What Price Love?

To say that Hiei was annoyed would be an understatement. The small demon had quickly moved beyond that to frustration and finally to outright fury.

It began when he’d entered the Ningenkai shortly after that time of day humans somewhat unimaginatively dubbed ‘rush hour’. Hiei had never really understood why they called that part of the morning between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. this because it seemed to him as if humans were perpetually in a hurry.

He’d gone straight to the fox’s apartment, only to find that Kurama was not there. And, by the looks of the darkened room, had not been there for some time. It had been no trouble at all for the former assassin and thief to gain access to the apartment, only to discover that the fox no longer lived there, the apartment’s current occupants a newly-wed couple (this knowledge gained from the myriad photographs of the happy couple scattered throughout the apartment). Fortunately, both were not at home at the time, making Hiei’s entry and search of the place far easier to accomplish.

Puzzled, and somewhat annoyed at this point, Hiei left the apartment the same way he’d entered and flitted off to the fox’s human mother’s house. It was upon his arrival there that the annoyance turned to frustration as the hiyoukai found, once again, no evidence of the kitsune.

It was only after he’d exhausted every other possibility, including both the temple where his sister and the Idiot were now caretakers and the fox’s stepfather’s company, that Hiei realized he had not been able to sense Kurama’s ki since entering the Human World. It was at this point that the frustration had become anger. WHERE THE HELL WAS THE DAMNED FOX?!

This left the hiyoukai with only one option… Yusuke.

Hiei recalled that the detective and his annoying female had married almost as soon as the former Spirit World detective had returned from his self-imposed exile in the Makai and now ran a small ramen shop in the downtown area. Quickly the small fire demon flitted over rooftops and trees until he’d located the place.

The noodle shop was not crowded at this time of day; it being mid-afternoon, the lunch crowd had come and gone. A few patrons were scattered amongst the small tables, leisurely eating while the proprietor himself sat at the counter, knees propped against it, scanning a newspaper. The air of boredom that surrounded him was one with which the fire demon was very familiar.

Yusuke himself hadn’t changed all that much in the three years Hiei had been away. He was still handsome, the same devil-may-care grin on his lips despite the obvious boredom, but gone was the ‘punk’ attitude, replaced with a newfound maturity. Hiei found himself idly wondering if that was due solely to Yusuke’s woman, or if it might be something else. Perhaps the boy had finally grown up.

At the sound of the bell over the door, Yusuke looked up, dark eyes narrowing for a moment as he recognized the newcomer. Carefully folding the paper, he stood up and approached the small Koorime. Hiei noticed something else, then: the punk attitude had not completely disappeared. It was still there in the man’s walk as he made his way across the room.

“Well… well… well…,” Yusuke drawled, voice heavily laced with sarcastic wit, “look what the cat dragged in.” His eyes appraised the small figure before him before continuing. “And to what do I owe the honor, after… what’s it been? Three… almost four years now, Hiei?”

The fire demon returned the look before responding. “We need to talk,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.

Yusuke, however, gave him one. Crossing his arms, he glared at the smaller apparition. “So, talk.”

Hiei merely raised an eyebrow, blood-red eyes darting quickly around the room before returning his gaze to the ex-detective. The implication of that gesture; the unspoken ‘not here’, was clear.

Yusuke sighed. “Fine… whatever,” he huffed then pointed to the curtained doorway that separated the restaurant from the family’s living space. “Through there,” he directed.

Once he’d led the little demon through the doorway and up a short flight of stairs, Yusuke opened another door and stood to the side. Hiei entered the small living room and turned, just as Yusuke shut the door and stood against it, arms crossed again as he glared at his ex-teammate and one-time friend (though he doubted Hiei would admit it to himself, much less say the word aloud).

Hiei scanned the apartment briefly before returning his attention to the man before him. “Where’s the human?” he asked.

“Keiko is out, and you’ve got five minutes,” the ex-detective and Toushin lord stated bluntly.

“Where’s Kurama?” Hiei asked.

“What do you care?” Yusuke shot back, peat-dark eyes darkening with the first stirrings of anger.

Crimson eyes narrowed at the obvious rebuke. “While I am well aware of your rather annoying penchant for answering a question with a question, Detective,” the small youkai spat, his own anger beginning to rise again, “I should tell you that I am in no mood to play this particular game with you right now. So I will simply ask you once more… Where. Is. Kurama?”

