his palate a moment to savor the rich flavors before swallowing the morsel, "Mmm..." The gratified noise came from somewhere deep in his throat and was unmistakeably genuine.

Hiei watched the over complicated preparation in silence and waited for the fox to join him at the table. He watched surreptitiously as the redhead tried his first bite of the delicious smelling meat. The little fire demon didn't often....well, ever cook for other people so he was a little nervous that volunteering to do so might have been a mistake. 'What if he doesn't like it?' The nervousness was washed away as Kurama's moan of enjoyment sent shivers down Hiei's spine and caused a light blush to stain his cheeks.

Exceedingly pleased with the fox's response and trying hard not to show it, Hiei attacked his own meal. He disdainfully ignored the silly sticks Kurama had set out, he only used those things when he ate with his human companions in public. Instead he used his small knife again, expertly skewering the small chunks of meat and vegetable and devouring them contentedly.

Kurama ate slowly, savoring every bite. He enjoyed his mother's cooking and he wasn't a bad cook himself but this was something different. The flavors were rich and deep, earthy but sweet. He liked the meat the best but the vegetables weren't bad either and he took turns at eating each element of the dinner along with sips of sake. He didn't mind Hiei's way of eating, mindful that the way he ate as a demon fox had been much more uncivilized.

Hiei finished his food quickly. As good as it was, he didn't eat it slow to savor the experience. It was a habit ingrained from his childhood: You ate fast, before someone bigger or stronger took what you had. Even though very few beings could now even come close to being stronger than the jagan master, old habits were hard to break.

Finished with his meal, he sat back and watched Kurama out of the corner of his eye as he carefully cleaned his knife. It was still hard to wrap his mind around their new relationship, that the fox really did want him was almost unfathomable, but the memory of their kisses was too strong to have been imagined. Hiei found himself wanting to do it again as he watched the redhead eat. 'He really is as beautiful as all those stupid human females claim he is...' He thought, smirking at himself. 'You're a sap, Hiei. Did you know?' He couldn't quite suppress a dry chuckle as he mocked himself, too happy to really care that his reputation was going to be ruined when word got out that he was in love with the half human redhead. Of all the things that he'd been through, this love thing seemed the most likely to drive him completely mad. 'Hell, it already has me talking to myself.' His chuckle grew into a small laugh as his mental comment proved his point for him.

Despite the attention paid to his meal, Kurama noticed Hiei's furtive glance and found that he rather liked that the fire demon was watching him. It made the fox feel rather bold and playful but Kurama suppressed the urge to toy with the dark-haired demon seated before him. Hiei had requested that they proceed slowly and it wouldn't be thoughtful of him to tease the inexperienced demon so instead he finished his meal properly. Once all traces of food were cleared from his plate, he poured the remnants of the ceramic jar into his cup and refilled it anew. As he drank, the fox's eyes fixed on the demon sitting across from him, not bothering to hide his stare. The uncharacteristic smile on Hiei's lips heightened his attractiveness and revealed a certain beauty that normally lay hidden beneath a gruff exterior. Kurama's own face was aglow with happiness and slightly flushed from both the warmth of the room and influence of alcohol. As Hiei began to laugh, Kurama couldn't help but answer the joyful noise with a chorus of his own.

Hiei wasn't sure Kurama started laughing too, but the sound was infectious. His own chuckles increased and soon he was laughing freely. The happy noise filled the small kitchen. A strange comfortable feeling began to grow inside of the little fire demon and, if he had ever felt it before, he might have recognised it as what people called 'feeling at home'. As it was he merely filed under 'things that didn't hurt' and tried to enjoy it while it lasted.

Finally, he managed to get control of his giggles and moved shakily over to the redhead. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the fox's cheek. "Thanks." He said with a lopsided little smile.

Kurama wasn't sure why either of them were laughing but the reason hardly mattered. The important thing was that Hiei was with him and that they loved each other; that was enough for him. When they finally managed to calm their hysteria, Kurama was left breathless but happy. In the thousands of years he had lived thus far, he had never experienced a day as happy as this one.

