Author's Note:

Greetings!

Argh! FF is getting me nuts! Apparently it's now blocked here. I downloaded bunch of VPNs and they all went crazy on me! In the end, I changed my DNS and stuff and it's on. Who knows how long it'll stay on? It's so annoying! For all I know, after I log out it'll go off again. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Since my phone uses a different card and different company, and FF isn't down there, I tried using it as a hot-spot and connecting it to my laptop but it refused to work! Dumb!

Argh! I'm just so frustrated! My sister's singing and dancing in the background really didn't help any! She's dieting and she thinks dancing along with AKB48 will help her.

As if...

Anyway, I am so angry I almost forget thanking you all for the kind reviews, favourites and follows! Thank you so much! Love you guys, as always!

Well, I haven't anything to report anymore so happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

A Key to His Heart

Chapter 36: What Will Be Your Answer?

Both Kyoko and Hiei were sleeping soundly after their intimate moment when they were awoken by the loud meowing from Hiei's spirit phone. He growled angrily, disturbed, tightening his arm around her and burying his nose in the back of her head. Chuckling sleepily, Kyoko reached over to the dresser and took his phone.

"Yusuke?" she mumbled wonderingly. It's rare for him to call Hiei. "Hiei, Love, here. It's Yusuke." She handed the phone to him and he grunted, not too happy. "C'mon."

"Fine." He sat up, answering the phone. Kyoko watched her mate listened to the phone call with smiling eyes. The mark she left on his left collarbone stood out against his light skin – a black writing of her name in Makai language. She knew Hiei was waiting for her to recover after a short nap to engage in another session of sexual activity. He was already relentless when she was asleep.

"Hn. We're on our way."

Kyoko's brown eyes immediately left her mark and she raised them to Hiei, eyebrow raised. Putting the phone away, Hiei turned to look at her seriously. She grew worried suddenly. "What is wrong?"

"Don't panic, Onna. Go put on clothes. We're leaving." He barked out the orders, already putting on the trousers on the floor. Even though he told her not to panic, she was growing anxious at how he was acting.

But Kyoko knew better than to pry and complain to him. When Hiei wanted her to know, he would tell her. The reason he hadn't told her now must be because he was worried she would do something stupid. That made her wonder what happened. Was someone in their pack attacked?

She quickly dressed in a pair of undergarments, a long-sleeved red turtleneck, knee-length white skirt and black stockings. After braiding her hair back, she picked her bag up and quickly went downstairs where Hiei was waiting for her, already dressed and katana strapped to his hip.

"Come here." he opened his arms and Kyoko went over to him, letting him pick her up in his arms. He left through the back door and flitted away.

"Where are we going, Hiei?" she asked through their minds. Hiei's hands and arms tightened, his eyebrows furrowed. Now she really was worried. "Is someone hurt? Is there an attack?"

"Just… don't panic." Was his only reply. But how could she not panic when he was making her worried like? Ignorance was not bliss. She preferred knowing than being oblivious; especially when it concerned her own family.

They arrived in Genkai temple. Hiei didn't even let her down to remove her shoes; he removed it for her with one hand then stomped his way over to the living room. In front of the living room, he let her down, giving her a look that told her to be calm before he opened the sliding door for her to pass. Kyoko grabbed his hand.

When she stepped inside, the first thing she noticed was the gloomy tension and that everyone was looking very unhappy and anxious. Yusuke the most out of everyone. He was sitting on the sofa, hunched over with his head in his hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly, afraid. Hibiki gave her a small smile and offered her a spot to sit on the other sofa. She sat, Hiei standing behind her. She looked around the glum faces, eyes widening when she noticed the lack of eyes familiar to hers. Her insides were suddenly screaming. "W-where's Keiko?"

Yusuke gritted his teeth and he raised his face to glare at her. "Where's Keiko?" he repeated her question, "Where's Keiko?" standing up, he loomed over her sitting figure threateningly. Hiei's muscles tensed and he growled, not happy Yusuke was threatening his mate. "Is that all you can ask? YOU'RE THE CAUSE SHE WAS TAKEN!"

