Author: Nirvana

Pairings: Yusuke/Botan

Rating: PG-13

Keywords: Romance, Angst, Lust, Revelation

Summary: "Why was it that you were the only one who saw Kurama that night? Why did he come to you when you were alone, Botan? When Yusuke was the last person you wanted to see?"

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. They rightfully belong to their respective owners.

Author's Notes: This is my first Yu Yu Hakusho fic, so please be gentle with me. To put it straight, I'm not too much of a Yusuke/Keiko fan. It's not that I hate Keiko, I like her actually but I can only see them on a brother and sister relationship. With a bit of flirtation here and there, of course. Besides that, I like different kinds of couples together, as you can see from the story. Most of the time, the story will be put in Botan's POV, more depth and blah, blah. Italics just means dreaming or past events or thoughts. But enough about my babbling, let's get to it. Hopefully, I will do my best to keep everyone in character and keep you, the readers, interested. This is my one challenge to make a story that keeps people into it. Well, that's enough said. Enjoy.

A special thank you to my beta-reader, Cat-Youkai. You are the best!

Chapter 7-Heat

It all started with a jagged pain in my side, a pain so bad that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. It hurt to move, to breathe, to do anything. And then, there was the warmth that soothed me, that numbed the pain. In this warmth I felt safe, secure. Nothing in the world could hurt me as long as this feeling never left. I wondered briefly if this was what it was like, being so close to death's embrace. I loved this feeling of disregard, I had no cares. Then...

My eyes fluttered open.

I heard someone, a woman, sigh. "You're finally awake. You had us worried for a second there, Botan."

Everything came into focus and I sat up so suddenly. Automatically, my hand went to my neck, but I didn't know why. I looked at Keiko for the first time. Besides the fact that her features were etched with worry, she looked just a pretty as always. Then I started to question. What was she talking about? She looked at me patiently, waiting and I, had nothing to say to her. What happened to the pain? What happened to the beautiful warmth?

"What happened to me?" I breathed shakily.

Keiko smiled. "We were hoping you could tell us that."

We? Us?

She must have seen the look on my face, she glanced behind her. I followed her gaze and noticed the bedroom door was slightly ajar. And there, was a very thin shadow. It was then that I realized it was Yusuke, I was in his room.

I looked back at Keiko when she rested her hand against my forehead. Then it dropped so abruptly, I was never prepared for her to lean against my shoulder, and I never realized she was crying until I felt her tears hit my hand. Why was she crying? What had happened to me to make her cry?

Before I could murmur a word of reassurance, the door swung open and Yusuke barged in. I stared at him hopefully, maybe he could tell me what was wrong. But all my hopes were dashed from me when I noticed his clenched his hands, his narrowed eyes. He was furious and trying to keep that anger contained. Keiko was on her feet in an instant, blocking his path.

"Yusuke, don't." She warned, more tears streamed down her face. "Please."

He was by my bedside before I realized it. Then, "Where the hell were you?!"

I was screaming back at him. "What are you talking about?!"

This only seemed to fuel his fury. "Botan, you were gone for five days! Where were you?!"

Keiko was kneeling next to me again. "Once we realized you were gone, we searched for you but couldn't find anything. Five days later, yesterday, Yusuke found you in the park, unconscious. Do you remember what happened before that?"

"No," I responded. My eyes drifted back up to Yusuke's. If he was still angry, I could no longer tell. He was calm, too calm.

"She was with Kurama again." It was statement, no question.

It was at that moment I remembered Hiei, the forest, the fog, the house. But not Kurama.

"I wasn't with Kurama." I responded. "Even if I was, I can't remember." I glared at Yusuke. "Why is it any of your concern?!" He wanted to say something badly, I knew he did. But instead, Yusuke opted to keep quiet and stare at the wall. So I continued. "I know you and Koenma-sama are up to something, you think Kurama is dangerous. He isn't, he would never want to willingly kill another person."

I climbed out of the bed and Keiko tried to sit me back down but I refused. I got in front of Yusuke's line of vision. "What do you know about Kurama that you don't want to tell me?" He didn't answer. "If you don't tell me, I'll keep going back to him. Until I know what you're hiding, I'll keep going back."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" All three of us looked towards the doorway, Koenma was standing there. He was scrutinizing me carefully. "Where have you been, Botan?"

