Part of the Team
Kurama and Hiei were demons, but that didn't mean that super strength was on their list of talents. Especially not when they were carrying two well muscled teen boys.
Kurama had been willing to trudge on, to get to the portal that Koenma had set up and make it home to his mother before dinner was on the table. Hiei, on the other hand, had had just about enough of teamwork and he dumped his burden on the ground as soon as they were through the castle gates.
To be honest, he was still in a bit of a daze. He and Kurama, along with two humans of all things, had defeated the Four Saint Beasts. The jaganshi grunted at the kitsune that he would be back, and flickered away, leaving the redhead with the two unconscious boys.
Kurama sighed. He was injured and tired, and he wanted to go home. But there was no stopping Hiei when he wanted something (unless you were Yusuke Urameshi apparently), so he settled in. His eyes were sliding closed when a groan startled him.
He looked over at Yusuke and blinked in shock as the boy tried to sit up. "Yusuke, don't," he cried. "You are far too weak."
"Where are we?" Yusuke asked, complying and lying back down.
"Just outside of the castle. We're taking a short break."
"Hiei's gone?"
"For the moment."
Yusuke chuckled weakly. "Y'know, old three eyes really came through. You did too, but I was expecting it from you."
Kurama cocked his head, curious. "How did you know Hiei wouldn't betray us? At the gate?"
"I didn't."
Green eyes widened in shock. "And you left it up to him anyway?"
"Didn't seem like we had much choice. You woulda done it without hesitating, but you were too tall to slip through as easily."
"And so you placed your faith in Hiei who months before would have seen you and Keiko dead and your entire city turned into mindless demonic slaves?"
"Well when you say it like that it sounds silly," Yusuke replied. "Hell, Kurama, I didn't know what else to do. Plus I figured that maybe Hiei just wants to belong to a team, y'know? He'd never admit it, but maybe feeling trusted inspired him to be trustworthy."
"And me? Why such implicit trust in me?"
Yusuke grinned at his newfound friend. "Come on, Kurama. It isn't everyday a guy is willing to impale himself on a freaky demon sword to save me. Betraying me after that woulda just been stupid, and you don't strike me as the stupid type."
Kurama returned the smile. He could see what Yusuke meant about feeling trusted inspiring feelings of wanting to be trusted. The fox shook his head. "Will you ever cease to amaze me, Yusuke Urameshi?"
The boy shrugged as best he could. "Maybe you're just easily impressed."
"No," Kurama murmured looking away. "I am not." When he looked back, Yusuke had passed out again, and Hiei was on his way back. A smiled played around the corners of Kurama's mouth. Perhaps there was something to this teamwork thing after all.
A/N: As I'm sure you guessed, this would have taken place right after Yusuke kicked Suzaku's ass and Kuwabara saved his life.
