Disclaimer: Don't own them…

Author's notes: Hey… Why isn't anyone sending any more fanfics! Please write!!!!!

                        Thanks!!!! (Please R & R this too ~_~;)

Part 4

Vita Brevis

March 10

3:59 p.m.

The birds fluttered by noisily, chirping nonsense to each other, and landed on a large clock on the school wall. Each fluffed its own feathers, spreading their wings and boasting out their unique colors, taking time, as if they had no care in the world. The sunlight streamed down from between leaves, leaving patches of different colors on the meadow below, spotlighting a few dancing butterflies and grazing caterpillars. The breeze blew softly once in a while, bringing with it the smell of spring (and a few leaves of course), cooling the place up and only added to the beauty of the scenery.

Suddenly, the clock of the school sounded, giving off the time – 4:00 – in the afternoon, and at the same time, scared off the perching birds. They flew above a guy waiting across the street, and he watched them, amused, then his attention was turned towards the clock, and he read the hour of the day. He snorted quite fondly as he lightly whispered, "Hm… Too early this time…"

~ÀÀÀÀÀ~

Earlier today

Kuwabara gently brushed off a few locks of red hair from Kurama's face, and smiled softly when the latter stirred, then promptly opened his eyes. The redhead immediately gave him a radiant smile and then stretched languorously, managing to speak out at the same time, "You woke up early."

"Earlier than you, you mean."

Kurama had to smile at this again and sat up, "Something smells good."

"Hehe… I tried to come up with something edible. You still have forty-five minutes to prepare. It's a miracle you woke up late!" The carrot-top removed the apron he was wearing, slightly embarrassed to be caught dead in it. He tried to pry off the egg he had fried earlier and placed it on his roommate's plate. After a few minutes, Kurama came out of the bathroom, leaving a rose-scented trail, and dressed up in their school uniform. Once more, Kuwabara's face reddened when he remembered the nosebleed he had when he first saw the shorter guy's naked body. Damn... good thing I've gotten immune already... Or that I have the option to look away...

"Kuwabara-kun, are you okay? Your nose is bleeding!"

Kuwabara quickly got a wad of tissue paper and dabbed it on his nose. Kurama looked at him worriedly and went to assist, but the taller youth stopped him, knowing full well that the redhead's touch will only cause more bleeding to occur. He sheepishly grinned and thought wryly, 'Immune, aren't I?'

As the two headed out, Kuwabara noticed that Kurama was holding something quite large. He offered to bring it, since he was not carrying anything else, unlike the redhead, who was still had books at the crook of his arm. The latter thanked him, and when the carrot-top received it, he whistled, "Whoa… is this what kept you up last night?"

Kurama slightly blushed at the way the remark was said, then ran a hand over the curved lines and other textures on the canvas, "Yes. It was addicting, I couldn't put my brush down…"

The burly youth proceeded to stare at the painting. It had an autumn theme to it, the dominant color being brown. A molded brick path became the subject, some tiles illuminated by the patches of sunlight that managed to stream through. There were trees lined up each side, leaves golden, some falling. Street lamps also stood, and doves of pure white perched on them. The grasses below seemed to really sway, and all-in-all, the picture gave off a lonely, peaceful feeling… "God, you're a damn artist!"

This only served to make his companion blush deeper, his face now buried under waves of red hair. The carrot-top smiled a bit teasingly, "This due today?"

"Hai."

"Looks hard… Hehe… I'm glad I didn't sign up for art classes."

"Really, Kuwa-chan. Sports is hardly what anyone only needs."

Now it was Kuwabara's turn to blush. He blurted out, saliva following, "Well, I'm only good at sports…"

"Liar!" Kurama began playfully, "You just haven't tried out anything else…"

The Rei-ken wielder looked at the amused face and adamantly stated, "Of course I have!"

A fine-lined brow rose, "Honto ka? Like what, for example?" 

Kuwabara looked up and tried to remember what he had done in the past. Beat up people… um… basketball, then… then… and…um… beat up people! "Um…" his voice trailed off.

"See?"

Kuwabara snapped his fingers, almost dropping the painting, "Violin lessons!"

"Violin lessons?" the redhead asked, almost disbelievingly.

"Yeah. Violin lessons. I was about 7 or something…"

The half-youko looked at his friend and saw that his eyes had misted over, in cheery remembrance. He prodded the other to continue, "And then…?"

The reply was slightly disoriented, "Hm? Then what?"

"What happened to your lessons?"

A mischievous smirk appeared, giving his companion a sense of foreboding, "Oh… Hehe… I got so frustrated that I…. *smirk* " A twinkle in the eye, "I bashed my teacher's head with the instrument. Hehe… he ended up in the hospital…"

Numerous sweatdrops appeared, "Oh…" Mental note to self: NEVER tutor Kuwabara on any kind of instrument…

The two continued on in accompaniable silence.

