Turning A Blind Eye Ch 2 Hiei/Yusuke/Kagome Theme# 30

[x_ryukotsusei_x]

Title: Turning a Blind Eye

Author: Ryukotsusei

Threesome: Yusuke Urameshi/Kagome Higurashi/Hiei

Fandom: Inuyasha/Yu Yu Hakusho

Theme: 30. Major

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Takahashi Rumiko and Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. I make no claims of ownership to either series, nor do I make any profit off of this fan fiction.

Author's Note: This chapter will have OOC'ness on Hiei's part simply because if he's seriously trying to win someone over he can't be the bastard he usually is. As such this chapter was unusually difficult to write.

Chapter Two

Kurama looked up from his book when he felt the apparition approaching and knew it would only be a few moments before he had company once more. At least this time he wasn't busy entertaining his girlfriend at the moment like earlier in the day. Thankfully Hiei hadn't bothered coming in the room since he was able to pick up on just what had been going on. Of course Kurama didn't exactly appreciate having the hybrid's voice entering his mind either telling him that later that day he would be back to talk. A tapping at the door sounded just before it was pushed open, allowing the subject of his thoughts to enter his home. Looking up at the demon who was now crossing the room, Kurama gestured towards one of the chairs indicating for him to sit down. "You seemed rather eager to speak with me earlier Hiei, what is going on?"

"I've come for advice." When the expression on Kurama's face changed to that of amusement Hiei fixed him with a glare. Clearly the kitsune found it funny that there was finally something that he'd found impossible to work out on his own. That particular thought left a bad taste in his mouth but there was little that he could do about it now. "Don't look at me like that. If I could I would have done this without your assistance but the situation is already fucked up almost beyond repair and I'm not going to take any chances on losing her." In his mind this was the only way for him to go. Had Kagome been a demon things would have been ever so much easier but being an emotionally scarred human made things exceptionally difficult. Proclaiming he had an interest in her just wouldn't be enough and for that he needed Kurama's help. The man attracted his fair share of feminine attention, surely the fox would be able to solve this problem for him with a minimum of trouble.

Slowly Kurama put the book down and fixed Hiei with a serious look. The man was treading on dangerous ground with Yusuke and he'd rather not see either one of them coming to blows over the girl. Somehow he couldn't see the Toushin just handing her over without a fight and not for the first time he was relieved that he wasn't the one in this position. Should a fight occur there would be major consequences all around. "Are you certain that you want to pursue her Hiei? Yusuke will not take kindly to you trying to take her from him." It was a touchy situation at best and he didn't want to even consider the effect it would have on Kagome if they decided to fight over her like a scrap of meat. She was already feeling like a possession, this would only make it worse.

"Yusuke no longer has a choice in the matter. I've given him my terms, he can either accept it and I will allow him to continue seeing her or I will take her from him. This is no longer up for discussion, the time for half assed measures is over." Hearing Kurama speak so plainly hadn't come as a surprise and frankly that aspect of his friend's personality had been something he was counting on.. The avatar was one of the best strategists in the three worlds and a valuable asset to have on his side. For that reason alone he'd come to the kitsune in the first place. "Since she is human I need to proceed differently than I would otherwise. Yusuke is all but useless when it comes to winning over a female with anything but his looks and loyalty. You on the other hand have learned what it takes to convince any girl of your choosing to consider your claim. What will cut through Kagome's emotional instability and get her past the damage that the hanyou and the fool have caused to her?"

It surprised Kurama that the apparition was even willing to consider the possibility of sharing the girl with Yusuke especially since Hiei had a tendency to be very possessive. Would Hiei even be able to keep up with the bargain he'd come up with? It was a valid question and one not to be overlooked, even if Yusuke said yes there was every possibility that the hybrid would change his mind later. Hearing those words made him wonder if that was exactly the way Hiei had stated it to the Toushin and if so, what his reaction was. Carefully Kurama considered everything he knew about Kagome and what she liked, it still amazed him that she'd fallen for Yusuke in the first place. Now with Hiei in the picture things became even more interesting. "It's difficult to say Hiei, there are a number of things that you could do for her that might gain her favor but you have to proceed carefully. Some of the things she might enjoy probably won't interest you though so I guess you have to make a choice. How badly do you want her?" Kurama waited for the man's answer, knowing that some things he would have never considered on his own when going after a female. The poor demon standing in his living room was about to get a crash course in dating.

