AN: Hey everyone! I'm so so sorry it took me so terribly long to write this chapter. I'm working on a few other projects going on right now that have been demanding my time not to mention my actual school work. I figured I'd take the time during this snow storm to work on my stuff though, so here you all are!
*Important note* I just got this back from my editor and wow, I am sorry for the typos guys. This one will read much better!
One Step at a Time
Yoko held Yusuke tightly, his mate slumbering in his arms. He couldn't remember when the last time he had been able to just hold a lover like this. He had forgotten how comfortable it was to feel a lover pressed against him. To feel their soft breathing and be lulled into a sense of peace by the sound of their breath and their heartbeat.
He had been holding Yusuke for over three hours, but he was almost certain that his mate had gotten less than 45 minutes of true sleep. The mazoku seemed to be in a cycle. It started with a long and pitiful moan, and before long he would be trembling and covered in sweat while he whimpered and mumbled for help or forgiveness. Yoko wanted to help Yusuke, but had found through trial and error that all he could do was hold Yusuke tight and be there for his mate until the night terror ended.
There was an unexpected upside to Yusuke's night terrors, however. In his relaxed state, Yoko was able to use his new bond with Yusuke to his advantage, peering into his mate's dreams when possible. During particularly vivid dreams Yoko was able to see into Yusuke's dreams and was able to see all of Yusuke's dreams. It was jarring how many times he saw himself or Kurama lying dead somewhere, but stranger still was Yusuke's fear of Kurama's disappointment and rejection. He had always seen Yusuke as being so stubborn and strong-willed that he hadn't thought something as small as his counter-part's disapproval as being able to upset him.
It was also surprising how much Yusuke regretted Keiko's death, and the degree to which he blamed himself. Almost every one of Yusuke's night terrors revolved around Keiko in some way or another. Yoko wished there was something he could do or say to help Yusuke, but he couldn't remember ever meeting Keiko, and even if he had, he obviously hadn't thought much about her. She wasn't a fighter, a psychic, or of any use, and therefore was utterly forgettable.
In a way, Keiko reminded Yoko of Touya. Someone who others seemed to fancy, but Yoko had little use for. It was a shame, really, since the only real chance Yoko had had at connecting with someone, anyone else, had been Touya. Yoko had been surprised by Touya, he had been expecting that the ice demon would be better, more of a kindred soul. They were both distant and often times cold individuals that both saw the importance of planning and strategy. But their similarities seemed to be over powered by their differences and it wasn't long before Touya grew tired with Yoko's shit.
Touya had shown little interest in Yoko, finding him too aggressive and condescending. The few times they had tried to have sex went terribly, Touya proved to be much more boring in bed than Yoko had hoped for, and other than the one time that he threatened to freeze off the fox's cock, didn't seem to have any fire in him at all. Not like Yusuke. Yusuke was all fire, passion, and desire. Sex with Yusuke was like an endurance contest; the one who came first lost.
'You know, Touya could have surprised you if you'd ever given him a chance.' Kurama said, from that back of Yoko's mind.
'I doubt it,' Yoko replied, not bothering to conceal his boredom.
'He was my best friend, and my only real friend. Because of you and your incessant need to be in control, when our relationship ended I lost everything! He never wanted to speak to me again.'
'Don't,' Yoko snarled, 'lay that shit on me. You were the one who killed your relationship with Touya the minute you decided to fuck Yusuke. You and your cock had much more to do with ending your partnership with that ice demon than I ever did.'
'So you think that all the mind games you played with him, all the times you sabotaged our relationship, that none of that had any effect on us? For god's sake Yoko, you were such an ass! You started fights between us just to drive us apart!'
'And? So what if I did? It hardly matters now, does it? You got Yusuke, like you always wanted, and I don't have to deal with Touya anymore, like I wanted.'
'Doesn't matter?! Of course it matters! You're still pulling the same stunts, trying to manipulate whatever relationship I am in so that you can come out and fuck whenever you want to!'
'Has it ever occurred to you, that it was about more than just sex or power?!'
'That's all it ever is with you!'
'Tell me… How much do you like it back there? How much are you enjoying being imprisoned? Now imagine that for over 30 years and maybe you can understand why I'm so upset.'
There was nothing but silence, and Yoko just shook his head in disgust. He was so tired of Kurama making everything about him. Neither had signed up for this life. What was meant to be a possession had turned into a merge and now, whether they liked it or not, it looked like the only way Yoko would ever be separate from Kurama was for them to both die. While this was unpleasant, if it meant that Yoko could take down his bitchy counterpart, he might consider it.
Yusuke began to moan in Yoko's arms again, breaking the kitsune out of his thoughts. The cycle was ramping up again. He had to do something. Yusuke needed to get more sleep and Yoko had to find some way to help him. Yoko placed a hand over his mate's stomach and closed his eyes as he felt for their children's energies. Kurama had been right, there were definitely four energies nestled in his mate's womb, but one was obviously weaker than the others. What chance did a runt like that have if Yusuke was sleep deprived, malnourished and dehydrated?
