This is Part I of Chapter 7 of the fanfic "Before & After."  Part II of it
will come after this email.  Constructive C & C are welcome.  Have fun reading.

--Shuuichi Minamino
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BEFORE & AFTER
Chapter 7 
Part I

"... I was falling for you by the look in your eyes.
 You turn my world just upside down.
 Jungle in my heart,
 Burning jungle fever,
 I gotta run and runaway,
 Jungle in my heart.
 I'm gonna lose my control every night,
 A million butterflies running around in my mind,
 My heart is beating as wild as it goes,
 ...You turn my world just upside down.
 Jungle in my heart,
 burning jungle fever.
 I gotta run and runaway,
 Jungle in my heart..."
			 --"Jungle In My Heart" by Bad Boys Blue

	Kurama sighed as he stared at his math problem.  There was no way that he
was going to figure it out.  Not to mention that he still had that final
project due if he was to graduate in time with the seniors.  Why in the
world would he want to graduate high school early anyway?  After all, he had
already made up his mind that instead of going to a university, he would
work with his stepfather in his firm.  

	*Because* he told himself. *You want to graduate with the rest of your
friends.  Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Keiko.*

	Under normal circumstances, Kurama shouldn't had any trouble with these
math problems but lately he had been especially disturbed--disturbed by his
constant thoughts of Hiei.  Now when had he started to take an interest in
Hiei?  Probably since the first time they've met.  Back then, Kurama hadn't
realized it but then as the years progressed, he had come to know this fire
spirit.  He remembered the first time Hiei had used Kokuryuha and how he had
fallen dead asleep after that.  That innocent sleeping face was one that
Kurama would never forget.

	His thoughts jumped forward to the time he had spent with Yomi.  He had
found himself confused and lost those his friends had never known, since his
facade was too well practised.  He had found himself thinking more and more
of Hiei.  He tried to cover those thoughts by worrying about the safety of
his mother.  

	"Maybe that was why I was stupid enough to lose 'it' with Yomi..." Kurama
said aloud as he pushed his homework away in frustration.  He knew very well
that he could've gotten out of his problems with Yomi without endangering
his human family or losing Shuichi Minamino's virginity with him.  But then
his confusion about his feelings for Hiei had affected his thinking and
rationale.  Never had this happened to him before, the youko had always been
calm about dilemmas.  He had felt a flare of jealousy when he saw Mukuro
picking the unconcious Hiei up after the Makai Tournament, and another pang
of jealousy when Hiei asked him to help him to capture the Makai Slave
Merchant who had hurt Mukuro during childhood.  Although Kurama knew that he
was being parenoid and too sensitive, he couldn't help it.  He could not
even stand the fact of seeing Hiei helping or working for Mukuro.

	"I'm going to drive myself crazy if I don't do something about this!"
Kurama said to himself as he stood up and stretched.  "It's about time I
tell him something instead of brooding over this in my head.  Heck!  At
least it will lift that big rock off my chest, whether or not he accepts me."

*****************	
	Hiei watched Yukina from a distance.  His sister was certainly the most
innocent creature he had ever known.  For she always believed in the best of
everyone.  He watched silently as Yukina busied herself with feeding the birds.

	"Hiei-san?"  

	*Damn! She saw me!*

	"Hiei-san, what are you doing here?"

	"I...I was here for some assignments in Makai."

	"Have you found my brother yet?" Yukina's hopeful eyes stared into Hiei's
amber ones.

	"...No..."

	"Oh..." Yukina's hopeful eyes turned into disappointment upon hearing the
news. Then she smiled and said, "Thank you very much Hiei-san. I am happy
that I've known someone who is willing to help me to look for my brother."

	"Hn."

	"I really like you, Hiei-san."

	Hiei stared in utter surprise.  She LIKED him?  But she was his sister!
That wasn't right.

	"Hiei-san, are you all right?" Yukina's beautiful eyes were now filled with
concern.  Her right hand reached out to touch Hiei's shoulder.

	Hiei fled.

	"What's with him?" Kuwabara asked when Yukina told him of the incidence.

	"I don't know.  I only meant to tell him that I like him as a friend.  He
makes a very good friend."

	"That little jerk doesn't know how to appreciate people.  Don't mind him
Yukina-san." Kuwabara said heatedly.  Then his eyes lighted up as he
remembered the two movie tickets he had bought earlier in the morning.
"Yukina-san, would you like to see a movie with me?"