"Ehem… Kuwabara Kazuma."

YUKINA-CHAN!!!!! The snowmaiden turned and gave Kuwabara a warm smile. The carrot top immediately turned red all over, his speech in mind all fled.

"Kuwabara Kazuma!"

Giggles and sneers could be heard in the background. The English teacher annoyedly approached the large man sitting at the back.

"Um… Erm.. Yukina-chan… will you…"

Kuwabara gazed at his love's face and saw that her cheeks were equally flushed as well. He began stuttering, "I… I…"

"Yes, Kuwabara-kun?"

"Will… will you… WILLyouMARRYme?"

Yukina giggled slightly, covering her mouth with a hand. Kuwabara scratched his head, "What's so funny? I'm serious, what do you say?"

The snowmaiden replied, but the carrot-top wasn't able to hear it. He came closer and asked, "Gomen. What was that? Make out?" He thought of what he said then suddenly became the color of a tomato.

The little woman shook her head and said, "Wake up."

"Eh? Wake up?"

"YES. WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!"

Kuwabara immediately jolted up and hit his head on something hard. As he rubbed the offended area, he was terrified when he realized what he had hit – his teacher's jaw. He stood up to apologize, but his chair fell back and landed hard on his sensei's foot. The latter yelped in pain, "KUWABARA!!!!"

4:45 p.m.

"Sorry I can't go out yet, Kurama. Teacher gave me a detention slip…"

Kurama sighed quietly and turned to the burly man with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll wait. What did you do this time? Sleepwalk?"

Kuwabara sweatdropped, "Kind of. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, it was the end of the world."

"What was the major disaster?"

"Teacher attack."

"Ooh…" The taller guy winced at that remark. The redhead merely patted his back and offered, "Don't worry, I'll wait for you. Then we can go out of the dormitory together."

Kuwabara's disposition suddenly changed, and he had an evil twinkle in his eyes, "Nah. I don't think so. I know someone's waiting for you outside. And he won't appreciate me holding you out for four hours…"

Kurama abruptly stopped and stood in attention when he finally remembered, "Oh… I forgot!"

His companion also halted and laughed out loud, drawing attention, "Don't worry, he'll understand. Hehehe… Waiting's good for him too, you know…"

The half-youko bowed apologetically and bade goodbye, "Gomen, Kuwabara-kun. I can't stay and share your pain…"

"Wow, you make it sound so romantic. That's okay. Wait, maybe I WILL keep you here longer. That way, he'll suffer. Never mind, maybe he'll barge in and… As long as I know you're safe as you go home. Punch him for me will you?"

"Kuwa-kun!"

No sooner had the redhead stepped out of the building, trouble followed him. He froze when he saw a group of boys in college university uniforms approaching. One guy, the shortest among them (but they were all tall) led the rest, and when he reached in close proximity to Kurama, he knelt on one knee and brought out a bouquet of roses. Kurama stared at it apprehensively, weighed his duffel bag on one shoulder, and after a while, accepted it, "Thank you, Seiji. Um… to what do I owe this visit?"

"Owe? Nothing, my beautiful creature… Except… maybe dinner out?"

The half-youko sweatdropped- he kind of knew this was coming. He also suspected that the four bulky guys surrounding Seiji were meant for threatening him, if ever he would say no. But still, he cleared his throat and firmly replied, "I'm sorry, Seiji, but I already have plans."

The man stiffened for a moment before standing up. He had a suspicious smile on his face, "You know I never take 'no' for an answer Minamino-kun." With that statement, he grabbed the redhead's arm and the other four proceeded to try and tie his legs and arms up, one student covering his mouth in case he would call for help. Through his struggling, he vaguely heard Seiji saying, "You may only be a high school student, Minamino, but your beauty already surpasses those I have seen so far. I want you…"

"Sorry, but that's as close as you'll be to him."

Kurama was suddenly freed and as he sat there, trying to clear his head and the bonds that wrapped him, shouts of pain and bodies falling were the background music. Finally, a last scream, and a hand landed on his shoulder, "Kurama, daijoubu?"

The mangled redhead merely looked up at his savior and gave off a small smile, "Hai. Thanks, Yuusuke. Again."

"I can never leave you alone without any horny creature trying to harass you."

Kurama visibly winced at that. Yuusuke started to regret that he ever said it, "Sorry. I didn't think before I said it out loud."

