Warning: If you haven't seen passed the "Rescue Yukina" mini arc of the series, there might be teeny tiny spoilers in this chapter. Very teeny tiny. Anyway, still a warning. Oh yes, and this fic, like most fics, is semi-AU, because some stuff probably didn't happen. Don't leave me a review that says "This is inaccurate because THIS actually is what happened in their past!". Thanks!

-- This Chapter was updated 9-1-2008 --

Huminshou

By Zelia Theb

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi.

Yusuke ignored the opening window and the presence that stood between he and it. Although the television was on, Yusuke was staring a hole through his coffee table. He wanted to break something.

"Where's my cloak," the presence stated caustically.

"Enjoying the rinse cycle," the emotionally disturbed boy answered. A wave of nervousness and nausea hit him. He had to light a cigarette, but he was all out. Instead he pulled out his lighter and nervously flicked at the flint wheel. The lighter was so similar to Hiei; snappy and full of fire.

"I need it now," Hiei remarked, heading for the door (for unknown reasons; dropping a few stories was faster than the stairs).

The detective inhaled, causing the butterflies in his stomach to be suppressed again. He revealed the photo, holding it tightly in his hand, and asked, "Looking for this?" A hurt glint was in his eye. He had an impulsive urge to do what Hiei hadn't done. He flicked at the lighter again, but held the flame there, and said, "Something you couldn't do, I guess." He slowly moved the photograph over the heat and burned his finger.

The swift demon had stolen the picture once again.

"Why didn't you destroy that?" Yusuke yelled, standing up and only a few inches from Hiei. The motives for his anger were unclear. Hiei looked at his own shoulder, refusing to answer.

"Oh. Going to show Keiko I guess," Yusuke sighed, seating himself back down. He had to calm down. Starting a fight with Hiei wasn't on his list of things to do.

"Fine. Think that. I'm leaving." And he did.

For a month. Yusuke stored the clothing away in his dresser, trying to forget the silly idea that he could ever start to like Hiei as anything more than a mere ally. Much to no one's surprise, two out of three missions that Yusuke had acquired during that month were Hiei-free. On the single (and very short) case that Hiei was present for, Kuwabara had made a side comment to Yusuke regarding how gaunt and of course how crabby their ally was. It was clear that Koenma was right about Hiei after all.

"I don't like that game either," Kurama remarked, taking a seat on the stool next to Yusuke. The detective had just finished losing his final game for the night.

Yusuke never looked at the redhead. He was in a terrible mood. His mother had somehow managed to cut down on her own smoking, so naturally, Yusuke's supply was cut short. Also, there was mention of her now 'serious' boyfriend moving in with them. He had met him a few times. He was all right, but he just wasn't ready to have another person telling him what to do. He already had his mom, Keiko, the teachers, the principal, Koenma, Botan…

Speaking of which, he was also feeling the heat of failure in school. Normally, he wouldn't care, because he wouldn't be there to get nagged about it, but now he had managed to attend four days a week, once even the full week. At least the kids were still leaving him alone; the legend of Urameshi never ended.

Yusuke's downward spiral of inner reflection was interrupted by an embrace from Kurama. The slightly taller boy pulled away and asked, "Is everything all right, Yusuke?"

"No," Yusuke replied as he stood, "you can't hug a guy in the middle of a public place." Kurama made a move to apologize, yet Yusuke didn't seem to care. He casually walked out of the arcade, heading in no particular direction. Kurama followed.

"You know," Kurama said once he caught up to the other boy, "my home is just up this road…"

"Then I guess that's where I'm going." Yusuke didn't really care. Maybe hanging out with a friend would bring him back to his old self (old meaning past, and past really meaning younger).

"I've never known you to be so silent," Kurama remarked as they entered his neatly kept home. His mother was on a vacation with her significant other, and she had entrusted the place to 'Shuichi' while she was gone. Yusuke was immediately struck by the scent of roses, and the many different ikebana and family photographs in the first room alone. It felt like a real home should; Kurama was very lucky.

"I don't really feel like talking," Yusuke muttered. Kurama hugged him again, not letting go. It felt nice, so Yusuke held him in return. The consequences of his actions were not present in his mind.

"It seems your injuries have healed," the affectionate demon observed, "Though I suppose that something so terrible must have left a scar." Yusuke nodded (as much as he could with Kurama holding his head down into his shoulder).

