LAST
"You have been talking to Hiei,"
the red head commented with
surprise.

LAST
TEN

"Kurama," Kuwabara screamed cheerfully. The tall teen raced up to the other down the grocery store isle. The taller teen grinned as the other smiled politely. "Where have you been man?"

"Hello Kuwabara." He eyed some of the Pocky on the shelf and debated on grabbing some. With a shrug, he picked out a few different flavors to put in his basket. "I've been over in America for the last four or five months."

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. "Of course you have. What's with the Pocky? You're not a Pocky person Kurama."

"That's true. I'm not a Pocky person." His hand hovered above an interesting flavor of potato chips and then he shrugged again, decided not to pick it up and moved on. "What have you been up to these last few months Kuwabara?"

Kuwabara shoved his hands into his deep pockets, giving a side-long look to the other. "Listen man. You can't have been in the States for the last few months. I should know at least that much. Hiei's been feeding Koenma just enough that you breaking probation aren't high enough for the new team to go after you. That and no one on the team wishes to bring you in."

Ignoring the taller boy, a pint of milk was picked up. Kuwabara frowned at the milk being added to the basket. Obviously, living abroad had changed some of his friend's tastes in food.

"I ain't buying it Kurama. You're not the type of guy to pull this sort of stunt. And as great of a guy you are and deserve a female companion, you don't let people close to you. Except your mother and she still don't know about your past."

"You have been talking to Hiei," the red head commented with surprise. "He said the same thing to me recently. That aside, my being missing isn't something you should worry about Kuwabara. It was my choice to do this; I knew what could happen because of it."

"Damn Kurama, of course it's my business to worry about! We were on the same team and fought together, went through all those things! And with Hiei talking to me, did he not tell you? Of course not," Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "Of course shrimpy didn't tell you, I'm still an idiot no matter what. This affects me directly Kurama. I'm in charge of the new team. Me, Hiei, Amunuma, and Mitari. No one wants to bring you in, you're our friend and we're all very worried! We don't want to see anything bad happen to you!"

"Keep your voice down Kuwabara," he spoke calmly. "Weren't you the one when we went to Genkai's who said we all must move on, it's just hard to believe?"

"Well…" Kuwabara scratched his neck. "Yeah, I did. And you said that when we need to, we can remember."

"Then why are you living in the past Kuwabara? Working for Koenma?" Shuichi spotted a can of Cream of Mushroom, quickly picking up the can with thoughts of attempting the single meal he had been forbidden from learning while living with the Malones. Perhaps his mother would enjoy it like he did…if he could make it properly. Emerald eyes scanned for the other ingredients needed. "Anyway, I appreciate your worry but this really has nothing to do with any of you."

"Then why is Hiei allowed to know shit," Kuwabara asked roughly. "Hiei's been covering for you with some bogus story about protecting a girlfriend, taking a break, learning in a foreign country while you're still technically on probation like he is. Why is he allowed to know?"

The other actually paused in grocery shopping. It was a fair question. He could have erased Hiei's mind with pollen from a specific plant or a various amount of things. It was something he had planned on; disappearing anyway, for the hidden people were very much feared. If discovered during his disappearance, even more if discovered protecting the feared hidden people, his protection would fail if even one person knew. Hiei's memories about Shuichi and the hidden people should really be destroyed. Kennedy had even had her innate feeling over Hiei's first visit and on his second visit Hiei had been attacked.

"Hiei has…interesting insights," he finally spoke.

Kuwabara huffed out in annoyance. After that long pause, that was probably the best answer he was going to get. He glanced at the grocery basket and shook his head at some of the food choices. It all seemed so random to Kuwabara. Perhaps his mother just needed him to pick up a little of everything. Wait…

"Are you home with your mother then?"

"No. I'm staying at a hotel until I go back to America. I am visiting her everyday but I'm not sleeping there."

"Woah." Kuwabara reeled back in shock. "You're not being right there with your mother all the time? Kurama, what has happened to you?"

The red head flashed his fangs in a grin. "Independence. All mothers expect it sooner or later. My mother knows from my childhood how…" He trailed off, face suddenly thoughtful.

Kuwabara blinked as the other stared off into empty space. He waved his hand and made funny faces, but the blank look of concentration did not go away. "Kurama? You there? Hellooooo?"

"Yes Kuwabara? Did you want to ask me something?"

"Yeah! What was with the freaky-out-of-it and not-paying-attention-to-our-conversation look you had just now?!"

Shuichi, or known by Kurama to Kuwabara, smiled. "I was just thinking about forced independence in the realm of young children."

Kuwabara gave the other a weird look, not understanding. Shuichi laughed softly. "I'll talk to Koenma Kuwabara. But I will be returning no matter what Koenma declares. And as Hiei informs me…it has gotten worse."

"Well you have been gone for months Kurama, of course it gets worse!"

Shuichi smiled and didn't correct Kuwabara on what he actually meant on what was getting worse. He'd only been gone for a couple of weeks. Kuwabara's months to his weeks were a matter of perspective on what and who he was gone from. Same with the perspective on what it was that has gotten worse. Well, Kuwabara can keep his own perspective, Shuichi figured.

He turned in the farewells, checked out, and left to bring the groceries home. Thinking it over, he separated the Pocky into a separate sack on the way to his mother's house. The Pocky wasn't for his mother and as Kuwabara pointed out, he wasn't a Pocky person.

To be continued…