"If you're questioning my determination in this issue Kurama don't bother. I've made my decision and I don't need your doubt. What I do need is your expertise." Irritation came hot on the heels of Hiei's impatience as he continued to stare at his long time partner impassively. Why couldn't Kurama just give him what he wanted so he could be gone? Kagome wouldn't sleep forever and the apparition could easily see her trying to move around unaided, injuring herself once again. Should that happen it would clearly speak poorly of his ability to look after her when she needed it most and that was ammunition that he wasn't about to hand over for Yusuke to use.

"Fine then," Kurama sighed as he shook his head. It would seem that Hiei had definitely made up his mind this time and nothing would sway him from his choice. He could only pray this would work out for the three of them or there would be hard feelings all around. That of course was assuming that someone didn't end up seriously injured or dead which was a very real possibility. "The first thing you must realize is that she's had enough of being ignored. You're going to have to be attentive to what she wants, even if she doesn't say anything. I'm not saying you need to smother her but Kagome will enjoy it if she notices you are paying attention to her." Kurama paused for a moment as if considering something before running his fingers through his hair and pulling out a rose seed which quickly bloomed. This might be a long shot but it was something for Hiei to consider trying. After all he himself had seen the way Kagome tended to admire his roses and then look at Yusuke forlornly. "Most women like flowers and a rose depending on the color can mean many things. For instance red indicates love, presenting her with a crimson rose would be a subtle way to express your interest in her."

When the flower was extended towards him, Hiei took it with a doubtful look on his face. He believed what Kurama said but realized how absolutely foolish he'd look carrying it around. The first snicker he heard out of someone would ensure their deaths with very few exceptions since there was no way he was going to allow anyone to make a laughing stock out of him. If nothing else he was proud of the cold, detached reputation he'd built over the years and he'd be damned if he was going to allow another to poke fun of him. "So I'm supposed to hand this to her and she'll know what it means? Frankly I don't want to have to come right out and say I intend to make you my mate." Oh yes, Hiei could just imagine Kagome's reaction then. He'd heard about the tales when the wolf Kouga proclaimed her to be his woman. The answer she'd given that particular male was unacceptable. Failure was not an option in his mind and while he wouldn't make the same mistakes Yusuke had made he wouldn't repeat Kouga's mistakes either.

"You could and she should know what it means. Personally I think coming outright and proclaiming your intentions might scare her off at this point in time." Kurama knew how much she disliked the possessive act that was so easy for men around her to slip into. One of the worst fights he'd witnessed between her and Yusuke had been when the Toushin had threatened to break a man named Houjo in half for asking her out to dinner. While he couldn't blame his friend for wanting to do so it wasn't something that would be acceptable in the eyes of the Reikai. Unfortunately Hiei didn't have the same mindset that Yusuke did which kept the Toushin from killing, yet another problem that Kurama could see cropping up. "Perhaps you should be even more subtle. Imagine the look on her face if she were to wake up to a single red rose on her pillow. The trick is to make her feel special in however you present it to her." Of course there was always the possibility that she might believe the gift was from Yusuke but he'd allow Hiei to figure that part of the problem out.

"Sounds simple enough, what else?" Hiei set the rose down on the table carefully knowing that since it was one of Kurama's special roses it wouldn't wilt easily. He would have more than enough time to find out what else would help him in his cause. So far this courting thing didn't sound like it was anything special so why was Yusuke having such trouble with it? Hiei snorted at the question, most likely it was just another case of his laziness coming up, thinking since he'd already gotten the girl he didn't have to work any longer. Unfortunately if a human was having problems dealing with courting a human female Hiei could only imagine how difficult it would be to change Yusuke's way of thinking. Just because he'd agreed to allowing the Toushin to continue the relationship with Kagome didn't mean he couldn't change his mind in the future if the man proved to be incapable of learning. The woman was hurting now because of the man's stupidity, if he was too stubborn to learn then Yusuke didn't deserve to have a chance to remain with her.

