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Greetings from China ladies (and maybe gentlemen…). I've been mad busy, to say the least and it's taken a long time to find the time and motivation to continue writing and posting from the other side of the world. I've been doing quite my share of sight seeing, studying and traveling, in fact I spent all of last week on the road. BUT what I'm trying to say is this is the least time I've had in years so I will be extra flakealiscious, in fact you might as well call this indefinite hiatus.


"Well, do you want to take the first bath?" Kurama asked as they were washing up.

In spite of Gwen's jokes she had eaten a little of everything, and a lot of dessert. She flicked the dish towel as she turned to look at him with her eyebrows dangerously raised.

"Are you trying to tell me I smell or something?"

"Well Gwen," he continued washing unperturbed, "you always smell, but I thought you understood that everything has its own distinct odor. Your American education system leaves much to be desired if this is considered acceptable standards."

"Ooh," she said, flipping the towel over her shoulder and poking him in the arm. "You can call me smelly, but don't you dare go insulting my school system, Mr. Pink-Uniform, only I can do that."

"How many times do I have to tell you, my high school uniform was not pink!"

Having finally gotten a rise out of him she smiled in contentment and put the damp towel on his head.

"Fine, I'll take the first bath. I wouldn't want to get in your smelly bathwater after you anyway."

"That's why you wash first," he called out. Kurama stood for a second by the sink before pulling the dish towel from his head and following after his houseguest.

"Are you sure you can manage?" he asked, leaning into the doorway as the water whooshed on.

"Come on, I'm not stupid!" Gwen sat back on her knees and rolled her eyes at him. "I fill the bath, I wash off out here, then I get in the bath. Not that hard."

"If I find soap in there…"

"You'll have planted it to frame me, now get out." She pushed past him to grab a towel from the hall closet and then squeezed back in.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"OUT!"


"Gwen?" A gentle rap at the bathroom door was followed by it sliding open. Kurama's face appeared in the gap as he attempted to peer through the steam. "Are you alive in here?" Not getting any distinct response he stepped into the room, peering through the haze.

Gwen sighed and sunk a little lower in the tub as Kurama's entry let in a cool rush of air. She was so sleepy and it felt so nice to relax back in the tub. She could understand how this was a nightly ritual for most people here. "I'll be out in a minute," she murmured.

"You do remember we have guests coming, don't you?"

"Right…"

"And you're hogging the bath," he laughed, sitting down on the edge and shaking his head at her.

"Hey," she said, pointing a dripping finger. "What are you doing in here? I'm taking a bath!"

"I've come to see if you drowned."

"Well I haven't, so get out!"

"Lively now I see," he laughed while getting to his feet to avoid the angry splash directed at him. "But, you see, this is my apartment, and my bathroom and that's my bath that I have been waiting for for an hour now. So I believe I'm entitled to be in here if I want."

"Fine, Fine! I'll get out, just leave!" she called as she sent another splash in his direction.

"I'll give you five minutes," he said as he turned towards the half open door.

Just as he was reaching out to slide it open the rest of the way there was a sudden bang and a shout.

"Kurama!" Yusuke yelled as he burst through the door with Kuwabara right behind him. The red-head didn't have time to react as he was pulled into a head-lock. Gwen slowly sunk further into the bath until only her nose and above was above the water and her knees were pulled up before her.

The younger men continued to exclaim in Japanese, completely ignoring Kurama's responses for some minutes until Kuwabara punched Urameshi in the arm and pointed. The former king paused long enough to glance over and Kurama took the opportunity to slip free. Gwen sunk a little further as both Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at her. Kuwabara waved feebly and the tips of Gwen's fingers emerged from the water to wave back.

"Ahem," Kurama cleared his throat and pointed towards the door, which Kuwabara quickly exited through. Yusuke took a sharp shove from Kurama to get moving.


"Well that was delightfully awkward," said Gwen as she emerged from the bathroom fully clothed with a towel wrapped around her wet hair. "You seem to be responsible from some of my most awkward moments." Kurama managed a strained smile as he turned away from his two friends. The three of them were sitting around the low table in the living room. "Are they hassling you?" she asked as she paused in the doorway and he nodded faintly.

"She's small," the former spirit detective said as he looked her over.

"She's as tall as you Urameshi," Kuwabara countered.

"But probably as stupid as you!"

"Hey, I finished high school, dumbass."

They were about to break out tussling again but Yusuke paused his attack long enough to look over Gwen again. Apparently giving Kurama a hard time ranked above putting Kuwabara in his place.

"Kurama, couldn't you have at least found a chick with a bigger rack to bring back with you?"

There was a slight narrowing in the demon's eyes and Kuwabara choked on his tea.

"Urameshi! You can't say that about his girlfriend!"

"Cm'on Kuwabara, just look at her! I'm sure there were far hotter foreigners around who would have been just as happy to follow the ole fox back home."

"How long am I going to have to stand here while your friends make obscene jokes about me?" They all paused at the sudden interjection of English from the doorway and the more sensitive of the trio winced at his fellow human's icy tone.

"I'm sure they're almost done," Kurama said with a nervous smile. The glare he fixed on the other two shut them up immediately.

"Uh, Kurama, she can't understand us, can she?"

"She's not stupid Kuwabara; she knows what you're talking about." Turning back to the young woman he motioned her forward while sighing slightly. "It's time I make proper introductions, is it not? Gwen these are my friends Urameshi Yusuke and Kuwabara Kazuma."


short… yes. lacking in plot and development…yes, but I've had two pages written since before I left for the Orient and really felt I should bring it to a postable point and upload for all you darlings who've been waiting. I'm sorry that it's taken so long and I'm sorry that I have no idea when I'll be able to update next t.t I'm also Really,Terribly sorry that I haven't responded to all your reviews, normally I respond to every single one before I update, but I haven't got the time and I feel awful! So just some general points I noticed while rereading and thought I should answer:

No I haven't made Kurama a butterfly demon, they were joking about it

Kurama's not stronger here, Gwen just hit him poorly and hurt herself (because she's still a klutz)

Low level chaos will ensue in later chapters if I get to them

I'm sorry it's short and the writing weaker, aya!

And I love you all, thank you so much for supporting me and my writing it's always really cheered me up to get feedback and banter a bit