Title: Stalker
Author: CanaanAlshea
Pairing: Yusuke/Kurama
Summary: Yusuke Realizes They're Being Followed...
POV: Yusuke

I met him at the school gates at 8:30 on a Tuesday. Don't ask me why the hell fox boy stays in the labs so late; I've asked, never gotten a straight answer. Either he's dead serious about his grade point average or he's cooking up some sort of deadly chemical meant to quietly kill everyone in the city in one go.

Don't ask me which is more likely.

"Yusuke," he sighed, locking the gate behind him with the key he'd copied, "I wish you wouldn't smoke on school grounds. If anyone catches you, I will be the one to receive the lecture and I honestly don't have the patience for them anymore."

I grinned, blew smoke in his face, "What makes you think they'll make the connection?"

Kurama looked at me and smirked, "Well, the little show you made during the science fair last semester didn't help our attempts at being subtle, now, did it?" Oh...right. Those girls hitting on him right in front of me. I'd grabbed him around the waist and kissed him right there in the Meiou High gymnasium, in front of all those nerds who'd probably never been laid in their lives. Whoops. But hell, I'm not the kind of guy to beat around the bush. "Well jeez, if they didn't stare at your ass all the time-"

"They did no such thing."

"-I wouldn't have to butt in to keep you from being molested, now would I?" I stamped the cigarette out in the grass and, with a look from my fox, threw it in the trashcan. He kissed me, softly, "Thank you for waiting. Again. My apologies for being so late."

"Feh. I'm used to it. Not that I really wanna know what you're doing in there...for all I know you're planning to take over the Pentagon or some shit."

"Yusuke, that's merely a rumor," he smirked, "If I planned to do something so risky, I wouldn't be plotting in such an obvious place. And I would have done it by now, thank you very much. I have more ambition than you give me credit for."

"Yeah, whatever, brains," I grabbed his briefcase and slung it over my shoulder, grabbing his wrist to pull him along before he could object. His fingers slowly laced in mine and I smiled, squeezed his hand.

This romance crap isn't so bad.

About half way there I started getting a weird feeling. Not like danger, but this creeping up my neck. I looked over my shoulder, seeing only basic people doing basic evening errands like shopping, businessmen talking on cell phones, women with sleeping kids. Nothing threatening. No one was even looking at us. I gripped his hand tighter and he stopped, looked at me with a soft and concerned expression, "Something wrong, Yusuke?"

I shrugged, still looking around for the eyes I could feel but couldn't find, "Dunno yet. Hey, you ever notice anyone...weird following you around?"

"Weird as in...?"

"I dunno. I just keep getting this feeling like..." I waved my hands helplessly, "Shit, like there's some creepy guy watching you. I don't like it." I huffed, edged a little closer to him. Not like the guy needed my protection, but it was instinct. Dangerous or not, no one would get to my fox without an ass kicking.

"Watching...Oh Yusuke," he laughed, harder than usual. I squinted, "What the hell's so funny?!" He hid behind his hand, grinning between his fingers, "I'm terribly sorry, I don't mean to make you feel inferior. It's just...your instincts are correct, but you need not worry. Please, if you will, look over my left shoulder-slowly!-and tell me who you see on the roof of that apartment complex."

I tensed, my eyes scanning for any possible danger, but finding none. For a second there I wondered if we were both going crazy before I spotted it.

"Is that...Hiei?"

"Indeed," he nodded, opening his day planner and snagging a pen out of the bag I held, quickly crossing some things out and adding things to the neatly organized sections, "To be quite honest, I'm surprised you didn't notice him before, no matter how skilled he is at hiding his location."

"What the hell does he want, though? If he wants to talk all he's gotta do is stop playing spy-boy and come down here. It's not like I bite!" Kurama laughed again, softer this time, "Trust me, he has no intentions of challenging you or striking up casual conversation, as shocking as that may seem to you."

"Then what the fuck's the little perv doing?"

I looked, and failed to see him. Kurama kept walking so I followed, somehow more uncomfortable knowing it was my creepiest friend following me around instead of some blood-thirsty apparition. At least then I would know what I was up against.

"Hiei has no lustful intentions, I assure you," Kurama stopped, looking into the window of a bookstore and gesturing me to follow. The bell dinged loudly and the shopkeeper greeted my lover by his human name, "Suichi!" the older man grinned from behind the counter, "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show! It's a Tuesday, after all!" He smiled and bowed courteously, "Thank you Mister Tsukeshi, for keeping the doors open for me. I won't be long." The man waved his hand, "Nah, take all the time you need. Hey we got some new books in the Mental Health section if you want to take a look," he grinned wider as Kurama opened his mouth, "And don't worry about closing. My doors are always open for good customers." "Thank you sir." I followed him through several rows of books, cocking my head as he scanned through titles I was too lazy to try and pronounce.

"Sooo," I hitched his bag up on my shoulder, trying to be casual, "If Hiei doesn't want to fight or kill me...what the hell's he up to?" The redhead smiled, not looking up from the book he was flipping through, "He's protecting me. From you, if you wouldn't take offense to it."

"What?!" I lowered my voice as Tsukeshi peeked around the corner, "What's the point of that? What, does he think I want to strangle you in your sleep or something? Jeez, I thought I'd earned a little more credibility, you know..."

"Nothing like that," Kurama said softly, tucking the book under his arm and selecting another title, "...Don't tell him I told you."

"My lips are locked."

"Hiei worries that your intentions are unclear."

"...Meaning...?"

My boyfriend smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear and leaned in closer, "If you tell him he'll deny it. Hiei is making sure you are not leading me along."

"You mean...Hiei...who doesn't give a shit about anything, is following me to make sure I'm not cheating on you...or hurting you?"

He shrugged, "To put it blantantly, yes."

I followed him to the checkout counter, mulling over this new information. On one hand it was insulting; I mean what kind of guy did he take me for, thinking I'd be lying and just trying to be around Kurama for a cheap lay?! On the other hand...it was cute, and believe me, that word was the furthest thing I would apply to Hiei. He was watching out for the only one he'd ever considered a friend...

"Well shit," I grinned, taking one of the paper bags before Kurama could argue that he didn't need help (the hell he didn't, those fuckers are heavy!), "Didn't know Hiei was so brotherly!" "Again," Kurama sighed, writing something else down in a small notebook, "If you try to confront him, the both of us will deny it. Hiei is more protective than he's led you to believe, especially considering how long we have been partners. To see any harm done to me would be not only an insult to my honor, but to his."

He glanced down at his cellphone, writing something else down before tucking it into his pocket, "Oh, and my mother wishes to know if you'll be joining us for supper tonight. She made stirfry without mushrooms." Damn, that woman knew me well...

"Hell yeah, I never turn down a meal with your mom!" I grinned, looking up at the tree where I knew short-stack was watching, "Hey, Hiei, wanna come over for dinner? And no worries, your fox-friend is in good hands! I love him, you shithead!" I saw the branches shift and knew he'd taken off.

Kurama sighed, shaking his head, "Yusuke, you have yet to master the art of subtlety. People will think you mad, what with screaming at the trees like that." I shrugged, kissed him for a long second. He smiled, "But thank you for the public affirmation of your affections."

"Yeah no problem," damn these books were heavy, "Hiei really should join us if he insists on being shadow-man! What he doesn't like your moms cooking?"

The Yoko laughed, "Oh believe me, she'll save some for him. He tends to pop by at odd hours of the morning."

"What?!"

"As a friend, dear Yusuke, just a friend."

END