Normally Kuwabara fit in with a crowd. Yeah right. If normal was one thing Kazuma was another. Though he could have passed for normal today, that's if it wasn't for the bell on his neck. Not only a bell, a bell tied with ribbon - pink ribbon....... A soft, deep rose pink.
The bell hung just below his collarbone. He didn't usually wear his bell. But today was special. He was glad it wasn't a school day.......he wouldn't be caught with Eikichi's bell on. At least he called it Eikichi's bell, in all reality Eikichi had her own. Their bells matched. He usually wore the bell, just where no one could see it. It'd be in his backpack or pocket or something like that. But he always-always wore it on Eikichi's birthday. What he at least liked to think of as Eikichi's birthday. Of course it wasn't. But, heck, he loved the cat and since it was the date he found it on.....
Most people would give him an odd look before continuing on with their business. Most, not all. It was getting hard to ignore the completely outrageous stares some people had been giving him. He didn't think it was that noticeable. Though he imagined it looked odd. A tall red headed boy dressed in dark blue jeans, white short sleeved V-neck T-shirt in a light blue Jean jacket with a gleaming silver bell tied on a blush pink ribbon around his neck. He felt heat flow to his cheeks. Man, didn't anyone tell them staring was rude?
Kuwabara pulled his blue Jean jacket around him. The only reason he'd undone it in the first place was because it was so hot! He felt a little light headed. He'd played with Eikichi all morning and had given her some of her favorite food and some mango slices. Now he was just........why was he out again? He didn't even remember the boy snorted and his pace quickened, apparently some of those people weren't staring at him for his bell......... Six peoples to be exact. Six male, scary and strong looking people........He could take them -he hoped. He had his spirit sword and he was a good fighter! Really, just because Yusuke kept beating him up..........hmph, well maybe he could avoid fighting, it really wouldn't be smart to use his spirit sword around bystanders. Also, he knew he could take one, maybe two or three, or even four or more! But six.......well, if he could take four what were another two? His opinion changed when a few more boys joined the group stalking him.
Kazuma sped up. He was getting a bit nervous..... 'remember: bystanders and the supernatural do not always mix, Kazuma' he told himself, although the problem was getting taken care of........ As the nine boys surrounded Kazuma he drew himself to his full height and......and realized that he was short compared to at least half of the other boys. He blinked blankly at his surroundings until he realized they had blocked him in an alley. He blanched. Well, now the bystander problem was taken care of. But still.......
Kuwabara weighed the pros and cons of letting them have it and whooping their butts. He didn't want to risk being caught and he didn't want to take the chance that they remembered what happened and told. He crinkled up his nose, then ditched the strangely cute look and growled at the surrounding boys. He really couldn't tell which one was the leader.
"What do you want?"
He grew a little edgy as they closed in a bit more, some with malicious smirks and others mildly chuckling or grinning. Finally an extremely tall man with mousy hair and dull brown eyes stepped forward. He was so tall he reminded Kazuma of a demon.
"Funny you should ask." He smirked. "We want to challenge your gang right now for your territory."
Kazuma's eyes grew wide before narrowing.
"You cornered me alone so you could beat me up? Cheh, what cowards."
"Oh, we're not afraid of your gang.......we just thought that they'd hinder our plans. You don't want them present for this....trust me."
Kuwabara didn't like the weird gleam he had in his eye.......what was he planning?
"Present for what?"
"Well, first we're gonna beat you." There were a few cheers. "Then, well you see my boys wanted to have a little fun. Knock you off your pedestal if you will." He laughed and Kazuma felt his stomach sink. Eww...........he silently promised himself to knock these punks out. He'd not be a pawn! He was the great Kazuma Kuwabara!
"Try it and you won't even see what hit you."
"Is that right?"
Kazuma growled.
"Get him."
Kazuma was suddenly swarmed. He soon found himself on the ground being kicked. He knocked four guys out right away and was struggling with the other five. His patients gave out when the leader pushed him against the alley wall and he summoned his spirit sword.
That was when he realized it would probably kill them, he sheepishly withdrew it and the five remaining gang members stood dazed before the leader again took the initiative.
"We don't got the time for light shows."
Kazuma ignored him and kicked his left leg out past the leader and a boy crumpled to the ground, clutching his shin. 'Hn. Deserved it to.' Floated through Kuwabara's thoughts before he was reprimanded with a punch from the man pinning him to the wall before he was shoved into a rough kiss.
Steaming mad, Kazuma bit the intruder's tongue. The man yelped in pain and let his hold go. The other three were quick to step up and Kazuma managed to take one more out. Now his mouth tasted like vodka, it burned slightly and made Kazuma want to cough. This was so tiring.........that's when his dizziness from earlier came back on him full force. He slumped onto one of the gang members before he blacked out.
Kuwabara heard faint voices. After a minute or so they grew louder and he could hear them.
"....sick, deranged freaks. I mean gross, what would they want with Kuwabara."
Kuwabara suddenly remembered and his eyes flew open in panic. He slid back into the bed he was in when he saw the speaker. Shizuru. However he didn't expect his whole team to be there.......
"Shizuru?" He asked her questioningly feeling uncomfortable. Wouldn't you if everyone kept staring at you?
"Kazuma, you're awake."
"Yeah...I know."
"Right. Mind telling us what happened?"
Kazuma sweat-dropped and ignored her question. "Uh.....how did I get here?"