"Just get it overwith, Kurama," Yusuke whispered into his neck. Kurama choked on the air before complying with the other boy's demand and kissed him.

He pulled away from Yusuke, brushing his own carmine colored locks out of his eyes, and noted, "You didn't want this, did you?"

That's when Hiei became attentive from his perch outside of the apartment window.

"No, I did…but…" Hiei let out a 'tch' at the detective's answer. What was he thinking, anyway? Spying on them? No, he was observing his teammates.

"But what, Yusuke?" the abhorrent fox (according to Hiei anyway) inquired.

"I just don't have feelings for you, like that…"

"I understand…" Kurama uttered, taking Yusuke into the curve of his collarbone again. "Well I have feelings for you, Yusuke. If you ever…need…anything, you know where I am." The fox pulled away from the detective and took his hand, leading him toward the sofa. "Do you need anything, Yusuke?"

Hiei looked back down at the ground, suddenly disinterested, no, disgusted at what Kurama was doing to the detective. He wanted to open the window (read: smash the window to bits) and hurt both of them. Yes, Yusuke too. After all, Yusuke had misled him. Had he really been so foolish to believe that Yusuke might have liked him? Not that it mattered anyhow.

It was stupid for him to let human emotions corrode his brain. Yusuke was just pulling a Kurama (not literally… yet). Kurama had done the same thing, been all touchy feely, acted like he cared. At one point Hiei had questioned whether or not he had liked Kurama, but luckily enough, he soon came to realize that Kurama was just Kurama. He was always like that, and that's when Hiei began to be disgusted by the thought of he and the fox having any sort of relationship (and this all occurred before that cursed clown parade, also known as the Dark Tournament). The rumors of 'Hiei and Kurama' started during said era.

The demon looked back inside the Minamino home to see that Kurama was licking at Yusuke's neck (much in the same fashion that he had done to Hiei weeks earlier), and tugging at the detective's shirt. Revolting. However, little to Hiei's knowledge (due to his past, he had thought otherwise), the Universe did like him the most out of the Spirit Detective team.

"Uhh…Kurama," Yusuke interrupted the fox's feast on his throat, "you said that you have feelings for me…Well, what about Hiei?"

"Hiei?" Kurama blinked at Yusuke.

"You were kissing him just like that, calling him little petnames and stuff. Don't you guys, uh, have something going on?" Hiei thought for a moment. Was the detective actually fooled by Kurama's wanton act? Yusuke continued as Kurama's eyes narrowed on him (possibly wondering the same thing that Hiei was). "I mean, everyone thought you guys were bangin' each other between matches at the tournament, but then Hiei kept insisting to me that he didn't like you like that…but then that whole Koenma bet thing happened, and Hiei was more than happy to just leave…" Kurama stopped Yusuke's rambling by placing a slender human finger over the boy's lips.

"What happened between Hiei and I was merely a ruse to fool Koenma and release Hiei from his confinement," Kurama corrected, "nothing more." He smirked and kissed Yusuke quickly, then added, "Plus, if you wanted, there would be no one to ever interrupt us…"

Hiei saw it. The quick nature in which Yusuke's facial expression changed from indifference to pissitivity (he cursed that damned human for deteriorating his vocabulary). Yusuke firmly stood up, brushing Kurama away in an almost ashamed motion.

"You could care less about Hiei's freedom, you just wanted him out of the way," the now angered boy stated. "That's very cold, Kurama."

"Yusuke!" Kurama protested. "It was both! I'm Hiei's friend! I thought that you were bogged down by having to look after him all the time!"

"I should probably go," Yusuke interrupted. "I guess I'll see ya at the next mission or wherever."

"I'm sorry, Yusuke," Kurama apologized, seeing his friend to the door. The demon walked over to the window, and that's when Hiei realized that Kurama knew he was there the whole time.

"I can forgive a sword through the stomach, Hiei," Kurama announced as he opened the window, "but I will not forgive one through Yusuke's heart." He slammed the window shut and moved into the kitchen.

He froze. Yusuke wasn't there? He was certain those human institutions, or schools, rather, were closed by now. No, he sensed him. He just wasn't in bed yet. He was in the other room with someone else. His mother? Wrong again. It was Keiko. Hiei stayed low in a dark corner of the room, listening to try and figure out what was going on. Three days ago it had been Kurama, but now Keiko?

