Warnings: Knowledge of Yu Yu Hakusho necessary.

Author's Notes: "Sequel" to Yuugou Hakusho and Yuujyou Hakusho, but not necessary to have read them. This takes place between Shiori's recovery and the Ankoku Bujutsukai. .Japanese vocabulary can be found at the end of the fic.

Sunny With a Chance of Lightning Storms

"You've gotta be kidding, Tousan," Shuuichi Hatanaka said to the man sitting across from him. He should have been suspicious the moment his father suggested going to his favorite restaurant on a weeknight.

"No, I am not, Shuuichi. I am going to ask Shiori-san to marry me." The man gave his son a worried look. "I hope you understand that this doesn't mean that I've forgotten about your mother. I will always love your mother."

Shuuichi considered glaring at his father, but decided against it. "But now you love someone else."

The man nodded. "I do. And although I don't expect her to replace your mother, I hope you will accept Shiori-san."

Shuuichi leaned back in his chair, studying his father. It had been years since his mother's death, and things had been tough in the beginning. His father had been too preoccupied with his own grief to really help his son. But Shuuichi knew that his father had been a changed man the past year, ever since he started dating Shiori Minamino. For awhile, the worry and grief had existed in this relationship as well, with the man having to deal with the woman's illness. But she had recovered miraculously, and his father had been incredibly happy since then.

Shuuichi sighed and gave his father a resigned smile. "When do I meet her?"

His father smiled gratefully. "Well, I thought she should have a chance to meet you before I propose to her, so I've suggested we all have dinner together Saturday night."

"Okay."

"But, Shuuichi, there's one more thing," the man said.

"What?"

"I don't think I've told you yet, but Shiori-san has a son as well."

The boy raised his eyebrows. "So I could end up with a brother." He wasn't sure how he felt about that...

"He's a Meiou High first year. I think he turned sixteen recently, so he's almost four years older than you."

"A geek, then."

His father gave him a look. "He's at the top of his class, but that doesn't mean he's a geek."

"A mega-geek."

His father sighed. "Shuuichi..." The boy grinned sheepishly. "I don't think he'll be what you're expecting." The boy rolled his eyes. "He's a nice, responsible young man, Shuuichi," the man insisted. Even better...

"Well, I guess he'll be able to help me with my homework once I start middle school."

"I'm sure he'll be glad to," said his father. Then he smiled almost mischievously. "There's one more thing, Shuuichi. Shiori-san's son's name is also Shuuichi."

The boy stared at his father. "You've gotta be kidding..."

Shuuichi stood next to his father feeling uncomfortable in the slacks and shirt his father had made him wear for the occasion. Why did they have to be at such a fancy restaurant? He glanced at his father, who didn't look uncomfortable, but certainly looked nervous. They'd arrived way too early because the man hadn't wanted anything to go wrong. Shuuichi looked out the restaurant window, watching the snow that had started to fall lightly. He entertained the hope that it would snow so badly that school would be cancelled, but in Tokyo, there was little chance of that happening. It probably wouldn't even stick...

He noticed a pair coming down the sidewalk and attracting some attention. The shorter of the two, a woman probably in her forties, had a scarf wrapped around her neck and part of her face and didn't seem particularly noticeable. But the taller figure was getting obvious looks. She was tall and slender, and was dressed in a long, dark coat. One hand was kept in her pocket, but the other gloved hand was laid protectively on the older woman's shoulder. She was wearing a scarf wrapped around her neck, trapping the long hair that fell down past her shoulders, and as she looked up and towards the restaurant window, Shuuichi understood why she was getting stares. She was beautiful. Not a pop idol sort of cute beauty, but a fashion model sort of handsome beauty, with large, slanted eyes framed by thick lashes, smoothly arched brows, and high cheekbones. He almost turned to his father to point out the beauty, but then the pair entered the restaurant.

"Shiori-san!" his father stood quickly, smiling happily at the older woman. She smiled in response after unwrapping the scarf.

