“I did check.” Much to his own chagrin, at that. At least if he hadn’t there wouldn’t be the lingering guilt of having done something he typically wouldn’t have, or the compulsion to say as much.

But it nags at him, really. Why is it that now Kurama cares enough to be here? To live along with him instead of simply deciding to pass on to the spirit world and be done with it finally.

Hiei sighs, brows creasing for a moment as he debates how to put it.

“But coming back for me..” He pauses again, weighing the words.

“I don’t understand. I couldn’t give you enough reason to stay.” No, he hadn’t exactly been asking most of the time, in those many tenuous conversations, but it wasn’t as though he hadn’t been trying otherwise. Where he lacked with words, Hiei tended to put in more effort to show.

“If it wasn’t enough then, it won’t be enough now.”