"I'm so glad, Yusuke," Keiko's voice said.

"Mmm…Me too, I guess," Yusuke said in a strange moaning tone.

"It was so long!" she remarked. Yusuke chuckled. What on earth were those two doing? Hiei glanced at the clock on Yusuke's night stand. It read eleven-thirty, but the demon had no clue. He could only read digital clocks.

"Man, I could only do that with you, Keiko."

"It's late, I should probably get this on and get going."

"What, leaving so soon after, Keiko? Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" Keiko laughed. Hiei couldn't take it anymore. He found himself opening the door and bursting in to the embarrassing scene.

Only it was he who was embarrassed. Keiko was in the middle of putting a bookbag over her shoulders, and Yusuke's coffee table was littered with open text books, papers, and pencils.

"Oh, hi Hiei!" Keiko said cheerfully. She didn't bother asking why he was wearing a dark blue cloak instead of his normal black one (not that she would understand the concept of a demon clothing store anyway; how else did he and Kurama get a hold of the strange garments they wore on missions?).

"What is this?" Hiei asked, his eyes wide open in bewilderment.

"Some school project that Keiko tricked me into doing," Yusuke replied. "Took forever to finish." The detective moved toward the door to walk Keiko home and asked, "Ya wanna come too? I just have to walk her home, it's too late for her to go by herself." Hiei didn't say anything, which basically meant that he would.

He stood in the shadows once they made it to the door. Yusuke had informed him that seeing a strange looking boy would probably get Keiko in trouble with her parents. Hiei had actually started walking back with Yusuke, unsure of exactly why he didn't just bolt ahead and wait in his bed (to sleep, it was sleep that he needed).

"I haven't seen ya in a while," Yusuke remarked as they paced the semi-lit and quite empty streets of the city.

"Hn." He didn't feel like making small talk.

"Why did you burst in like that?"

"It sounded like you two were engaging in sickening activities," Hiei explained. Yusuke laughed after thinking about it, he guessed that the lines really could have been taken out of context.

"Naw, Keiko would never give it up so easily," Yusuke eased his laughter. "Believe me, I know." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and added, "Plus, she's a prude anyway."

"A prude?" What exactly did the boy mean? Was Hiei really so naïve?

"Ya know, a virgin. Won't do kissy kissy type stuff. I can't believe that people sometimes think that she's my girlfriend." The boy turned a corner due to auto-pilot, catching Hiei off-guard. He wasn't used to walking the streets to Yusuke's home.

"You're not, though," Hiei muttered, thinking of the display between Yusuke and Kurama (the 'kissy kissy type stuff').

"No, but luckily I lost my virginity before I died." Yusuke laughed at his own joke. Hiei went silent. He had no idea exactly how much older he was than the detective, but he had suddenly grown jealous of the feat. The most he had ever gotten was…from Kurama. That was gross.

Yusuke perused Hiei, his brown eyes scanning the strange and disgusted look on the demon's face. The turned another corner as Yusuke spoke up, "So…I didn't make you feel weird or anything, did I?"

"Hn. No," Hiei lied, "I could care less. I'm not like you human's. We don't care if we do anything before we die."

"Sorry, I didn't think that…I mean…I guess I would have thought that you would have…at least kissed someone once in your lifetime," Yusuke stammered. He suddenly felt guilty for having stolen two of them from Hiei without his knowledge.

"I didn't. So what. It doesn't matter," Hiei replied coldly. Actually, since Yusuke brought it up, it did matter. Stupid (expletive left out due to the fact there are no words in the human language that could compare to the demon tongue Hiei just cursed in) human! Hiei thought.

"Well, ya never know when you're just gonna up and croak," Yusuke teased, half mocking himself. They walked into his building and headed for the stairs (which Hiei was grateful for as he hated elevators).

"Hn. I have plenty of time. I don't intend on dying anytime in the near future," Hiei admitted. Yusuke's face was back to it's regular yet irregular contortions. How was it that Hiei managed to contradict himself so often and pay no attention to the fact?

"You could just ask a…friend," Yusuke giggled. He wondered if Hiei would accidentally admit to having friends during the conversation.

"Oh, yes, Detective. Another brilliant deduction on your behalf," the demon sarcastically remarked. "And how do you suppose I do that? Who do you infer that I ask? Don't you know that I don't give or ask favors?" Yusuke had a Botan moment when he yelled out 'Bingo!' in his head.