As Hiei leaned in the fox resisted the urge to turn and face the kiss head on and reprimanded himself for considering it. Alcohol usually had the effect of increasing the fox's inherent playfulness and he wondered if he should not save what remained of the bottle for another day, lest he get himself in trouble or do something he might regret.

Kurama slipped an arm around Hiei's waist and leaned his head against his muscular shoulder. "Hm...what for?" he asked, wondering what exactly the demon was thankful for. The redhead couldn't decide if Hiei was thanking him for allowing him to cook dinner, for liking the meal, for something else entirely or possibly everything at once.

Hiei shrugged. He wasn't sure what he was most thankful for. He just knew that he needed to say it. "For...saving me from myself." He finally decided. That summed up the majority of his thoughts rather nicely. His hand came up and smoothed the wild red hair the cascaded down the fox's back. It was a novelty to be taller than the redhead, even if it was only because Kurama was still seated.

He didn't want to move but he found that his lack of decent sleep was catching up to him and he had to stifle a yawn. Thinking back, he hadn't slept more than a couple hours a night since he got Yukina's letter. Now, with that problem behind him and his situation with Kurama sorted out for the moment, the loss of the stress induced adrenaline was leaving him with little energy to run on.

Kurama's head bobbed slightly as his headrest shrugged but didn't seem to be bothered by the movement. He silently mulled over the meaning of Hiei's words as the shorter demon ran his hands through his long hair. "Mm..." the sound was generic but it both confirmed that he accepted the response and expressed the pleasure that Hiei's hand was giving him. The demon's light touch gently tugged at his hair and stimulated the scalp causing a tingling sensation to lodge itself in the base of his spine. It was a feeling he very much enjoyed though he failed to admit it. Noticing Hiei's yawn, Kurama pulled away slightly to look up into the fire demon's face though the action would most likely cause the wonderful sensation to cease. "Will you be staying tonight?" he asked, careful to keep his voice neutral to avoid pressuring his companion. He would understand if Hiei needed some space.

Hiei was amused to note that his petting seemed to have rendered the fox slightly incoherent for a moment. His hand dropped to his side as the redhead pulled away to look at him and he pondered the offer thoughtfully. On the one hand, it would be somewhat difficult to control the urge to do more than just sleep if he stayed. However, he and Kurama were both well known for being far too stubborn to give in to inconvenient instincts. He was certain he could control himself if the redhead did the same.

"Hn." He nodded his head once. He would stay. If nothing else he could sleep on the couch if being in the fox's bed proved too much of a temptation.

Hiei's response pleased the fox but he kept his expression neutral. Why don't you go get comfortable while I clean up? Kurama suggested, purposefully ambiguous to allow the fire demon his choice of sleeping arrangements. Slipping his hand from Hiei's waist, Kurama stood and pushed in his chair, "I'll be in shortly." Gathering their soiled dishes, he quickly set to work clearing the table. Shuichi was a bit of a neat freak and wouldn't be able to relax properly until things were cleaned and put away.

Hiei nodded and grabbed his cloak from the chair before drifting out of the kitchen. He hesitated, looking from the couch to the redhead's bedroom door in indecision. 'What the hell are you afraid of?' He scolded himself, shaking his head and heading for the door. 'It isn't like you've never slept in his bed before. You used to do it whenever it rained.' His steady stream of reassurance did little to calm the fluttering in his guts that told him in no uncertain terms; things had changed.

He stubbornly pushed the nervousness down and entered the dark room, not bothering to find the light switch. He could see just fine and he made his way over to the bed. He sat gingerly on the edge and dropped his cloak to the floor beside him. His sword he propped against the nightstand, in easy reach should he need it. He then set about removing his boots before he considered the rest of his outfit. He briefly thought about undoing his belts to be more comfortable but quickly decided against it. Four belts would be a good deterrent against anything other than sleep happening before he was ready. 'Maybe I should add a couple more...'

Satisfied with his sleeping attire, he leaned back against the head board and put one foot up in front of him, leaving the other to dangle off the side of the bed. It was his most common sleeping position, though he normally adopted it while up a tree. Sitting up helped him remain more alert. The position also put as much distance as possible between him and what he mentally labeled Kurama's side of the bed. He tried to appear calm, though his muscles were tense and he was beginning to wish he had decided to sleep on the couch.