"I don't know, I don't remember."

"You can't remember anything?"

I was silent for a moment before I spoke. "I remembering being with Hiei. He was telling me that Kurama wanted me to meet him. He took me there, to where Kurama lived. I remember seeing the forest, the ocean, and fog. That's it."

"So you were going to meet him?" Koenma asked.

"Only because he asked me to."

"Did you even consider it to be a trap?"

"Yes, but I ruled it out as being a trap because Hiei took me there."

Koenma sighed before rubbing his forehead. "Hiei...is a very elusive character."

I heard Yusuke scoff and I frowned deeply before heading towards the window. I opened it, held out my hand before producing my oar. I was tired of being questioned by everyone. They loved to treat me like some little girl.

"Where are you going now?" Yusuke asked. He was by my side once more, glaring. "Off to find Kurama again?"

"Why do you care?" I inquired coolly. "You have Keiko to keep you company."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished with all my heart that I could take them back. The way Keiko gazed at me, it was too unbearable. I knew that she cared deeply for Yusuke but not the way I did. And saying that was like throwing her offered friendship back in her face. I wanted to take it back, I didn't mean it.

Yusuke stared at me for a second then smirked. "You're right, I do have Keiko." His smirk became a frown to match my own. "But the difference is, we're not doing anything!" And with those words, he turned around and walked out of the bedroom, Keiko quickly in tow. I suddenly felt too guilty.

Koenma stepped towards me, opened my hands, and placed a folder in my palms. "When you arrive at Reikai, look them over, and then come find me. We'll talk only when you're finished." And then he was gone.

I stood there, thinking. Everything had just gone from bad to worst. Everyone was upset with me and I didn't know how to fix it. Sighing, I seated myself on my oar and soared towards the skies. I needed time, time to clear my head and get everything straightened out. Then and only then would I try to make everything right.

-

"You knew something was wrong with Kurama, so why did you let her go by herself?" I demanded.

I sat slumped against a tree trunk, looking into the darkness. After I had left Botan and Koenma to their business and easily managed to ditch Keiko, I wandered into the woods. I knew Hiei was following me and I had so many questions to ask him. I was still angry with her, frustrated, confused. All because I just felt helpless. How could I protect her if I didn't even know about half of the things going on? And besides that, it seemed Botan didn't even want my help. I snorted aloud. Whatever, if she could ignore me with such ease, then it is only proper for me to do the same.

Hiei decided to stay in the shadows, but I could see him moving from branch to branch, watching me. I was becoming impatient too quickly. "Are you going answer me or not?! I don't have time for this, Hiei!"

"Someone's angry." Hiei commented suddenly. "Besides, you already know the answer to that, Yusuke." "Kurama wasn't going to lay a finger on her." He had moved to my side. "You interrogating me isn't going to aide your situation. What happened between those two, I don't know. And probably from Botan's response, Kurama purposely erased her memories of the past five days. You know as well as I do that he can't really trust her completely."

"You haven't done anything to help him, why?"

"I like to sit and watch what happens." I could tell he was smirking. "But, I can't really help him, he's too far gone. Kurama is hiding, he is fully aware that you and Koenma are after him. So, he's taking precautions."

"When was the last time you talked to Kurama?" I asked.

"Face to face, months ago." Hiei was in front of me now. "You know, he's feeding constantly," He stated. "He can't survive if he doesn't. So, what will you do now, detective?"

I was silent for a moment before I spoke. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Depends on what it is."

"I'm planning something."

"Kurama is too." Hiei answered. "He needs Botan for something, decoy or anything else. He's going to try to lure her away from you."

"And I'm going to let him." Despite myself, I smirked. "She wants to help him, she doesn't care about my warnings. From what Koenma said, it's about the whole reproduction thing." I shuddered at the thought. "So he needs Botan for that. She can't know about it though, or the whole plan will be messed up."

I turned to face him. "If what you say is true about Kurama's feeding, then cornering him should be the simple part." I shrugged my shoulders. "It's just a regular trap, nothing special. But I need as many people as possible. Will you help me?" Hiei stood up, jumped, and landed on the nearest branch. "Kurama is your friend, right? How can you say no?" He hadn't said anything but I knew he had agreed to help me. But there was one more thing. "Oi, Hiei!" He turned around and looked at me expectantly. "I need Yukina's help too."