**********************

	*Not a good day at all...A damn shitty day in all!* Hiei thought miserably
to himself. *Damn! Now I'm even starting to think in rhymes!  How could this
have happened?  I'm her brother dammit!  I'm really fucked up now.*

	Hiei slashed with his sword at a nearby tree in frustration.  So what could
he do now?  There was nowhere for him to go in Makai.  He had decided to
take an extended vacation so that he could visit his sister in Ningenkai.
Now that his sister had decided that she "liked" him, he certainly would
like to avoid further trouble and confusion by staying away.  To Hiei's
dismay, that meant that in a way, he had just lost his only family.

	Hiei slashed at another tree and then stopped.  If he had to avoid seeing
Yukina, he could at least go find that fox.  Kurama would be there.  He had
to be there.  Kurama was the only person he had now.  Hell, maybe Kurama
would have some solutions for his dilemma.  Hiei decided that it was a
rather good idea and headed for Kurama's residence.

**********************

	*Hiei!* That was Kurama's first thought when he sensed the youki. *Speaking
of the devil, he is here.*

	"Hiei, you might as well come out." Kurama said casually.  

	"Hn!"

	"What now?  Another bad day?"

	"Dammit Kurama!  It's a fucking shitty day!!" Hiei yelled.

	Kurama had not been in the best of moods when Hiei showed up.  He was way
too frustrated about his school work and his feeling for Hiei when this
youkai decided to make an appearance.  Having Hiei complaining to him was
not helping him any...

	"Well at least you can explain instead of just standing there and sulking."
Kurama said with just the slightest tone of annoyance.

	Hiei, being too frustrated and in too foul of a mood, had not even notice.
He proceeded to tell Kurama about his encounter with Yukina.

	"Well you have no one to blame but yourself, Hiei."

	"What?!!" That was NOT what Hiei had expected from Kurama.  All HIS fault?
What was that suppose to mean?!

	"If you have told her that you are her brother, this wouldn't have happened."

	"Well kitsune, have you ever heard of something called 'keeping promise?'"
Hiei retorted.

	"You didn't do it out of keeping a promise." Kurama replied.  For once he
was going to be straight forward with Hiei.  With so many things going on,
he just couldn't hold things in anymore.

	"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Hiei couldn't believe what he was
hearing.  Kurama would NEVER say something like that to him.  Something was
disturbing Kurama.  Hiei could see that Kurama was struggling against
something, he was holding something in.  Still, that reply was way too much
for Hiei.  How could Kurama, of all people, say this to him?

	"You are afraid of rejections Hiei." Kurama said slowly.  He would tell
Hiei in his face, there were too many things that he had to clear up with
Hiei. "You knew that you would not be able to accept rejection from your
only family if she rejected you for who you are.  You are afraid of the
possible reality.  Your promise to Shigure was only an excuse.  You don't
care about the promise."

	"And I suppose that you think you are better than me?" Hiei hissed.  "You
lying to your human mother about where you go, about who you are.  You are
too scare to let her know who you are.  Who are you to judge me?!  You are
no better, Youko Kurama!"

	Hiei heard a sharp intake of breath from his friend.  Kurama's expression
turned from impassive to that of surprise.  He was definitely stunned by
Hiei's remark.  Hiei knew that his remark had struck its target.  For a
moment he felt a pang of guilt.  This conversation with Kurama was
definitely NOT helping either of them.  

	Kurama continued to look at Hiei with that stunned expression.  For a while
it was silence between the two.  Hiei somehow felt a tinge of satisfaction
after the pang of guilt.  Him, had actually caught Kurama completely by
surprise.   However, when Kurama didn't say anything more, Hiei began to
worry.  Maybe he had gotten Kurama angry.  That was the last thing he
needed.  He had no one besides Kurama now.  

	"You know, Hiei," Kurama said softly and slowly as he leaned toward Hiei.
"You and I are too alike."  He would do it, now was the time.  *It's now or
never* Kurama thought to himself *I...want him*.  He suddenly kissed Hiei
firmly on the lips and pushed him onto the bed.

---------Chapter 7 Part I End (Part II Continued in NEXT EMAIL)----------

   --Shuuichi Minamino
   ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
  * "J'aurais                        "I would have wanted                 *
  *           voulu ne pas mourir.                not to die.             *
  *  J'aurais voulu                   I would have wanted                 *
  *           ne jamais grandir.                  never to grow up.       *
  *  J'aurais                         I would have                        *
  *           voulu me casser l'ame."           wanted to rend my soul."  *
  *                                                                       *
  *                ~Cirque Du Soleil                 ~Circus Of The Sun   *
   ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~