Suddenly Yoko had a jolt of inspiration. There was a rare demonic plant which when made into a tea would be able to give Yusuke a few calories, but more importantly, put him into a dreamless sleep without night terrors.
'Is it safe? Are you sure it can be used during pregnancy?' Kurama asked gently, and Yoko inwardly scoffed at how weak his counter-part sounded.
'Shui-'Yoko paused, making sure to call Kurama by his new, "proper" name, 'Kurama, I would not give it to Yusuke unless I was absolutely certain it is safe. I would think that you of all people know the lengths I go to in order to keep Yusuke healthy.'
Kurama fell silent and seemed to be done talking for now, which was fine with Yoko. Honestly, he had heard him talk more than enough for one lifetime.
Yoko began a mental checklist how to summon the plants. He already had the seeds, all he needed was soil, much like the mud and clay that the palace was built from. Yoko thought it might be unwise to try and grow the plants within the walls. But that meant planting outside which would mean leaving the room. It was possible but was going to be a hassle. While he knew he would have no problem dealing with the annoying mixture of humans and monks that he could tell were waiting outside of the door, the fact that he wasn't allowed to kill any of them made things a little bit more difficult for the fox. As much as he loathed the idea, he decided that it would be best for him to go through the window. He quickly and quietly made his way to the window and slid it open and as he crawled through the opening, he could hear Kurama's snide remark, 'all hail the King of Thieves'.
With a resigned voice all Yoko could say was, "Shut up, Shuichi." Yoko didn't think he liked having Kurama in the back of his mind.
Yusuke slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the room. It was weird. He could almost smell Yoko next to him, almost feel his body lying next to his. He remembered feeling Kurama's arms wrapped around him, could remember the relief and shame that he had felt when he saw his mate walk into the room or when he saw his fiancé standing before him.
He couldn't believe it had been a dream, but everything had been so weird lately that he honestly couldn't remember what had been dream and what had been reality. He rolled over on his side and looked blankly at the wall, wrapping his arms around his pillow as he did. His arm was hurting, a dull throb that refused to go away. He must have actually broken it when he fell in the bathroom. He placed a hand on his tummy and looked down at it. He was still shirtless since he hadn't never put on a shirt after Hokoushin had carried him in there naked the night before (which still embarrassed the crap out of him).
His eyes were blurry with sleep but he could tell that the skin on his stomach was getting tighter. And he was hoping it was just the water in his eyes, but his chest was beginning to look…soft. Could he really be getting…breasts?! Oh… please no. Please let that be something that Juichi was lying about.
He turned over on his other side, and he could swear that once again he could smell both Yoko and Kurama in the bedding next to him. But Kurama wouldn't have shown up and just left again, would he? Yusuke felt a pang of fear ripple through his body. Maybe Kurama had just taken off. Maybe he couldn't stand lying in bed next to a cheater like him. He began recounting the last day, trying to remember what was real and what wasn't. He thought back to all that he could remember happening the last day. He remembered falling in the shower and breaking his arm, that had most definitely happened. He remembered arguing with Shizuru over Keiko. In a weird way, he really hoped that had happened, because it cleared the air between them. But it must have been a dream, because he didn't think he smashed his hand against the nightstand. Sure, he was impulsive, but he wasn't stupid.
Yusuke was exhausted. In fact, he was so exhausted he wasn't entirely sure that he was awake at the moment. He felt like every time he blinked he had fallen asleep. And even though he knew in theory he was hungry, the idea of food was so unappealing that it made him nauseous to think about. He looked down at his belly again, and he could imagine the little fetuses growing beneath the skin. He kept picturing them as little pink jelly beans that were floating around inside him. He placed his hand back on his belly, and closed his eyes, feeling for the energy below. He smiled as he felt three, no, four energies below.
He heard the sound of the window behind him open, and he turned his head to see Yoko climb through the window and into the room. He looked over at Yusuke, but didn't say anything about his bizarre entrance, and walked to the bed like it was something that was completely normal.
"Yoko! What the hell are you doing coming through the window?" Yusuke finally choked out. He was surprised enough to see the fox, but he became worried when he saw what looked like blood all over his robes and hands. As Yoko walked closer to him however, he noticed that it wasn't blood, just clay and soil. Somehow that was even weirder. Yoko always kept himself impeccably clean except when he was fighting. To see him so dirty made him seem less… god-like.
Yoko shrugged casually at Yusuke and said simply, "I did not feel like conversing with the people in the living room."
Yusuke paused for a second before laughing to himself. He had forgotten what a strange person Yoko could be. "So you thought that going out the window would be a better, and not at all weird, thing to do?" Yusuke found himself trying to contain his laughter. He couldn't help it. Between the lack of sleep and food, he was deliriously awake, and everything funny seemed to have been amplified. He was smiling from ear to ear, and he could feel his dry lips crack from the stress.