-

There were one hundred and twenty-three photographs of dead, shriveled, decapitated bodies. I had stopped looking before I hit the fifth picture. I didn't know why I was crying, I hadn't personally killed these women but I felt so responsible. In each picture, Kurama was there, feeding, murdering. How could I have been so stupid? I felt the tears stream down my face anew. The more I looked at the folder, the more everything made sense. But still, I had questions of my own.

I climbed off my bed, dried my eyes quickly and left my room. I ran down the deserted hall towards Koenma's office, I knew he was patiently waiting for me. I pushed the tall doors open and walked to his desk, holding up a picture. I frowned deeply.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A very rare but dangerous creature," He answered. "A Makai worm."

"I went to the records, the library, everywhere. How come the Reikai records have no reports, documentations or references about this...thing?"

"Because we never had to deal with this until now."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before, Koenma-sama, even if it was just a hunch? What does Kurama have to do with it? What is Yusuke going to do now? Is he going to kill Kurama?"

Koenma held up his hand, signaling me to stop. His eyes narrowed slightly, more out of irritation than anger. "Did you read any of the past reports in that folder?"

"Not really," I replied before sitting down. "I wanted to hear everything from you."

He was silent for a moment before he sighed. I had never seen him look so...exhausted. "All right," He said. "Let's start with the picture." He took it from my hands and looked at it. "Like I said before, this is a Makai worm. It's more of a parasite than anything and in order for it to survive, like any parasite, it needs a host." Koenma looked at me. "Let's take a hypothetical situation. Somehow, someway, Kurama was able to find his way into Makai without us detecting it. He could have been doing anything and somehow got infected with realizing it.

"Makai worms dwell underground and use the little spirit energy they have to detect suitable hosts, Kurama was that host. The perfect environment for them is something warm and dark, doesn't matter if they're human or youkai. The worm gets inside the body and lives there in a dormant state for several weeks, then it begins to feed."

"On human blood?" I asked.

"No, not initially." Koenma answered. "For nutrients they use their host's blood, the stronger the host is, the less blood they need for the first weeks. After that, they travel through the body, to the brain, and nest there. The host may try to resist, I believe that's what Kurama did but eventually lost. Now, the parasite has complete control of his body. It is nearly impossible for the Makai worm to survive without blood, it needs to feed constantly. It finds a human, decapitates the person, then feeds, leaving the body completely shriveled. If it came to the point that the there is no blood available, then the parasite will drink its host's blood, and move on or die with the host."

"How long...has Kurama been this way?"

"From what I can determine, months. We just started to notice once the deaths in Ningenkai became irregular." Koenma stood up and approached me. "Botan do you remember the morning after Yusuke's birthday party?" When I nodded, he continued. "Do you remember when you said you had been with Kurama? And when Yusuke said he had never seen him at the party?" Again, I nodded. I couldn't understand what he was trying to get at. Then, "Why?"

"Why what?" I whispered, my heart was racing.

"Why was it that you were the only one who saw Kurama that night?" I stared down at my feet, I couldn't answer. "Why did he come to you when you were alone, Botan? When Yusuke was the last person you wanted to see?"

My eyes began to sting, everything was blurry. "Decoy," I answered. "Prey," When Koenma nodded, I felt one tear after another running down my face and hitting my palms. Now, I definitely deserved the title of 'idiot.' "And I went with him, without realizing it. How could I have not known?"

"We didn't either," Koenma replied, his voice gentle., soothing. "It wasn't until Hiei said something that we started to pay close attention to Kurama's actions and whereabouts." He knelt in front of me. "We never had enough evidence to confirm our suspicious, until now. But before then, we couldn't strike and we didn't want to alarm him or you. If that happened, Kurama would disappear again."

"It's my fault, gomen nasai." I bowed my head low, covering my face with my hands. "Ouji-sama, forgive me. If I had known, I wouldn't have been so careless. And to think, I was angry with everyone else because no one would mind their own business. I should have known."

He smiled sadly. "Iie, it's not fair to put the blame on yourself." I looked up at him hopefully. I was surprised when Koenma took his finger and wiped a falling tear away from my face. "All we could do now is correct what has been happening." He moved away from me and back behind his desk.

"So...what now?"

"The Makai worms do have a weakness."

"What is it?"

