Warnings: Yaoi/shounen-ai/boyxboy, Kurama-x-Yuusuke, spoilers.
Disclaimer: "L'il Red Riding Hood" was originally sung by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs and written by Ronald Blackwell. Yuu Yuu Hakusho and all its characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. I do not own or claim any profits from this work of fiction or the lyrics presented.
Summary: -Inspired by Amanda Seyfried's cover of "L'il Red Riding Hood"- Kurama watches Yuusuke from afar, knowing full well what the consequences are should he decide to touch. Love from a distance, and be there always.
L'IL RED RIDING HOOD
MINAMINO "KURAMA" SHUUICHI AND URAMESHI YUUSUKE
ONE-SHOT
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood
You sure are lookin' good
You're everything a big bad wolf would want
Little Red Ridin' Hood
I don't think even big girls should
Go walkin' in these spooky old woods alone
What big eyes you have
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad
So, just to see that you don't get chased
I think I ought to walk with you for a way
What full lips you have
They're sure to lure someone bad
So, until you get to grandma's place
I think you ought to walk, with me and be safe
I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on
Till I'm sure that you've been shown
That I can be trusted walkin' with you alone
Little Red Ridin' Hood
I'd like to hold you if I could
But you might think I'm a big bad wolf, so I won't
What a big heart I have
The better to love you with
Little Red Ridin' Hood
Even bad wolves can be good
I'll try to be satisfied
Just to walk close by your side
Maybe you'll see things my way
Before we get to grandma's place
Little Red Ridin' Hood
You sure are lookin' good
You're everything a big bad wolf could want
Watching. Always watching. He'd been watching him for years.
His hips swayed a little more than a normal man's. Tantalizing.
He had a habit of biting at the skin on his lips when bored or deep in thought. Distracting.
He always missed a diamond shaped patch of stubble when he shaved, just below where the corner of his jaw met his neck. Adorable.
Kurama was drawn to Yuusuke like a wolf to a fresh kill ever since they passed each other on the street. He thought then his infatuation would go nowhere; he thought his life would end at the shine of the full moon, but even after his life was spared, the feeling of being stuck stayed. Yuusuke was a marked man, marred forever by a human woman he had known for years.
He had asked for her hand more than once, and she waited for him over and over and over endlessly. She wasn't right for him, Kurama knew; she could not possibly satisfy him.
It was not his vanity that spoke these words. It was a truth. Yuusuke was now a demon, a toushin, a prince, and above all, a man with an incredibly long life ahead of him. Keiko was a human, a hopeful girl, a student, and mortal. Kurama was not. His life was renewed and even though he now walked in a human form, he could still tread the long, sharp path with Yuusuke.
He was patient, he was kind (when he wanted to be), and he was certain he would do anything for the Reikai Tantei. He would weave his web quietly and with care. He knew all of Yuusuke's perks, having been by his side for years and years, but even still, he could not pull the string to ensnare him. Not yet. Yuusuke was slippery, and Keiko's grip was strong.
Kurama was silent as he walked next to his friend. Hiei and Kuwabara had abandoned them some time ago to tend to other pressing matters. After a job well done, Kuwabara had probably retreated to his home, where Yukina waited ever patient; Hiei, no longer confined to the human realm, slunk back into Makai to tend to his duties. Humans always fell through the Veil, and Hiei's work wouldn't ever end.
As for Kurama, he took his excitement where he could get it, and that meant sticking very closely to Yuusuke. He wouldn't let go of his calling. Ramen-cart runner by day, spirit problem-solver by night, as Yuusuke had so elegantly put it with far more embellishment than Kurama could ever. Yuusuke confided in Kurama, saying how he missed the heart-pounding rush of yet another villain he couldn't possibly hope to defeat. Everything he did now, from the autographs, to personal items, to setting up dates, was dull.
He wouldn't say so much to the others, but he was glad that group tried at mass genocide in the name of the Almighty.
What he did say to everyone was more shocking than Kurama wanted to admit. Three buttons were the obstacle Yuusuke had to overcome to save the day yet again, and the blue button, which Yuusuke chose, saved them all. His choice was her favorite color, his Goddess he said. Kurama was finding it hard to smile and laugh with him as they walked along the beach, feeling the brush of salt in the air against their skin and the lap of cool water at their heels.