"Well, one of the girls could do it for ya, except Yukina, since that's gross," Yusuke seriously answered. "I guess Shizuru would be the one to do it. That would be funny…you mackin' with a Kuwabara…" Yusuke cackled evilly.

"Who cares about girls," Hiei spat out suddenly, unaware that his admittance was rather unconventional in the Human World. Women were so…girly. They treasured things for centuries, remembered everything, were weak, and generally annoying.

"You could always ask Kurama," Yusuke smirked, inwardly happy that he was tricking Hiei into spilling his guts (not literally, ew). His tone changed when he remembered Kurama's absurd behavior the other night. "He'd probably be more than willing to kiss you again."

"No. Yuck." Did Hiei just say 'yuck'? Yusuke laughed as they ascended the final flight of stairs. He wasn't going to suggest Kuwabara, for obvious reasons, and not himself, because that would be too stupid.

"It's a dumb idea anyway," Yusuke said. "You'd have to search the whole fricken world to find someone that the great Hiei would trust with something like that." They walked down the hallway and the boy opened up the door to his apartment. He was surprised to see that Hiei had actually slipped off his shoes at the door for once.

"It is a dumb idea," Hiei muttered, following Yusuke to the couch without thinking. The detective shifted the papers into a somewhat neat pile and flicked on the TV.

"I've seen this one like a hundred times," the teenager said, regarding the show that was on the screen. The flickers of the screen illuminated their faces with a bluish color; it was the only 'light' on in the place. He was poked in the shoulder, then turned to look at the poker.

"You."

"Huh? Me? Me what?" Yusuke questioned.

"You won't tell anyone we talked," Hiei stated clearly.

"No. It's not my secret to tell," Yusuke said, a slight 'duh' factor in his voice. "You can trust me, idiot."

"I know," Hiei answered, his own eyes fixated on the screen.

Yusuke's eyebrow raised. "You do?"

"Hn. Of course, fool. You haven't told anyone about the picture, have you?" The picture had a triple meaning: the actual photo itself, the insomnia, and the habit contained within the photo. The incriminating picture was still in existence, as well.

"No, I wouldn't do that to you," Yusuke responded. His attention briefly went to the action scene on the screen and he said, "Come on! Kick him!" Hiei disregarded the fact that Yusuke had already seen that particular episode several times. Teasing the detective wasn't on his list of things to do, ever since a few moments ago when the boy clearly found an advantage over him.

It didn't matter!

"You're the only one who's defeated me, Detective," Hiei stated flatly. The program cut to a commercial of floating rabbits drinking pink liquid, which Hiei didn't quite understand, but he didn't quite care either.

"Yeah, and I'm probably the only person who's held ya like a baby," Yusuke grinned.

"It's a moronic idea," Hiei muttered again. The commercials ended, and they were back to watching the rerun. He poked Yusuke in the shoulder again. "I would never ask you, so don't think that I would."

"Ask me? Why would you ask me, anyway?" Yusuke found his face heating up. The Universe was a cruel, cruel woman.

"Hn. You're the only person who fits the criteria of such an inane concept."

"Yeah, prolly," Yusuke said, trying to sound disinterested (and it was working).

"But you're a human, even if you'd never tell," Hiei reasoned.

"Hey, let's get one thing straight here," Yusuke smiled. "I'm not your average human!" He then spouted another remark at the 'hero' of the show.

"So you wouldn't tell?" What was Hiei thinking? Making frivolous chit-chat with the detective. This was his dumbest attempt yet at beating around the bush. At least he'd be able to confirm some things for himself, if indeed the boy actually agreed to it. It's not like he actually cared; Yusuke probably wasn't catching on to the scheme.

First kiss? How lame.

"Are you asking?"

"No." Hadn't Hiei just made that clear? Stupid boy.

"No, I wouldn't tell." Yusuke struggled to find a good cover up reason as to why, then found it. "Neither of us would want to brag about doing something like that with the other." The detective had a point.

They returned to their viewing for the remainder of the show. As the credits rolled up the screen, Hiei thrusted his index finger into Yusuke's shoulder again. Upon getting the taller one's attention again, he said, "So it's clear that I'm not asking."

"Yeah." Yusuke turned to face Hiei, and added, "Because you can't ask for something that never happened, right?"