At this, Koenma smiled knowingly. "They hate the cold, they die instantly when the temperature is not adequate for them."

I put two and two together. "Yukina,"

"Exactly,"

I stood up suddenly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "I need to go to Ningenkai, to find Yusuke." I said. I bowed deeply before turning to leave. But Koenma stopped me when he spoke.

"Be careful,"

I smiled. "I will." I promised.

-

As soon as Keiko opened her apartment door, I was already on my hands and knees. "I'm really, really, really sorry about what I said."

There was a long silence before I heard the rustle of her clothing as she knelt down. "There's nothing to be sorry about, you and Yusuke were having one of your first of many fights. Besides, I should be the one apologizing, Botan. I should have known I was hurting your feelings when I was spending so much with Yusuke."

I raised my head. "But, he's your best friend."

"True," She agreed. "But he is no longer my boyfriend, he's yours."

I frowned. "Not officially."

Keiko blinked. "You mean...he hasn't asked you yet?" When I shook my head, she shook hers. She grinned. "You'll have to be patient for that day. So...were you or were you not with Kurama all this time?" She fixed me with her knowing stare and I suddenly wasn't brave enough to lie to her.

"Even though I don't remember, I probably was." I responded.

Keiko smiled triumphantly before standing up and stepping to the side to let me in. She escorted me into the kitchen where she went to work preparing green tea and opening a bag of cookies. I sat down at the table and scanned her apartment, I had never been here before. When she spoke up, I turned my attention to her.

"I know I'm not supposed to know anything because my life would be endangered and all that stuff." Keiko said. "But can you tell me what's been going on, I've been in the dark and Yusuke is being too stubborn."

I did, I told her everything from the very night of Yusuke's birthday party to the strange dream to five nights ago, every detail I could remember. It was then that I realized Keiko was the very first person I had confided in. I had kept everything bottled up because I didn't want anyone to know. By the time I finished relaying my story, she was smiling again.

"Now, I understand." Keiko murmured before taking a long sip of her tea. She reach for the plate, grabbing a handful of cookies. "Even though it took ages, I was able to get bits and pieces of Yusuke's side of the story and I was hoping to get you alone. But now that I know everything, I can definitely say that something is wrong with Kurama." Her eyes went to the ceiling. "Come to think of it, I saw him a few Sundays ago. He was acting so strangely. I know he's always been a quiet, polite person but..."She looked back at me. "He was distant, cold. His behavior kind of startled me."

"Did you tell Yusuke about that?" I inquired.

"Iie, I was just thinking that Kurama may have had a bad day. It happens to everyone." Keiko frowned, it was the only sign that she was worried. "I didn't know the situation was like this."

"Yusuke and Koenma have been trying to keep the investigation as quiet as possible. Until now, he wouldn't tell me anything." I sighed. "I mean...what if we can't help Kurama? What will we do then?"

Keiko was silent for a moment before she touched my shoulder. "There's no need to be upset, Botan. I'm sure it'll all work out." She stood up, grabbed the kettle from the stove and refilled both our cups with tea. "But I have good news that you will enjoy."

"What kind of good news?" I asked cautiously.

Keiko seated herself, beaming. "When you suddenly disappeared, Yusuke, he went crazy." She held up her hands. "Can you imagine it? Yusuke, looking in every place imaginable trying to find you. We were all worried by he, by far, was about to lose his mind if he didn't find you."

"Is that why he's so upset with me?"

"He was scared but would never verbally admit, but everyone could tell."

"Why were you crying, Keiko?" I asked suddenly.

At my question, her smile faded slightly. She grasped my hand. "I knew you were all right but, that couldn't stop me from worrying." She laughed. "But I always worry over every little thing. It's a bad habit." She graced me with a sly look.. shifting the conversation back to Yusuke. "Trust me, Botan, even when you're standing next to him or in another room, he's at looking you, watching you. He's been doing that ever since he first met you. It's hard for him to ignore you."

I nearly choked on my tea. "Really?" When Keiko nodded, I blushed. I looked down at my hands. "By the way, where is Yusuke?"

"That jerk!" She suddenly exclaimed. "After he left you and Koenma, I followed him. I wanted to see if he was all right. You know what he told me?" Keiko attempted to do her best Yusuke impression. She was flawless. "Get lost, Keiko! I want to be by myself! I'm fine, Keiko, leave me alone! What are you talking about?! I'm not angry because of Botan, it has nothing to do with her!"

