Warning: Some nudity at the later parts of the chapter.

Hiei was waiting for him. There was no other way to describe it, with Hiei moving at what was a snail pace for him.

Yusuke held back a chortle, concentrating on following Hiei instead. Normally, he would have tried to catch up to or even overtake the god, but his body was still pitifully weak. Walking was a taxing, painful task, especially when he hadn't left the bed for a while, and it showed in his speed and stamina. Just as exhaustion began to creep up on him, Hiei abruptly stopped and jumped up a tree. Assuming his usual position with his back against the trunk, Hiei continued to pretend Yusuke wasn't there.

Rolling his eyes at Hiei's stubbornness and feeling slightly grateful, Yusuke plopped down on to the grass. His hand automatically went to the wound on his stomach, feeling the sting where the wound was jarred, as well as the numerous other bruises. Yusuke huffed in annoyance. "Stupid wounds." Tilting his head up in Hiei's direction, Yusuke made a move to call the god, only to be silenced by a sharp look.

Hiei gestured to the sky with a cant of his head. Yusuke followed his gaze and wow. A smile sprang across his face as he let himself fall back, with his back against the ground and his arms spread out, as though to embrace the sky. He didn't even mind the pain that followed his little abrupt fall in favor of the beauty in the sky.

It was clear night, with little to no cloud, but plenty of sparkling stars. Yusuke was no poet, so he would say the moon was the shape of half of a circle, only much more beautiful. It was clear and glowing, radiating some kind of atmosphere down on them. It made the two fighters fall into a companionable, peaceful silence, something Yusuke hadn't experience since forever. After all, where was there peace when there was war?

But at this very moment, there was no other thought than to gaze upon the scene and commit it to memory, with someone special by his side.

Yusuke loved every minute of it.

xxx

"Yusuke," a soft voice filtered into his drowsy brain, accompanied by a light shake of his shoulders. Someone he knows, his instinct told him. Or else he would have been alarmed and awake already. As it was, Yusuke opened his eyes once to confirm it was someone he know - Yukina- and closed his eyes again.

"Yusuke," Yukina said, sounding slightly exasperated and amused. "Please. I need you to take these medicine."

"Five more minute, Yukina," Yusuke groaned. He blindly reached a hand up and carefully extract Yukina's hand from his person, before rolling over.

"I would let you have five more minutes, Yusuke," Yukina said patiently, "except I know you would say that again after five minutes is up."

"I need the sleep, Yukina," Yusuke almost whined. "My eyes are killing me."

"It's even more important that you let me examine you then," Yukina determinedly replied.

"It's nothing. I just stayed up late last night..." An image of lying under the night sky flashed across his mind. Yusuke bolted up within seconds, almost colliding with Yukina. "Crap, sorry Yukina," Yusuke automatically said, even as one hand reached up and held his head in pain from sitting up too fast and from the lack of sleep. He took a moment to even out his breath, as more of the memory from last night came to him."I thought I fell asleep outside," Yusuke murmured, too low to be heard. Did Hiei bring him back?

"Yusuke?" Yukina said again.

Yusuke's eyes focused on her. "Yeah?"

She held up two vitals full of those foul tasting medicine he drank yesterday. "Please drink these immediately. They are best used every ten hours."

"Um... no offense but can I not drink them. They taste kinda funky."

Yukina smiled kindly, then wordlessly press the vitals into his hands and nailed an expectant look on him.

Yusuke immediately looked away, having been defeated by that look on numerous separate occasions. He was not going to fall for that trap...

Yukina continued with the silent pressure.

"Arg, fine!" Yusuke exclaimed, uncorking the vitals and drinking both in one go, blanching at the taste.

"Thank you," Yukina said, her tone deliberately neutral, giving no indication of her inward smile. Yusuke wouldn't have been too accepting of that, after all. Carefully, Yukina slipped the empty vitals out of Yusuke hand and packing them away. "How are you feeling now?"

"Disgusting," Yusuke automatically said. Yukina gave him a look. "I haven't showered in a while, ya know?"

Yukina blinked, before smiling politely. "It's not that bad, Yusuke."

"Eh, you are only trying to be polite. I really need a wash though. I think I'll go to the lake later."

Yukina glanced at Yusuke in alarm. "Don't," she said. "The lake is tainted from all the soldiers washing there just a few days ago. It'll take much more time for the filth to float away. I don't want anything getting into your wounds."

"But-"

"If you wish," Yukina continued on, ignoring Yusuke's protest on a rare occasion,"you may go to the bathing area that gods and goddesses use. The water there is clean, and even contain healing properties."

Yusuke blinked in surprise, having never thought to receive such an offer. Fuck, he didn't even know gods and goddess have selected bathing areas, although thinking about it, he supposed it made sense. That would just be another difference between mortal and immortals, with the immortals naturally benefiting."I feel flattered, but I think the gods and goddesses would strike me down when they find out I dirtied their wonderful bathing water with my mortal impureness."