"Surprise her occasionally. Although you might despise going to places such as human restaurants, women like to be taken out to nice places like that." Kurama's expression grew thoughtful for a moment before he smiled towards the apparition, a thought coming to him suddenly. This was sure to help out, it was a brilliant idea and one that was sure to stun her. "You know the fascination Kagome has with history right?" At the apparition's nod Kurama continued smugly, "Take her to a Kabuki. Watching a theatrical reenactment of some of the events that occurred while she was in the past would likely appeal to her. The actors are some of the best in the world and every detail is done to perfection. Securing tickets might be a bit difficult but I'm sure it could be arranged and it would be a nice surprise." He knew for a fact that Yusuke had never taken her to one, despite the girl's occasional comments that she'd enjoy a night out watching one.

Though it wasn't common knowledge Hiei enjoyed history as well. Quite often he could be found spending his free time researching ancient battles in an effort to perfect his strategies and learn the different ways a battle could be turned. Kurama's idea had merit, it was possibly something that could interest him as well as long as it wasn't some long drawn out romance they'd be viewing. Hiei smirked as he thought about other things he could be doing instead of watching two fools proclaim their undying love in front of an audience. In that case he'd much rather be in the comfort of home and seducing the woman he'd set his eyes on. Still, while it was a good idea it wasn't one he could plan just yet. "The idea is a good one but it will have to wait a few days since she injured herself yet again."

"It's nothing serious I hope?" Kurama's expression darkened to one of concern at the thought that Kagome had hurt herself yet again. Really the only person Kurama knew that was as injury prone as the miko happened to be Kuwabara, and most of his injuries came from fighting. More than once he'd tended to her minor injuries when Yukina wasn't available and she allowed him to. Most of the time she attempted to brush it off as if it were nothing but Kurama knew that even the slightest wound could be problematic if not tended to properly. It was a pity her own healing abilities were so difficult for her to manage, it would make her recovery ever so much faster if she could heal herself.

Hiei shook his head, a few days at most and she'd be completely recovered provided the sprain wasn't aggravated. Keeping her immobile might be difficult however as the woman tended to be the most stubborn at the worst of times. "No, Yusuke called and she twisted her ankle in an effort to get to the phone in time. Before you ask, yes he knows and no he hasn't bothered to come over and check on her. It seemed they were in a rather heated conversation when I walked in and she hung up on him rather abruptly." That in itself was telling as to just how much he neglected her at times. Occasionally it couldn't be helped of course but this certainly wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

"I suppose anything that requires her to leave the apartment is out of the question then." It was slightly surprising to him that Hiei had left the apartment at all to come to speak with him. Granted they couldn't have talked with her present but that didn't mean they couldn't have went out to the balcony or something for a bit of privacy. "Will she be alright while you are gone?" The last thing Kurama wanted was to get a phone call from Yusuke saying he'd received a call from the hospital and that Kagome had somehow managed to get herself admitted while no one had been looking after her. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd gone through that though it had been with his younger brother, not the girl in question. Already the avatar was running through ideas on what he could send with the apparition to speed the healing process along.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Kagome had been asleep Hiei wouldn't have left her at that point in time unless it was absolutely necessary. "She was sleeping when I left though I do not think she'll remain that way for long. I'll have to return shortly, it is getting late." There was no telling what she'd manage to do to herself in his absence and while he didn't mind the thought of getting to touch her again even if it was for a simple massage, another injury just wasn't acceptable. Just as Hiei was about to stand Kurama waved him to stay in place as he got up, going over to a nearby cabinet and rummaging through it. Knowing what all it contained Hiei decided to wait and see what the kitsune came up with. Anything that could aid him in his quest would be welcomed.

Kurama returned moments later, holding a clear jar of salve that would do a better job than just plain ice would on a swollen joint. It would also take away a good portion of the pain even though he still couldn't recommend she continue to walk around on it without assistance. "You've used this stuff before so I'm sure you do not need the instructions of how to use it. Just keep her from walking around too much even though the pain will be reduced." It was just a good thing that he kept a supply of the ointment on hand, it took far too much time to make when an emergency came up. Handing the jar to the apparition Kurama then cast a glance over to the clock taking note of the time, knowing that it was running short.. "Since your options are rather limited for the night, if I may make a suggestion?" Seeing Hiei's curious look Kurama continued on, "Expecting her to cook dinner for the night would be inappropriate. You may want to consider cooking for her instead, I'm sure she'd appreciate the gesture."

