Chapter 9

Well… since most of you seem to like the last chapter…I'll just leave it as is.  Hope you enjoy this one too. =)  *sigh*  got a feeling this is gonna be a long story…

            Hiei didn't know what to do.  A sharp pain jabbed into his heart the moment he saw Kurama with Yusuke.  But what can he do about it anyways?  Nothing.  He already had his chance with Kurama, and he ruined it.  Blaming himself, the short haired demon glared in anger to anyone who passed into his line of sight.  Behind him, Kurama and Yusuke whispered softly among themselves. 

            'What do you think Hiei, that Kurama is just going to stay celibate since you rejected him?  You should've known better.  At least he waited for five years before seeing anyone else.'  Hiei mentally kicked himself.  He could live with pretending not to love Kurama, but he can't just stand by while the redhead is with someone else.  It hurts way too much.  'I can't turn back time.'  Although he wished he could. 

            Speeding up, Hiei tried to ignore the two lovers behind him.  By the way Kurama and Yusuke are looking at each other, Hiei concluded that they were really in love with each other, not just a fling.  When they all first met, Hiei already knew that Kurama was interested in Yusuke, the subtle looks, the gentle touches that were supposed to be accidental, but he never thought that Yusuke would be interested in the lovely redhead.  Yusuke had Keiko, didn't he?  

            Hiei tried to shove the feelings away, the ones that had stayed buried for such a long time, which had resurfaced a moment ago.  'It's too late to do anything about it now.  I'll just have to live with the decisions I made.'  Biting his lips from the heartache, Hiei walked even faster, leaving the couple behind. 

            "Yusuke?"  Kurama asked. Yusuke was unusually quiet. 

            "Yes.  What is it?"

            "You know that I love you right? That I will never do anything to hurt you on purpose."  Kurama took Yusuke's hand and held it. 

            "What happened back there? Hiei looked, well, angry."  Yusuke pulled away from his lover, waiting for an answer. 

            "It's hard for me to explain."  Kurama wanted so badly to tell Yusuke, but he didn't know if his love would understand the situation. 

            "Kurama, tell me."

            "Well, let's just say Hiei and I, umm…I sort of liked him."

            "What?" Yusuke gasped in disbelief. 

            "Liked, Yusuke, meaning in the past.  There's nothing going on between us now, there hasn't been, not for five years." 

            "Okay," Yusuke said as he snuggled closer to Kurama, content with the answer Kurama gave him.  But that didn't mean he was just going to leave it at that.  Yusuke had a feeling that Kurama wasn't telling him the whole thing.  

            *Koenma's Office*

            "So that's what you did while I called you!!!  You slept!"  Koenma looked like he was about to explode. 

            "Yup, that's pretty much what happened."  Yusuke looked smug, promptly ignoring Koenma's angry face.  

            "You know Yusuke, that call could've been important.  Besides we were worried about you two," Kuwabara sounded slightly hurt at Yusuke's uncaring attitude.  He was mainly mad that Yusuke got to rest while he did manual labor. 

            "Well… we weren't exactly sleeping the whole time," Kurama said while he saw Yusuke blush at this.  "You see, there was a demon at the party we went to.  He tried to umm…seduce Yusuke."

            "Really??"  Koenma seemed to forget his previous anger and interested in this seduction story.  "So was he handsome Yusuke?" 

            "There was no seduction!  He caught me by surprise with his mind spell and then Kurama came and killed him.  End of story."  Yusuke almost yelled it out. 

            "C'mon! Spill it Yusuke."  Koenma was really into this now.

            Behind them, Hiei scowled.  'So Kurama became his hero.'  'I am not jealous.  I am not jealous.'

            Kurama chuckled.  "He fell into a sex demon's trap and almost got raped.  Of course, I got there just in time to rescue him." 

            "Aww…Kurama.  You told."  Yusuke pouted towards Kurama, teasingly. 

            "Uh… am I missing something here?"  Kuwabara asked. 

            "No." Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke all said together, rather loudly.

            Kuwabara leaned lower in his chair.  "Okay…" 

            "Now since you've all reported back to me and I've got the samples from Hiei.  Why don't you all have a day off?  On second thought why not have two days off!" Koenma looked nervous. 

            "Botan put you to this didn't she?" Yusuke asked. 

            "Ehh…" (sweatdrop) "…………Why are you all looking at me!!………Ya, ya… she did ok!"

            A few mumbles of  "Ahh.. I knew it."  Echoed around the room as the group got dismissed.  

*Outside*

            Kurama felt guilty.  He didn't know what to say to either one of them.  He didn't know who to chose. 'Can't I just have them both?'  But he knew it was impossible, isn't it? Looking at his watch, Kurama knew it was time to go home. 

