Aw, this one wasn't as popular than I thought it'd be. Oh well. I guess I didn't make it interesting enough in the summary. I promise, it's not as dumb or cliched as it looks. Seriously.
If there is any question as to what I own and what I do not own, you can refer back to the first chapter. Thank you and have a nice day.
Kurama stared wistfully out the window, as he was wont to do ever since he had mated with Hiei about a month ago. It was the last day of school, and still his teachers insisted on working them to the bell. At least it was something simple; just an exam over everything they had covered that year. In fact, Kurama had already finished it.
In one of the trees outside, the redheaded fox spotted a dark figure with red eyes lounging around and staring at him. Kurama smiled slightly; Hiei was just too cute sometimes. He straightened up a bit when he caught sight of a wooden oar hovering near the branch Hiei was resting on. Botan usually didn't dare bother Hiei, unless there was an emergency. Without changing his expression, Kurama looked up to watch the clock expectantly.
Sure enough, an office aid came requesting Shuichi Minamino only a few minutes later. She seemed overjoyed to be the one to escort the lovely Shuichi.
"Very well then," the presiding teacher sighed. "Be gone with you. Have a nice summer." Kurama nodded, then followed the bubbly freshman into the hall.
They walked side by side, Kurama with his hands in his pockets and the girl sneaking appreciative glances at him. Kurama saw this, but he didn't want to embarrass her, so he kept quiet. When he caught her staring at his behind, he decided to intervene.
"What are you looking at?"
The girl blushed bright red at being caught staring. "Ummm…" She frantically searched her brain for a plausible excuse. "You had a loose thread!" she announced, almost triumphantly.
Kurama raised his eyebrows and twisted around in search of the alleged thread. "I see nothing," he said quietly, but caught the hurt, panicked look in the girl's eyes. "But I'll take your word for it." Relief seemed to wash over the girl. Gods, freshmen were so emotional!
When they reached the office, Botan was chatting amicably with the school secretary. She held Hiei by the hand as if he were a young child; he did not look pleased with this arrangement. In fact, he was audibly grinding his teeth.
"…and Shuichi has been such a good role model to his little cousin Hiei," she said to the bored looking woman. Hiei's expression darkened even more at that comment. Kurama smiled sympathetically at the fire demon and softly cleared his throat, grabbing Botan's attention.
"Oh, there you are, dear!" she said in a bright voice. "It's your mother; she's sick again." Kurama sighed. Botan always used that excuse whenever she had to check him out of school. It seemed logical to her, because Shiori had been deathly ill when they'd met. Still, Kurama wished she would come up with something more original. That was the third time that semester she'd come posed as his aunt to check him out, because "Shiori's sick." Someone would eventually catch on, and besides, his mother's immune system wasn't that weak…
When they were about a block away from the school, Kurama spoke. "What is the emergency, Botan?" he asked quietly.
"Someone's been killed," she said solemnly. "A demon by the name of Shuntarou has escaped to the living world. We need you guys, Yusuke, and Kuwabara to travel to America to take this guy out."
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"You want us to go where?!" Yusuke shouted. He and Kuwabara found themselves whisked away by Botan, along with Hiei and Kurama to Reikai for the umpteenth time as soon as they got out of school. Then they were told that they had to leave Japan for a year. Naturally, Yusuke was pissed.
"How the hell are we supposed to get to the United Freakin' States?" he demanded.
"By plane of course," Koenma replied. "Shuntarou is posing as the new band director at a small town high school somewhere in Texas," he explained. "Normally I wouldn't bother going after him, but he's killed a man, in a particularly gruesome manner. Naturally, I want to keep him away from the students."
"So why are we going as exchange students instead of just kicking his ass like usual?"
"Because…" Koenma looked almost as if he were going to cry. "We don't know anything about this guy! Our spies have never even heard of him until just a few hours ago!" Koenma sniffed a little, then started bawling. "We don't know what his powers are, his motivation, we don't even know how he killed the guy! There wasn't even a body left!"
"If there wasn't a body, how do we know it was Shuntarou that killed this man?" Kurama interjected.
"There was a witness," Koenma sniffled, "but he went mad because of the sight. A janitor had stayed late that night and saw it. All we could get out of him was that a monster attacked.