I was laughing so hard, even after she finished her impression, to the point that I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I hadn't been this happy in so long.

Keiko was smiling again. "I'm glad I was able to make you laugh." She commented. "Anyway, he finally told me he was going to a park, but I don't know which one. He said he wanted to see someone."

I nodded. "Arigato, Keiko," I rose from my seat and headed for a window.

We said our goodbyes and I was soaring through the night sky again. It wouldn't take long to find Yusuke, I knew exactly where he was. I traveled far from Keiko's apartment, from the busy metropolis to the city limits. There was nothing but thick trees and the silence of the night. A few more moments passed before I decided to land on the ground and travel the rest of the way by foot.

I stopped once I reached a clearing, and there, was Yusuke. He stood, knees bent, fists up and his eyes focused on invisible foes. His punches and kicks were quick and precise. I know it was strange, but I had always been jealous of his fighting abilities. Yusuke could always rid himself of his frustration, his anger, his sadness with a few punches.

I stepped closer and silently winced when a twig broke under my foot. He stopped then, turned around, and faced me. I smiled sheepishly and he returned it with a frown.

"How did you find me?" He demanded. He turned away from me, resuming his training. I was expecting him to yell at me, scream at me, but he was eerily calm. Just like this morning.

There was no use hiding anymore, I stepped closer. "Keiko told me you were here." I answered.

A punch and then a round house kick. "Figures," He muttered absentmindedly.

The moon shone on his skin, giving him an unearthly glow and casting shadows around his moving figure. Without even realizing it, I focused my attention on a single droplet of perspiration that erupted from Yusuke's forehead. It streamed down his face, landed on his bare chest before traveling on. I bit down on my lip when it molded into each rippling muscle of his abdomen. I looked away, flushing. It was at that moment I noticed how much older Yusuke was compared to when he was fourteen. I couldn't understand it, when had he grown up?

Yusuke had stopped training now. He was at a nearby tree, pouring water on himself and wiping the excess away with a towel. Briefly, I wondered how long he had been out here. Punching kicking, forgetting that the whole world existed. I got a little braver and moved closer to him, I had come out here for a reason.

"I'm sorry, Yusuke," At this, he looked at me silently. Then moved away, his bangs momentarily shadowing his eyes.

"What for, Botan?" He asked sarcastically, coldly. He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like we're dating or anything."

"Yusuke-"

"No, it's all right. Why should I give a damn if you disappear for awhile to be with Kurama?"

I was starting to get upset. "He's only a friend. Why do you always say that?"

"Because isn't that the truth?" He answered with a question. Yusuke was so close to me now, staring directly at me. "Look into my eyes Botan, tell me I'm wrong and I'll believe you." When I looked away he scoffed as if saying, 'I told you so.'

He stepped away from me, even though I didn't want him to. "What are you doing here?" Yusuke inquired.

"I came here to see you."

"That's not what I meant." He said. "I meant as in 'here.'" He did a sweeping motion with his hand. "Even before this case came up, when you and I first met, I always saw you. Even if nothing life-threatening was happening in Ningenkai, you were always there. Why?"

What Yusuke said was the truth. But I couldn't help myself, I was curious about him. It didn't make sense to me that he could be an arrogant jerk one minute and a compassionate person the next. Not to mention, I had a crush on him. I tried to be as elusive as possible, but I guess there was nothing that could fool him.

"Do you want me to leave permanently?" I asked calmly.

"That wasn't my question." Yusuke said. His voice was clipped, impatient.

I sighed softly. I was tired, more mentally than physically. I was tired of all these games Yusuke and I played, it was useless. I had already admitted that I loved him, why couldn't he?

"I'm sorry," I murmured again. "I'm sorry for worrying you, I'm sorry for saying things I didn't mean. I'm sorry for bothering you or annoying you. But," I smiled slightly. "I wanted to spend time with you, Yusuke."

"You wanted to spend time with me?" He repeated. When I nodded he smirked. "I feel so honored. Whatever, knock yourself out." Yusuke moved far away from me, sat down, and leaned against a tree trunk, his gaze going to the sky.