There was another secret he hid even from Hiei and Koenma.  Every year, on the same day, when the moon was full and magic stirs in the air, he reverts back to his Yoko form. That was the day he had to stay away from people he knew, especially Hiei and Yusuke.  Because the Kurama in Yoko form wasn't nice, he didn't think about other people's feelings or the consequences that follow.  He was only here for one night in a year.  Kurama hope that he doesn't do anything stupid.   

Yusuke turned the key and opened the front door.  Finally, he was home.  Stretching, he thought about his relationship with Kurama.  Seriously, if someone had told him two weeks ago that he would end up being in love with Kurama, he would hit him so hard that he won't be able to walk for a week.  Yusuke wasn't really sure what happened, but he fell for the redhead, hard and fast.  Now all he could think about is him.  He missed Kurama already, and they just separated twenty minutes ago. 

A loud and intruding knock on the door made Yusuke cursed.  He wasn't ready for company. 

"Yusuke. Are you home?"  A female voice made Yusuke cringe. 

"Yeah," As he opened the door. "Hi Keiko. What are you doing here?"  Yusuke was a bit nervous, because Keiko looked as if she had been crying.

"Yusuke, where have you been all night?  I've been looking for you." Keiko sounded a bit shaken up, her voice unsteady. 

"Keiko, What's wrong?" 

"It's nothing about me, but … it's your mother, Yusuke." 

That really got Yusuke's attention. "My mother!  What happened to her?" 

"She-she's in the hospital.  I heard that she was in a club and a fight broke out.  She was drunk and wasn't fast enough to get away," Keiko sobbed softly, her words slightly muffled.  "Someone stabbed her, right in the stomach."

"Is she alright?"  Yusuke began dragging Keiko out the door and into the street, ready to run to the hospital. 

"The doctors said she lost a lot of blood.  Oh, Yusuke, I don't know what's going to happen to her." 

 Yusuke ignored her cries as he started running.  Nothing can happen to his mom. 

"Yusuke! Where are you going?"  Keiko screamed. 

"The hospital.  I have to see her."  Yusuke mentally punched himself.  How can he be so stupid?  He was enjoying himself last night while she got stabbed and now almost dieing in the hospital, and he wasn't even there for her.  It's true that Yusuke cannot protect his mother from herself, but his work has gotten in the way again.  He wasn't there for her when she needed him the most.  'Nothing can happen to her!  I won't let it.'  Yusuke ran, wind whipping across his face.   

Soon, the hospital appeared slowly on the horizon as Yusuke ran.  Out of breath, Yusuke stopped at the front doors.  He took a moment to regain his stamina and entered the dreaded place.  Nurses, attendants, doctors, patients, all seem to be preoccupied with something.  It was an understatement to say it was busy.  Admit all the chaos, Yusuke managed to find out his mother's room from a secretary.

Catching the nearest elevator, Yusuke began his way to his mom's room.  She was in critical condition, but she was alone on the third floor.  The doctors had done all they could for the moment.  Preparing himself to face a dieing woman, he set a permanent smile on his face.  He didn't want his mother to see him cry. 

'Mom, please be alright.'  Straightening his shirt, Yusuke opened the door.  The room smelled like rubbing alcohol and medicine. 

The sight on the bed made Yusuke's heart throb.  A broken woman laid, tubes and wires connecting her to the equipment.  The first thing that jumped into Yusuke's mind was the word fragile.  His mother looked so innocent and small on the white linen sheets.  A sheen of paleness shone on her face and exposed arms, like a corpse, but Yusuke could hear the monitor beeping, could see her chest going up and down.  She wasn't dead yet. 

He must've stood there for fifteen minutes just staring at the woman on the bed.  He didn't hear it as a man in a white coat walked in, trying to examine the patient.  The man's voice gave Yusuke a scare.

"Hello.  You must be her son.  I'm glad you're here.  My name is Dr. Hosoda."  The doctor was in his late forties, a sturdy man, with thick glasses framing a pair of small brown eyes. 

"Yes, I'm Yusuke." 

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" 

"Give me the bad news."  Yusuke didn't hesitate. 

"Your mother is in quite a condition.  She has a punctured kidney and lost a whole lot of blood.  The weird thing is that we seem to have a shortage of her blood type.  It is unfortunate for your mother." 

"And the good news?"  Yusuke frowned.  He already knew this.

"The good news is that she is going to live, Yusuke.  With your help, of course.  We checked the records and you can donate blood to her.  The decision is completely up to you."

Yusuke was shocked.  So he was worried for nothing?  All she needed was some blood, not a heart transplant or anything.  Relief and joy rushed through him.  With a grin, Yusuke gave the doctor a small gesture of thanks.  "Well then, what are we waiting for?  Lets do this."      

