Forbidden Fruit

Looking away, I tried to keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes. Right now, it's actually hurting to hold them in. It's painful how stupid the two of them are. "Keiko?" Yusuke asks, suddenly worried. "What I said—I didn't mean—"

I burst out laughing. "You're idiots," I say, wiping tears from my eyes. "Both of you."

Yusuke and Kuwabara look disgruntled at my accusation. Hiei on the other hand says, "It took you nineteen years to figure that out?"

I shake my head. "Just stating the obvious. They evidently need it."

"What do you mean?" Kurama asks. "They're both smarter than you give them credit for."

"Uh-huh," I answer skeptically. "And that's why they're eating those apples."

Taking another bite, Yusuke says, "What about the apples?"

"They were Shizuru's lunch. She specifically warned us not to eat them." Yusuke just looks confused. Kuwabara, however, drops what's left of the apple like it's a bomb ready to explode.

"What's wrong with you?" Hiei asks.

"I've eaten Shizuru's food before," Kuwabara says, looking horrified. "One of two things happens. Either she beats me up for it when she finds out or she has put something in it to make me regret taking her food. Once it was laxatives."

As Yusuke howls, Kurama and I chuckle. I don't think Yusuke realizes what could happen to him when Shizuru finds her lunch missing. I glance at the clock. It's almost eleven thirty. She'll be ready to eat anytime now.

Sure enough, her voice echoes through the house. "Who took my lunch?"

Kuwabara is out the door in a little less than a second. Hiei and Kurama just stand against the wall looking at Yusuke. He continues eating the apple as though nothing is wrong. Shizuru enters the room and sees Yusuke and the apple Kuwabara dropped. She glowers. Yusuke grins.

He stops grinning the moment Shizuru starts pounding his head and face like she hits Kuwabara on a rather frequent basis. Then out of her back pocket she pulls a length of rope, and holds Yusuke to the ground. When she stands up and brushes her hands off, Yusuke is hogtied with the remainder of the apple in his mouth.

"Now where's my brother?" Shizuru asks.

Kurama points to the door. When she leaves, Hiei remarks, "Finally. Someone with a little sense."


Author Note: My user name changed. It's still the same author, so don't freak out.