"Wha-"

"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU! BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO BUSY HAVING SEX WITH HIEI- YOU FAIL TO PROTECT YOUR OWN SISTER BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO SELFISH AND YOU CARE FOR YOUR MATE MORE THAN YOUR BLOOD SISTER!" Yusuke's face was red in rage, his nostrils flaring as he tried his best to breathe calmly. Everyone was afraid that he was going to transform into his demonic form. "YOU KICKED HER OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND NOW SHE'S GONE!"

"Yusuke, calm down!" Botan yelled at him. "It's not Kyoko's fault! She doesn't know something like this was going to happen."

"K-keiko… Keiko was kidnapped?" she shakily asked, pale. She looked at Hiei, "Is that why you didn't want to tell me?" He stared at her emotionlessly, arms crossed and tense. "Why? You should've told me! This is- this is Keiko!"

"I told you to not panic."

"How can I not?! My sister is kidnapped!" she shouted at him angrily. Hiei looked away, his bangs covering his eyes as she screamed at him. "It's because- I put you above her! My sister-"

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Yusuke screamed and joined at their quarrel, "KEIKO IS TAKEN BECAUSE OF YOU! BECAUSE YOU THINK ONLY ABOUT YOURSELVES! GIVE HER BACK! GIVE ME BACK MY MATE!" he launched at Kyoko, his eyes a molten gold. Kyoko gasped but before he could hit her, Hiei gave a loud growl and he punched Yusuke in the face.

"Don't you dare!" he snarled, "No one attack my mate!"

"Hiei!" Kurama interjected. "Everyone. Calm down. Now!" he warned, furious. "Now is not the time to let out emotions control us! We have to discuss with cool-heads and plan for Keiko's rescue! Now sit down and we'll talk. Like adults."

Kyoko fell back on the sofa, face covered in her hands, blaming herself for Keiko's kidnapping. Hiei gave one last growl to Yusuke, who bared his teeth at him, and stood beside Kyoko, guarding her from any sign of attack.

"You expect me to calm down?" he asked ridiculously, "YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN?! MY MATE IS TAKEN! MY MATE- WILL YOU BE CALM IF YOUR FUCKING MATE'S TAKEN?!" kicking a chair and shattering it to a splinter of woods, he hissed, "DON'T SHIT WITH ME!"

Kurama was quiet. Yusuke was true. He could act cool and calm because it wasn't Botan who was taken. A part of him – a selfish one, was thankful that it wasn't Botan. It was bad and he hated himself for it. That was why he would make sure Keiko was brought back. That would be his apology for such bad thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Yusuke fell down on his butt. He hugged his knees close to him, his face in his knees. He looked lost and scared and just so… so not Yusuke. He wasn't fired up and he wasn't fighting. He was just limply sitting there. Broken.

Yusuke felt as if a part of his soul was gone. He felt empty. He wanted his mate. He couldn't live without Keiko. Who would scold him for drinking too much beer or talk his ears off about math? There was no Keiko to slap him for being so down now. There's no Keiko to pummel him from pinching her arse.

It was cold.

Tears escaped Kyoko's eyes at Yusuke's condition. Botan and Yukina told her once that demon was most desperate and close to death when they lost their mate. It's like being ripped inside out and it was hollow. Yukina said that was what drove her mother to suicide after losing her mate and her child.

She wouldn't let Yusuke die.

Keiko was alive.

She was weak but she was sure there's something she could do to get her back. She would make sure that her sister was back. Yusuke would be sad otherwise. Her parents would be worried and she would be heart-broken.

"Keiko shouldn't have been taken. But she let her guard down." Kurama began their meeting. "Why?"

Kyoko removed her hands from her face. Wiping her tears with the sleeves of her turtleneck, she exhaled shakily, "I-I think… it's because of the meeting I had with Hakua at the mall."

Hibiki gasped and he blinked at her, "You met Hakua?"

"Yes." She nodded. Biting her lower lip, she hugged herself, "Yusuke's right. It is my fault. If I had been more careful… If I could just take care of my own libido then this wouldn't happen."

Shura shuffled awkwardly at her last words while Yui titled her head to the side, not understanding. "Shura, what's a libido?" she asked innocently. Shura blushed.

"Shut up and concentrate, dolt."

"Ignoring the last part," Kurama cleared his throat to gain the attention back on himself, "What happened? What did Hakua say to you?"

