Authoress: oh, my god…I am sooo sorry everyone. I was just flipping through my profile and I clicked on my "If Dreams Could Come True" story…I didn't realize that I never finished it/cries/ so, I will now (almost a year later…gomen!)

Kurama: …do you even remember what was happening?

Authoress: that's why I've just finished rereading the whole story…hehe…

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho (oooh, that feels weird to write after I've been on my Naruto fanfic binge for so long…and before that…it was Inuyasha…)

Chapter Seventeen (woah…this'll bring back old memories…)

between slashes: Youko's thoughts
Bold: Kura's thoughts
Italics: Shuichi's thoughts

Kurama sighed as he closed Aisu's bedroom door, hesitantly waiting to let the latch close. It had taken him three hours to get the boy wired down enough to get him in pajamas-and another hour before Aisu had started falling asleep. The boy had been so excited after Yukina had her second child that he hadn't wanted to leave Genkai's temple. The only thing that convinced Aisu that he needed to leave was when Yukina (using her soft 'reprimanding' voice-which was closer to a normal, speaking voice for normal people) had told him the baby needed to sleep. Aisu grumbled over that until the Koorime promised that he could come back in a few days for a week-long visit. Kurama didn't even have a choice in the matter, so he simply agreed to whatever Yukina said. He didn't want to cross the woman-poor Kuwabara had seen the results of doing so before…and the rest of their gang knew better after seeing how the orange-haired ningen cowered for weeks after that. With the barest of clicks, he closed the door completely and started walking back towards his own room, a smile on his feminine face.

/The new kit is cute…/

He bit Kuwabara…you've all but made love declarations to the baby…

/I'm not going to wait eighteen years before I'm legally allowed to stalk the brat…I'm more for instant gratification, thank you very much/

Perv.

/Takes one to know one, Bat-boy/

Kurama bit back a snort, not wanting to give Aisu a reason to wake up again. He bowed his head, trying to contain his laughter until he got into his own bedroom and had the door closed. Once the door was shut, Kurama snickered. The pair of demons had become, more or less, a bickering couple in the past five years spent together cooped up in the body of Minamino Shuichi. Now they usually only started up with each other when they were bored out of their minds and had nothing better to make fun of. After five years, Kurama had become quite proficient in blocking out their conversations (which usually took a perverse turn after a few quick comebacks bounced back between the pair).

He smiled as he rested his head against the door's heavy wood. It was amazing to think that Aisu-the tiny little demon who had caused so many problems with Koenma's father and the Ningenkai-was the same boy that was, in all senses of the term, a genius who had already declared he would become the greatest scientist to ever exist. Even King Yama had been slightly surprised when he heard that statement. The man had always thought Aisu would harbor some demonic tendencies, even though he was, in all aspects, an average ningen. In the five years since he had been stripped of his youki, not once had Aisu had any 'incidents.' There wasn't a single accident that made the boy's demonic abilities come flying back to him. Kurama was slightly proud of that fact. He always, against his better judgment, thought that it was possible that Aisu could lose it one day and all of the hard work Yomi, the Horny Doom's son, and Youko had put into that containment would be for nothing. But, five years had passed without a glitch.

Kurama still feared how Aisu would take puberty. It was supposed to be the most challenging of times for a ningen, but if the boy could have adapted to a life without youki when he was a baby, Kurama knew his fears were built on 'what if' situations. They wouldn't necessarily come to pass, but if they ever did…the redhead had already worried about them enough for a lifetime.

/Oi, kit…if you don't stop hitting your head against the door, people are going to think you've lost your mind…/

For a moment, Kurama wondered exactly who Youko meant by 'people,' since the two demons were the only ones able to see Kurama's actions (and they knew he was laying very close to the thin line between sanity and insanity). It was then he noticed a very different presence.

"Hn…" Kurama spun around and was surprised to see a black cloaked figure lounging across his windowsill-like his uninvited guest had done so many times before so many years ago. It had been five whole years since Kurama had been blessed enough to see the demon and knew that the wait was far more than worth it.

