Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Stuck With You

Summary: AU, Kurama Minamino and Botan Fukuyama are sworn enemies. What happens when one day, they are handcuffed together and they don't have the key? Will they be able to put aside their differences and form a friendship... or something more?

Chapter 1

"This is out of line."

"I will not accept this."

Both Kurama and Botan said at the same time.

Realizing they spoke simultaneously, they cast a glare at one another, before turning to look at the principal. The woman with brown hair narrowed her hazel eyes at the the duo.

"No. You two are the ones who went out of line," she retorted dryly, causing Botan to scowl and Kurama to heave a sigh.

"But, isn't this," Kurama started, trying to sound as composed as possible as he raised his and Botan's joined wrists which was by the way, handcuffed together, "way over the top?"

"Yeah. I mean, you don't have to do this," Botan added, pulling the cutest puppy eyes she could manage. She ignored the weird look she received from Kurama in return.

"Well," the principal started, clasping her hands together, "if I don't do this, then you two will never learn your lesson."

Botan's puppy look felled, replaced with one of annoyance. "What lesson is there to be learned?" she asked in exasperation.

The principal's eye visibly twitched. "I don't even want to answer that, Fukuyama-san," she spoke tartly.

Then, she reached for a drawer at her desk, pulled out a gold key and showed it to them. Emerald and amethyst eyes widened as Botan and Kurama realized what it was.

"Isn't that..."

Botan was cut off. "Yes, it's the key to the handcuffs. If you want it, I can give it to you," the principal said, before opening the drawer again and placed the key safely back inside. "On one condition," and she raised one finger, "you guys need to start getting along with each other."

"What?" Botan literally screeched. "G-get along?"

Kurama made a face, slightly annoyed by her previous yell that he could've sworn almost damaged his eardrums. "Will you please restrain yourself from screaming?" Kurama asked politely, and resisted the urge to lash out at her.

Botan was quiet for quite a while, as if in thought. Then, she turned to look at Kurama with a frown on her forehead.

"This is your fault," she accused rudely. She could hear the sound of the principal sighing exasperatedly but didn't acknowledge it.

"My fault?" Kurama repeated incredulously, his face now matching hers. He was torn between laughing at her stupidity and choking her to death right then and there. He probably would've done both, if it wasn't for the head teacher being in front of them.

"For your information," he started, leaning in until he was eye to eye with the girl, "this is your fault."

"Fuck you," Botan muttered under her breath.

Kurama gave a mocking grin. "Thank you," he retorted, to which Botan scowled deeply.

Okay, so you're probably wondering what's going on, so let's just rewind shall we?

. . .

You see, Kurama Minamino and Botan Fukuyama have been sworn enemies ever since highschool started. Neither knew how it all began, but both was sure of one thing: They didn't like each other. To be honest, the whole rivalry probably started over something ludicrous, like Kurama getting annoyed with Botan's constant ramblings or Botan being ticked off over something he said. Neither of them really cared though, and just went on hating each other like usual. There was just something about one another that just sort of ignite a raging fire inside them whenever they laid eyes on each other. Maybe it was Kurama's over self confidence, and Botan's humbleness. Maybe it was because Kurama was a thinker and she was a talker. Either way, they were just too different, like fire and water, and cats and dogs, that it almost seemed like they were destined to be that way.

Of course, what's with them being rivals and all, they'd been throwing pranks on each other for as long as they could remember. And even if they weren't, they'd be throwing insults at one another like their pride depended on it (and frankly, sometimes it did). Their constant arguing was always the center of attention for a lot of teachers, but none of the adults had ever taken any drastic measures to 'discipline' them; because Kurama was a child prodigy, and Botan was athletic and active at school.

That is, until a prank involving the cafeteria lady and nearly half the student body taken into a hospital. They blamed each other of course, and went on another mouth-war over whose fault it was. It was then that the principal came barging in the cafeteria, sporting a look of dismay. Both were sent to the principal's office soon after, where they were suddenly cuffed together... which leads to our current predicament...

. . .

"But how are we going to live if we're like this?" Botan inquired, raised her eyebrow quizically and silently prayed that after her question the principal would rethink the whole thing.

Instead, the brown haired woman gave her a deadpanned look.

"Isn't that obvious? You're going to live together," she stated matter of factly, as if it didn't sound even the least bit odd.

Botan's eyes widened in surprise that the principal hadn't gave the reaction she wanted and that she'd said such a thing. She pondered for a moment if she was hearing things right.

The shock died down soon after, and Botan gulped down a lump.

"You mean... as in, under the same roof?" she asked slowly, earned a nod in return and paled at the thought. Her living with Kurama? She'd rather die and go to hell!

