More than anything, that was what made the kiss such a mistake. He'd meant to demonstrate that had he really intended to do whatever he wanted, he'd be acting accordingly. Instead of keeping his distance to give Hiei the time and space to make his own decisions.

Allowing him all of this choice was a deliberate and calculated maneuver he was hoping to see pay off in the end. For now, he waits. He's already resigned himself to the reality that Hiei may never trust him again, and should that be the case, he would simply have to accept supporting him in any way that he could. It wasn't as if the fire demon didn't want him around, that much was certain, the question was more about what capacity he was going to allow. Where they would go from here.

Kurama observes Hiei's posture, not surprised in the least by the shift to guarded, defensive. This had thrown him for a loop, which perhaps should have been expected. He resists the urge to sigh at the fire apparition's apparent perception of his motives, but doesn't comment. Of course, he's not expecting Hiei to find being there relaxing by virtue of standing around in nature alone. Enough time surrounded by the specific plants that grew here - the more potent demonic varieties in particular - would have an impact, though. That much he knew.

Green eyes shift up curiously, lips quirking into a faint smile with the admission. The fox leans back, palms against the ground behind him for support, speaking from his own experience.

“Since our last venture out here together.”