I watched him for a few moments before I produced my oar. I seated myself. What else could I do? I apologized, I tried to reassure him he was the only person I wanted to be with. Nothing worked. I felt something in me break. My first, actual relationship with a guy was crumpling around me. "So," I breathed. "Is that it? After everything, this is how you want to end it, Yusuke?"

I didn't realize he had heard me until I saw him stand up and approach me. I stepped off my oar and looked up at him. It was coming over me again, that feeling of awe. When did Yusuke grow up? How did I miss it? When did I fall in love with this nineteen year old boy? No, this man. I could feel heat rolling off of his body in waves. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"No," Yusuke answer finally, eyes softening. "I don't,"

He stared at me for a second, but in that moment, I knew he felt slightly awkward, as did I. To ease it, I stepped closer to him, stood on the tips of my toes, and placed a sweet but chaste kiss on his lips. I think that broke him. Instantly, Yusuke's hands were on my shoulders, keeping me in place. He returned my kiss with the same lightness, but made sure it lasted longer. When he pulled away, I placed my fingers on the back of his neck. Again, I pressed my lips to his. Now, I did everything I could with his lips. Kissed, nibbled, suckled. I kept it light, playful, but never deepened it. I was tempting him. I know Yusuke was surprised with my initiative, but wasn't at all against it.

His hands trailed up to my face and he kissed me back so slowly, almost lazily. His tongue flicked out, ran over my lower lip, then ran across my top lip before gently parting them and entering my mouth. Yusuke's tongue explored my mouth as mine began to dance with his. I felt tremors start at the base of my neck and travel down to my toes. He stepped closer to me and moved his hands from my cheeks to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. His kiss became more intense, demanding to know every inch of my mouth. Hesitantly, I snaked my tongue around his, exploring just the way he had. Yusuke rewarded me with a soft moan.

When I pulled away, I looked at him through half-lidded eyes. "Gentle," I commented. "Really gentle."

For the first time in days, Yusuke smiled at me, pleased with my compliment. "I'm experimenting," He answered. Then the smile vanished. "Tell me to stop." He requested seriously. His lips trailed down to my neck, leisurely sucking on the most sensitive spot there. "Just tell me stop and I will."

I nodded my head and bit down on my lower lip. Yusuke, he had to know, he must have known that this would be my first time. I had always thought of this moment. By heart, I was a hopeless romantic and I had been wanting and expecting what any romantic would imagine. First, it would be at Yusuke's apartment, no interruptions, no distractions. Second, flower petals and scented candles. Third, an exquisite dinner beforehand and declarations of love during the throws of passion. But I knew better, that fantasy was too made up. For one reason, Yusuke was certainly not the romantic type. And I don't know why, but I remember being at Kuwabara's house, talking to Shizuru. She said that first times were sudden, unexpected, clumsy, beautiful.

Yusuke kissed me again, his hands raking through my hair before untying my bow. He fingers were working at my kimono and I suddenly felt embarrassed as the outer robe fell before he was on to the inner robe. For distraction, I pulled away from him to kiss his chest, falling to the ground and bringing him with me. It was humid that night, and nearly impossible to breathe. But all I cared about was this moment. The heat, his kisses, and our stifled moans left me completely dizzy.

Yusuke claimed my mouth again, completely driven on impulse and urges. He kissed me hard, to the point that it was almost bruising. He ravaged me mercilessly and I suddenly moaned when I felt his calloused hand run up my thigh, along my abdomen, back, and everywhere that he could reach. Yusuke stopped his kiss for a moment and I shuddered as I looked into his eyes, they were definitely a few shades darker. He took that moment and swept his eyes over my body. In that span of two seconds, I literally turned six shades of red. But, he wouldn't stop staring at me.

"You look so serious," I whispered. I wanted to lighten the mood.

Yusuke smiled. "Sorry," He ran his fingers through my hair. He started kissing my neck again. "...Just wanted you like this for so long."

"How long?" I asked. His roaming hands were sending my thoughts elsewhere, but I stayed attentive for his response.

"When I was fifteen," Yusuke replied. "We were all at the beach and I saw you in your bathing suit for the first time."

I laughed before I kissed him lightly. "Hentai..." I murmured.