"With all due respect, principal, I think the entire idea of us being handcuffed and living together is preposterous," Kurama chimed in, his voice calm as he kept a look of composure on his face. But if someone looked closely they could see his eyebrow twitching, implying that the idea didn't appeal to him either.

"Well, I'm afraid you just have to deal with it," the principal dimissed them with a wave, "I'm certainly not going to change my mind."

"Do we have to go through this?" Botan's slightly annoyed voice came.

She couldn't help but feel like pulling her hair out of their roots. She flung her arms in frustration, therefore, lifting Kurama's left hand as she did so.

Kurama roughly pulled her hand back down. He received a heated stare from the girl, to which he matched his expression with hers.

"Will you not do that? It's annoying," Kurama said harshly.

"I can do whatever I want, asshole," Botan shot back, her eyes threatening to burn a hole in Kurama's head.

The boy rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. There were a lot of things going on in his mind, and most of them were thoughts of ways to kill Botan or the various name calls he wanted to give her. But he restrained himself from opening his mouth, lest he'd find himself in a more troublesome predicament.

"So where are we going to live?" Botan asked after she calmed down a little. "I mean, I can't go to my place and he can't go to his, considering our wrists are stuck to each other," she said the last few words indignantly, waving their cuffed hands around.

Kurama winced when the girl waved hard enough to hurt his wrist. He cast her a glare that went unnoticed by Botan as she was too busy looking at the principal like she had two heads.

He almost wanted to choke her.

"Work something out," the principal answered simply. She reached a hand for a paper on her desk, and scrutinized the words written on it.

Botan's mouth formed a frown at her obvious lack of interest in the current subject.

"You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled grudgingly, her voice almost inaudible but the other female in the room heard it quite clearly.

The principal heaved a sigh. "Look, why don't you guys just decide between yourselves where you'll live. It can be at yours or Kurama's, I don't particularly care."

"My mom would be worried," Botan suddenly exclaimed in concern, searching for excuses to get out of the situation.

"I've already told your parents about this before I told you to come to my office. They understood completely and agreed willingly."

Botan scowled at her words, already feeling as if her last ray of hope was fading away rapidly.

"But, I'm a girl and he's a boy."

"Kurama's a perfect gentleman, and besides, I don't think he'll take advantage of you or anything since he rolls his eyes every now and then whenever you talk, Fukuyama-san."

The girl blinked. "What?" came her stupid response.

She then turned to look at Kurama, who had a small smirk attached to his face. She narrowed her eyes at him, before averting her gaze back to the principal.

"So is that it? There's no room for negotiation?" Botan questioned curtly, despite the underlying hopeful tone in her voice.

"No," the principal replied firmly. She lifted her head to give her a stern look. "And I mean it."

Botan remained silent for a few moments, before breaking off the silence with a defeated sigh.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"I suppose that's all?" the principal inquired with a quirked eyebrow when the two teens stopped talking.

A moment of silence passed, before it was broken by Kurama. "To be honest, I'm quite disappointed," He made an unreadable face as he said this.

"Because?" the principal prodded.

"Because I thought you were a wise and reasonable woman. I didn't think you would do something as foolish and childish such as this," He raised his and Botan's cuffed hands for emphasize and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Clearly, I overestimated you."

"Obviously," the principal retorted simply and watched as Kurama stood up from the chair, prompting a dumbfounded Botan to do the same.

As Kurama's hand reached the doorknob and turned, the principal's voice sounded throughout the office.

"And clearly, I overestimated you as well."

He whipped his head around to look at her, and hazel eyes narrowed his way.

"I thought you were an observant young man, I didn't think you wouldn't notice how fed up I am with you two."

There was a moment of silence and they stood there staring each other. Botan stared back and forth between the two, confused as to what she should say.

The silence was finally broken moments after as a click sounded, the door opened and Kurama led (more like, dragged) Botan out of the office.

He slid his right hand into the soft safety of his pockets. Despite wanting to put both hands in them, his other hand was unfortunately currently 'preoccupied'.

"I was surprised when you said that to the-"

Botan's voice, which was in awe, was immediately cut short.

"Don't get all friendly with me," Kurama interrupted rudely, his voice harsh as he shot her a death glare.

The look of amazement that had been on Botan's face was immediately wiped off, replaced by one full of a mixture of bewilderment and what seemed like offended.

"Well, excuse me-"

Again, she was cut off by Kurama who didn't have any intention in listening to her and pulled her along with him as they started walking a certain direction.

She protested, but to no avail. Kurama was stronger than her, thus she didn't have a choice but to follow suit. A sigh escaped her, as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Well, this is going to be a loooong day."