I'm broken hearted, I can't let you know

And I won't let it show

You won't see me cry.

- Cry – Rihanna


Yusuke stomped away from the room, angry and hurt. It manifested outwardly through his scowl and his aura that warned everyone away from him or else…

He was pissed, so fucking pissed. It was so obvious that Kurama's suggestion of getting more food was just to get Yusuke out of the room. Yusuke wasn't the sharpest knife in a box, but even he could tell when he was an unwanted presence. He would leave himself, thank you very much. Fucking Hiei and Kurama could pay for the bill, meanwhile.

The last thought paused Yusuke in his steps. Right… Kurama and Hiei were going to pay for the bill. Yusuke was pissed off at them right now and still hungry. What was a better way of killing two birds with one stone?

Yusuke turned around and headed back into the restaurant, his intention clear in his mind. Kurama told him to get more food, didn't he? Well, Yusuke guessed he fucking would then and merrily send them the bill.

"Get me six of the most expensive dishes," Yusuke shouted as he barged into the kitchen.

"Mister, you can't just barge into here –"

"Holy, you –" someone exclaimed. Yusuke turned to find a vaguely familiar waiter staring closely at him. "You came in with Lord Hiei and Lord Kurama, didn't you?"

"He knows the gods?"

"Came in with Lord Hiei and Lord Kurama?"

"Just who is he?"

"He looks shabby" – Yusuke bristled when he heard that but was unable to tell who said it – "but to think he knows such important people."

"Better listen to his demand then."

"It'll be an honor to cook for the gods," someone called out. From the way everyone quieted down to listen to her, Yusuke assumed she was the head chef or something of the like. "Everyone, drop whatever order you took and let's cook the most delicious meal for the gods first!"

"Yeah!" everyone in the kitchen chorus in agreement.

Ten minutes later, Yusuke had all six dishes in hand packaged and ready for him to take away.

"Wow," Yusuke said, his anger mostly dissipated sometime after watching the chefs go into flurry of movements and efficiently finished cooking his dishes. "You guys are damn good, aren't you?"

"Of course," the head chef said proudly. "But enough of that. You should quickly bring those dishes to whoever the gods told you to deliver it to. It won't taste as good after it cools down."

A sense of guilt entered Yusuke's mind at those words.

"Right," Yusuke said. Looking at all the chefs who looked so proud of themselves, he couldn't bring himself to tell them that he lied by omission and didn't correct their misconception that he was helping Kurama and Hiei deliver their dishes to someone they deem important. Instead, he said, "Thanks. You know who to give the bill to."

"Glad to be a service to the gods," someone said and before Yusuke could listen to anything else of the like, he quickly ducked out of the kitchen. He couldn't even feel good for the revenge he just played on Hiei and Kurama now.

"Move!" someone said, shoving Yusuke away from the threshold of the door. The man glared at him, recognition lighting in his eyes for a second, before he pushed his way into the kitchen. "Out of the way," the owner of the restaurant said.

Yusuke glared back for a moment, before he shook his head and headed toward the door.

Suddenly, a hand wrenched Yusuke's shoulder back.

"Stop right there, you thief!" someone exclaimed. Yusuke was forced to turn around and he saw it was the same restaurant owner. "Security!"

Yusuke wrested his arm back. "What the fuck?" Yusuke said, indignant.

"Don't you dare go when you have caused my restaurant this much chaos!" the owner of the restaurant shouted.

Indeed, the restaurant did seem to be chaotic for a high-class restaurant like this. Waiters and waitresses scurried around from table to table, trying to placate irate customers. Yusuke did noticed it before, but he didn't pay too much attention to it, too intent he was on leaving the restaurant and the immortals in it since he wanted some space to think.

"What does that fucking have to do with me?" Yusuke demanded, forgotten anger rising up like a familiar friend again.

"Such vulgar language and denial even at this point," the restaurant owner hissed. A sneer slid across his face as he looked down on Yusuke. "As expected of those of the lower class!"

"Don't bring my class into this," Yusuke hissed back. "And I am not denying anything because there is nothing to deny!"

"You've been in the kitchen and told my chefs to cook your meals, didn't you?!" the owner shouted back. "Because of that, they abandoned their orders to cook the meals, thinking it was for the gods. But no, it's only for a lower class plebeian like you!"

Guilt flushed into Yusuke's system once again, but he ignored it in favor of marching up to the restaurant owner.

