Author's Note: Because I owe you guys something for your patience.

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi.

Scent
By Zelia Theb

The Spirit Detectives had been cut in half. Yusuke, the detective himself, and Hiei, the short-tempered and vertically impaired fire demon, were the only ones meandering in the mist settled beneath the canopy of the dark forest. Their comrades were missing, having been separated in the heat of a battle that Hiei figured was meant to do just that; separate them. The tall, chiseled, burly, and most honorable Kuwabara was the first to disappear after chasing a bipedal demon through the crooked trees. Their fair skinned and feminine demon companion Kurama vanished soon after, leaving not one trace for the remaining pair to follow. Hiei muttered something about the fox-boy being far too light-footed to ever think about leaving a trail for any ranger; experienced or not; to follow.

Twigs and leaves crackled beneath their feet as they trekked onward. The chilling mist had invaded their lungs, and with each breath they exhaled wisps of liquid air. While the two knew deep down inside that they would be safe; as long as they stayed away from the blackened footpath that wandered through the woods; they did not like that feeling in the pit of their stomach that their friends were gone for good.

Yusuke reached up to touch his hair. The gel that held his strands not-so-neatly together was nearly frozen. He sighed and rubbed his hands together, feeling that he was ill-prepared for this journey.

"Cold?" Hiei asked.

Yusuke was embarrassed. The last thing he wanted was to act feeble in front of Hiei, especially when their group was spread so thin. He shook his head in denial, only to hear Hiei let out his famous grunt.

Birds cawed in the distance. Whether or not they were regular crows, or large ravenous beasts pecking away at their friends' corpses was a thought Yusuke dared not think of. But they were on his mind, and the worry only increased as the tempo of his hand-warming technique did.

"But ya don't think they are, do you?" the teen inquired, referencing the previous query.

Hiei too, shook his head negatively. "If you aren't, then they aren't. It's simple logic, Detective. You're all human, except for Kurama, who still has a human body."

"R-right," stammered Yusuke.

The darkness gradually grew darker, and became thicker than the suspended rain around them. A sound Yusuke had thought was a demon pervaded his head, until he realized it was the speech of his own chattering teeth.

"Now I see why they call this place Necropolis. I mean, aside from the lack of a cit- Oomph!" His chatter was interrupted by the bark-covered and sharp surface of a contorted tree. A few fast footsteps later, and Hiei was at his side.

"Careful, Detective," Hiei warned, "Wouldn't want our enemies thinking you're a weak link."

Yusuke rubbed his head. "I can't see a thing," he informed the demon. Using the mighty trunk of the tree to steady himself, he rose to his feet, only to be insulted.

"Idiot," muttered Hiei, "Just keep your eyes on me."

"I can't see, Hiei," explained Yusuke, "Meaning I can't see you either. I only know where you are because of where you're voice is comin' from."

"Hn. I can see fine," Hiei lied. In truth, his vision wasn't perfect, but he could still make out objects and detect particles of light.

Yusuke looked around, hoping that perhaps his vision was just a bit screwy and that it would eventually adjust. Still leaning upon the tree, he asked, "Can't ya just a light a torch with your power, or something?"

"No," Hiei answered, rolling his eyes despite the fact that Yusuke couldn't see them, "We are still too close to the trail. They'd see us."

"Geez. You'd think that creatures here would be like normal ones. You know, able to evolve and see in the dark anyway like bats and moles."

"Oh, there are creatures in this forest," Hiei assured him, "But they are of no danger to us. It is bandits and guards that we must be careful to avoid. They have the advantage."

Kurama may have known this fact, but Yusuke knew for sure that Kuwabara didn't. And if the two hadn't run into each other along the way, then his classmate was done for. Doubt crept upon the delinquint teen, and his strength to keep up appearances was waning.

"Are we even heading in the right direction?" he asked, "I mean, what if only Kurama ends up where we do?"

"Then we can come back in and search for that oaf if we need to." After seeing Yusuke's eyes widen in shock, he added, "Kurama is an expert tracker. If anything he has already found Kuwabara and is following us right now."