"You will be leaving in a month. I suggest you use that time to pack and spend time with your families. You won't be seeing them for at least another year."
Yusuke scowled and stormed out the door, Kuwabara following closely behind. Kurama and Hiei stayed.
"What do you two want?" Koenma asked, returning to his paperwork.
"My family, Hiei, and I will be spending the summer in the United States," Kurama answered softly.
"Great!" Koenma exclaimed. "You can meet Yusuke and Kuwabara at the Dallas airport." Kurama and Hiei nodded in acknowledgment and quickly left the office. When they had gone, Koenma let out a little cackle. "And that's two airline tickets I don't have to pay for!"
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Hiei and Kurama walked side by side down the sidewalk to Kurama's home. Neither of them spoke; they just enjoyed the scenery together. They turned into the driveway and entered the house to be confronted by a rather hectic scene.
Kurama's stepbrother Shuichi ran around excitedly, jumping on the furniture and talking nonstop. Hatanaka listened passively, half-heartedly asking him to sit down while he packed his and Shiori's things. Shiori could be heard in the kitchen, cleaning and getting rid of what would spoil over their extended absence. Hatanaka smiled wearily at his stepson.
"Hello Shuichi and Hiei," he said pleasantly, despite his obvious stress.
The younger Shuichi jumped up and engulfed his older brother in a hug. He had learned long ago that Hiei wasn't fond of hugs (or people for that matter) and left him well alone. "Hi Shuichi!" he shouted.
Kurama winced at the shrillness of the boy's voice, but returned the hug nonetheless. "Hello Shuichi," he smiled. He made a move to go upstairs to his room, but Shuichi held fast, oblivious to his brother's attempts to free himself.
"Shu-kun, let Shuichi go so he and Hiei can pack," Hatanaka ordered. Grinning sheepishly, Shuichi released Kurama. Once freed, he and Hiei raced upstairs.
"I don't think I can put up with him for a month," Hiei commented when they were safe inside Kurama's room.
Kurama calmly walked to his closet and started pulling clothing out. "I think you'll live Hiei," he said with a smile as he laid his clothes on the bed, carefully folding them. "Besides, I'm more anxious about how we're going to tell Mother and Hatanaka that we won't be returning with them."
"We?" Hiei asked with a little smirk. "What makes you think I'll be there with you?"
Kurama looked up and smirked right back. "You know you love Shiori, just as much as I do," he retorted. Hiei responded by giving Kurama the finger, though his joking smirk only got wider. Kurama playfully stuck his tongue out at him and went back to packing.
Bored of just standing in the doorway, Hiei took his usual perch on the window sill. "When were you planning on telling them?"
Kurama smiled inwardly as he stuffed his night clothes in the duffel bag. "How does tonight after dinner sound to you?"
"Hn." Hiei nodded his acceptance and turned to look out the window. Kurama idly wandered around the room after his clothes were packed, grabbing everything he thought he'd need. When he was satisfied, he turned back to Hiei.
"Is there anything you would like for me to pack for you?" he asked as he fetched a spare duffel bag from the closet.
Hiei slowly shook his head. "I need nothing but the clothes on my back and my blade," he answered gruffly.
Kurama frowned. "Hiei, you need at least a few extra outfits. We'll be gone for a year! And I'm sorry, but the authorities won't let you take your sword on the plane. You'll have to leave it in Reikai and get it from Botan when we meet up with the others."
"I refuse to wear ningen clothing," Hiei glared. "I will concede that ningen are paranoid and will bring unnecessary trouble to you and your family if their 'metal detector' devices pick up on my sword, though. The katana can stay in Reikai," Kurama grinned at the small victory, but sighed in exasperation when Hiei finished his sentence, "but there is no way you will get me to wear ningen clothes."
"Hiei, you can't wear the same thing everyday!" Kurama argued. "You'll start to stink." Hiei's expression made his thoughts on that perfectly clear, so Kurama decided to take it up a notch. "And if you smell too bad, I'll be forced to cut you off," he finished with a smirk.
Hiei's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't," he grumbled. "You couldn't take the pressure."
Kurama gave him a deceptively sweet smile. "Youko can't take the pressure, but I can. If you don't pick out at least three spare outfits, you don't get sex for a year."