Yoko responded by crossing his arms and ignoring what Yusuke said. Yusuke noticed an odd-looking root in his mate's hand. It was the color of soot and the shape of ginger, and Yusuke could swear it was moving beneath the fox's claws.
"What the fuck is that thing?" He asked, pointing to the root.
"Your supper," Yoko said, wearing a smirk.
"I'm not eating that thing!"
"Eat it? Don't be ridiculous Yusuke, you're going to drink it."
Yusuke paused for a moment. Despite the smirk on Yoko's face, Yusuke could tell that his mate was deadly serious about it. "So how is the crack-smoking going for you?" Yusuke finally asked.
"…I have no idea what that means," Yoko said with a disinterested shrug.
Yusuke sighed and hung his head, as if looking at his joke that had died in front of him, "Crack is a drug that humans take that makes you crazy as shit," he said hurriedly, before looking up and adding, "You're killing my jokes, man!"
"And you're avoiding your supper."
"Give me one good reason to drink that thing." Yusuke said defiantly, crossing his arms.
"It will help get rid of your morning sickness and it will lull you into a dreamless sleep. Unless you would like to continue to see Kurama, Keiko and myself continuously being killed in your dreams and do irreparable harm to yourself and our children I would suggest you drink it. After all, you've already filled your quota for childish and pointless rebellion when you smashed your hand." Yusuke could feel the words pierce through him and he looked down at the bed like a child. Yusuke could tell that Yoko had lost his patience. His voice was hard and his posture strong and almost intimidating. This was not the Yoko he knew, this was the King of Thieves, the one that had killed Karasu.
"So… How do I drink that…thing?" Yusuke asked finally.
"We need to boil some water, and I will need a knife and a mortar and pestle," Yoko said, his face somewhat softening.
"Well, it sounds like a trip to the kitchen then," Yusuke said, happy for an excuse to get out of bed.
"What makes you think that you are leaving this room?" Yoko said, raising an eyebrow.
"The fact that you don't know your way around the kitchen. And since you can't crawl out the window to get there, you're gonna have to deal with my friends."
Yoko paused, he seemed unpleased as he ran the calculations in his mind. Finally he nodded curtly and Yusuke slowly made his way out of the bed. His body was sore, which was becoming more common. He stopped when he was hit with a sudden and powerful head-rush.
"Do you need help?" Yoko asked, but he didn't move from his spot.
"No," Yusuke said. Yoko shrugged and walked away, leaving Yusuke a little surprised. If it had been Kurama, he would have continued to stand there and insist on helping until Yusuke yelled at him to go away. Yoko on the other hand was different. Yusuke had the feeling that Yoko would watch Yusuke drown and only rescue him when he heard Yusuke ask for help.
Thankfully, he didn't actually need help yet, and after his head rush had finally subsided, he was able to get up and walk to the kitchen with Yoko. The minute Yusuke walked out the door he saw Shizuru stand and walk towards him. Kuwabara, Yukina and Hokoushin all looked like they were about to walk towards him until Yoko walked out of the room behind Yusuke. Shizuru walked right past Yusuke, giving him a small smile, but glaring at Yoko as she walked to the bathroom and slammed the door. It looked as though no one wanted to talk, but the whole room seemed to get colder as they all glared at Yoko. 'I wonder if they feel the same way about Kurama…' Yusuke thought to himself as he and Yoko walked through the kitchen doors.
He sat down at the small table, glad that he was feeling a tad more energetic. He guessed he had Yoko and their new bond to thank for that. Yoko went to work immediately, and after asking Yusuke where to find all of the tools and how to turn on the stove, required no assistance, and even less conversation. That was fine with Yusuke. It was strange being around Yoko like this. They had very rarely hung out like this before. They were always distracted by TV, booze or sex and their interactions had been limited. Though now that Yoko was Yusuke's mate, wouldn't that mean he would see Yoko more often? He wanted to, but what the hell would they even do?
While Yusuke racked his brains for a conversation starter, it was Yoko that actually broke the silence.
"Yusuke," Yoko said, looking directly at his mate. Yusuke never realized how intense those golden eyes were, how eerie, how penetrating. "I wanted to say something to you, and it seems like now would be the best time."
"…Okay…" Yusuke said, not sure what was coming.
"I just wanted to say," Yoko continued, not looking away for even a second, "that when I mated with you, I had not taken into consideration how it might affect your relationship with Kurama or how it could affect you. My goal was never to harm you. It was a miscalculation on my part, and I will not let it happen again."
Apparently Yoko was done talking, because after he finished his sentence he walked back to the stove and stirred the water-root mixture. Yusuke had to run the words through his head again, and when he realized what the fox had done, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh…my….god…Yoko." Yusuke said between laughs. "Was that an apology?"
