Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.
Well, it's been a fun time, but all good things have to end. Here's chapter 11 plus epilogue of "Lovers, Friends and Foes."
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Chapter 11: Three Eyes Fixes Everything
Days passed, and Kurama still hadn't gone to see his mother. Keiko and Yusuke helped him out, letting him wash his clothes at their house and giving him food. His once cheery persona faded, and Hiei didn't know what to do. He began pushing Kurama to go and talk to Shiori.
*Just do it, fox. You need a bed to sleep on, you became too used to them.*
*No, Hiei.* Hiei always gave up. The last thing he wanted was Kurama to think he was against him, too. He loved Kurama, and supported his decisions 100%. He just didn't like the look in Kurama's eyes, when he thought no one was looking at him. If he didn't fix things with Shiori soon, Hiei feared that Kurama would die. Hiei decided that the only way to make Kurama happy, was to talk to Shiori for him. He would go tomorrow, when Kurama was at school.
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Hiei trudged up the path, to Kurama's house. It was strange going to the door, instead of the window, but it was no matter. He had to do this, for Kurama. He knocked on the door. Shiori came to the door, half ready for work, running late as usual. When she saw who was at the door, she froze.
*What is it? Where's Shuuichi?* She demanded, not inviting Hiei into the house.
*Your Shuuichi is about to die. My Kurama is going to go with him. You know that he loves you, I know that he loves you more than anyone else. Yes, he has another life he leads, but no one, and I mean NO one, is held closer in his heart than you.*
*Except you.*
*NO! Not even me. You, Shiori, have known him longer. You are the one he wishes to please. You are his entire human life.*
*Then what about the kitsune life?*
*It barely exists. We only see Youko when he's in battle, and needs to summon up as much power as possible. Your son, he's very strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever seen, even me. He has wonderful composure and patience, and I've hardly ever seen him get angry. He is everything I've ever wanted to be, and I have the privilege of being one of two people he loves. But he still loves you more. You should be proud, that you are loved like that, Shiori. You should think, long and hard, about what you've kicked out of your house.* And with that, Hiei jumped out of sight. Shiori gasped, as the small man disappeared before her eyes, and slowly closed the door. She walked to the couch, and sat down. "He's right." she thought, "Shuuichi is more important to me than the small fact that he's a kitsune." Shiori looked at her clothes, and decided to change. There would be no work today, she was going to pull Shuuichi from school, and take him for a walk in the park.
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*Hello, I am Minamino Shiori, Minamino Shuuichi's mother. I need to take him out of school early.* Shiori stood before a secretary at Shuuichi's school, waiting for her to respond.
*Yes, yes. You should be proud, you have quite an exceptional son.* Shiori smiled "I know." *Unfortunately, we cannot let him out of school.*
*No, you don't understand. I need to see him, right now.*
*For what reason?*
*He's very sick. Contagious.*
*Right. Well, it's an excuse. Lets see, he's in …* Shiori smiled and nodded as the secretary rattled off the whereabouts of her son. *Shall I call him down?*
*Yes, please. And… could you not tell him I'm here?* the secretary eyed her suspiciously, but agreed and sent a student down to her son's class, with a note in her hand.
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Kurama was trying desperately to pay attention in class, but his eyes kept wandering to the window and his mother and Hiei. He wondered how his life got so horrible, and why no one understood what he was, or what he wanted. The classroom door opened, and a small excited girl entered the room. She handed the teacher a piece of paper, and stood, waiting. The teacher read the note.
*Minamino Shuuichi. They need you in the office. Right now. Take your bag.* Kurama, relieved to have something to do, grabbed his bag and followed the little girl out of the room. He noticed she was barely breathing, and smiled when she jumped, as he asked her name.
*Uhh uhh uhh my name is… uhh uhh uhh Rita.* She stammered, temporarily forgetting her own name.
*You shouldn't be so scared, Rita.*
*Yes, Shuuichi.* she smiled sweetly, trying to win him over. He just smiled sympathetically. His hand went to his pocket, and he fingered the small box that held his rose. His thoughts wandered to Hiei once more, as he walked towards the office. Nearing the office, he caught a familiar scent. It smelled like Shiori. He froze in his steps, afraid of entering the office. Rita smiled at him.
*Don't worry. You're not in trouble. You have a visitor.*
*Yes, I know.* confused, Rita pushed him into the office, and went back to her seat. Kurama stood, just past the doorway of the office, staring at his mother.
*Mother? Why are you here?* he asked, afraid she was going to tell him he could no longer go to school. "Or if she blows my secret right here... I shouldn't have told her…"
*Shuuichi, you know you are sick. Come, we must go home.* she replied, taking his hand and leading him out of the school. But, she did not go to her car.
*Um, mother, where are we going?* Kurama asked, completely confused as to what was happening.
*Well, your boyfriend came by and knocked some sense into me.* she said.