Yukina frowned softly. "You're not impure."

Yusuke smiled a little at the protest. "I didn't mean it seriously. Chill. It was a joke."

The frown diminished slightly, only for there to be worry now. "Yusuke, tell me you'll go. I don't want your wounds to be infected when it could have been easily prevented."

"Alright, alright," Yusuke said in a placating manner. He disliked making Yukina upset, even without the threat of Kuwabara coming after him when he found out. "I'll go."

A tentative smile spread across her face. "Thank you. When you are ready, simply walk into the woods and imagine a small cataract and a huge body of water beneath it, surrounded by rocks. It'll appear before you. Don't worry about tainting the water either. It purifies itself."

"Damn, you immortals really take it easy, don't you?" Yusuke joked.

This time, Yukina replied with a smile.

xxx

"Let's see," Yusuke muttered distractedly, his arms full of soap, cloth, and clothes. "She said cataract, water, and rocks."

Yusuke closed his eyes and tried to picture what Yukina had previously described, mentally adding a bunch of sparkles in the mental picture as well just because it was a place normally reserved for immortals, and feeling silly for it at the same time.

I'm going to feel like a darn fool when nothing happens, Yusuke thought as he opened his eyes, and there it was. It was exactly as Yukina had described and yet not. She failed to mention how the majority of the water was warm, bordering scalding, yet comfortable and relaxing. Steam rose from the irregularly shaped body of water, obscuring the bathing area quite a bit from view. From what Yusuke could see, the rocks that surrounded the water were mostly smooth, yet not completely round, perfect for leaning against while enjoying the bath and not slip. The waterfall was an interesting thing, seeing as the water from it was freezing cold. Huge rocks sat beneath it, enabling immortals who wish to meditate under the huge onslaught of cold water to do so, and to cool down.

Yusuke inwardly considered anyone who willingly mediate beneath the cataract to be insane and wish them luck on surviving for more than one minute under it before turning into ice. Happily, he decided to enjoy the rare chance of having unlimited hot water supply instead and washed himself thoroughly. Afterwards, he leaned against one of the surrounding rocks and closed his eyes to catch up on his sleep.

Splash, splash.

Yusuke's eyes fluttered opened at the sound, mind fuzzy from the sleep for a while and wondering where he was. As he recalled, Yusuke suddenly felt uncharacteristically awkward, feeling like a child who took a cookie from a jar that didn't belong to him. A few flick of his eyes told him the water had been purified as Yukina had told him it would be, and inexplicably felt better.

For a moment, Yusuke wondered if he should gather his belongings and sneak away, as he truly didn't belong there, but acting in such a furtive manner was never Yusuke's style. When another few splashes reached his ears, Yusuke's curiosity was piqued, wondering who was in the bath with him. Without him being consciously aware, Yusuke instinctively and stealthily inched toward the sound, simultaneously moving with the splashes to mask any noises he himself may make.

Whoever he was creeping up to, the immortal didn't notice him yet. The rocks surrounding the irregularly shaped body of water provided much cover, as was the steam. When Yusuke was at the distant he could see and could normally avoid detection, Yusuke peeked his head above the rock before him. Faintly, he could make out the shadow of a person within the vapor, but could not make out any specific traits.

Not yet deterred and having a feeling all this stealth would be worth it, whatever that may have meant, Yusuke carefully placed his hands on the rock surface and quietly lifted himself forward so his upper body was leaning against the rock, with his feet remained dipped in the water. The warm steam wrapped around him, dispelling any discomfort he might have otherwise felt at being literally stark.

Wincing at the sound of water droplets falling from his person, Yusuke was entirely grateful when the immortal suddenly submerged into the water. Yusuke's eyes were trained on the water, watching as the ripples slowly faded from the water surface. Just as Yusuke worried about having to rescue the immortal from within the water, a figure gracefully emerged, back facing Yusuke.

The first thing Yusuke saw was a flash of red. While normally Yusuke would follow that bright color among the norm, his eyes were riveted on the droplets of water that slid down that slim waist to the water surface. Sliding his eyes up, Yusuke was met with flawless, smooth skin. A further upward glance had Yusuke wondering what it would be like to touch the dip right beneath those shoulder blades and the smooth curve of the neck. The arms that were raised above the head... Yusuke's eyes followed them, from the length of the upper arm to the finger tips, and was met with red again.

Yusuke froze. A familiar shade of red, waist length hair curled into a bun that enabled him to see the back of Kurama's neck in the first place.

"Fuck," Yusuke murmured, feeling remarkably uncomfortable at the knowledge that he was spying on his friend's lover bathing and knowing fully well what such sight did to a young able-bodied man like him.

'Fuck' described it all correctly, all right, as a heartbeat later, Kurama whirled around.