"What of it?" Yoko asked curtly.
"Well, it's just that that was, like, the worst apology in the world," Yusuke said, continuing to laugh. His laughter died the moment Yoko placed a mug of what looked like a sewer in front of him. "Oh god!" Yusuke said, holding his nose and looking away. "Don't you think I've been throwing up enough?!"
"I believe it is time for us to go back to the bedroom so you can drink this and go to sleep," Yoko said, but Yusuke resisted.
"Nu-uh, I'm gonna drink this thing while it's hot. Maybe if it burns my tongue badly enough I won't be able to taste it."
"Yusuke, this is extremely potent and fast-acting. It would be wise for us to go to the bedroom first."
"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke said, walking towards the bedroom. He waved at his friends, who all nodded back, and he went to lie down in the bed.
Yoko was carrying the tea, which Yusuke had "forgotten" on the counter. Yusuke knew he needed sleep, but he didn't feel like it. He was so sick of lying down. That was all he had done the last few days. He just wanted to get up and run in a circle for 20 minutes. Maybe they should get a hamster wheel. No, that was a terrible idea, Yusuke really did need sleep. He was starting to become weird.
Yoko handed Yusuke the mug, and when he did so, kissed Yusuke lightly on the lips. Yusuke was struck by how much this simple gesture turned him on. He pulled Yoko down into a deeper, more erotic kiss. He could feel Yoko's arousal through the mating mark, and it was only fueling the fire of his own. Yoko was still standing in front of Yusuke, his cock was inches away from his hand and concealed by only a thin layer of fabric. He reached out to stroke it, but he suddenly flashed back to Kurama, yelling at him a few days ago.
"You literally fucked my insecurities Yusuke, and I had to watch!"
He pulled away suddenly, pushing against Yoko's chest in an effort to create a larger distance between them. He could feel Yoko's disappointment, and it only made Yusuke feel more guilty. "Yoko, I can't," he said softly, "I have to talk to Kurama first. I can't do this to him again."
Yusuke suddenly felt a sharp zap at his shoulder, and he looked up at Yoko angrily. He knew what Yoko was feeling, but he couldn't believe it.
"Are you seriously jealous of Kurama?! What the hell is the matter with you? Do you have any idea how much I hurt him?!"
"Believe me, I know way more than you do about what's been going on with Kurama." Yoko spat out the name, unable to hold back his resentment. "I had to watch as he moped around for three days while you were stuck here alone in the Makai. I wanted to be here for you, but Kurama just ran away like a coward."
"No, a coward is someone who wouldn't come back. He did, so maybe you should lay the fuck off my fiancé," Yusuke fired back. This time it was Yoko that snarled and raised a hand to his shoulder. Obviously Yusuke had felt something so strongly that it had accidently hurt Yoko. He knew he should feel bad about it, but after all the issues that Yoko had caused over the last few days, Yusuke felt a perverse sense of satisfaction.
"So you just want to use me for my energy and make me fall back into the distance?"
"Me, use you?! Do you have any idea how used I feel by you? You fucked me, mated with me, and next thing I know you are gone, Kurama is there fucking pissed off, and I can't do anything to stop it. I don't know what kind of issues you guys are working through, but I am sick and fucking tired of being caught in the middle, because right now Yoko, you are making it really hard to be your boyfriend, let alone your mate!"
"Is that a threat?"
"No, it's a statement, back off. I can't deal with you two at each other's throats, and you guys are both taking it out on me instead of each other."
"So you think the only reason that Kurama is mad at you is because of me? I seem to recall you having a little involvement."
"Yeah, no shit," Yusuke said, not liking the condescending look on the kitsune's face. "I know I fucked up, but you pretend everything you do is perfect, like you're some kind of saint. Well let me tell you something, Yoko, I don't think I've ever met a saint that fucks like that!"
Yoko paused for a moment, and stared down at Yusuke before saying, "I know I am no saint. I've made mistakes, but I don't see how trying to protect you is one of them."
"Oh my god, Yoko. It's not what you did, it's how you did it! Can't you understand the difference?! How can someone as smart as you be so fucking dense!" Yusuke slumped back into the pillows and stared at the ceiling. He had hoped that this whole thing would somehow be magically resolved when Yoko and Kurama came back, that for some reason they would be able to understand why Yusuke did it, and play nice together, but that didn't seem like it was ever going to happen. He heard Yoko sit down in the chair near the door, and he looked up at him.
The fox was staring in his direction, but Yusuke got the impression that he wasn't really seeing anything. He was too busy arguing with Kurama. For the first time, Yusuke could tell that was going on through the mating mark. In a weird way, even though he couldn't hear what Kurama was saying, Yusuke was grateful to feel his presence, to know that he really was there, somewhere nearby, that he hadn't run away.