What? Shuuichi stood dumbfounded. If that woman were his father's girlfriend, that would make the other person her son.

"Shiori-san, I'd like you to meet my son, Shuuichi."

Shiori turned towards the boy and smiled. "Hello, Shuuichi-kun, I've heard so much about you." He gave a confused smile and nodded.

"And this is her son, also named Shuuichi." The younger Shuuichi stared at the taller figure who smiled down at the boy. Coming indoors had given the young man's cheeks a rosy glow, and melting snowflakes moistened his dark lashes.

"Pleased to meet you," said Shuuichi Minamino. He had a soft, musical voice.

"Uh, pleased to meet you, too..." the boy mumbled. No way can this be a guy!

Once at the table, however, and shed of their winter coats, Shuuchi had to accept that the older Shuuichi was definitely male. He was wearing a dark blue collared shirt with a tie, and although had slender wrists, had on a man's watch. Tousan was right. Definitely not what I was expecting!

Dinner was an experience. His father was nervous, hoping that Shiori would like his son. And Shuuichi himself was distracted, repeatedly staring at the young man sitting across from him.

"I hear that you will be starting middle school this spring."

"Huh?" Belatedly, Shuuichi realized that Shiori's son was addressing him. "Uh, yeah. And Tousan told me you go to Meiou."

"Yes, I do."

"Is it true that you're at the top of your class?"

"I do fairly well," the young man responded with a crooked smile. So he is a geek...

"Do you belong to a team there?"

"No, but I'm a member of the biology club," he grinned apologetically. Yup, definite geek...

"Oh, but Shuuichi also tutors a few students on his own time," Shiori told the boy. "He's working with two boys from Sarayashiki Middle School." One hundred percent geek!

Shuuichi studied the beautiful young man. He didn't think they would have anything in common. "What else do you do? In your spare time?"

Oddly, the young man seemed to hesitate before responding. "I occasionally play video games."

"Really? You like games?" Maybe there was still hope. "Me, too!" The young man responded by smiling warmly. Shuuichi felt a blush forming. What a dazzling smile! Embarrassed, he lowered his gaze so that he was looking at the young man's hands. He noted long, slender fingers. "Uh..." he said, "do you play piano?"

"What?" the young man asked, then noticed Shuuichi looking at his hands. "Oh, no, music has never been my thing. But I do appreciate the arts," he smiled again, a secretive smile this time, as if remembering something.

"You draw or paint?"

"No," there was that smile again. "Purely art enthusiast."

Shiori paused in her conversation with her boyfriend. "Yes, Shuuichi has always had a fascination with art and used to spend a lot of time at museums when he was younger. You especially liked the ancient artifacts, right?" she asked her son. He nodded.

Ancient artifacts? And he went to museums when he was younger than he is now? He's not just a geek, he's weird...

"You like dusty old things?" Shuuichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, if you want to describe it that way," the young man raised an eyebrow as well, giving a crooked smile. "But I enjoy," he paused, considering his phrasing, "fresh new things, too." He gave Shuuichi a teasing grin. Shuuichi felt his heart skip a beat.

"Uh... what do you mean?" he asked, trying to keep from blushing again.

"Plants, Shuuichi-kun," the older Shuuichi explained. "New life that will be bursting forth shortly. Cherry and plum blossoms, lush grasses... living things."

Shuuichi stared at the young man. Had anyone else his age said those words, they would have sounded so corny, but coming from this beautiful young man, they didn't make his skin crawl or make him want to laugh. He sounded so sincere and wise as he spoke, and it was obvious that he felt a special affinity for plants. Shuuichi could easily imagine this tall, slender, seemingly delicate young man looking right at home in a field of wildflowers, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, breeze stirring his long hair. He shook the thought out of his head. What the hell am I thinking?

The young man gave him an inquiring look. Shuuichi looked back, trying not to show any expression. The older Shuuichi tilted his head briefly, then smiled and turned his attention to the adults' conversation. Shuuichi let out his breath. If their parents were going to end up married, he was going to have to get over this young man's appearance!