The cloak wasn't the old, billowing piece of material Kurama had grown accustomed to. The article that was currently draped haphazardly across muscular shoulders somehow seemed to cling in all the right places, showing off well-built arms and a broad chest that was being covered from view by a blood-red shirt that must have been made out of the same material the cloak was, from the way it hugged his powerful body. Even the black pants he wore seemed to touch the demon's skin with a possessive quality. Kurama never wanted to be material so badly in his entire life.

The demon shifted slightly, turning so that he was facing Kurama and the redhead found himself being captured in a pair of gracefully thin eyes. Five years had removed the roundness of the youkai's face, giving him more angular features that seemed to be alluring than his beautiful body that was hardly hidden by his layers of clothes. Currently, he was sprawled across the wide windowsill, one leg propped up so that he could lean against his knee as his eyes remained locked on Kurama's. His other leg hung down, his booted foot touching the floor where, at one time, it only hung halfway down. That small observance on the definite height difference made Kurama smirk while the two voices in his head were, for once, silenced.

…

/…/

…speechless, Fuzzy?

/Iie…totally turned on…/

"H-Hiei…" Kurama whispered as his eyes took in the sight before him. Somehow, in the five years he had been absent from the redhead's life, the small demon…well, he was no longer a small demon-in those five years, Hiei had definitely changed. In the opinion of the Youko, it was a very, very good change.

"Hn…" was the black haired intruder's reply as he gracefully slipped off of the windowsill and took a step towards the (near) speechless man. Kurama didn't know what to do-since Youko was still flabbergasted and Kura wasn't going to be much help in his amazed state-so he stepped back and found his back flush against the door.

"H-Hiei…it's been a while…" Kurama gulped, forcing himself to not stammer. The fire demon wasn't exactly keeping his distance as he continued to walk towards Kurama, a glint in his eye that was neither desire or hatred, the latter being what Kurama had expected after how he had left things with the ex-Reikai Tantai. He had refused to tell the (then) small demon where Kura was…and Hiei left. No one had seen him since then-well, except for Yusuke and Koenma since they had to deal with the Makai lords. Kurama bit back the urge to smile when he remembered that about two years ago, the Urameshi had told him Mukuro had finally stepped down as her role as a Ruler of the Makai-and Hiei had taken her place. Other than that, Kurama hadn't heard anything about Hiei in five years. He had asked Yusuke to refrain from talking about the half-Koorime when he was around. It was something Kurama wanted to forget and sought to keep hidden from Aisu. If the boy ever heard about Hiei, Kurama was afraid he might remember something about his life before his youki had been stripped-and that would have led to many complications that Kurama and his adopted son didn't need in their lives.

"Five years…" Hiei replied to Kurama's comment, his voice making it sound like he didn't really care. Kurama could see another emotion in the youkai's red eyes. Hiei seemed to be almost surprised at his own statement, as if he hadn't realized until now how long it had really been. For a moment, Kurama wondered if the red-eyed demon knew how different he looked from Kurama's point of view. With his hair grown out longer, yet still spiked up into the hairstyle that defied all laws of gravity, new earrings glimmering from either side of his head, his features matured, his size…

Hiei was still far enough away that Kurama couldn't reach out and touch him (as if he could in the state of shock he was currently in), but the youkai was close enough for Kurama to see that Hiei was at eye-level with him. It wasn't just his height that had changed, Hiei's shoulders had broadened and his entire body had filled out. It left Kurama looking at one large piece of eye candy. He wasn't going to lie to himself-Hiei had become even more attractive in his years spent in the Makai. If it was enough to silence Youko for this long, there certainly was something about the demon that was fascinatingly different. The looks weren't even a fraction of the change Kurama could see in Hiei. All those years spent in the Makai had an unusual effect on Hiei. One would assume that five years spent among bloodthirsty demons would leave a person bitter-or even evil themselves. Hiei, though, looked more contented than Kurama had ever seen him and there was a peacefulness in his red eyes that had never been there before.