After a few minutes, Yoko looked back up, and actually met Yusuke's eyes.
"Kurama and I have decided that we will not take out our anger with each other on you or criticize the other in front of you. Will this be sufficient for the time being?"
Yusuke stopped and looked at Yoko. Even through the mating mark, he was fucking impossible to read.
"Yeah, that's acceptable Yoko," Yusuke said resignedly.
"Now, Yusuke, you really should drink your tea and get some sleep. I speak for both Kurama and I when I say that you need your sleep, we need you to sleep. For all of us," he said, nodding to Yusuke's stomach.
"Oh, well that's just a cheap shot," Yusuke mumbled. "Like, you already made the sale, there was no need for the over-kill dude."
"Sorry," Yoko said. As he lifted the mug to his lips, Yusuke had to wonder if that was the first time that word had ever passed between those fangs.
Slowly, he took a sip. Yusuke was used to eating and drinking things that tasted awful, he had spent years drinking shit in bars. He could gulp moonshine, tequila, rum, or even demonic alcohols which were much fouler than their human counterparts. But this, this root mixture was by far the worst thing that he had ever had to drink. Surprisingly thick and chewy in some parts, it tasted like rotting socks and maggots. It took all of Yusuke's willpower to chug it down, but he managed to. No sooner had he put the mug down did he feel the effects begin. His limbs felt heavy, and his eye lids drooped. The whole world was fuzzy and warm. His was sated and calm for the first time in weeks.
"Yoko, we'll be able to figure this out, right?" Yusuke asked sleepily.
"I believe so," Yoko said, from his chair in the corner.
Yusuke wasn't sure if he was being honest or not, but he felt like he was being wrapped in a cocoon of blissful nothingness, and he was more than happy to fall into a deep sleep.
Yoko watched from the chair as Yusuke fell asleep. Yoko looked down at his robes. Covered in clay and fertilizer, he was a mess, and he realized he would need to take a shower. It suddenly occurred to him that it had been 30-odd years since the last time he had actually needed to clean himself. No longer lingering in the back of Kurama's mind, he was going to have to remember that certain maintenance would have to be observed. He had already had to void his bladder earlier, an uncomfortable experience that he had nearly forgotten. With a sigh he walked out into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind him so as not to wake his slumbering (and snoring) mate.
He looked over to see all the people still in the living room. The two human psychics and that godawful monk were sitting in the living room, staring at him with barely contained contempt. He decided it wasn't necessary to engage in conversation and walked to the bathroom so he could shower. After stripping out of his dirty clothes, he looked at the shower in front him with a meld of confusion and annoyance. This was such a basic routine, and yet he realized he had next to no idea how it actually worked. He looked at all the different knobs, and one by one twisted them. He hadn't known that one of them would turn on the shower head however, and without meaning to, blasted himself in the face with cold water. Snarling and sputtering from the sudden jet of icy water, Yoko backed away, examining it. He wasn't sure he liked this contraption. What was so wrong with streams?
He could feel the air around him get warmer, and after a minute or two he stepped into the shower. The water felt wonderful on his back, pelting his muscles and relieving some of his stress. Alright, maybe this was better than a stream. He opened his eyes and examined the bottles next to him. There were three, and out of the limited words he knew of the human language, he recognized the word "body" on one, so he assumed that he should use it to wash himself. He opened the bottle, and a strong, chemical scent came out of the bottle. He turned his nose up at the smell, but it wasn't bad, just strong. In fact, the scent was kind of familiar, and Yoko realized that this must be what Yusuke used to wash his body. He put some of the stuff on a washcloth nearby and began scrubbing himself vigorously, making sure that none of the clay or filth was left behind.
Next Yoko realized he had to wash his hair, but what to use? There were two bottles in front of him, and he had no idea what they were. He examined them closely, but all he could recognize were the words for hair, but both of the bottles had the words on it. Instead of asking Kurama, who he knew must be laughing his ass off in the back of his mind, he decided to just mix both of the bottles, squeezing some of one, and then the other into his hand. He began scrubbing his scalp and loved the way it felt. Very gingerly, and with very little of what ever cleaning product the bottles contained, he washed first his ears, and then his tail. He had to refill his hand multiple times before getting enough of the concoction to satisfyingly clean his hair and fur, but he found that rinsing it out was taking longer than expected.
When he was finally done rinsing off he tried to turn off the shower head, but must has turned off whichever handle controlled the cold water because steaming hot water jetted down on him and he let out a growl of disapproval and anger. He couldn't help but think about how Kurama had destroyed the hotel room before, and how stupid Yoko had thought his counter part had been, but if that shower had been nearly as frustrating to operate as this one, Yoko would have understood.