"Well, what did you think of Shiori-san?"

Shuuichi looked at his father who was waiting nervously for his response. He shrugged. "She seemed nice."

"So you wouldn't be opposed to me asking her to marry me?" The boy nodded. The man smiled. "And what about her son?"

"He's so pretty," Shuuichi blurted out without thinking. Then he blushed.

His father blinked, not expecting that as the first response. "Um, yes, you could say that... But what I meant was, can you accept him as your stepbrother?"

"I guess so," the boy said. "He seemed nice, too." Then, because he had to ask, "But why does he have his hair so long? It's kinda... unexpected for a top student."

"I don't know why, and it's really not our business," the man replied. "But I understand Shuuichi-kun has always been a unique individual."

Unique? Yes, he'd gathered that for himself. But he wondered what his father meant by the term. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Shiori-san told me that he had always been very mature and responsible and that he even surprised the family and neighbors by taking care of everything right after his father died. He was younger than you are now, but he spoke with the hospital, arranged a ride, notified family, and took care of Shiori-san."

"No way..." Shuuichi remembered his own mother's death, and he had been too young and too shocked to react. His father had barely been able to take care of things, and he was an adult.

"Yes, and he was so strong when Shiori-san was sick and there was a chance that he would be left orphaned."

Shuuichi couldn't imagine facing the chance of being left alone. There were other relatives, but losing one parent was hard enough without having to deal with the possibility of losing both...

"But I've been warned that he's also a very private individual and doesn't like to talk too much about himself. Shiori-san even called him mysterious. Her own son!"

Mysterious. That seemed like a good word for the young man. Throughout the dinner, Shuuichi had been intrigued by the soft-spoken young man. Shuuichi Minamino did not look like a typical honor student, did not sound like a typical sixteen-year-old boy, and was unbelievably calm and composed, definitely not a typical teenager.

Assuming that Shiori Minamino accepted the marriage proposal, having an older brother was definitely going to be interesting.

Shuuichi sat on a bench with two friends, sharing their purchases. They had been shopping for CD's and comic books. The underground mall was full of shoppers and people rushing towards the subway station.

"Cool, Naitou, let me borrow that one when you finish reading it," the boy on his right said.

"Sure, but you still haven't returned the other comics you borrowed," Naitou reminded him.

Shuuichi jumped in. "Hey, you need to return mine, too, Kuroda."

The boy gave them a guilty grin. "Monday. I promise."

"Hatanaka, let me see that CD you got," said Naitou. Shuuichi didn't respond. He had looked up and was focused on something down the corridor. "Hatanaka?"

"Huh?" Shuuichi turned his gaze on Naitou. "What did you say?"

Naitou and Kuroda turned in the direction Shuuichi had been staring. "What were you staring at?" asked Naitou.

"I thought I saw someone..." Shuiichi looked up again and squinted. He saw the tall figure once more, unmistakable, even at that distance. "Yup, there he is..."

"What? Who?"

"My future stepbrother. Over there, he just stopped in front of the coffee shop." His companions looked towards the coffee shop.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Kuroda. "Check out that beauty!"

Shuuichi sighed, knowing who his friend was referring to. "Do you mean the tall person wearing the long grey coat and green scarf?"

"Woah, you're right!" said Naitou.

"That's him."

"What?" the two boys turned to face Shuuichi.

"That's my future stepbrother." They swung back to look at the tall figure. Then they rounded on Shuuichi.

"No, way!"

"That's a guy?"

He didn't blame them. He had reacted the same way initially. "I'm serious. That's Shuuichi Minamino, first year student at Meiou High."

"Wait, the Minamino?" exclaimed Naitou. "My older brother goes there. He's a third year, but I've heard him talking about this Minamino guy. This guy's supposed to be some major genius. The teachers all love him, and he's got a fan club following." Naitou's look turned mischievous. "There're also rumors that he's got quite a male following... Now I see why."

