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You don't know how exactly you fell in love with her in the first place.
Perhaps it was at the banquet in honour of Takao's promotion to leader of heavy cruisers.
Perhaps it was at the ball two months later to celebrate the commander's fortieth birthday.
Perhaps it was during the walk on the beach, just the two of you for the first time, when you'd both had nothing to do and started talking about flowers.
Perhaps it was after the Siren raid on Yokohama, where a pair of 14-inch shells had saved your life.
Perhaps it was when you had both journeyed to Taranto last year to negotiate a deal with the Sardegnans.
There are so many possibilities, and you can't pin one down. But you remember clearly that day.
Was that Friday already eleven months ago? Your final decision, your shy approach to Hiei, your tentative question about what she was doing that weekend if anything. Her warm, beautiful smile that both set you at ease and made you even more tense; the slightly enquiring tone of her voice as she said she was free.
The following day: the restaurant, where you had distractedly made the mistake of ordering spicy instead of mild curry; the movie, which you couldn't concentrate on because of the presence next to you; and the surprise fluffy snow afterwards that had fallen gently from the sky as you made your way back to the base.
The two of you had gone into a bar to finish off the night. Hiei had thanked you; said it was one of the best evenings she'd had recently.
The blush; the bowed head; the stammer of gratitude had prevented you from replying properly. You'd nearly choked on your drink.
"Are you alright?" God, the compassion and care in those simple words.
"Yes, yes - fine. Just need to go to the toilet."
There you had stared in the mirror long and hard, breathing deeply.
And then you'd adjusted the white flower pin in your hair and gone back out again, face set.
"You took your time. You sure you're fine?"
"I am. Look, I've got something to say to you. Can we talk outside?"
Momentary surprise on her face. A tilt of her head; almost as if to get a better angle of your expression.
"Outside?"
"Yes," you'd said, nearly imploringly. "I don't want anyone else to hear."
She'd complied.
"It's a bit less festive here than it is inside," she'd remarked once you stood in the gently falling snow, the sounds of the people inside the bar muffled by the door and windows.
"I wanted a bit of privacy."
"Privacy is a virtue, true. And the breeze is fresher here as well."
Then she'd looked you straight in the eye.
"So, what is it?"
You'd opened your mouth, then closed it.
The ensuing silence between you, though it could only have lasted for a few moments, felt like an eternity.
And Hiei's face had gradually changed, as if the outer layers were being stripped away to reveal the raw emotions underneath.
"Dear Choukai," she had said eventually, in a quiet voice. "Tell me, do you think I've got good observational skills?"
"Yes. I've told you that before."
"Then credit me this - you are wonderful in many ways, but sometimes you are so easy to see through."
"I-"
"Don't deny it. Please"
Gulp.
Heart pounding, mouth dry. Nobody would have believed you were a superhuman living weapon if they'd seen you then.
In her casual winter clothes, hair loosely tied back, she had looked so beautiful that you didn't want to break the moment.
But some strange divine intervention told you to step up to the plate.
"Hiei, I... I... -" You'd struggled for breath.
Then she'd walked closer to you - swiftly and elegantly. And then for the first time you had seen there was moisture in her amber eyes.
"I love you too, Choukai."
"... for how long?"
"You know, I really couldn't say."
"We've known each other for so long, Hiei. Oh, why -"
Her lips had cut you off, as you realised you were both slowly crying. You didn't really know why.
And the snow had kept on falling.