An appreciative whistle greeted his response. “Well damn, Hiei,” Yusuke said, “I’m impressed. I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at one time… well, except for that time at the Dark Tournament.”

“Detective,” the fire demon warned.

“Yeah, yeah, I know… where’s Kurama?” Yusuke interjected. He appraised the small figure before him for a moment before he spoke again. “He’s gone,” was the succinct reply.

Hiei’s eyes narrowed again. “What do you mean… he’s gone?”

Yusuke rolled his eyes. “Gone… you know, as in ‘scrammed’; ‘vamoosed’; ‘took a powder’; ‘hasta la vista, Baby’.” The ex-Spirit Detective ticked the responses off on his fingers as he spoke. Suddenly he looked defeated, the anger that had been in his peat-dark eyes gone as if it had never been. When he spoke again, Hiei could hear the sadness and pain in his words. “Kurama left, Hiei… left Tokyo… left Japan… left us.”

“Why would he do that?”

Yusuke felt his anger flare again. “Do you really need to ask that question, Hiei?”

“Perhaps not,” the fire youkai conceded, remembering exactly what had caused him to leave Kurama. “But I fail to understand exactly why he would have gone. What of his human mother? Even you must admit that Kurama would never have left Shiori… she means everything to him.”

Yusuke merely shrugged his shoulders. “You meant more,” he stated bluntly, “and he told Shiori – and us – that he couldn’t stay in Japan any longer after you left. He tried… he really did… but he said that everything here reminded him too much of you.”

“Gods damn it, Hiei,” the ex-Spirit Detective went on, his anger coming back full force. “He loved you! He freakin’ loved you, man, and then you just left… no goodbye… no word… nothin’…”

“I am well aware of what I’ve done, Detective.” In response to Yusuke’s anger, Hiei’s own voice was quiet, almost subdued. “That is why I am here. I need to find him… to set things right, if I can…”

“And if you can’t?” Yusuke broke in, “what then?” You just gonna’ leave again… make him go through it all over again?” He shook his head. “No, Hiei, I’m sorry. You’re both my friends, but I can’t take that chance. I won’t stand by and let you hurt Kurama… not this time.”

“I have no intention of hurting him further,” the small demon quietly replied, eyes lowered to study the floor at his feet. “I… I just…”

Hiei’s voice faltered. He was comfortable with his own abrasiveness, and very used to issuing commands and having those commands obeyed without question. Explaining himself to anyone – much less the detective – was a new concept for the little fire demon, and he was unsure how to go about doing so. And so, instead of words, wine-red eyes rose from their contemplation of the floor to meet Yusuke’s own deep brown.

Yusuke searched those eyes, that tiny face, and felt his anger dissipate at the sorrow and the silent plea he saw there. Suddenly the ex-Spirit Detective grinned as realization dawned: Hiei loved Kurama as much as Kurama loved Hiei.

“Well it sure took ya’ long enough,” he drawled, still grinning at the small apparition.

Hiei eyed his one-time friend and ally warily; the wide, almost ear-to-ear grin on Yusuke’s face, and the almost knowing look in his eyes, unnerved the fire youkai.

“What are you babbling about?” he snapped.

“You love him, don’t ya’?” Yusuke returned.

“And if I do?” The query was spoken softly; barely a whisper, but Yusuke heard it; his grin widening further if that was possible.

“Don’t get me wrong, Hiei, I think it’s great.” Yusuke held his hands up, palms out. “Late, but great! Awesome, in fact! And I guess it just goes to prove that what they say is true… ‘Better late than’…”

“Then you’ll tell me where he is?” Hiei interjected before the detective could continue with his rather pointless (at least to the fire demon it was) babble.

Yusuke just stared at the small youkai for a moment, the grin slowly disappearing from his lips. He sighed heavily before nodding his head. “Yeah,” he acquiesced, “I’ll tell you. Kurama’ll probably flay me alive, but then,” and here the grin returned, “Who am I to stand in the way of love?”

Once more he considered the small figure in front of him before he spoke. “We’re all supposed to meet him at the old lady’s sometime tomorrow afternoon. If you really want to see him, be there.” Peat-dark eyes hardened before Yusuke continued. “But I’m warning you, Hiei, if you hurt him again, Mukuro’s gonna’ be lookin’ for a new heir!”

Hiei returned the look with one of his own, though his eyes were soft with gratitude. “Thank you, Yusuke,” he replied, and with the barest of nods, headed toward the window.