Shuuichi rolled his eyes. Then he flinched as Kuroda yelled, "Hey! He's meeting someone!" They all watched as the tall young man greeted an even taller figure. The new arrival appeared to be over six feet tall and had his curly hair slicked on the sides and heavily styled on top. He was wearing a long, high-collared, military-style coat, baggy pants and heavy boots.

"Woah, what the hell... He looks like yakuza..." said Naitou. Kuroda nodded vigorously beside him. They watched as the two figures entered the coffee shop.

"Hey, let's go look!" Kuroda said, shoving his purchases back into the bag.

"No, wait, you guys..." Shuuichi protested, but Kuroda was already walking away from the bench. Naitou was right behind him. With a sigh, Shuuichi followed.

They stood in front of the shop window, trying to see into the darker interior. Shuuichi Minamino and his companion were seated at a table along the back wall of the small shop. The long-haired young man had removed his coat and scarf and was sitting in a dark green V-neck shirt and black pants. His arms were crossed and resting against the table, and he was leaning forward and saying something to his companion, a serious look on his face. His companion, also shed of his coat and wearing a white shirt that was unbuttoned down the front to reveal a black shirt and gold chain underneath, was shaking his head and looking frustrated. He held up his right hand, open, then clenched it shut as he said something.

Shuuichi's mouth twitched in amusement as he noticed the other patrons. They were throwing glances at the pair, some of nervousness and fear, and some of open admiration. It was obvious which glances were directed at whom.

Suddenly, he froze as the long-haired figure stopped mid-sentence to look towards the window. He watched as the young man stared in surprise, then smiled. Oh, shit! Shuuichi tried to draw his friends away from the shop, but it was too late. The young man stood, crossed the shop in a few steps, and came out the door.

"Shuuichi-kun," he said, "what a coincidence." He glanced at the two other boys. "Hanging out with your friends?"

"Uh..." Shuuichi stammered, "Yeah, we were shopping." Then he blurted out bluntly, "Who's that guy?"

"What? Him?" The older Shuuichi glanced over his shoulder briefly. "He's a friend. If any of you go on to Sarayashiki Middle School, he'll be your senpai."

What's he doing with a thug-like middle school student?

"Looks kinda scary..." muttered Kuroda. The tall young man looked down at him.

"You can't judge someone by their appearance," he said, looking stern and cold for a brief second, then smiled to take the sting out of the words. The boy caught his breath. Beside him, Naitou just stared.

"Uh... Shuuichi-san..." began Shuuichi awkwardly. The taller Shuuichi laughed.

"You might as well start calling me Niisan to keep things easier, since I'm assuming it won't be long until we are brothers. It will be bad enough when our parents need to refer to us."

Shuuichi grinned. "Right. Uh... is he one of the guys you tutor?"

"You can say that," the young man responded with a slightly amused smile. But there seemed to be something else lingering in those large eyes. "And I should get back to him. Tell your father I said hello. Goodbye, boys." With another smile, he turned and walked back into the coffee shop.

Kuroda let out a long sigh. Naitou nodded in agreement. Shuuichi turned to his friends, grabbed them by the arms, and directed them back to the bench.

"That..." Naitou paused, searching for words, "is one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen..." He blushed as he finished the sentence.

"What a smile..." said Kuroda.

"You guys can stop drooling now..." Shuuichi said flatly.

"Shit, man," Naitou turned to face Shuuichi, "he could easily compete with those 'bishounen' that are all over the magazines."

"Or 'bishoujo,'" grinned Kuroda slyly. "Maybe you should call him Neesan instead."

"Shut up, man!" Shuuichi jabbed him in the arm. "I saw you staring at him like some love-struck moron."

"I was not!" the boy denied. "And if I was, it's because he looks like a beautiful girl!"

"Just think, Hatanaka," said Naitou, "You're going to get to see that face everyday soon."

Shuuichi groaned and grabbed his head. He could just imagine having to deal with this sort of teasing regularly from now on.

Yes, having that young man as an older brother was definitely going to be an interesting experience.

Japanese definitions:

tousan: Dad

bishounen: beautiful boy

bishoujo: beautiful girl