*HIEI HIT YOU!?* Kurama yelled, shocked yet not shocked that Hiei would hit his mother.
*No, dear. He simply talked to me. He told me a few things about you, and I think he is very wise. You're lucky to have someone like him in your life. He is worthy of you, unlike me.*
*No, mother, you have it wrong. I'm not worthy of you.* Kurama replied, whispering. Shiori stopped at a park bench and sat down. She beckoned her son, who sat next to her. He looked at her face, hoping to see love. He did.
*Shuuichi, can I still call you Shuuichi?*
*Yes, it is my name.*
*No, it isn't.*
*But for you it is, so I'll give up Youko Kurama forever, to be your Minamino Shuuichi.* Shiori smiled at her son, tears glittering in her eyes.
*Oh, Shuuichi! I'm so sorry that I didn't understand! I know you're a demon or whatever, but it's not important! It's like Hiei says, he is lucky to be loved by you, and so am I!* Kurama gasped. "Hiei said that? To my mother?" Kurama looked at his mother, who had collapsed on his shoulder.
*I understand that I have a very long past. Longer than you can imagine, but right now, I'm yours. I love you, and I wish to live with you again.* Shiori looked up at her son, who was nearing tears. She smiled and nodded.
*I'd love for you to live with me again.* With that, they both collapsed into each others arms, crying and holding each other tighter and tighter.
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*So, you told my mother you were lucky to be loved by me?*
*No.*
*Liar.*
*It's true. I am very lucky to be loved by you. You are the closest to perfect that is possible. Now come, we should put your things back in your room.* Kurama wrapped his arms around Hiei and allowed himself to be jumped to his window. Finally, he was on the outside of his window, and he detached himself from Hiei, who simply held on longer.
*Hiei, let me go.*
*Hn.* Hiei simply held him tighter.
*Let me go.*
*Just never be sad again.* Hiei finally released his love, and looked into the emeralds that were his eyes. Kurama turned and opened the window.
*Come on, three eyes.* Kurama beckoned the small fire demon. Hiei obliged, not liking the new nick name. They entered Kurama's room, and Kurama began putting everything back in it's place. The only thing he didn't put back in it's place was the picture of Hiei. This, he thumb tacked to his wall, right next to his bed. That way, no matter where Hiei was, he would still be sleeping next to Kurama. Hiei looked at the picture, taking in every detail.
*I still can't believe you did that.* Kurama blushed.
*You looked so peaceful!* Hiei smiled, looking at Kurama.
*Next to you, how can anyone not be peaceful?* and he pulled Kurama into a kiss.
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Epilogue
Shiori began to forget that her son was actually Youko Kurama. She liked to believe it was all a dream. It would be easier for her to forget, if he didn't always come home with blood and rips on his clothes. She allowed Kurama to see Hiei, and even allowed to small demon to sleep in his room. She figured if her son was sure of what he wanted, who was he to deny him love?
Kurama and Hiei spent many many years still realizing how much they loved each other. With each new step in their relationship, their love only grew. They lived together for a long time, and never allowed anything to come between them.
Yusuke and Keiko lived their life together on rocky terms, but never loving each other any less. They always made up, and Yusuke always made her angry all over again. She loved him, no matter how stupid he would act.
Kuwabara spent his life running after Yukina. He loved her so much, and Hiei finally recognized it as true love. How could he deny anyone such a wonderful feeling? So, he finally sat down and had a talk with Yukina. He told her of Kuwabara's love for her, and he also told her he was her brother. At first, she did not believe him, until he told her stories of how he had watched her while she grew. He was expecting her to hate him, shun him, anything, but all she did was hug and kiss him. It was all she ever wanted, to know who her brother was. And she had always secretly wished that her brother could be like Hiei. Strong, yet soft at the same time. She said she couldn't be happier.
Hiei, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Yusuke led many more battles against many more demons for many more reasons. Even after Kurama and Hiei's sentence was up, they continued to work with Yusuke and Kuwabara, simply because of their tight friendship. Botan and Koenma found them to be the most precious of all their detectives, and began to use them only for the most important cases.
And so their lives were led, everyone happy except for the occasional wound or injury sustained by a demon (or Keiko in Yusuke's case). Kurama never looked back on the events detailed here, in this story, with regret or hate. He simply saw them as stepping stones, used to strengthen the relationships he had with the two people he held closest to him. And whenever he woke up with a nightmare, or had a bad memory, Hiei was there to comfort him and soothe the pain out of his head.
And the roses always bloomed earliest at Kurama's house.
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And that's chapter 11 and the epilogue. So now I'm done. I like how I did the last line of the entire story matching the first line of the entire story. It made me happy. I had to do it, because I couldn't think of some better line. But yea, Respond to it. This is my first attempt at a fanfic, so I hope that you guys liked it. It's a snow day, so I forced my writers block away.