/He's…grown up…/

You sound almost sentimental, Furry…

:But why is he here:

Kurama let a small smile grace his lips, hoping Hiei wasn't wondering if Kurama had lost his mind in these five years. He had just been standing there, staring openly at his friend (probably with his mouth gaping open), without saying anything. Then again, what could he have possibly said to Hiei? 'Nice to see you'? 'It's been a while'? Even 'You look good' seemed ridiculous to say to the man approaching him. Hiei wasn't the same person Kurama used to know, so Kurama was at a loss of words as Hiei came into touching distance. "…H…" Kurama couldn't even form a full syllable, his throat constricting as Hiei came close enough Kurama could feel heat radiating off of him.

"Kurama…" he whispered so softly, Kurama could hardly hear him. Kurama found himself so captivated by Hiei's eyes that he didn't understand what exactly it was that Hiei had said until the Koorime's eyes took on a curious look. He raised a dark eyebrow and Kurama snapped out of the enchantment he had been under.

"…H-Hiei…!" Kurama backed up even further into his bedroom door, making the door slam loudly as he yelled out. Any attempts he had of keeping Aisu asleep had just been shattered in one instant. The Koorime then did something that had Kurama nearly pass out from the astonishment. He brought up a hand and touched Kurama's face. It wasn't in any suggestive manner, just a fleeting caress of nails and fingertips against Kurama's cheek. Even though it wasn't meant to be arousing, it made every hair on Kurama's body stand up on end as he shifted closer to Hiei's warm hand. The youkai smirked, bringing his face close enough to the redhead's that Kurama could feel, as well as hear, Hiei's shaky breaths.

/…he's going to kiss you/

Hiei-san wouldn't!…would he?

/Of course he would! Shuichi isn't half bad, for a ningen…and being a container for me, he'll be sexy to all demons/

You have a very high self esteem, Fuzzy…

/It's the truth/

Right…and I'm as straight as Kuwabara…

/Maa, it's not my fault you like it hot and heavy with guys/

So do you!

/Oi, I like females every now and again/

Only when there's no good guys around…

:…: Kurama was getting a headache from the pair as he let Hiei continue to touch his face in light strokes, gasping softly when Hiei hit a particular spot that made shivers run down the redhead's back. Kurama unconsciously brought his face closer to Hiei's. He didn't realize what he had done until he felt something softer than Hiei's hand touch his lips in one exhilarating motion.

…

/…/

Kurama smiled when he heard the pair were silenced by Hiei's actions. He let his head drop closer to the demon, a small part of him wanting to smirk slightly when he realized he still was taller than the youkai, if only by a hairsbreadth. Kurama pressed his lips softly against the Koorime's, catching Hiei by surprise. The youkai jerked back slightly, but not enough to break contact with Kurama.

The kitsune decided to push his luck as he brought one arm to encircle Hiei's waist and rest his palm on the small of the youkai's back. He gently pulled Hiei closer to himself so that their bodies were almost touching. The Koorime's body was so warm against Kurama's as the redhead moved against Hiei's mouth, his tongue brush tentatively against Hiei's full lips. Hiei took a gasp of breath in response, but didn't pull away like Kurama was expecting him to.

The redhead continued to graze his tongue along Hiei's slightly parted lips, waiting until the Koorime voluntarily opened his mouth wider. At that point, Kurama couldn't stop himself from slipping into that warm cavern, his tongue tracing its way to Hiei's. The youkai gasped softy when their tongues met, his breathing becoming mere pants as Kurama played with him, touching the Koorime in such a way Hiei unknowingly moved closer to Kurama in order to have more contact with him. When Kurama felt the youkai's body brush against his own, he tightened his grip on Hiei's waist and pulled Hiei close enough to feel every curve of the demon's body through their combined layers of clothes. He could even sense the demon's quick heartbeat speed up even more as Hiei shyly returned the caresses, quickly becoming more aggressive in his movements.