"So let's just stay here and wait for them," Yusuke suggested, feeling paralysis attack his limbs.

"No," Hiei said, grasping Yusuke's free hand, "We have to keep moving." The heat from Hiei's hand gave Yusuke a moment of seering pain as the stale muscles defrosted. Hiei cursed; "Damn it, Detective. You're as cold as ice. Lying isn't going to help our situation." He tugged the teen away from the tree and with a quickened pace, continued their mission.

"I d-didn't th-think-" stammered the boy from the cold.

"That means they're in a bit more trouble than we thought. Come on."

"Just remember, Hiei," Yusuke panted, struggling to force his legs to move, "I'm taller than you so warn me before you go ducking under trees."

"Feh. I'm not stupid," retorted the fire demon.

"Sorry," Yusuke apologized, "Just being a smart-ass."

After what felt like hours, but was truly a little less than only one, Yusuke could take it no longer. His leg muscles were refusing to cooperate with he and Hiei. It took no less than a few seconds for him to request taking a rest.

"What for?" asked Hiei, stopping and letting go of Yusuke's hand. Almost immediately, the detective found himself missing the warmth that it had provided.

"I just need to stop," he said, sitting down on upon the frigid ground, and hoping that he wasn't about to sit on one of those creatures of the night. Thankfully, he hadn't.

Hiei could do nothing but let out a complaining noise. Instinctively, Yusuke looked in the direction of the sound, and quickly remembered that it wouldn't have mattered anyway. With his comfort gone and apparent hypothermia setting in, he curled up and hugged his knees, rocking back and forth to generate heat. It was to no avail.

His ears were non-existent. His nose was an icicle. His aura wasn't as warming as he had anticipated. And now...now he felt as if his very life was slipping away from him. He was just so damn cold! That was, until, he felt something very warm, very...soft, and very comforting wrap around his neck and shoulders. Lifting his hand up to investigate the situation, he discovered that it was a shawl, made of cotton-like material. Curiously, he touched the shawl to his face. Warm. Very warm. It smelled of comfort and home, yet also of the outdoors and of protection. Had Yusuke attempted to explain how feelings were detected with the nose, he would have been tongue-tied. Those just happened to be the thoughts that the scent brought to him.

"Can you get up now?" a softer; yet still agitated; Hiei asked him.

"Hm?" he murmured, looking once more toward the direction of the voice. Brown embers focused upon orange as the boy's eyes adjusted to the small torch that Hiei had lit for them. They widened to adjust to the soothing glow, and could clearly see within the small radius of the torch. Hiei's black cloak was now bare at the shoulders, and all because the demon was kind enough to loan Yusuke his shawl for warmth. That scent he detected; that fragrance that was still pervading his red nose; that was the scent of Hiei.

"I asked if you could stand," Hiei replied impatiently. He handed him the unusual make-shift torch; one which had been created with a small branch; and stated, "Keep it steady. Should get easier the longer you hold it." Yusuke's eyes were glazed over, and Hiei wasn't quite sure on how to interpret that. "From the fire," he finished, once more taking hold of Yusuke's hand and lifting him to his feet.

"Aren't you worried they're gonna see us?" questioned Yusuke as he was lead through the wood.

"Wouldn't you rather die in battle than from bad weather?" grumbled Hiei. Yusuke grunted affirmatively, his inner thoughts screaming at him to stop being a 'wussy' and to just keep going.

The fire did little to warm his hands during their run, and their pace helped just as much. Finally, when his brain could no longer command his body to move, the torch slipped from his grip and he fell stumbled to the ground, taking Hiei down with him. Yusuke's world went black then, and he lay there in the woods, unconscious and unaware of the battle his lost comrades had brought back to he and Hiei.

Kazuma Kuwabara's elder sister Shizuru set a tray of tea down by her brother's bedside, which was currently occupied by Yusuke. Kuwabara himself, Kurama, and Hiei were all seated in various places in the room; Kurama in a desk chair, Kuwabara on the floor; using his bed as a backrest; and Hiei on the bed, taking a change from his normal preference of a windowsill.