"I doubt my skills in the kitchen are comparable to yours Kurama. I'd be better off asking you to come over and cook but I doubt that would make the same impression on her." Also with that was the knowledge that if Kurama went through all the work then it also meant the fox was likely to hang around to have dinner, thereby cutting into his alone time with the girl. It was only a matter of time before Yusuke put in another appearance and Hiei wanted to make every moment count. By the time the Toushin decided to determine if he was serious in his pursuit he wanted to have the miko so far off balance that Yusuke would have no chance of stopping her from thinking about him. It would be difficult but by no means impossible.

Fortunately for the apparition Kurama's thoughts were running along the same lines which had him shaking his head. They needed Kagome to be impressed with Hiei, not with him. Perhaps another time he could help Hiei with preparing a romantic dinner but for now take out would have to do so long as the apparition wasn't objectionable. "That does present a problem then. Have you considered take out? There is a very nice restraunt not too far from her apartment that you could go to. Let me see if I have a card." Kurama walked over to his desk and flipped through a planner, pulling out a business card and handing it to the apparition who glanced at it with thinly veiled interest. Few knew of the fact that Hiei actually enjoyed the different cuisines that the human realm had to offer but he didn't blame him. Unless you had a terrible cook it always beat foraging for roots and what wild animals that could be killed hands down. What made this even better was that the restraunt was one of his favorite places to eat even though the prices were a bit high."If you're agreeable go to this place and tell them I sent you. Use my human name and tell them that I'm running behind and have an important dinner party this evening. They know what I usually order and they'll be able to prepare it quickly. Then all you need to do is to take it to Kagome's place. I'd suggest a slightly romantic atmosphere but nothing obvious just yet. Dim the lights and maybe put some soft music on, I'm sure she'll enjoy your efforts."

Although he disliked the idea of the subtle route Hiei knew that anything more was likely to send her running straight to Yusuke. The pace would quicken soon enough, for now he just had to bide his time. "I had best return if I am going to do this tonight, I'll inform you of my progress." Tucking the card securely in his cloak, Hiei made his way to the front door once more. As he disappeared in a blur heading towards the restraunt Kurama had recommended the apparition had to smile, to date he hadn't seen Yusuke do anything of the sort. His idea of bringing home dinner was a combo meal from WacDonalds. This was sure to make a good impression on Kagome.

~*~

By the time Hiei had finally arrived back at the apartment night had long since fallen and he was more than a little bit irritated. While Kurama had a high opinion of the restraunt it hadn't helped matters that everyone else did as well. The humans had tried their best or as well as could be expected since he was prohibited from using violent persuasion to get them moving faster but it had still taken far too long in his opinion. When he pushed the door open it didn't surprise him to find the interior dark though a frown crossed his face at seeing that Kagome was no longer on the couch. Slowly he closed the front door behind him and carried the food inside so he could set it on the kitchen counters. In a few minutes he'd worry about getting it set up but first he had to find out where she'd gotten to. If Yusuke had come over while he was stuck dealing with the masses at that restraunt he'd have to hunt the man down and beat his ass for removing her from the apartment.

Silently he wandered through the living room, his fingers gliding along the fabric of the couch. It was cold now, not holding any hint of warmth that would indicate she'd moved just recently. There were few places in the apartment to check since she had no need of a larger place and Hiei knew the most likely spot for her to move to would be the bedroom. As he made his way down the hall the apparition took note of the fact that the door was closed where it hadn't been before. Quietly he turned the handle and pushed the door open. Startling her was the last thing he wanted to do and frightening her by thinking an intruder was there would be the best way to do that. Knowing Kagome not only would she fall out of bed but she'd somehow manage to purify him at the same time in her shock. It definitely wasn't on his list of things to do that night. Luck was on his side though and the miko was indeed on the bed, sleeping peacefully. As he crossed the room he took note of the way she clutched her pillow to her chest as if holding onto someone. Knowing that he couldn't offer the comfort of his arms just yet Hiei sighed and began to turn from the room but he paused for a moment and pulled the rose from his cloak. While he hadn't expected to give it to her so soon he was impatient. Before he could second guess his decision Hiei laid it on the second pillow resting on the bed where she would be sure to see it when she awoke.