Kurama couldn't help but moan softly when Hiei started to dominate the kiss, gently biting Kurama's lower lip. It wasn't a hard enough nip to draw blood, but did send a jolt of pain though the redhead. He didn't pull back, but smiled at Hiei's actions. He had somehow received Youko's fetishes, especially when it came to pain like this.

/Oh, god…that was sexy…/

Hiei-san…bit Kurama! That's going to leave a mark!

/And your point being/

Kurama chuckled as he listened to the two demons begin bickering over kissing techniques (most of Youko's ideas being very arousing and Kurama was sure to burn those to memory for usage one day). Hiei pulled away when he heard the redhead laugh, wondering if he had done something wrong. Kurama sensed Hiei's apprehension, so he quickly kissed his Koorime, being so forceful in his attentions, Hiei was left stunned-and very aroused.

The pair jumped apart when they heard a high-pitched giggle. Hiei, blushing furiously, tried to look anywhere but the kitsune while Kurama surveyed the room and found himself staring at his adopted son in amazement. The chibi redhead was leaning against the windowsill with a smile on his face.

/You were against the door…how did he get in/

The window?

:It's three stories up and there're no balconies…:

"Tou-san!" Aisu exclaimed in the middle of his fit of giggles, his grin showing off the boy's missing front teeth. Kurama couldn't stay mad at that-slightly perturbed about how exactly his son got into his room, but not angry at the boy especially since the two demonic spirits were so proud of the kid.

/He's just like me/

I hope not…

/What's that supposed to mean, Bat-Boy?

"How did you get in, Aisu?" Kurama asked, knowing that the boy had to have something hidden up his sleeve since there were no nearby windows, tree branches, or anything else for Aisu to jump from. The boy smirked and, from Kurama's point of view, it looked positively devious. There was no doubt about it, Aisu had done something he was proud of-that the redhead didn't know anything about.

"…the window…it was open," Aisu replied innocently, as if the answer was obvious. Kurama, in the five years of tending to the cute boy, had perfected his mothering glare and was glad he had done so as he gave Aisu the look. The boy pouted for a moment, then clasped his hands behind his back as he pushed away from the ledge. "…I jumped…"

"…jumped?" Only people with special abilities, like the Reikai Tantai would have been able to complete such a leap and, even then, Kurama slightly doubted if they would be able to do it without help. Aisu had no ki to speak of and had never knew of he Reikai Tantai's existence, so he obviously didn't know what he was implying. :He had someone help him…but…who:

"…un! Hiei-sensei taught me to jump…It took me a few tries to reach your window, though…" Kurama's eyes widened as he looked at his son, noticing the grass stains on the knees of Aisu's pajamas. He then turned to glare at the Koorime who was trying his hardest not to smirk proudly.

"Hiei…"

/…the brat knows Hiei…how/

…he said sensei…so Hiei must have been teaching him something…

"…he needed to know how to defend himself…" Hiei stated calmly as he gave Kurama a challenging glare. Kurama knew better than to fight with Hiei-especially when the fire demon knew he was right. With a sigh, he let it go, but not without giving Hiei a glare.

"…Tou-san…why were you kissing Hiei-sensei…" Said youkai's face flushed, as did Kurama's, at Aisu's naïve question. The boy looked from one man to the other, an absolutely evil thought coming to his 'innocent' mind. "You were going to do adult things with Hiei-sensei and make babies, weren't you, Tou-san!"

/…did I just hear…what I think I did…/

…yep…Kurama's mind just flew out his ear…

/…not that, baka…I meant the brat…/

"…ha…" Kurama couldn't help but laugh at his son's comment. This went so far beyond embarrassment, Kurama couldn't even blush properly. "…Excuse me?" Yep, he had the intelligence of a genius and that was the best he could come up with as he watched Aisu grinning at them. The boy must have been spending too much time around Yusuke…that man was the only person who could pervert a five year old. Kurama was going to have to have a long-painful-chat with his old team leader.