Hiei, normally one to be aloof, angered, and albeit irritated at having anything interrupt his free time, was the most adamant at staying by Yusuke's side. His eyes were showing strain, having lacked sleep over the past week that Yusuke was out cold for. Kurama and Kuwabara, of course, were tired as well, but Hiei's display was surprising to them. They knew that Hiei, of course, did care about them, but he never so openly showed it.

"How's he doin'?" the tall brunette asked, her arms crossed in front of her as usual.

"Not well at all, I'm afraid," replied the equally long-locked Kurama, "His body temperature is still a tad lower than it should be." He then glanced over at his afflicted friend, hoping that his blue lips might have gone pink again, and that perhaps his comatose state would have disappeared. His hopes were squashed.

"Well," the young woman replied, "I'll be downstairs. Let my baby bro or me know if ya need anything."

"We should just have taken him to the hospital..." muttered Kazuma, after his sister's footsteps faded away.

"You two shouldn't have wandered off," scolded Hiei from the bed.

"Perhaps you should have used the Coursing Flame spell, Hiei," seethed Kurama in turn, on edge from the tension that Hiei brought into the room.

Kuwabara stood from his place. "Ya mean ya coulda helped him out back there, Hiei?" His hand turned into a curled fist. "Why didn't ya help Urameshi out? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Hiei growled, baring his teeth at the boy. Any answer he would have normally given, would not have been the truth, and he didn't want to show weakness in front of a demon as infamous and powerful as the great Youko Kurama. Yet, both Kuwabara and Kurama, who was also standing now, were waiting impatiently for Hiei's response, despite knowing full well that the time was here and now, and that flipping the pages of time in reverse was impossible.

"I never learned the Coursing Flame," the demon finally admitted. Kurama stared forward, appalled at Hiei's weakness and ignorance. Kuwabara did not understand the eyes Kurama had set upon their ally, but was able to discern at least one thing about Hiei; that it might not just be this spell of pyromancy Hiei never learned.

"So that's why you always use that katana, huh Hiei?" asked Kazuma, sympathetically. As Hiei moved to speak, no words fell from his mouth. Instead, he stared at the unmoving sheets on the bed. Kuwabara continued, his thoughts easily coming through, opposite of Hiei's own response. "You don't really know that many fire techniques, even though you're a fire demon. So you make up for that with quick feet and a sharp blade."

Hiei hissed, not desiring to converse about his faults any longer. Kurama, on the other hand, stayed stern, and remarked, "Pathetic, Hiei."

"Kurama!" the tallest yelled, shocked at his calm friend's harsh demeanor.

"Kurama what, Kuwabara? It's obvious that Hiei is the weakest link of our team. The rest of us at least make use of everything available to us." The redhead glared on at Hiei. "So, have you spent all of your life studying the fabled Darkness Flame, like most amateur pyromancers? Or was it the lack of a father figure to teach you the ways of the Flame Arts?" Amidst their squabble, they selfishly forgot about Yusuke, who was previously out cold. Only Hiei recognized the shift in the weight on the bed, and waited impatiently for the detective to announce his awakened state.

"That's pretty cold, Kurama," Yusuke said, yawning and sitting up in the bed. Little did he realize that Hiei's shawl was still around his shoulders. "You know as well as the rest of us that none of us have fathers."

"Yusuke! You're awake!" Kurama exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Barely, I feel like crap," the teen noted, "But so should you. I didn't hear all of it, but ya gotta lay off that whole family thing. Since when did you become such a piss-ant?"

Kurama's left brow raised. "Forgive me, Yusuke, but perhaps you may not entirely understand the demon culture fully."

"Eh?" Yusuke replied. He let out a quick cough, and shivered. He was still freezing. As if he had expected it, Hiei stood from the bed and pulled the blankets up further to reach the detective's shoulders. That same scent of comfort and outdoors pervaded his nostrils again, and in that instant, he already felt warmer than he had a moment before.