He finally stepped out of the shower to find something he could use to dry off with, but there seemed to be no towels to be found. Without hesitating, he walked out into the dining room and made his way to living room. He heard the collective gasp of surprise as everyone there took in his naked body, but he didn't really care. The female ice demon had hidden her face in her human husband's shoulder as he gaped and then looked quickly away, repeatedly saying, "Ew." The monk had stiffened and looked away. Shizuru seemed to be the only one that didn't mind seeing Yoko naked, her eyebrows raised, an approving smirk playing over her lips.
"There seem to be no towels in the bathroom. I was wondering if you could show me where they are kept," Yoko said, positioning his tail to cover his cock, since that seemed to be what was making everyone uncomfortable and unhelpful.
"So you just decided to walk in here naked?!" Kuwabara yelled out.
Shizuru ignored her brother and said, "Towels are in the linen closet. It's the door to the left of the bathroom."
"Thank you," Yoko said, walking back to the linen closet and grabbing two towels. He wrapped one around his waist and the other he draped over his shoulder as he walked back into the room Yusuke was sleeping in, not bothering to look at the faces of the people in the living room.
Yusuke was still asleep thankfully, and it looked like he would be out for a while. Yoko attempted to dry off as best as he could before crawling back into bed with Yusuke. While his day may not have been eventful to most people, for Yoko this had been the longest day he had ever had since taking over Kurama's infant body. He curled up behind his mate, looking at the mark he had left on his lover's shoulder. He couldn't believe he finally had a mate, that he had a person that he could share his life with, what little life he had anyway.
'Yoko, I need to get back in control', Kurama said in the background.
'Just give me until I fall asleep,' Yoko said, but Kurama immediately protested.
'Yoko, I'm not kidding, I need out. I gave you all fucking day.'
Yoko tried to resist Kurama, wanted to stay next to his mate's side, but he felt the edges closing in, and before he could object, he had been thrown into the abyss.
Kurama snapped back into control, his soul taking control about as smoothly as crashing into a wall. All the feeling that had been taken away from Kurama came flooding back, and he felt like his own skin was foreign to him. He gasped for breath dramatically, like a drowning victim in a bad movie, but suddenly the feeling of breath in his lungs was so foreign and strange to him that it took a moment for him to recover. He could feel everything, even things he had never felt before. He could feel and hear his heart beating, the blood bringing oxygen to his muscles. His stomach growled softly but it sounded deafening to Kurama. Every sense was amplified tenfold and Kurama felt so overwhelmed he was beginning to become nauseous (which of course just made everything worse).
As he looked around the room trying to ground himself, he felt as though the walls were beginning to close in, and the air in the room was getting hot and stale. He needed to get out. Out of the room and out of the palace. He quickly put on clothes and silently left the room. Kuwabara was ranting in the living room about Yoko, thankfully providing enough distraction that Kurama was able to slip out without being noticed.
He had thought that stepping outside would have been enough to soothe his anxiety, but after less than a minute of standing outside the palace door he had begun pacing back and forth. He needed to get his anxiety under control, needed to go back in and lie next to Yusuke. But the thought of going back into the room was too nerve-wracking. The room was too small, the air almost nonexistent, and Yusuke… Yusuke was lying in bed like nothing was wrong…. In that same bed…
Kurama shook his head, trying not to go down that mental road. It had been amazing to hear Yusuke defend him to Yoko earlier. Yusuke had torn into Yoko in a way that Kurama never would have been able to and it had deeply touched him. But he didn't think he was able to sleep next to Yusuke yet, to pretend like nothing had happened.
He decided to walk to the greenhouse, figuring that if he wasn't calmer by the time he got there, he could spend a little time gardening. Just the thought of spending time in the greenhouse was enough to calm Kurama slightly. Kurama had spent many hours in greenhouses and gardens in the past working his stress out into the soil and letting his thoughts drift away.
He had been working on his PhD when he and Yusuke had first hooked up after Keiko's death. Kurama had never been as emotionally and sexually frustrated in his life. He had already started his company, but wanted to finish school in order to give his mother peace of mind. When he and Yusuke had fucked, it had left Kurama without his boyfriend, without his crush, and without his only full-time employee other than Mitarai who was hardly qualified to chase down a squirrel. In his frustration, Kurama spent hours and hours diving into his field work, painstakingly working on his plants.
By the time he could see the greenhouse on the horizon, Kurama was excited to begin working on the garden. It wasn't until he walked inside that he realized what a wreck everything was. Splinters of wood still scattered the floor, and large bags of soil and fertilizer laid on the ground, disemboweled with their contents spilling onto the floor.
Kurama was furious. He could feel rage building in his body. Who had done this? He knew that Shizuru and the rest were angry with him for taking off, but this was completely uncalled for.
'It wasn't Shizuru or any of the others,' Yoko said in the back of his mind.
'What do you mean? Who the hell did this, then? Hokoushin?'
'…You truly are a bit daft, aren't you?'
'Just spit it out, Yoko,' Kurama said, in no mood for Yoko's shit.