So Kyoko told them what happened and what Hakua told her. Hiei's fists were clenched tightly as he remembered, fury boiling in him. The others listened, worried and thinking, while Yusuke kept in a ball. They didn't know whether he was listening or too busy mourning.

Kurama thought as he listened to Kyoko's testimony. What was Hakua's intention? From his words to Kyoko, it was clear his target was Kyoko and he couldn't seem to care for Keiko now. He was confident he was strong enough to beat them so he wouldn't need to have Keiko as a hostage. Then why?

"Perhaps… it's because he wanted to lower Keiko's and Kyoko's guard." Shizuru calmly spoke, in deep thought, "He made it clear that he was targeting Kyoko to lower their guards. When Kyoko reported this to Hiei, he would undoubtfully be angry because he targeted Kyoko and you know how he is when he's angry," she rolled her eyes, "to calm him down, Kyoko helped relieve his anger. Of course, Keiko can't be there. It'd be highly disturbing."

The picture was getting clearer. Kurama nodded, agreeing with Shizuru. "That is the most probable reason." Then he continued from where the brunette left off, "So Keiko went home, completely unsuspecting when Hakua made himself known and took her. From the first, his intention was to draw attention away from Keiko."

"This is my fault…" Kyoko murmured shakily. She removed her trembling hands from her face, wiping her tears with the back of her hands, "I was careless. I thought Keiko was safe as long as I was the one targeted."

"Kyoko, you are still a target in this case. No doubt." Botan inputted, "The question now is… what does Hakua want with Keiko?"

Kurama agreed, "It is probable that he wants to use Keiko against Yusuke. There's also a chance that he wants an exchange – between you and Keiko."

Hiei tensed. His eyes narrowed. He wouldn't let that happen.

He wasn't happy about what happened with Keiko. The brunette was still a part of his pack. But he didn't want his mate taken even more. Even a thousand Keiko didn't worth anything compared to Kyoko.

It was different for Yusuke though.

If they were given the choice between Kyoko and Keiko, who would he choose - his mate Keiko or his sister Kyoko? Or perhaps he would fight for them? But did he have the strength to fight without his mate?

"The chances for both choices are high. It'll take too much time to bother thinking about the reason behind Keiko's kidnapping. Right now we should be more preoccupied about getting Keiko back. I have an idea how to." Botan suggested, successful in getting Yusuke to peek at them, showing that he was, in fact, listening to their whole discussion. His eyes were red and puffy and they didn't dare voice the fact that he was crying.

"Do you remember that machine we used in order to get Kyoko's whereabouts when she was the one kidnapped?" light came into her family's eyes and she smiled, "Yep. I think we can use that."

Hiei watched his mate, worry hidden behind aloofness in his crimson eyes. Kyoko had been silent after the discussion. She sat on the terrace, looking up at the glowing moon, sipping warm green tea. He leaned against the doorway behind her, still prepared for a fight in case Hakua came or Yusuke rampaged.

Kyoko asked to be left alone but he wouldn't. They were one. They were alone with each other. Besides, he was silent so his presence shouldn't be any kind of disturbance. It did unnerve him to have her so silent.

"Hey," his eyes flickered lazily over to punk coming over to them. Yusuke looked down but he managed a small grin, which truthfully looked more like a grimace, and waved his hand. "Mind giving us a moment?" he motion to Kyoko, who had turned her head to see him when he came.

Hiei narrowed his eyes, "One funny business and you better sleep with one eye open." He warned before flitting away. The two of them had no doubt that the pyro demon was still somewhere close to eavesdrop.

Without asking for an invitation, Yusuke sat down beside her, eyes following hers to the sky above. "So," he said in a low voice, "Kuwabara and Shizuru are using that machine."

"Yes."

"If you were still human, you would be the one there. You know Keiko better than anyone."

"Probably." Kyoko nodded. She thought by being a demon she would be more of use – with her energy and all, but it seemed like she was more useful human. "Would you rather I'm a human?"

Yusuke hesitated a moment before he answered, "No." he answered, "You're better off a demon. Hiei won't be pissed when you die of old age and stuff so we won't have to face him. Most of us are immortals so it's good that you're one too."

Kyoko remained silent.

"Keiko... she said after she dies, she wants to become a reaper. She said it looks fun and that way she can be with me- us." She glanced at her little brother, waiting for him to continue when he fell silent. "It's not like I'm not happy or anything but- you know… I really hate the thought of her dying. She would have to get old, sick and die before she can become a reaper. And then, she'd have a lot to study all over again. It's a little… unfair."