Knowing that there was no need to wake her Hiei left the room quietly and shut the door behind him. Later he would ask her why she'd just went to bed without at least seeing about something to eat but knowing her she'd just forgotten about it. Fortunately it was something that was already taken care of even if she didn't know it yet. As he came to stand in the living room he pondered his options. On the one hand she did have a kitchen table that he could set up but that was hardly the atmosphere he was going for. The other possibility was eating in the living room, not an entirely objectionable proposition. It just entailed moving the furniture around a bit which shouldn't pose too much of a problem aside from letting Kagome sleep. Shrugging his cloak off Hiei tossed it over the back of the couch before he set about to moving it against the wall. 'I hope she appreciates this,' he thought to himself. It was followed closely with a smile though when he pictured her mentioning to Yusuke all the trouble he'd gone through to bring her dinner and make her feel better.

The love seat was next, being moved until it was against the opposite wall. With those two large pieces out of the way it left the majority of the floor cleared with the exception of the low table that occupied the center of the room. It only took a small amount of repositioning and he was happy with the arrangement. Making his way back into the kitchen he began rummaging around the drawers, knowing that there had to be candles somewhere in the apartment. With the storms that came through power failures were not all that uncommon and Kagome was definitely the sort to be prepared for anything. As expected the tea candles were in a bottom drawer along with some matches which he had no need of. "Where to put them..." Hiei murmured to himself, having no real working knowledge of what would be considered a romantic atmosphere but willing to run with the idea anyway. Ultimately he decided to place two on the center on the table and then scatter a few others randomly around the room. By the time they were all lit the room was bathed in a gentle glow. It was more than enough to carry on an intimate conversation in but not so overwhelming as to be distracting either.

For a moment Hiei surveyed his work, looking at it with approval. If he could enjoy this type of setting then Kagome was sure to as well. His time to set the mood was running out though, soon it would be time to place the food and unless he missed his guess she'd waken soon after. The scents coming from the boxes he'd carried in were enough to make even his mouth water in anticipation. Carefully he arranged them on the table, making sure that they'd be seated across from each other. While sitting next to her would be more appealing from the standpoint of getting closer to her she was already going to be suspicious enough. The final touch to the arrangement was when Hiei began collecting the soft pillows off of the couch and love seat and separating them into two separate piles for them to sit on.

Briefly he thought about putting some music on as Kurama had suggested but he thought better of it. That could come next time perhaps but for now it would just be too much. Now all he had to do was wait and by the sounds of things it wouldn't take terribly long. Even now he could hear the slightest creak of the bed as Kagome turned over, most likely on the verge of waking. A muffled thump was heard moments later and Hiei began walking towards the door. Since she was awake he was perfectly justified in walking into her bedroom under the pretense of making sure she didn't hurt herself.

Kagome looked up from trying to pick the blanket up off of the ground where it had fallen only to see Hiei standing there.. "Hiei?" she was puzzled by his reappearance because she'd been positive he had left sometime after she had fallen asleep. In fact she'd known he was gone when she relocated to her own bed not long before. 'Maybe I'm still dreaming.' The thought wasn't that far fetched seeing as there was a single red rose on her pillow, laying there innocently. At first she thought perhaps Yusuke might have stopped by and decided not to wake her but the idea had her scoffing. That man wasn't one for bringing flowers no matter how poorly she was feeling. But the only other option was that it came from Hiei and that seemed even less likely. But it was just too much of a coincidence that he was standing in her doorway looking at her expectantly. "You came back?"

"Would you rather I hadn't?" Hiei raised an eyebrow at her, curious as to what her answer would be. It was amusing to see the way her gaze darted from him to the rose and back again as if trying to decide it if indeed came from him. One thing was for certain though was that she appreciated the gesture. There was a certain softness in her eyes every time she looked at the flower and when she moved to pick it up she obviously did it gently so she wouldn't damage it.

"What? No, of course not! It's just surprising is all," Kagome replied quickly, not wanting to give the apparition the idea that he wasn't welcome. While she still didn't understand why he was hanging around that didn't mean she didn't appreciate his company. It beat the hell out of listening to someone screaming at the television. Trying to deflect his attention she gestured towards the rose in her hand, "I need to get this into water before it wilts." As she spoke Kagome made a move to stand but was prevented from putting weight on her leg when Hiei picked her up for a second time that day.