Hiei growled and stomped to the dresser. He grabbed three pairs of Kurama's old jeans and three plain white t-shirts, throwing them at the triumphant fox. "Happy now?" he hissed his displeasure.
"Delighted," Kurama replied, playfully grabbing his rear. He snorted with laughter when Hiei smacked his hand away.
"Stupid obnoxious bastard of a fox," Hiei muttered, just as Shiori was calling them for dinner. They composed themselves and went downstairs, following the alluring scent of food.
To save Shiori the added stress of cooking for five people, four of them male, Hatanaka had ordered three large pizzas. He, Shiori, and Shuichi were already digging in by the time the two demons got down.
"Hey, leave some for us!" Kurama whined when he saw that the first pizza was already gone. He and Hiei rushed to their seats, and Shiori slid the second box in their direction. As soon as Kurama opened it, Hiei snatched five slices. Kurama grabbed the remaining three a little more slowly.
"Is Hiei staying the night?" Hatanaka asked around his mouthful of pizza.
"Yes sir," Kurama replied after swallowing his food. "I've already set up the extra bedding supplies." This of course was a lie. Hiei would either sleep in his tree outside Kurama's window or in the bed with his mate.
Kurama's family knew nothing of his relationship with Hiei. No one but the rest of the Reikai Tantei team did. Kurama didn't want the extra attention at school, and he was unsure of how Shiori would react. Hiei respected his fox's choice, and he kept his possessiveness in check while they were around others.
"Good," Hatanaka nodded his approval. "We only have to make one stop tomorrow morning before we can head on to the airport." Both Shuichis had been given the privilege of inviting a friend along with them on their extended trip. Naturally, Kurama had chosen Hiei, while little Shu-kun had chosen a boy around his age by the name of Kuroji.
Hiei and Kurama shared a look, and they silently agreed that now was as good a time as ever. "Mother," Kurama started tentatively, "Hiei and I will not be returning from America with the rest of you." He recoiled at Shiori's and Hatanaka's shocked and somewhat angry expressions, so Hiei finished for him.
"We're staying as foreign exchange students."
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The sound of fists pounding into flesh, accompanied with the sound of pained grunts floated out of the small but cozy house into the front yard. Inside, Kuwabara Shizuru had her brother Kazuma pinned to the floor and was beating him mercilessly. Kazuma struggled, but because of his honor code he would not hit his older sister.
"You…" Shizuru shouted with each punch, "Are… Not… Going… To… Fucking… America!" She punched him for a few more minutes before tiring out, but she did not remove herself from Kuwabara's prone body. Instead, she fisted her hands in his short hair, pulling slightly. "You're not going," she repeated, fixing him with a nasty glare.
"But Sis, I have to!" Kuwabara protested. "There's a demon!" Shizuru's fist tightened, causing Kuwabara to wince. "There's kids involved, Sis!"
Shizuru's expression softened at this, and she lifted herself off of her brother. "Fine! But do me a favor and stay out of trouble, would ya?" She held out a hand to help her brother up, which Kuwabara gratefully took. "And I expect a call at least once a week."
Kuwabara nodded and smiled, gingerly touching his sore cheek. "No problem."
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Big brown eyes watched Yusuke sadly as he sat in uncomfortable silence. He squirmed under Keiko's gaze, and when he finally braved the intensity of that gaze, he was shocked to find his girlfriend nearly in tears.
"Keiko, are you gonna be okay?" Yusuke asked softly. He knew exactly what was bothering Keiko, but he was expecting a more violent reaction.
"Do you really have to go?" Keiko finally asked. Yusuke winced when a silent tear ran down her cheek. Soon a whole torrent of them were flowing down her cheeks, and she had flung herself into Yusuke's arms, sobbing.
"Oh, crap. Keiko, please don't cry," the stunned boy pleaded. "I'll only be gone for a year, and then I'll be back! Promise." This only made Keiko cry harder, clinging desperately to his shirt.
Yusuke hesitantly wrapped his arms around the girl, softly reassuring. This was worse than when she hit him; at least then he knew how to react. When this mission was over, he was seriously going to hurt Binkie Boy.
I hated writing that last scene. I'm never doing anything like that again. I have no idea when the next chapter will be. Midterms suck ass. Maybe by next month. I've got other fics I should be working on too.