His smile widened. "That's not even half of it." He said. He pushed me back onto the ground, using my kimono as a blanket. In the process, his hips rocked into mine causing a delicious friction that left me breathless. Yusuke noticed immediately and took advantage of the situation. He continued moving against me. Slow, fast, and slow again. I barely managed to mumble his name. Yusuke pressed his lips against my ear. "What I really remember was watching you change into your bathing suit."

I was snapped out of my hazy state from hearing that. Before I could slap him or even yell at him for his perverted ways, Yusuke was kissing me again. And like he was planning, I forgot about everything when that heat lapped at my abdomen every time he touched me. My hands traveled low, to the zipper of his jeans. It only took a few tries, but eventually, they were gone.

We made love underneath the shade of a tree, enveloped in heat, mosquitoes attacking us. The sounds of Yusuke's quiet grunts and moans echoed in my ears as he buried his face into the crook of my neck. But every second, he was gentle, tender. I remember touching every part of him. I kissed him across the line of his backbone. Kissed his cheeks, his hands, and shoulders. Kissed each knot of muscle and blemish. I learned how to move, to forget, to love.

I could barely describe what happened next. I was shaking, my insides throbbing as indescribable feeling traveled through me. Yusuke collapsed on top of me, exhausted and out of breath. He was about to roll onto his side but I gripped at him and relished in the sensation of having him laying on top of me. I think I startled him when I started rubbing his shoulders, kneading the taut muscles there with my palms and knuckles. But Yusuke relaxed eventually, and I started a path down to his lower back. I fingered him down his spine, bringing a hiss as I got to a particularly sore spot. His eyes were closed now, and I felt him relax even more, a sigh escaped him. I started upwards, making a slow circular motion, before coming back to his neck.

Yusuke groaned, "Botan,"

I managed to look at him. I was quiet for a long time. Then, "I love you," Just like I thought, he froze.

His eyes opened slowly to gaze at me. I wanted him to say it, I really did. But I felt disappointment swell up in me with each second dragging by. He opened his mouth to say something but I pressed my finger to his lips.

"Yusuke, are you happy?" When he nodded, I smiled brightly. "Then that's all that matters to me." I hugged him. "All I want is for you to be happy."

"Botan-"

I shook my head, silencing him. "I mean it, I don't want you to feel pressured. If you're happy, I'm happy, Yusuke."

He fell quiet after that and for a long while, we held each other and listened to the sounds of the night. Nothing in the world could describe how happy I was. I finally had the boy that I had been pinning for over for five years. Now, everything, all my reveries, seemed possible. I couldn't imagine myself being with any other person besides Yusuke.

Eventually we dressed and headed back to his apartment. I only got an hour's worth of sleep before I noticed the sun was ascending over the horizon. Carefully, I managed to untangle Yusuke's limbs from my body as I stood up. He was quick to react. He grabbed my wrists before opening a weary eye.

"Where are you going?" His voice was soft and I couldn't help but smile.

"To Reikai," I answered. "I need to get my school uniform then go to school."

Yusuke opened his other eye, he sat up. "To school?" Before I could protest, he grabbed me and pulled me down. "Stay,"

I blushed. "I'd love to, but I have so much assignments that I've missed. It would be best to get that out of the way."

He raised an eyebrow. "Listen to yourself, you actually sound like you care."

"Until this case is over, Yusuke, all I am is a student going to high school." I smirked. "A student who just so happens to be dating the most attractive guy at that school."

Instead of accepting the compliment, Yusuke frowned. But I could see the amusement in his eyes. "Who told you that?"

"You'd be surprised about what you can hear in the girls' locker room." I replied. "But right now, I need to go before it gets too late."

Without protest, he let me go and collapsed on the bed. "So we're a couple now," He stated without question.

I moved towards the window, feeling the light weight my oar resting in my hand. I turned to face him. I smiled, it was the only thing I could do. But I wanted to cry, to laugh, to scream at the top of my lungs that Yusuke Urameshi was officially my boyfriend. And I loved him to the very core of my being. I sighed, keeping my emotions at bay.

"See you at school." I said before seating myself.

Yusuke frowned again. "The only reason I'm going is because of you." Then he smirked suggestively. "I expect something in return for my generosity. Like meeting you in a janitor's closet or an empty classroom?"

My smiled dropped. "Hentai..." Was the last thing I said before I left Yusuke's apartment and headed for Reikai.

