by Queen Yokozuna
 
 

Part 9: The Conclusion
 

Pleasant surprise registers on Yukina's face as she slides open the door and sees Hiei and Kurama standing before her.

"Hiei! Kurama!" she gleefuly greets them.

Hiei gives her a tiny smile, trying not to look directly at her.

"Sorry for dropping by this late in the night," Kurama apologizes to her.

"Oh no, it's alright! Please come in."

"We won't be taking long," Hiei quickly tells her, not budging from his stance.

"Okay," Yukina replies. She leans by the door and looks at Hiei, waiting for him to say something.

As Hiei is yet to open his mouth, Kurama furtively pokes his elbow at Hiei's side.

Hiei glares at Kurama, but Kurama innocently looks away.

"I, uh, Yukina..." Hiei begins, "I... I have something to tell you."

"Yes?" Yukina intently asks.

"Well, there's... It's about..."

Kurama can only stand there and roll his eyes.

"I'm listening," Yukina urges Hiei to continue.

Breathing deeply, Hiei says, "Yukina, I can't love you. As a mate."

Yukina quickly asks, "Why?"

Hiei briefly closes his eyes. "Because..." Softly now, "I'm gay."

"What?"

"Speak louder," Kurama orders Hiei.

Almost shouting, Hiei snaps, "I'm gay."

Clearly, Yukina is taken aback. "I don't understand," she says, her doe eyes pleading.

"Tell her, Kurama," Hiei says.

Kurama clears his throat before replying, "I think it'd be better if she'd hear it from you."

For the second time tonight, Hiei glares at his friend. This time Kurama glares back at him.

"Kurama and I are...you know."

"She doesn't know, Hiei," Kurama asserts.

"We're lovers," Hiei definitely tells Yukina. "I can't possibly love you because I love guys, like him." It's taking the fire demon a lot of will power not to puke right now.

Yukina now turns to Kurama with the same pleading eyes. "Is that true, Kurama?"

Kurama slowly looks down. "I'm sorry, Yukina."

Slowly, Yukina takes a few steps back away from them and bows, putting her hands over her mouth.

Hiei and Kurama stand there without moving a muscle, keenly anticipating what she's going to say next.

And then, deciding to do perhaps the least expected of her in such a situation, Yukina laughs.

Hiei and Kurama's jaws kiss the floor.

"Poor Hiei," Yukina says, trying to control her laughter. "You're willing to say anything, aren't you, but the truth."

"The truth?" Hiei asks, bewildered. He looks at Kurama, who's just as bewildered as him.

"I've already known you can't possibly love me as a mate," Yukina tells him.

"Huh?"

"Yeah. You can't possibly love me 'cause we're siblings, right?"

Hiei's eyes widen in incredulity. "What did you say?!"

Kurama is all frozen.

"I found out a week or so ago that you're my brother," she matter-of-factlly states.

"How?" Hiei demands, as if his life depended on it.

"It doesn't matter. And I understand why you've kept it from me. It's alright. What's important is now I know my brother has all this time been looking out for me, and from now on I can look out for him, too."

Hiei is simply speechless.

"Gee," is all Kurama can utter.

"But," Hiei says, "wait a minute. If you already knew that I was brother, then why did you, try getting together with me?"

"I thought it was the only way I could make you tell me the truth. I wanted to hear it from your own tongue that you're my brother I've been searching for all these years."

Hiei feels like someone just threw a bucket of ice-cold water at him.

Kurama crosses his arms, a wide smile now forming on his lips.

"You could've just told me right there at the zoo that you were my brother. I'm amazed that you'd rather go through the trouble of telling me you were gay instead of my brother!" Yukina says.

"Well, uh..."

"Or are you really gay?"

"No!" Hiei is quick to tell her. "It wasn't my idea, it was his!" Once again, Hiei glares at Kurama.

"Hey, I was just trying to help!" Kurama protests, trying not to smirk.

Yukina can't help giggling. "Okay. Just don't forget to invite me to your wedding, eh?" she teases, and then laughs her heart out.

Kurama is all red, while Hiei is glaring at Yukina and wishing she wasn't his sister so he could tear her into bits and pieces right now.
 
 

END OF STORY
 
 
 

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