To his dismay and pleasure, Yuusuke did not seem to notice Kurama's mood. He chattered happily and childishly kicked the tiny waves as they rolled toward him. He looked to the fox and calmed considerably. He had asked a question, and Kurama hadn't answered. He stood ankle deep in the water and stared out onto the orange expanse of sea. Soon, the pinks, purples, and yellows of the settling evening would become blue again, but dark and impenetrable.
"Do you miss it too?" Yuusuke asked, disregarding his previous question and sobering under Kurama's aura.
Kurama did not look to him and slowly collected his thoughts, "Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes not at all. I dislike a lot about my past. I dislike some of the things I had to do and didn't have to do. I also regret, and the feeling makes me miss those times all over again. Reflection, however, does nothing. I can wish I could change history, but it's useless," Kurama paused, sighed, and finally turned to smile at Yuusuke. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I gave more than your question intended."
"Nah, man, I understand. I'm glad you're honest and I feel the same, but more than that, I hope things aren't always gonna be this boring," Yuusuke moved to stand next to his friend. "I stop and think, 'my heart was racing, and damn, that punch hurt so bad,' but then I think it's over."
Kurama chuckled and placed his hand on Yuusuke's shoulder, "It's never going to be over with you, Yuusuke. The day you accept it, something else will be thrown at you."
The first touch, a simple gesture, sent flares through Kurama's fingers. The fireworks ignited and exploded under his skin and coursed deep into his soul. He pulled his hand away quickly and scolded himself for touching. Yuusuke is off-limits, he repeated in his head, your plan will surely fail if you keep this up.
Yuusuke thankfully did not notice the touch's effect on Kurama, and instead wrapped a strong, friendly arm around his shoulders. Smiling, so gentle, so warm, so very Yuusuke, he squeezed Kurama's shoulders and began to walk them down the beach once more. Kurama's heart lifted slightly. Though Yuusuke was not above touching the people he cared for, Kurama took pride in the fact that he was held the longest.
They walked until the water was dressed in glittering stars. Neither wished to leave the others' side. It was peaceful, it was familiar, and it was sad. To think the moment they left this expanse of sand, water, and silence, they would have to go back to their bland lives and wait for the next crisis, if there ever was one again. Kurama could see the sadness forming behind his friend's eyes as the same thoughts that ran through his head ran through the detective's.
He wished so badly he could reach out and cup his cheeks, to whisper that they could cause trouble to keep things exciting, to yell at him not to tie himself down, to kiss him so passionately that his skin would blaze with a fire so bright, fed by Kurama's desire.
But he couldn't.
He could never do that. Yuusuke had constructed his own little world. Who was Kurama to ruin it? Sure, there was a time when he, the Great Youko Kurama, would have said, "To Hell with what he's done, I have my own needs," and taken what he wanted, kept him locked away from lustful eyes, and called him his special treasure.
He couldn't ever do that now. Not to Yuusuke, not after all he has done for him.
He'll just enjoy these moments with him. As short as they were.
Yuusuke pulled away from him with a heavy sigh and a rub to the back of his neck, "I suppose we should get back. Keiko's gonna start getting worried."
"She worries too much."
Yuusuke simply shrugged, "She has a right to worry."
"You've proven you can handle yourself."
"That's what I say, but worrying gives her something to do. Makes her feel," He paused, and Kurama saw the slightest pursing of his perfect lips. "Makes her feel normal. Girls are supposed to worry about their boys, right?"
"I remember my mother being the same way," Kurama said, nodding. "I don't recall much about my biological father, but what I do remember is my mother worrying about him constantly. He had to go on long trips often, and if he was even the slightest bit late on his phone call, my mother would fear the worst. Her fears were never misplaced, I realize. He did dangerous work and he paid the ultimate price eventually. Not so much unlike you. Except," Kurama chuckled. "There was a considerable lack of demons and world-saving."
Yuusuke was silent for a moment, but then turned to flash Kurama a brilliant smile, "You know, I think this is the most you've ever talked to me about you."
"I am comfortable around you, Yuusuke."
The first admission of the evening, hidden by subtle and familiar words. Kurama knew Yuusuke could be quick-witted when he wanted to be, but could he decipher the puzzle Kurama pressed into his mind? He doubted it. His hints have always gone unnoticed.
And so again.
Yuusuke smiled simply and kept his steady pace with Kurama at his side. The cool night air tickled them a different way than the twilight's; it made them sleepy yet alert and very aware. Kurama sighed audibly. They were nearing the path to the woods that would lead to the street and back home. He dreaded the thought. His chances were dwindling as the distance lessened, but it was opportunity still. He needed to be less subtle, but also gentle. It would not do to scare the detective.