"I said," Yusuke growled, grabbing the front of the other man's shirt threateningly. "Stop bringing my class into this!"

"Resorting to violence now, I see," the owner sneered, even as a drop of sweat slid from his forehead. His eyes narrowed cruelly at him. "As expected of a classless boy like you."

Anger flushed Yusuke's cheeks and made his fist shook with the effort he made to hold back from punching the bastard's face. "Fuck off!" Yusuke hissed, shoving the owner back. The owner landed on his ass like a toddler who couldn't stand straight, but even that couldn't improve Yusuke's mood. By doing that, he just proved the bastard's words right.

Yusuke turned to leave.

"That's right, leave, scum," the owner spat out. "You don't belong here, in this restaurant or by the gods' side. Just because they take pity on you doesn't mean you can overstep your boundaries with them. This restaurant, this town and the gods are way beyond your league. Remember that."

A tear squeezed out of the corner of Yusuke's eyes. He angrily wiped it away as he swung around. "Take your fucking food back!" Yusuke shouted as he flung the bag of takeout – which undoubtedly worth more than what he could earn in a fucking lifetime– at the owner. "I don't fucking want it!"

The contents of the food slipped out of their container, drenching the bastard and his expensive clothes. The owner spluttered stupidly on the ground. Yusuke should feel vindictively satisfied at the sight, but watching it brought Yusuke no feeling of victory.

Instead, it made Yusuke want to fucking cry.

Yusuke looked up and at the disgusted outraged indignant looks that was leveled on him, Yusuke hurried out the door.

Xxx

"Yusuke," a voice called out, but he didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Right… What made him ever think he could be with gods and fucking immortals? The difference between them was so great it might as well be like the distance between heaven and hell.

Yusuke was an idiot for ever even considering that Hiei or Kurama might like him. Everyone knew that immortals may bed with mortals, but they don't ever fall for them. Why would such perfect beings ever want to be with flawed mortals?

Stupid, stupid, stupid and now Yusuke was the one with the broken heart.

"Yusuke!" the voice called louder and for the second time of the day, Yusuke's wrist was grabbed.

"Why can't anyone ever fucking give me a break!" Yusuke shouted, whirling around as he lashed out with a punch.

It was expertly caught with a skilled hand and with one maneuver, Yusuke was found with his arm behind his back.

"Calm down," the familiar voice said, breathing down his back.

"Fucking Toguro!" Yusuke hissed, glaring at the Sakyo's bodyguard. "Let go!"

Toguro let go and stepped back.

Yusuke twisted away from him, his blood boiling. "What a damn way to greet someone!"

"You're upset," Toguro commented.

"Of course I am! I –" Yusuke cut himself off, not knowing and suddenly not wanting to know what he would have said if he hadn't.

Toguro gazed silently at Yusuke for another moment, before he said, "Sakyo wants to see you."

"Why?" Yusuke asked.

"You'll know if you come with me," Toguro said blandly.

Yusuke hesitated. Truth was he just wanted to be alone, but now that Yusuke was not so keyed-up, he was prudent enough to realize that he wasn't familiar with the area at all, nor did he have any money on him. In other words, unless he went with Toguro, he would be stranded.

"Fine," Yusuke said. "But you better not lock my arm like that again."

A smirk slid across Toguro's face. "If you don't run, sure."

Yusuke let out a huff and slowly relaxed himself. "Crazy bastard," Yusuke said, but followed Toguro anyway.

Toguro led Yusuke to a brothel of all places, albeit a high-class one.

"Sit," Toguro said, gesturing to the chair in the private room he led Yusuke to. "Do you want anything?"

"I want to know why you brought me here," Yusuke growled.

"Sakyo owns this place," Toguro explained, "so he could communicate with you without it appearing suspicious. Besides, everyone here works for Sakyo, so it's relatively safer for you here as long as Sakyo himself doesn't wish you harm."

"I wasn't in any danger."

"No, you just looked like you were about to have a panic attack."

Yusuke glared at Toguro, and he gazed back steadily. Yusuke gave up after another minute. It was like trying to glare down the moon. It just didn't work.

"I'll ask again, do you want anything?" Toguro said.

Yusuke shook his head.

"Okay, Sakyo is conducting business right now. He'll see you when he chooses to."

"Right… Thanks a lot," Yusuke said sarcastically.