'It was Yusuke. He had a particularly violent night terror and ended up using his spirit energy in his dream.'
'Yusuke did this…' Kurama said, completely stunned. To be honest, he was surprised Yusuke still had this much energy stored in his body. It must have been a terribly violent outburst to cause destruction like that. 'What was Yusuke even doing out here?'
'What do you think? You spent all your time in his office, he spent all his time in your greenhouse.'
'I was only in his office because it had a couch,' Kurama responded pathetically, knowing it was a lie. He had wanted to feel close to Yusuke. He had wanted to occasionally smell him and feel that his whole life wasn't falling to pieces around him.
'Yusuke spent two nights out here. The whole time wondering what he could do to make things better.'
There was a bitterness in Yoko's voice that intrigued Kurama. While the kitsune might not say it, it seemed as though Yusuke spent more time worrying about his fiancé than he had missing his mate.
Looking with a more critical eye, Kurama could see evidence of Yusuke's stay there. A half-put-together hammock that seemed to have been abandoned. A pack of bottled water and the empty bottles that were scattered around. A nest that only Puu could have made. All of this was proof of how guilty Yusuke had felt, how lost and worried he must have been. And yet, he had never called, never once broken any rule that Kurama had set before leaving. Kurama thought about all the times he had wanted to call Yusuke but his own stubbornness hadn't let him, and felt terrible. Yusuke had probably wanted to reach out twice as much but couldn't out of fear of rejection.
'I'm sorry, Yoko,' Kurama thought quietly. 'I was angry at you and took it out on Yusuke.'
'Why are you apologizing to me, then?'
'Because if you ever did anything to upset my mate I'd want you to apologize to me… The only way either of us is ever going to be able to be with Yusuke, is if we respect the other's relationship. I will respect that you are Yusuke's mate if you will respect that I am Yusuke's fiancé.'
'…Fine. But that means both of us need to be able to spend time with Yusuke.'
'I just gave you a whole day.'
'I want to be able to sleep next to Yusuke.'
Kurama paused, terrified. He didn't like that idea, not at all. At the notion that he might have to be imprisoned in Yoko's head, without even being able to see what was going on scared him so badly that his palms began to sweat.
'I'm not saying right this second, so stop pissing your pants. I just want to be able to sleep next to Yusuke at some point. As long as neither of us fuck up and get killed or let anything kill him then we have hundreds, if not thousands, of years to figure this out. That should be enough time for even a feeble, frightened fox kit like yourself to be able to get over your fear of the dark.'
'Right…' Kurama said dryly. He took one last look at the greenhouse around him before heading back to the palace. Yoko had been wrong about a lot of things over the last few days, but he had been right about one thing: ever since the mating ritual had taken place, he had avoided being near Yusuke.
He made it back to the palace, slipping into the bed behind his fiancé. Even in the dark he could see his lover's mating mark on his neck. Nothing was going to change what had happened. Yoko and Yusuke were mates now, and no matter how much it might infuriate him, he had to accept it. All three of them were going to have to work on their relationships, but as long as they took their time and swallowed their pride they could get through it, step by step.
The next morning Kurama awoke with a surprising amount of energy. He was glad he had decided to sleep next to Yusuke, even if he did still feel a little awkward waking up with the man. It was still very early in the morning,that much was obvious. Very little light was streaming in through the windows, and monks had yet to begin construction on the bedroom. Kurama was wondering what could have woken him so early in the morning when he heard the loud grumbling of his stomach reply.
Once again departing from his lover's warmth, he put on flannel pants and a t-shirt and made his way to the kitchen. Kuwabara, Shizuru and Hokoushin were all asleep downstairs. While there was an abundance of rooms available both in and outside of the palace walls, it seemed like all three of them felt the need to "protect" Yusuke from him. Kurama would have rolled his eyes if it didn't feel so terribly juvenile and continued to the kitchen.
While he didn't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, or around people, he felt like he should at least do something to extend an olive branch. If the members of Team Urameshi and friends were ever to be motivated or enticed by one thing other than fights, it was food, and Kurama felt that making breakfast could help mend some fences in the group.
He opened the refrigerator and cabinets, looking at what they had to offer. He would need to make someone go on a grocery run soon, they were woefully low on basic supplies. He had enough to make pancakes and sausage (although the meat, dairy and eggs would be from animals that the humans had never eaten before).
He turned on the coffee maker as he started the prep, and the minute it was done he gulped the coffee down appreciatively. It didn't take long for the first person to wander into the kitchen, looking for food. It was Kuwabara, whose eyes were almost completely closed and was literally being led by his nose, which he was sticking out in front of his body to try to get a better whiff of the food. Shizuru was close to follow, than Yukina, and finally Hokoushin, who stood in the corner with his arms crossed and seemed to be there more as a chaperone than to eat.