"Right. It never happened." Hiei repositioned himself, sitting on the back of his calves, turning a whole ninety degrees to his right. He was nervous. The last time he was so vulnerable was when his sister was in trouble. What was spurring him to do this? Curiosity? Yes, that was it. His body was acting abnormally human; his heart was racing at a pace that he could not keep up with if it were possible for them to have a foot race.

Yusuke gripped Hiei's shoulder's firmly, making sure that he wasn't going to leave his hands free to accidentally wander if he got too involved. Some might have called him suicidal. He asked him, "You ready?"

"Hn. What's there to be ready for?"

"Right." He let Hiei be the one to initiate the contact. Yusuke didn't want to come off as willing. He could tell that the demon was unsure of how to act, but yet, he acted naturally. Their tongues made contact a total of three times (Yusuke had to count to keep his mind off of the fact that a tongue was in his mouth), and Hiei slowly pulled away, being sure not to look into Yusuke's eyes.

He crumbled, but Yusuke had prepared for that (because if he didn't, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with the blinding speed of short demon). Hiei muttered (after not being able to escape the shoulder grip), "Stupid idea." Stupid because he wanted to do it again. Stupid because he wanted to kiss the human boy who had foiled his perfect plan by a mere fluke and foot in the face. Stupid because he was scared of the foreign feeling.

"Why are you trying to get away?" Yusuke asked.

"I don't need to listen to your insidious insults, Yusuke," Hiei retorted, trying to think of a way to escape. Yusuke was going to reject him and make fun of his mediocre smooching skills. He was going to freak out because a demon had kissed him. Little did he know that these same thoughts were going through the detective's head too.

"The Hiei I know isn't a coward," the boy said, tightening his grasp on the tiny shoulders. "There is nothing to worry about. That was fine. You didn't even need practice."

Hiei sighed. He was too exhausted to argue. They could just forget about this, just like they forgot about their sleeping arrangements. At least he had gotten his chance. Normally he would do things without worry of regret, or stop himself from doing other things for the very same reason. He often spent too much time looking back on the things that he could have done, but didn't. It was a personal step forward for him, even if it led to nothing.

"You seem tired." Hiei looked up with droopy eyes. "Yeah, you're tired. I am too." Letting go of the sleepy demon's shoulders, he went to his room and grabbed a blue blanket.

"What are you doing with that?" Hiei questioned, feeling as if he was going to fall over.

"I'll sleep out here tonight. You seem like you haven't slept in days…or something, so you can have the bed all to yourself for once." Yusuke curled up in the blue blanket and turned off the TV. Hiei stared blankly into the kitchen, not blinking. He had fallen asleep momentarily, but then woke up and made his way to the bedroom.

Hiei was restless. It was some sort of mental requirement that he couldn't trace the roots back on. He had to sleep with a warm body in order to go into a deep sleep. Otherwise, it was mostly tossing and turning, which is why he preferred trees for the most part. He could at least get some minor rest in those, because if he tossed and turned, he would roll out of them. The worst part of all, was that he never realized what kind of slumber he was missing out on since that fateful morning he had woken up with Yusuke.

He took the photograph of that first morning out of his pocket. Crumpling the corner, he leaned back in the bed, sighing, because there was no other choice if he wanted some rest. He made a move to get out of the bed, but the door opened slowly. Hiei quickly concealed the picture (which was difficult because his cloak was on the floor and he was topless) and watched as Yusuke walked to bed and reached for one of the pillows.

"I didn't wake you up, did I." No, it wasn't a question. He had figured that Hiei had been awake the whole time. Yusuke set the pillow back down and murmured, "I was just coming to get a pillow, but…"

"But what?" was the stern reply. Hiei had his feet still dangling over the edge of the bed, and his back was to Yusuke. He felt the boy on top of the mattress and slowly crawl over to him. The detective was shockingly close to him.

"Aren't you going to tell me that I'm pushing it, or on thin ice, or that you'll slice off my legs if I come any closer?" Yusuke whispered.

"Hn. What's the point." He didn't have the energy to slice anyone's legs off.

Yusuke's arm swept quickly over Hiei's stomach and dragged him back down into the bed. For a single second (again, which he couldn't read from the clock, it was a mere guess), Hiei had thought that the detective was going to loom over him and kiss him, but he didn't (much to his disappointment). Instead, they just curled up into their regular position and fell asleep. Sleeping far apart? What's the point?

To Be Continued...