But neither could find words as sand turned to dirt then to tar. Every sentence Kurama plotted was much too direct, much too stern and heavy, for his liking. Yuusuke would never be wooed by simple word, Kurama knew, but it was a start. He was afraid; imagine the Great Youko Kurama, master manipulator, most wanted thief, and accomplished lover, afraid of saying the wrong thing to a human-turned-demon boy.
There was no more opportunity before Kurama realized, and he kicked himself mentally for not saying anything at all. They stopped outside of Yuusuke's apartment complex, and Yuusuke turned to bid Kurama a good night. Kurama tried, oh he tried, to smile his best. Yuusuke was so fleeting. Who knew when he'd see him next?
"You okay, man? You've had this sour look all night."
Ah, so Kurama was wrong. He did notice.
Kurama shrugged and offered the slightest quirk of his lips as a response.
"Don't be so down, dude," Yuusuke clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Like you said, nothing stays boring with us for long."
"I suppose you're right. I apologize for worrying you."
"S'all good."
Kurama expected him to pull away, but he did not. Kurama expected him to smile and rush inside, but he did not. Kurama expected to stand there staring at Yuusuke's door, but he could not.
Yuusuke's aura seemed to shift as he stood there holding Kurama's shoulder and staring at him. Indecision swam in those chocolate depths, and his shifted uncomfortably. Just what was Yuusuke thinking that required so much silence?
He moved toward Kurama, but keeping a reasonable distance between them. Kurama wanted to move back, strictly out of instinct, but curiosity was one of his more prominent vices. He wanted to know what Yuusuke had planned, and his heart flipped in his chest at all the thoughts, all the hopes, and all the uncertainties. Those were the worst.
Kurama didn't move as Yuusuke moved closer still, staring at his face with a deep concentration he'd only known Yuusuke to possess. The detective cocked his head, much like a dog would, and licked at his lips. Still, Kurama would not move.
The movement was so fast that Kurama barely caught it. Hot lips on hot lips, and firm body against firm body. Kurama wanted everything in that moment. The heat radiating from Yuusuke was too much to bear. All he needed to do was wrap his arms around his waist, hoist him up, and hope Yuusuke's mother wasn't home.
He had more control than that, he screamed at himself, it's only a kiss!
A kiss Yuusuke started, Kurama argued, melting more into the soft warmth Yuusuke's perfect lips provided.
It ended far too quickly for Kurama's liking, but Yuusuke deserved to be in control. A rose-colored dusting ran across Yuusuke's nose as he brought his fingers to his lips. The strong certainty Kurama was so used to seeing was gone from Yuusuke and replaced with the most adorable display of bashfulness. He held down his chuckles and the urge to cup Yuusuke's cheeks. He would not allow Yuusuke to believe he was teasing, but he did allow a genuine smile to grace his lips.
"S-see ya later, Kurama," Yuusuke stumbled as he turned and briskly walked inside.
"Good night, Yuusuke," Kurama called after him, smile still on his face.
He stood there, standing outside of Yuusuke's door with his eyes shining golden in the moonlight. No longer did he pine as he normally did when they parted ways. Instead, he watched Yuusuke's shadow through the curtained window as he paced in his living room, wondering if he was going to step outside.
A moment passed. Yuusuke still paced, and Kurama turned to walk away just as Yuusuke's door opened again.
Author's Note: I do hope you enjoyed this one-shot. If I may, I would like to take a moment to propose a challenge. Using any pairing you so desire, write a fic with Little Red Riding Hood as the plot. It can be from the actual fairy tale, the song I have posted here, or even your very own rendition of it. I would love to see what everyone comes up with. Please send me the links to finished products via PM or in the reviews.
Also, if I could ask, I'd really like some new ideas or things that you all would like to read. Just to keep it easy, I really like to operate within the Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Naruto universes, but I'd be willing to branch out depending on the anime. I'm not very anime-savvy, as sad as it is to mention. Also, leave a vague prompt or outline for the story matter.
For example:
Yuusuke and Hiei, lost together in Makai for X amount of days.
I do really enjoy working with Yuusuke and Naruto, so any suggestions with them would be greatly received. However, as mentioned before I'm willing to work with others depending.
Of course, all credit to the prompt will be mentioned in the story itself. Again, thank you for taking time to read my one-shot.