-

I remembered, decades ago, walking down these same halls, going unnoticed by everyone around me. Back then, I was always curious about schools and its students. I especially remembered those days near the end of the school year. The days when spring would silently slip away, and summer would take its place. During those times, the school hours seemed to last forever. The school would be humid, so much that no one could bare it. Right now, it was just like one of those days. On days like these, we had more breaks. And during these breaks, I would find myself wandering around the school until my next class.

My hair was pulled back. The sleeves of my shirt rolled up and my stockings pushed down to my ankles. It was only midmorning but I was already perspiring and I had no idea how I would get through the day. What made my mood worse was Kurama, everything him about him was swimming in my thoughts. I worried about him constantly. I was able to not think about him while I had been with Yusuke but it still didn't change the fact about what was happening to Kurama, what could happen.

I frowned then, running my fingers through my blue locks. No, I had to keep my mind focused on something else. But that wasn't working. I had purposely walked to the other side of the school, where no student went because the humidity was worse here. My steps were slow as I passed by each window and gazed at myself. I stopped once I noticed a classroom door open. Just as I was about to reach for the knob to close the door, I shivered.

I wasn't alone.

I stumbled back before I started running. But I didn't get far. A pair of arms grabbed me and I opened my mouth to scream but was silenced when a warm palm was pressed against my mouth. I struggled, I hit, I clawed, nothing worked. I was whirled around and suddenly I was looking into emerald orbs.

"Kurama," There was fear, apprehension in my voice. He could tell.

Why was it that you were the only one who saw Kurama that night? Koenma's voice rung in my head. Why did he come to you when you were alone, Botan? When Yusuke was the last person you wanted to see?

Kurama finally loosened his hold on me and I stepped back. I looked at the classroom door, it was still open. But I knew there was no use trying to escape, he would catch me with ease.

"You're frightened of me." He said.

I looked back at him and I could see a small, amused smile tugging at his lips. "Of course not," I said. "You just surprised me." I had to play dumb, I didn't want him to know that I knew what was happening to him. I wasn't even really sure Kurama knew what was happening to himself.

Kurama stepped closer to me, staring intently, his smile gone. What was he looking for?

"If I ask you to meet me somewhere, will you?" He whispered.

He's your friend, right? The voice in my head asked. You do want to help him? Or he'll just keep killing...

I only nodded my reply.

"Tomorrow," Kurama said. "My mother's house. I'll be waiting."

"Tell me right now." I said. "No one is here, just tell me Kurama."

Something flickered in his eyes for a second. But it was enough to have me trembling.

"Tomorrow," He said again and brushed past me into the hall.

I turned around, walked into the hall and found nothing. I leaned against the doorframe, my heart hammering against my chest. I know I was being stupid by agreeing, but I didn't want to sit idly and let Yusuke, Koenma, or anyone else take care of this. I wanted to help Kurama, and I would.

I sighed. "What have gotten myself into?"

Author's Notes: I know, right about now, all of you want to grab the pitchforks and hunt me down. Honestly, I wouldn't blame you. But all I can give is a sincere apology. This by far, had to be my busiest school year, and along the way, I became a little bored with this story. But I've regained my enthusiasm and I am going to finish what I started. So thank you all for hanging in there. I believe some of you may have noticed that my preview for this chapter at the bottom of the page is different from what was written here. I needed to change a few things around in this chapter and unfortunately, that whole Yusuke/Botan closet scene got taken out. But I'm considering putting in the next two chapters, I don't know.

Now, all of you know what's going on with or beautiful Kurama. Everyone's scheming now and Botan just happens to be caught in the whirlwind of it. Yusuke/Botan fans I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I know I said that I was going to bump this fic up to an 'R' rating. But now, I see no need to. I think this story is a lot better a PG-13, and plus, writing imitate scenes makes me so embarrassed! So I hope that love scene was able to quench everyone's Y/B thirst.

It's summer vacation, and you know what means. More writing, and hopefully more updates.

Thank you again to all who have read and reviewed, given me your praise, suggestions and comments. I truly do appreciate your in put. By the way, if anyone could tell me, I've been checking out a lot of fanfics, including my own, and noticing that, for some reason, my latest updates are not as spaced out as they use to be, compare chapter 6 to chapter 7 of Nox and you'll see what I mean. Anyway, can someone tell me why that is or is the staff doing this.

Thanks and I'll see ya at the next update!