"Because I can become immortal without being old and dying. I guess it is." She smiled forlornly.

"While she will get old, I'll still be young and kicking. That's unfair too." He sighed, leaning back against his arms. "But she said there's no use regretting after done things. She was born a human so she'll live as one until the end."

Her smile tightened. "That sounds like Keiko."

"Yeah…"

They went back to silence. Tilting her head, Kyoko rested against Yusuke's shoulder. She exhaled, "I'm sorry for Keiko. I agree. It's my fault. I-"

"No. The hag said it's normal for normal people to lower down their guards after an act like Hakua's. I was just… frustrated. Keiko called me. She sounded so scared and panicked but I couldn't do anything. And now she's taken and- You shouldn't blame yourself. It's my fault. I wasn't fast enough." Blushing a little when he caught himself in the middle of his rant, he cleared his throat, "Sorry I snap at you earlier, Kyo-nee."

"Yusuke…" she sobbed, hugging him, "I am glad you don't hate me. That would make me so sad."

"There's no way I'll hate the first woman to hit me for not washing my butt clean." He grinned. "I love you, Kyo-nee." He whispered, scratching his cheek.

"I love you too, Yusuke."

Atop the rooftop, Hiei watched the scenes unfold below him, lips quirking upwards at the smile on his mate's face.

That night, they left the temple and went back to their own home. Hiei let her down from his back, holding her bag from her when she removed her shoes.

"I bought you cakes at the mall. It's in the freezer. I'll make you tea, okay?" going to the kitchen, Hiei as her shadow, she prepared tea to go along with the cakes for him. "I'll go and take a bath first then I'll join you." she pecked his lips softly.

He wouldn't let her leave however. His arms wound around her middle, dragging her close to him, burying his face in her chest. Guiltily, knowing why he was being so clingy, Kyoko hugged him back, running her fingers through his hair, no longer dry from her treatment.

"You hurt me, Mate." he whispered.

It surprised her that he didn't went berserk after she snapped at him, blaming him for taking her time that cause Keiko's kidnapping. It was a momentary thought. She didn't even know where that came from. The words escaped her mouth without her consent.

"I'm sorry." She kissed the top of his head, "You know I don't really blame you, right?"

"You're emotional, Onna. Of course I knew that you're just being stupid."

"But it still hurt, right?" she smiled, "I'm sorry. Really, I am." He sighed, turning his head to the side to press his ear against his chest. But this time there wasn't any heartbeat to greet him. "You know that I love you, so much, right?"

"Hn." He grunted, a language he hadn't spoken in a while. "You will make up for it, won't you?"

Chuckling, Kyoko pushed him away, "I'll pamper you, Love, promise. It's been a while since your hair has a treatment." He looked disgusted. Hiei always complained that it made him feel like a girl whenever she forced him for hair treatment. "Don't make that face. Your hair may be soft and fluffy but it's dry. Must be because of the heat you radiate. Don't worry, though, I'll take care of that." Kissing his covered forehead, Kyoko removed his arms from her, "I'll take a bath then prepare the water for you. Enjoy your sweets."

Winking, Kyoko left.

Hiei was glad that she had cheered up a little. She could smile and tease now. Should he thank Yusuke? But on second thought, it's that punk's fault she was sad anyway.

Turning on the lights, Kyoko put her bag down by the bed. "Hm?" she hummed, eyes catching the single folded paper on top of her pillow. She picked it up, cautious. It's not normal to receive letter at this time of the night, right? Especially someone as protected as her.

Your soul for the brunette.

I will wait three days.

P.S: Don't forget the miasma.

Simple words. Not cryptic in the slightest. She knew what they meant.

Turning to look at the back of the paper, she noticed the unique writing which looked like Japanese combined with Arabian and Russian, complete gibberish – the native Makai language. She could suddenly use the language after she turned into a demon.

So what will be your answer?

To Be Continued…

That's all for today's update! Nothing much except some much needed fluff and more complex meeting to get Keiko back. This story's getting to the end and I'm beyond sad. I'm kind of lonely thinking like that...

Thank you for reading and I hope you'll review! Bye!