"That's where babies come from, isn't it?" Aisu cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. Hiei, still unable to do anything but twitch slightly as his face erupted in red, stared at Kurama's bedroom door and took deep breaths in attempts to control his emotions.

Kurama knew, from the accusing look in Aisu's eyes, that this would be one long night.

………..(a few hours later)…………

Kurama, for the second time that night…morning, he realized with one quick glance at his wristwatch…closed Aisu's bedroom door quietly, praying the boy would stay asleep this time. He snuck back to his room, letting his hand rest hesitantly on the doorknob when he finally reached his bedroom. He focused on the inside of his room and a smile came to his face when he recognized Hiei's youki on the other side of the door.

He took a deep breath as he opened the door and slipped into the room. Immediately, his gaze landed on his bed where the fire demon was laying. Kurama smiled when he saw how comfortable Hiei looked, the youkai stretching across the pillows at the head of Kurama's bed.

/…is he sleeping/

…I think he is…

Kurama snuck up to the side of his bed and was surprised to confirm the two demon's remarks. Hiei's eyes were closed and his breathing was slow enough that Kurama wondered for a moment if the demon was alright. Kurama decided that Hiei was fine when he saw the demon's eyes flutter open, revealing surprised red orbs.

"K'rama…" Hiei mumbled, burrowing his head deeper into the soft pillows so that his entire face was hidden as he shifted so that there would be room for Kurama to sit down. The kitsune did just that when he realized why Hiei was moving.

"…why did you come back?" Kurama asked softly, pulling his legs up onto the bed as he leaned back against the pillows Hiei was lounged out across. The Koorime didn't lift his head up out of the feathery mass, but Kurama knew he had smirked into the stuffing.

"I wanted to talk to Yukina…" Hiei answered simply, his deep voice muffled by the pillows. Kurama raised an eyebrow at the demon's response. Yukina hadn't said anything about Hiei visiting her lately, but since she had unexpectedly gone into labor this morning, Hiei probably didn't have the chance to talk with his twin sister. Kurama would have asked what Hiei wanted to talk to his sister about that he would have traveled all the way from the Makai for, but the Koorime beat him to it. "…we…discussed…" Hiei's voice became so soft, Kurama couldn't hear the rest of his statement.

/So, he did talk to Yukina…and she didn't say anything to us about it…/

Hiei-san probably didn't want us to know he was in the Ningenkai…

Kurama lowered his head backwards onto the pillows so that his face was only a centimeter away from Hiei's head. The Koorime's fur-like hair brushed against his ear and Kurama bit back a chuckle. Hiei raised his head from the pillows when he heard Kurama's snort and was surprised to see Kurama was so close.

"What did you talk about?" Kurama asked as his eyes met Hiei's. The youkai quickly looked down, too embarrassed to answer Kurama. The kitsune smiled when he saw Hiei's reaction to his question, guessing that the Koorimes' conversation had to deal with him somehow. "Something about me?" Hiei shook his head negatively, but Kurama saw the barest of smiles on Hiei's face. "…you've really changed in five years, Hiei…"

Hiei mumbled something before he moved closer to Kurama and gently brushed his lips against the kitsune's. Kurama smiled as he thought about Hiei's words. :More than you can imagine: The pair of demons were, thankfully, silent as Kurama enjoyed the demon's chaste kiss. "…I…I missed you…" Hiei's comment was so soft, Kurama only knew what he said by reading the movement of the demon's lips against his own.

:Missed me…it's far more than I ever believed to be possible.:

That night, Kurama realized that, sometimes, dreams really do come true.

...Owari.

Authoress:...if anyone is interested...I'll write a sequel to this (ah, a life of Hiei/Kurama lemons and Aisu growing up...and more about Kura if anyone asks me to write more...)...and, gomen...but I couldn't help but ending with such a perfect line...hehe...I finally tied the title into the story!

Hiei: hn...

Authoress: gomen for not finishing this in so long...but I completely forgot (sorry!)...so, thank you for enduring such a long wait and I hope you enjoyed the story!