of here was if he didn't think about it. "I became aware of it sometime around the Dark Tournament. I can't be more specific than that. Now turn me loose." "No. That's not my only question." Angry heat flared around the bed. "Goddammit, Kurama-!" "Hiei, I meant it when I said I knew I'd never get another opportunity like this. It would be foolish of me to let you go while I still have questions. Like when the hell you were planning on telling me, for example." Kurama's tone was completely changed-where before he had been calm, now his words were sharp and angry. Hiei risked a glance at his face and found fury there. He didn't know what to make of it. Speaking the answers had taken a lot out of him, and after that one burst of anger he felt limp and defeated, letting his arms hang loosely over his head. He looked away, again, from the person who held so much power over him-the power of his current binding being the least of it. But he put spirit into his reply; Kurama would not know how much speaking the truth had cost him. "Who ever said I was planning on telling you?" "Why wouldn't you?" "Why would I?" "Well, it is customary. But disregarding that, how do you expect anything to come of it if you keep something like that a secret from me?" "See, that's your problem. You think I expect something to come of it." "So you won't even give me a chance?" Unbidden, Hiei's gaze returned to his partner. He was too surprised by the cold fury in Kurama's voice, by the way he was glaring daggers at him, to keep from looking. "Why are you so angry with me?" he wondered aloud. "Because, you-you-" Kurama couldn't even find the words for his pique. "Because you kept secrets from me. Because you assumed that I scorn you, that I couldn't ever feel that way about you. Because you don't even want to try. I despise you, Hiei, I really do, and it's for every reason you would never think, because the things you think I despise you for are the things I love you for. But even knowing that, even knowing that I've loved you for years I don't except you to let me love you, and that's why I hate you." "…That was… complicated." "Yes." Kurama's fury seemed to have spent itself in the torrent of words; he was calm and casual again, but he was also now the one with his gaze fixed on the window, to avoid his partner's eyes. "Emotions can be." Pursuing the shift in the conversation towards Kurama and away from himself-delighted to finally be on the offensive-Hiei asked, "So which is it, fox, do you love me or hate me?" "Believe me, Hiei, I am entirely capable of doing both." "Seems like such a waste of energy." "You should talk," Kurama shot back, clearly agitated past the point of suaveness. "You're so tied up in knots over it that it disturbs your sleep nearly every night. At least I've kept my head." Hiei made a small, limp gesture with his hands, this being the most he could move them. "You call this keeping your head?" Kurama's eyes flashed; with sudden speed, he darted from the chair and to the bed, and Hiei, realizing he'd pushed too far, tensed in expectation of a blow. "Shut up," Kurama growled, leaning down to- Oh hell. Hiei didn't realize Kurama meant to kiss him until a second before he was, and consequently was unable to evade. He wasn't angry enough to bite, and so he remained frozen and did his best to ignore the flood of turbulent feelings such a gentle, emotional touch from Kurama could provoke in him. End this, Kurama, before I lose control. After a moment of non-response from Hiei, Kurama pulled back enough to deliver a glare. "Just how stubborn do you intend to be about this?" "I don't want this." I can't believe this-I'm stammering! "So help me, Hiei, I will keep you tied here until you stop lying to me, I don't care if it takes a century. I'm sick of it. I deserve to hear the truth from you at least once." Feeling a bit wounded, Hiei pointed out, "I don't lie to you all the time. Just about-this." "Hiei, I really don't understand how you can trust me enough to fight next to me and sleep next to me, but not to kiss me." "It's not trust!" Hiei was alarmed to hear genuine hurt eclipsing anger in Kurama's tone. "It's not-Kurama, this is ridiculous, I'm not going to lie here and try to convince you I trust you. You know better." "If it's not trust, what is it?" "Would you… get off me, while we have this conversation?" "No." Kurama was lying on top of him, and had been since the abortive kiss. "Why, is it making you uncomfortable?" Hiei glared, but Kurama had long ago grown impervious to Hiei's glares on account of being such a frequent recipient