It was tempting to ask him if he was feeling alright but the words died in her throat as Hiei took her into the living room. The last thing she'd expected to see was an extravagant dinner waiting on her. The food was tastefully assorted on the table and her stomach rumbled reminding her that it had been several hours since she'd last eaten. A slight laugh came from the man carrying her as he placed her gently upon the pillows, taking care to make sure that her leg was propped up. "This is amazing Hiei, did you cook all of this?"

"No," he replied as he sank down on his own pillows. While he could probably lie and say he did it would be beneath him and worse she might expect him to cook something like this for her in the future. It would be beyond difficult to explain why he couldn't and frankly it was a complication he didn't want to deal with. "I assumed since you turned Yusuke's offer down for dinner that you had no other plans. So I took care of it." It was a gentle prod at her boyfriends lack of attention but not enough to dampen Kagome's spirits either.

"Yeah," Kagome murmured as she stared at the array of food. As they both picked up their chopsticks they looked at each other, more than ready to sample the nights dinner. "Itadakimasu," she said before picking up a piece of Takoyaki and placing it in her mouth. The battered octopus was heavenly she decided as she savored its flavor. "This is wonderful Hiei, thank you for thinking of this. I didn't know what I was going to do since Yusuke was heading out with Kazuma and Yukina." It'd be a lie to say that she hadn't been a bit resentful that Yusuke had called her as a bit of an after thought but this more than made up for it.

"Hn, where were they going anyway?" Hiei took a bite of his Sake Miso, the grilled salmon flaking apart easily. Hearing that Kuwabara was taking his sister out wasn't surprising though he still wasn't thrilled with the idea. He wasn't going to get in the oaf's way though since he truly did care for Yukina's well being. However that didn't mean he wouldn't still keep an eye out for her. Heaven help the man if he ever mistreated the girl though, not even Koenma would be able to save him.

For a moment Kagome didn't answer him, wondering if the apparition would suddenly bolt out the door to interfere in their date but his relaxed demeanor was reassuring that he wouldn't do that. At least not just yet anyway. "Yusuke said it was some sort of dinner show that Yukina had wanted to see. I'm still not sure how he got roped into it since he hates those sort of things." Actually hate wasn't strong enough of a word for how much the Toushin loathed going to those restraunt. She had given up asking him to take her to those places after constantly being brushed off. That wasn't to say that they never went anywhere though, it just meant that they were more likely to hit a ramen stand or a street side vendor while they were heading home from the movies or some other place. Eventually she had come to the realization that if she wanted to go out to nice restraunts on occasion she should have fell in love with someone like Kurama.

"Kuwabara had to have blackmailed him," Hiei said with a shrug of his shoulders. It was the only way he could see the Toushin going to such a place. Hell, if it hadn't been for Yukina asking it of Kuwabara the redhead wouldn't be going either. It was just another instance of Kuwabara's willingness to do anything to make her happy and as such he wouldn't stand in their way.

They fell silent for a couple of moments and Kagome turned her attention to her naganegi. One taste of the crab meat had her swearing to find out just what restraunt Hiei had gone to. Dinners such as this would be a welcome treat after a hard day at work. Curiously she looked over the table to the apparition, taking the chance to really study him. The man was around so infrequently and he was almost always on guard when he was. This was probably the first time she'd see him as relaxed as he was. A blush stained her cheeks when he looked up and caught her staring. "Sorry." Her gaze dropped down to her plate and a hint of red drew her attention over to the rose which she'd set upon the table. Suddenly she just had to know where it had come from. "Hiei? Did you... bring me the rose?"

Immediately Hiei tensed since he hadn't been expecting the question. Warily he nodded, watching her carefully. While she didn't seem surprised or angry he was well aware of how quickly her moods could change. If anything though she was looking at him expectantly, as if wanting to know why he'd given it to her. "Do you not like it?" Suddenly he was second guessing his decision to give it to her so quickly.