"Okay, you just need to sign here.  Oh, and that you must not do any strenuous activities afterwards.  You will feel dizzy and tired, even more than usual because I'm taking a little bit more than we do.  Your mother needs it."

"So how long is she going to stay here?" 

"A week, perhaps, maybe more.  It depends on her recovery rate."    

*Somewhere near Kurama's house*

Hiei walked back and forth, contemplating if he should have a talk with Kurama.  He can't just leave their relationship as it is.  There needs to be an end, or conclusion.  'You need to tell him how you feel.'  'Shut up.'  'What if something happens to him in the next battle? You'll regret not telling him.'  Hiei growled in frustration.  He hated this internal conflict.  Should he go see him or not? 

Not realizing, Hiei was already at Kurama's front doors.  'But he told all of us not to disturb him tonight. Said something important he had to do.'  'But you're here already.'  Hiei looked up at Kurama's window.  It was lit, that means he was home.  'Might as well, I'll only take a few minutes anyways.'  And he proceeded towards Kurama's window. 

*Kurama's Room*

Kurama was a little scared.  This was the first time he decided to stay in the house when he changed into Yoko Kurama.  No one was home, so it would be all right.  Kurama hoped that Yusuke or Hiei doesn't show up, or there will be trouble.  Making sure he locked the windows and doors, Kurama sighed.  It was the worst coincidence that it had to be tonight of all nights.  The fates must be playing a horrible joke on him. 

Sitting on his bed, Kurama took the television control and flipped through the channels.  It was only a few more minutes till the sun sets and he would be Yoko.  A sudden rap at the windows startled him.  'Shit. Hiei?'

Kurama went to his window, and was greeted with a scowling Hiei.  Kurama tried to shoo him away, but when that didn't work, he opened the window.  "Hiei, what are you doing here?"

Hiei looked around the room before he stepped through the window. "You had something important to do? I don't see anything, Kurama." 

"Hiei, why are you here?"  Kurama tried to get straight to the point before his time runs out. 

"Kurama, are you and Yusuke really together?"  Hiei tried really hard not to look into those green eyes. 

"I thought you didn't care, Hiei.  You made yourself pretty clear last time."  Kurama sounded a bit bitter. 

Hiei felt a stab of guilt.  It was his fault, and Kurama was still hurting from his rejection.  "I- I'm…" Hiei looked down to the floor. He didn't know what to say.  He had a purpose when he came, but all he wanted to do now is to wrap his arms around the redhead. 

"Yes, Hiei.  The answer is yes.  We are together," Kurama paused, as he saw pain, although well hidden on Hiei's features.  "But, I have not forgotten about you." 

Hiei's eyes shot straight to Kurama's now, searching for any deception or humor.  There was none.  "Kurama…"

Not giving Hiei a chance to speak, Kurama hurriedly shoved Hiei to the window.  "You must go now.  We will finish this conversation some other time, I promise." 

"No.  I can't leave without knowing where I stand, Kurama."

"Please Hiei…go now." Kurama saw the last rays of light disappear. 

"What's going on Kurama? Is something the matter?"  Hiei questioned, worry written clearly on his face.

"Hiei, leave.  For both our sake." Kurama opened the window.  He knew he had little time, maybe only a few seconds.

Still worried, Hiei stepped closer to Kurama.  "Tell me, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Hiei. Please don't hate me."  Kurama whimpered as he shut the window up.  And began to glow. 

Hiei was so surprised that he jumped back, and fell on Kurama's bed.  "What?  Kurama?"

Kurama was now surrounded in a massive ball of luminous light. It was so bright that Hiei couldn't even see Kurama anymore, just a flame of rose-colored radiance.  The pink glow then changed to a white gleam.  It was a slow change, the two colors merging until only one was left.  Gradually dissolving, it revealed the figure hidden within. 

Long white hair flowed, falling on the face in soft strands. A slender body was covered in a long graceful white robe.  A sash held it together.  Long ears twitched, as if he had just awakened.  

"Yoko?"  Hiei couldn't believe his eyes. 

Long fair lashes opened to uncover golden eyes.  A sly smile slid across the beautiful face. "Hello my delicious Hiei.  Long time no see."     

Ehh… had to make this chapter longer…so I added Yusuke's mom.  Please don't hate me!  Anyways, I really really appreciate all your reviews!!  Glad to know someone likes my writing ^_^.   Hmm… maybe I should change the title, cuz to me, it doesn't seem to fit this fic anymore… well… it was supposed to be about the mission, but I changed my mine and decided not to write so much about that and center on K,Y,H 's relationship, so… now it doesn't really go with the story…  Maybe I should let you chose the title???  I suck at stuff like that.