Perhaps if they'd met in demon world, Youko would have valued the addition to his team, but long before Hiei was born the fox had grown tired of impulsive violence that led to death. It was his human nature that saw Hiei - not as valuable or a rarity - as someone who craved the camaraderie he so pointedly rebuked. In a way, he'd seen himself in him, initially at least neither one of them had anyone else until Yusuke and the tournament changed all of their lives. Hiei could have, in theory, fled to demon world and carved out his own group of like minded apparitions once he was allowed. He chose to return to human world as often as he had, he chose to remain a part of their lives “one of the team”, and wasn't that enough?
Of course, Kurama was blind to the fact that Hiei's increasing presence in human world over the last few decades was not by choice. That his steadily declining health kept the fire apparition essentially trapped in his own anxiety as he fussed over the fox, instead. He'd truly thought Hiei had adapted to being there as part of the family, even though he knew there was at least a part of him that would have preferred to be home. The idea that it was his care that kept him glued to the Temple in a realm he'd rather not be would only serve as a new source of guilt for his previous actions.
He had tried at first, to reassure the fire demon and urge him to go back. That he didn't need to be here full time, especially if it was only for Kurama's sake. He had also tried over the years to encourage Hiei to get out more, even if only physically because the older he was, the harder it would be for him to keep up with their previous habits. Context he was sure could only make sense to the fire apparition in hindsight. After all, he'd never seen a human grow old and pass in short order before.
For all the times that Kurama had promised the rest of his life to Hiei, they had never really talked about it in any clarifying way. There had been no label or title, promises of monogamy, just his presence. The notion that he would always be there, whenever Hiei returned from demon world (barring what time he also spent there) no matter what. The details of what happened outside of when they were together had never been a concern, at least not to the fox. They certainly hadn't been discussed previously. Hiei would never understand, it was all in an effort to prepare him, protect his feelings from what was to come.
For now, Kurama stays quiet. Focused more on his current goal than Hiei's past. Curious was not the word he'd use here. The fire demon never really seemed to grasp that anyone might feel another way about him though, concern, grief. Anything of meaning. While the spirit fox was skilled at not letting things said in anger get under his skin, it was the more casual deliveries that slipped through his defenses. Things not said with the intentional goal of harm, but simply because they were the truth. Honesty unrelenting like barbed wire.
The fox hums at that response once Hiei is done staring him down suspiciously, he turns as directed, starting towards the forest before bothering to reply.
“Anything that survived over fifty years without assistance certainly doesn't need anyone else's help now.” Perhaps that was the concern, but Kurama wasn't worried about it, either way.
no subject
Of course, Kurama was blind to the fact that Hiei's increasing presence in human world over the last few decades was not by choice. That his steadily declining health kept the fire apparition essentially trapped in his own anxiety as he fussed over the fox, instead. He'd truly thought Hiei had adapted to being there as part of the family, even though he knew there was at least a part of him that would have preferred to be home. The idea that it was his care that kept him glued to the Temple in a realm he'd rather not be would only serve as a new source of guilt for his previous actions.
He had tried at first, to reassure the fire demon and urge him to go back. That he didn't need to be here full time, especially if it was only for Kurama's sake. He had also tried over the years to encourage Hiei to get out more, even if only physically because the older he was, the harder it would be for him to keep up with their previous habits. Context he was sure could only make sense to the fire apparition in hindsight. After all, he'd never seen a human grow old and pass in short order before.
For all the times that Kurama had promised the rest of his life to Hiei, they had never really talked about it in any clarifying way. There had been no label or title, promises of monogamy, just his presence. The notion that he would always be there, whenever Hiei returned from demon world (barring what time he also spent there) no matter what. The details of what happened outside of when they were together had never been a concern, at least not to the fox. They certainly hadn't been discussed previously. Hiei would never understand, it was all in an effort to prepare him, protect his feelings from what was to come.
For now, Kurama stays quiet. Focused more on his current goal than Hiei's past. Curious was not the word he'd use here. The fire demon never really seemed to grasp that anyone might feel another way about him though, concern, grief. Anything of meaning. While the spirit fox was skilled at not letting things said in anger get under his skin, it was the more casual deliveries that slipped through his defenses. Things not said with the intentional goal of harm, but simply because they were the truth. Honesty unrelenting like barbed wire.
The fox hums at that response once Hiei is done staring him down suspiciously, he turns as directed, starting towards the forest before bothering to reply.
“Anything that survived over fifty years without assistance certainly doesn't need anyone else's help now.” Perhaps that was the concern, but Kurama wasn't worried about it, either way.