"Kurama." Shizuru seemed bored. He looked around his room. Where was Eikichi? He shifted a little nervously seeing a seething (although contained) Yusuke. Kurama seemed unhappy too......and Hiei, well he just looked the same if not slightly annoyed.
"Where's Eikichi?"
"Kazuma Kuwabara!!! After all that you ask for your cat! I demand to know what happened right now!" His sister yelled. Kuwabara winced.
"Nothing, just some punks trying to beat me up."
The other three boys in the room wanted to say something but instead let Shizuru release he wrath. She was more intimidating.
"LIAR!!! Your friend here." She motioned to Kurama. "Told us the were practically molesting you!"
"Were not."
Yusuke picked that moment to speak up. He was miffed. "I don't see how you would know seeing as you were unconscious."
Kuwabara went red. "SHUT UP, URAMESHI!"
Yusuke pushed on. "You were lucky Kurama saw them, idiot why didn't you use your spirit sword."
"Because maybe I didn't want to kill them!"
"I would have." Kazuma was surprised when Hiei spoke up. "If I had been the one who found you those miserable humans would be dead. To bad Kurama held back."
Kazuma blinked. "Held....back?" After all, Kurama would never hurt anyone....would he?
Kurama's face was red. "Uh, I never meant to hurt them so bad. I just kind of lost control for a minute when I saw...." He trailed off.
"Damnit! Just tell us what happened already!" His sister yelled.
"....well....I was walking....and they followed me, and then we fought?"
"Idiot." Hiei growled.
"Shut up shrimp!!"
"Just get on with the story! Geez, I have a right to know what happened to my own brother."
"Fine. We fought and the leader guy was saying stuff and being dumb, I didn't want to use my spirit sword so I fought by hand. Then he......well anyway by the end I fell and then I don't remember anything."
"Fell?" His sister raised an eyebrow.
"I felt dizzy...."
Everyone was quiet.
"That's it?" His sister got up. "Well, that was boring I already know the rest." She said as she left the room.
Team Urameshi remained around his futon and he suddenly felt incapacitated.
"What happened?"
"Kurama say those guys were all over you and stuff." Yusuke carefully left out some details.
"Oh..." He absentmindedly let his hand wander up to his collarbone to feel his bell. He froze. "My bell!" He yelled frantically.
The boys looked puzzled for a minute before Kurama held up Kazuma's bell. Kazuma let out a relieved sigh before grabbing it and replacing it on his neck.
"Ah...gomen Kuwabara, I though they put it on you......" Kuwabara suddenly realized how stupid he looked.
"......." He finally found his voice. "It's....for my cat, Eikichi."
Kurama forced a laugh. "Well, that's how I found you, I heard the bell."
"Oh...thanks."
"Baka." Kuwabara heard Hiei mutter. He felt his cheeks go hot.
"Shut up shrimp!"
"Hn. I'm not the idiot who goes out and nearly gets himself scarred for life."
Kazuma didn't know what to say to that. Finally....
"I wouldn't have let them, I would have brought out my spirit sword before that."
This time Yusuke broke in.
"You mean like you did this time? You big moron, passing out like that."
Kuwabara huffed and turned absolutely livid.
"It's not like I planned it!"
"Well you should have known if you were injured!"
"I wasn't! I was dizzy from before....."
Another fight broke out about how Kuwabara shouldn't have been fighting if he was sick, Kuwabara retorted that he didn't have a choice, which Yusuke defended that he should have brought out his sword sooner or when he started feeling sick again. And so the fight went on. Finally Hiei broke in.
"Why do you wear a bell? Do lots of humans wear bells?"
Kuwabara blanched.
"Er..no, not really."
"Then why?"
"Just....because."
"Because what?"
"Because I wear bell~!"
"Yeah but do you ring it?" Came Shizuru's cool voice from the door where she was holding a glass of water and a cigarette. "Or maybe I should ask-" she puffed, cigarette smoke emitting from her the corner of her mouth, "does anyone ring it?"
She smiled when Kazuma grew red. "Shut up, Shizuru."
She continued teasing him.
"Maybe you just want some to ring it. That's why your wearing it right?"
"No. Now leave me alone."
"Awwww, is my wittle bwother bwushing. How cute."
"Shizuru......"
"Right~ you don't want me to embarrass me in front of your friends, sorry. But really Kazuma, you shouldn't get so flustered all the time." With that she disappeared.
"Uh..? What did she even come in here for? To make fun of me? Hmph! Typical."
He saw Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei staring at him.
"Is that why you wear a bell?" Hiei asked, seriously.
"NO."
Hiei slowly blinked. Kurama and Yusuke started laughing.
"Then why wear the bell? Is that why those guys attacked him? Because they thought he wanted his bell rung? What does that mean?"
"Nothing, Hiei, nothing."
"Hn."
Kuwabara grew red hearing this conversation. Today was not his day......he wanted to brush his teeth.
"I'm going to brush my teeth." Kuwabara announced and tugged the covers off him and left the room.
He glance in the mirror, his hair was out of place! He quickly gelled it back up and brushed his teeth five times.
He walked down the hall to his room and heard a faint voice belonging to Hiei.
"I still don't get the baka, why did he wear a bell if he didn't want it to be rung?!"
He blanched and sighed to himself. 'I'm never going to wear a bell again......'
AN: Thanks for reading! Thanks for reviewing too! If you want an answer give me your e-mail cause this is going to be a one shot! Sorry if it sucks/