"It's lovely," she said softly, running her fingers down the petals gently. "I just. wasn't expecting something like this, thank you." The color of the flower wasn't lost on her either but she was reluctant to outright ask him if she should be reading anything more into it. For now she'd just look at it as having dinner with a friend, something she hadn't gotten a chance to do in a while. When she looked at him again she saw how he was staring at her with an odd expression and she inwardly cringed, if she couldn't hold Yusuke's attention why the hell would Hiei even be looking at her in such a fashion. Most likely this was an instance of him and Kurama just trying to be nice and cheer her up knowing that she was having problems with Yusuke. The fact that the rose had come from Kurama was a given, she could feel the slightest trace of youki in the bloom.

"It is nothing," Hiei set his chopsticks down and leaned back to examine the girl. She seemed to be terribly uncomfortable and as her thoughts seemed to turn inward he could see the emotions flying across her face at a rapid pace. Sadness and longing were prominent though there were moments of anger though as far as he could see it wasn't directed towards himself. It was easy for him to feel the self loathing coming off of her as well and he knew that he had to distract her somehow or their evening together would be ruined. "How is your ankle?"

Hearing the question had Kagome snapping out of the despondent thoughts she had begun to fall into and her gaze automatically strayed to the pillow her leg was propped on. Over the years she'd become good at blocking out pain though the dull throbbing was never far from her mind. "It's okay I guess. A couple of days and it'll be good as new." It was just a good thing she had a desk job, otherwise she'd have to take the next few days off and that would make a serious dent in her paycheck.

Hiei nodded slightly and pulled out the jar of ointment that Kurama had given him earlier. "Sooner than that if you use this. It's one of Kurama's mixtures." He set it on the table but didn't slide it over to her. Why would he when this would provide him with a perfect opportunity to touch her again and likely quite a few times.

"That was nice of him," Kagome eyed the bottle eagerly though she didn't reach for it. If the apparition wasn't freely offering it to her there had to be a reason. Perhaps it was some special method that had to be used in applying it. That possibility didn't surprise her since Kurama tended to use dangerous plants in most of his mixtures, there was a good chance that if she applied too much she'd end up poisoned or something worse. "I hope it helps, my boss told me last time if I'm late again I'd be put on probation and fighting the crowds at the train station would be almost impossible now."

"So take the next few days off of work," the solution was easy in Hiei's opinion. Personally he thought she could do far better for employment even if it meant going to Koenma for a job. Surely even the toddler would have a position for the woman, something far more suited to Kagome's skills than what she was doing now. Clearly though the miko thought his suggestion was insane by the wide eyed look she was now giving him. "What?"

"Oh please, if I were to tell my boss that I needed a couple days off of work for this he'd hand me my walking papers," Kagome nearly rolled her eyes at that very thought but somehow she'd managed to refrain. "He's already been on my ass about attendance, I don't think hearing this would cause his more generous side to come out." If only she could find another job but the sad fact was that between her grades and her unconventional lifestyle her employment opportunities were rather limited. The fact of the matter was quite a few of the places she'd applied to were now under the management of the people she'd gone to school with. Her reputation for attendance coupled with her long list of health problems made it near impossible to find work to begin with. "You know some days I think that man hates me."

At this Hiei raised an eyebrow curious as to why she would think such a thing. While he hadn't heard of anything in particular that didn't mean someone wasn't giving her hell. If that was indeed the case he'd just have to be certain to set the man straight. Kagome wasn't likely to stand up to the man unless she felt she was being unjustly targeted. That was one thing that bothered him about her, she tended to let a lot slide. "What would lead you to think that?"

"Just certain comments, the way he looks at me." Kagome sighed knowing that there was nothing that she could directly pinpoint. "It's odd, I've got the highest rate for resolving customer complaints and he's cut my hours back three times now." Perhaps it was time to look for another job, at the rate she was going the man was likely to fire her within the next six months anyway.

Before Hiei could respond he felt Yusuke's aura approaching. By the close proximity the man was now on his way up the stairs, most likely coming to check on Kagome before returning home for the night. Then again he wouldn't put it past the Toushin to attempt to get the woman into bed since he'd already be there. Of course he wouldn't succeed if that's what he was thinking, he'd see to that one. "Wait here," he commanded quietly as he stood up and walked towards the front door. He could feel Kagome's gaze upon him as he made his way down the hallway. As he opened the door and stepped quickly through he could see the surprise in Yusuke's eyes as they stared at each other. "Detective.." Hiei nodded in greeting though his expression was anything but friendly.