Any conversation that took part was hushed, and between two people, and Kurama was apparently never allowed to be one of those people. Everyone still seemed to have an issue with him, and Kuwabara was the first to break the silence.
"Dude, what is Yoko doing here? Besides scarring all of us for life and bossing us around."
Kurama sighed, he knew he'd have to respond to Yoko flashing everyone at some point or another. "Now that Yoko and Yusuke are mates, we've decided to split our time with Yusuke. Yoko was here to give Yusuke some of his strength. I am sorry he walked into the living room naked."
"I'm not," Shizuru said with a smile, "That's the best view I've had in weeks. Did you see that thing? It's a wonder Yusuke can sit right."
Kurama blushed slightly and turned away. While Yoko could outthink and outwit Kurama, there were certain physical aspects that Kurama still had him beat on. If Shizuru was impressed by Yoko, Kurama could only imagine what she would have to say about him.
He met Shizuru's glance and he could tell the psychic knew what he was thinking. He quickly changed the topic. "Do you know why Yoko would be angry at Yusuke for having a broken arm?" He asked. He had never gotten an explanation from Yoko, and he wasn't the kind of demon to just get unhinged like that without a reason.
Shizuru laughed softly, but to Kurama's surprise Hokoushin seemed to grumble from his corner as he stared at the back of Shizuru's head.
"Yoko's mad at Yusuke because your fiancé is an irrational, stubborn idiot." She said with a smile.
"Well, that narrows it down," Kurama said dryly.
"Yoko's not mad at Yusuke for breaking his arm the first time, it's the second time that pissed him off. When he broke it on purpose to fulfill a threat he had made."
Kurama raised his eyebrows, silently telling Shizuru to continue.
"Hokoushin and I wouldn't get out of the room like he wanted, he threatened to break his arm, I didn't leave and told him he was an idiot, he broke his arm, I called him an idiot again, and then he let me stay." Shizuru said all this with a casual shrug, like this was kind of thing to happen on a regular basis, but considering she was the one to raise Kuwabara and she was such good friends with Yusuke, Kurama realized this kind of bluff-calling must have happened fairly regularly. Kurama didn't know how to respond to that, and decided to just change the topic again.
"So Shizuru, how are you and Koenma doing?"
"Oh, we're great," she said, leaning back in her chair, and taking a sip of coffee (Yukina had made another batch). "I kinda miss him right now, but with all the phone sex we're having, we'll be okay."
Kuwabara let out a kind of gargled yelp as hot coffee came squirting out of his nose.
"Oh my god Sis, that's so GROSS!" he yelled, going to the sink to try and clean up his face. Shizuru just shrugged lightly and winked at Kurama, obviously proud of grossing her brother out so much.
"Are you going to see him much when you go back to human world?" Kurama asked, continuing the conversation like nothing had happened.
"Lad-,um, Shizuru is moving in here with Lord Yusuke," Hokoushin said matter-of-factly.
Kurama raised an eyebrow as he met Shizuru's gaze.
"Sis, why the hell are you moving here? You know this is the demon world, right? It might not be safe for you here," Kuwabara asked, and Kurama was surprised that her brother hadn't known.
"Listen, Bro, my reasons for living here are secret, but I'll be fine here. I've had to deal with more unpleasant demons back home than I have here. I just needed a break from life back home, and besides, Yusuke's stuck here, so I might as well stick around and help him out."
Kurama began to cook the pancakes, but he was starting to piece together all of the parts of the story. Koenma was obviously in danger from Yama, and Shizuru would be the first one they'd target to keep him in line. She probably went to ask Yusuke to live here, and of course he agreed. Kurama would have agreed too… if he'd been asked. But he was too busy sulking in human world to be bothered.
Yukina excused herself for a moment to take some fruit out to Puu. Kurama put some pancakes on the table, and Kuwabara took the opportunity to begin speaking quickly and in a low voice.
"I'm not stupid Shizuru, I know something is going on up in Spirit world. I've been having a bad feeling for a few months now. I don't know what is happening but something big is about to go down, and it's not about Urameshi's pregnancy. I quit my job a while ago and went into construction so that Yukina, the kids and I can bug out if we have to. I don't know why but I know that something is about to happen. I haven't told Yukina yet though because I don't wanna freak her out-"
Yukina walked back into the room, and Kurama ignored his loud and obvious attempts at trying to hide the subject. For the first time in weeks Kurama wasn't worrying about Yusuke, wasn't planning out the pregnancy or thinking about the kids. All sounds in the room seemed to fade away and his eyes were locked with Shizuru's. Her eyes were telling him what he already knew, soon they would be at war with Yama.
AN: This is the last chapter in the day-to-day life, so if you can bear with me, I promise the pacing will pick up. I hope to post the new chapter soon, but I can't tell you guys when it will be. I did break through this writer's block I've been having though, so cross your fingers that it's soon! Please review guys! You have no idea what it means to me!