"Forget it, Yusuke," Hiei said, "Kurama is trying to coax me into training harder. It's how things work in our world." Yusuke gazed into his eyes, wondering where the sudden feeling of regret had come from, and before he knew it, Hiei had gripped onto the shawl around his neck, and tugged.

"Hey..." murmured a hurt Yusuke, who had raised his own hands up to grab the cloth.

"I'm leaving now, Detective," Hiei announced, "And this belongs to me."

Kuwabara was not about to sit idly by and watch a fight break out. "Urameshi, man, just give it back and I'll grab ya another blanket. Don't wanna watch my room get destroyed over some scarf."

"It's not just some sca-"

"Fine," stated Hiei, impatient, "I'll come for it later." With his head turning toward Kurama, he finished with, "I've got some training to do," and left.

However, days went by, and Hiei hadn't returned for it. Yusuke was fully recuperated, and had already taken to the streets while his mother was home recovering from her alcohol induced headaches. He spent the week at the park, mainly, because he enjoyed the way it looked during this time of the season. Secondly, though, he would look for Hiei, or rather, wait for him.

The sunlight was rapidly dimming, leaving Yusuke with the company of the street lights; one of which would flicker like a candle in a storm. He played with the fabric slung loosely around his neck, fearful that it might fall off and that he wouldn't be able to return it. That, and because Hiei's essence was swiftly draining from the shawl.

Feeling as if no one were around, the boy whispered, "And what if you really don't come back?" He shook his head before placing it into his welcoming palms. "None of this makes sense to me, Hiei..." He held the covering to his nose, taking in every scent as he lifted his head again, and sighed, "I just wouldn't know what to do..."

The faltering lights that were keeping him company finally gave in. The park became dark, and Yusuke muttered, "Damn it, even they don't wanna be around me anymore."

"They're just lights, Yusuke," spoke Hiei suddenly, appearing as the teens shadow.

After jumping with tension from the shock of not being alone, Yusuke let out a sigh of relief only to find that his nerves were now jittering from anxiety. Hiei's eyes shifted at the change in his ally.

"Call it a moment of inner reflection," Yusuke defended, afraid of what Hiei might have heard, and what the demon would do about it. However, it was one of those fears that forced him to press on, and think of the consequences later, and it caused him to pace frantically between two lamp posts.

"Stop," Hiei demanded, annoyed. The boy complied, allowing his back to fall against one of the cold, metal poles.

"So you've finally decided to take what's yours, huh?" asked Yusuke, crossing his arm.

"Yes," nodded Hiei, walking a few steps to be Yusuke's shadow once again.

The muscles of the teen's body contracted without his consent as Hiei drew closer to him. A scene of intimacy was painted in his mind, and when Hiei gently lifted a hanging corner of the shawl, Yusuke stopped him softly at the wrist with his palm.

"No..." Yusuke quietly protested.

A silent pleading in Hiei's eyes caused Yusuke to let go, and Hiei drew the boy near using that very corner he held. In a fast revelation, the emotions brought on by the demon's scent had become incredibly clear to him.

And so they stood in their awkward embrace, nearly nose-to-nose and ambitious for further contact. Timid hands graced trembling faces, debating whether or not to serve their ambitions and settle the butterflies in their throats.

"Yusuke..." whispered Hiei.

"Don't go..." was the soft response. Yusuke then closed his eyes, letting himself drown in the moment It wasn't until he felt the cotton-like fabric sleekly fall from his shoulders that he opened his eyes, only to discover that Hiei had stolen his shawl back from him.

"I have to..." uttered the shorter, turning away, "...Detective."

Yusuke's heart plunged as Hiei dissolved into the coming night. Their moment was gone, and now Yusuke could think of no way to get himself into that situation again. There would be no other accident, no other item possession, and no other chance for the two of them to be alone together.

Yusuke would have to walk home in the dark, filled with the scents of the city, only to find a message from his girlfriend blinking on his answering machine.

The End

I apologize for the end sequence. Please review, and feel free to use some the site's new features to contact me (especially about why I haven't updated your favorite stories). Thanks for reading!

-Zelia