The redhead put down his cup of coffee. The two were sitting in this little coffee shop after deciding that maybe a little break from walking, not to mention after the incident a while ago, would really be appreciated. Kurama looked out the glass window to the setting sun, and the streets filled with hurrying people, "No, you're right. It's just that…"

Yuusuke put down his own cup, "Just what?"

A soft laugh came out, "Yuusuke, have you forgotten about my parole in Reikai?"

"Parole? That's right! Also Hi- It's not over yet? They already kicked me out of the Tantei biz…"

"Yes, but I still have maybe a few decades left. That's why I can't… hurt humans. It may add to the years."

"That's ridiculous! What will you become then? Forever bait to over-hormoned high school miffs, not to mention college hornies…"

Kurama had to gasp at that, "Yuusuke, so vulgar!"

"Sorry." There was a moment of silence. But this was swiftly filled up, "You know, if things are like that, then I probably believe there's no god at all. Providing I never worked in Reikai…"

"Really? Why is that?"

"Everything's unfair. Some live like they own the world, while others can barely make it through a day. I mean, if there are really angels and gods up there, why hasn't any astronaut caught sight of them?"

Kurama seemed amused, as if saying, 'well… he's finally thinking', and promptly replied, "A brain surgeon has operated on many brains, but never has he caught sight of a thought."

This shut up Yuusuke. For a while, because he whistled, "Whew… That was deep. Okay then… Which came first? The chicken or the egg?"

"That's an old riddle."

"Yeah, but heck, just humor me, you know. Actually, I really want to know your opinion."

"I believe that the egg came first."

Yuusuke raised his brow, "Really? I thought it was the chicken. Where else could the egg have come from? How could it hatch without the warmth of the hen?"

Kurama smiled widely, "But can you imagine a hen popping out of nowhere?"

The descendant of Raizen scrunched up his face, "Okay, sounds reasonable… But it's opposite with humans. And that's the part I hate. I mean, we have to study and work in preparation for adulthood."

"I'd have to disagree with that."

Again, a confused look, "What? Why?"

"I think being an adult is only a stage on the way to more children being born."

"But grown-ups supposedly came first. Without them, children would never be born."

"I don't think so. Without the children, there wouldn't be any grown-ups. Children are the ones who come into the world first. The adults always come limping after until they get older."

Yuusuke scratched his head, "You have a weird way of looking at things."

"No, my perception is just unique."

"Is that what happens when you live through centuries?"

A playful smirk, "Why don't you go ask Raizen?"

"Nah, he'll look at me as if I'm an E.T. or something. Okay then, I have another question."

"Fire away."

"When people are sad, they cry, right?"

"Yes?"

"Why is it that when something is beautiful, people also shed tears? Or that when something is ugly, they laugh?"

"You're really full of ideas, Yuu-chan. Do you ask Keiko these too?"

The accused guy blushed, "Nah. It's so much as asking for a pan on the head." He gave a teasing look and remarked, "What's the matter? Running out of answers?"

Kurama laughed, causing Yuusuke feel light as well. He really liked it whenever the redhead would be so bubbly because it was only rare that he saw the other so happy… "Hardly," came the half-youko's reply.

"Okay then, Wise One. Give some light on this problem."

"Yes, we cry when something is sad. We weep when something is beautiful as well, and laugh when something is ugly. I think people become sad when something is beautiful because they know it will soon fade, and laugh at something horrible-looking because they know it is a joke."

The shorter youth had to wince at that, "Ouch. Just like clowns."

"Yes, like clowns. They are really amusing because they're… weird to look at. But let's take Suzuki as an example. When he takes off his mask, a handsome person is revealed."

"Maybe that's why clowns are both sad and happy at the same time."

"Yes. They all wear masks. During the show, what we see are overly-wide smiles and twinkling eyes, but we never know that deep inside, they are crying…"

All of a sudden, a hand had held the half-youko's own, "That's because they hide behind those masks. They never say it out loud… It becomes hard to decipher when one pretends to be doing something when another is actually happening. The heart speaks the truth best, but it is way times better if the person actually admits it."

The taller was visibly surprised. After a pause, he replied, "Maybe." Once again, there was a moment of silence.

A few minutes passed. Yuusuke turned his attention to the kids playing outside while Kurama proceeded to stare at the dark pool of liquid in his cup. Finally, it was latter's turn to break the soundless atmosphere, "Yuusuke, can I ask you something?"

The person in question mimicked what his friend had said earlier, "Fire away."

"Why do you keep doing these things for me? Fetch me from school, spend time with me… I'm not complaining, but… You have a family, you know…"

Yuusuke, without hesitation, said, "Life is brief, Kurama." He looked at his companion's puzzled expression. Deep inside, however, was different, and he felt like one of those clowns they just talked about. His self silently whispered towards the redhead, If you only knew…

Tbc…