Toguro shook his head and left.

Yusuke managed to stay in the room for a total of ten minutes before he ended up escaping the room. Poking his head out of the room's window, he spotted the brothel backyard. It contained an elegant pond of Koi fishes, and a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Yusuke watched it for a minute before he finally ended up jumping out the window to reach the garden in the backyard.

Yusuke ambled to the pond and squat down, watching the Koi fishes swim about in the pond. Yusuke didn't know how long he stared and at some point, he winded up sitting cross legged, but eventually and slowly, his anger and hurt melted away, leaving behind only a sense of calm.

"Sakyo," Yusuke uttered when he finally sensed the other's presence. He stood and turned to see Sakyo standing under the staircase that connected the backyard to the brothel itself. "Hey."

Something arched through the air and Yusuke instinctively caught it. Yusuke looked at Sakyo with confusion on his face. "What's this?"

A corner of Sakyo's mouth lifted as he ambled towards Yusuke. "Why don't you open it?"

Yusuke gazed at the palm-sized package in his hand for a moment, trying to figure out what it was in the paper wrapping, before finally untying the knot at the top. The paper held together by the knot fell back, uncovering what was inside and revealing it to be…

"Konpeitō," Yusuke said softly, picking up one of the round sugar candy.

"I recalled you liked them," Sakyo said.

Yusuke rolled his eyes, even as he popped the candy in his mouth. "When I was a kid, yeah."

"You're still a kid," Sakyo said, "who doesn't know when to talk to someone and instead, keeps everything in his heart and lets all his turmoil build up within him until it explodes."

Yusuke bit on the candy, and it split with a loud crack. "Not," Yusuke said after a moment, sucking furiously on the two halves of the candy.

"Talk then," Sakyo said.

"It's nothing. Just that…" Yusuke looked at Sakyo. "How do you and Kuwabara know you like someone just like that?" Yusuke snapped his finger to indicate 'that' referred to speed.

"I didn't," Sakyo said. "You and Kuwabara played matchmaker, remember? How did you know something existed between Shizuru and me?"

"I…" Yusuke said. "I don't know. Just a feeling, I guess. There just seemed to be something between you two…"

"Then you know how to recognize love then, Yusuke," Sakyo said. "Besides, only Kuwabara actually had the ability to recognize his love…" He waited for Yusuke to finish his sentence for him.

"…like that," Yusuke said with a small laugh and a snap.

"Exactly," Sakyo said. "You are worrying about your feelings for the god of life and the god of the Underworld?"

"How –?" Yusuke started, only to cut himself off. "Of course, perceptive bastard."

"What Lord Kurama said at court didn't seem to be all an act," Sakyo said.

"I don't know, Sakyo," Yusuke said. He plucked up another candy and stuck it in his mouth. "I don't know what to think anymore. Even you. You ended up being to a fucking official of Ehendel."

Sakyo raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't think I was really just a cloth merchant, did you?"

"No, but an official of Ehendel? Seriously!"

Sakyo chuckled. "Technically, I'm just a businessman who has enough money and connection to warrant a spot in meetings with the King. I helped fund the King's coup d'etat when she overthrew her eighth brother to seize the throne, after all."

"Why did you travel all the way to Runisca if you are from Ehendel then?"

"Runsica and Ehendel have been at war for twenty years. Any goods that pass from one country to the other would worth a lot."

"Still a businessman at heart, I see," Yusuke said.

"Hm. You can stay until you got everything sorted out," Sakyo said.

Yusuke looked at Sakyo in surprise. "Are you sure that won't get you in trouble or something? I mean, last time you dropped me like a hot potato."

Sakyo laughed. "I'm in my own territory, Yusuke. Little can get to me now. Besides, the cat is out of the bag. After the display at court, no doubt the King knows I'm acquainted with you."

"Crap, sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine. The war is ending either way, and I still have enough money and power that she can't charge me without evidence."

"Money and power, huh," Yusuke said. "Can't help feeling that we're worlds apart now."

"It's all a matter of perspective, Yusuke," Sakyo said. His hand reached out, picking one of the round sugar candies and popping it in his mouth. His jaw clamped down and crack.

The candy was split into two.


twilightserius, you're way too good with your predictions.

The rest of you guys are way too sweet to be angry at Kurama and Hiei on Yusuke's behalf.

Thank you for reading!