Imouto

Amai: Not really sure what to say about this chapter... so, um, have fun reading!

CHAPTER NINE: Just another day, really.

"Uno!" Mizuki shouted, holding up her single card.

"We're not playing Uno, we're playing Go Fish," Kurama corrected her. "We're not even playing with an Uno deck."

"But I do only have one... that's a good thing, right?" Mizuki smiled brightly and everyone just shook their heads. Once everyone had worn themselves out playing DDR they had moved into the living room to play cards. Hiei had rejoined them; everyone had been a little surprised to find that he actually liked to play cards.

"Get rid of your baka neko, onna," Hiei commanded, holding Hineko towards Mizuki by the scruff of its neck. "She's too loud."

"She's just hungry. I'll take care of her," Mizuki replied, taking the kitten gently in her hands and heading toward the kitchen.

"Botan-chan, do you have any girl cards?" Yukina asked, staring at her hand.

"They're called queens, Yukina-chan," the ferry girl replied. "And I don't have any. Go Fish." Mizuki returned holding Hineko and a bottle.

"She won't eat again, you do it," she said, putting the kitten in Hiei's arms. He tried to get away, insisting that he didn't care whether the stupid cat ate or not. Mizuki stayed and forced him to offer the bottle until Hineko took it. Once she had the kitten eating Mizuki could take her from Hiei, and she returned happily to her seat between Kurama and Jin.

)()-()-()-()(

"We haven't seen any signs of the assassin," Hiei complained one night at dinner while Hineko played with his toes. "How long will this take?"

"We don't know, and Koenma-sama told us that," Yusuke replied. "We just have to be patient."

"What if we're needed somewhere else and we're here eating hamburgers?" Hiei asked, holding his burger in the air and staring at it disdainfully.

"Koenma-sama will send for us if we're needed. One of us can stay behind with Mizu-chan while the others go," Kurama answered. "You worry too much, Hiei-san." The fire demon merely 'hn'-ed.

"Relax and enjoy yourself, Hiei-kun! My house is fun!" Mizuki giggled. "And you've made a new friend."

"I hate this neko," Hiei mumbled, kicking halfheartedly at the kitten, which mewed cutely and batted back.

"And I thought animals were supposed to be good judges of character," Botan commented, looking under the table at Hineko.

"Obviously Hiei has a secret side he's never shown us," Mizuki replied cheerily. "Either that or Hineko-chan is trying to make him happy."

"It's not working," Hiei growled.

"Lighten up, Hiei-san," Jin said. "It's just an innocent little creature. Once it grows up it'll learn better than to like you!"

"Only if it lives that long!" Hiei exclaimed as Hineko jumped onto his leg, happily digging in her claws.

Life progressed this way for three full months with no sign of the assassin, much to Hiei's chagrin. Keiko had to go home at the end of the first month to continue school; Yusuke happily gloated that he didn't have to go back until the mission was finished. Twice the Spirit Detectives had been informed of another mission, and they took turns staying with Mizuki and going out. Hiei had been stuck with the first shift since he had lost the game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Yusuke was second; Kurama had already agreed to stay the next time to keep it fair. Now, it was time for him to keep his bargain.

Koenma popped into the living room in the middle of a game of poker that Yukina was somehow winning. "She's got the perfect poker face!" Yusuke was yelling. "She's always smiling!"

"You might be doing better if you didn't eat your winnings," Koenma observed. They were playing with M&Ms.

"Koenma-anchan!" Mizuki shouted with glee, jumping up to hug him. Then she paused, holding him struggling in her arms. "Aww, you came to take my friends away again, didn't you?"

"They have a mission, Mizuki-imouto," Koenma reminded her sharply, having to be the leader. "Besides, I don't take all of them, only two."

"But Kurama-kun and I have dance lessons!" Mizuki wailed, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Mizu-chan, it's my turn to stay," Kurama assured her.

"YAY!" Mizuki dropped her toddler-sized brother and leapt on Kurama instead. "We're learning how to salsa dance this week!" She hugged Kurama's neck tightly and he chuckled.

"Don't forget that you promised to teach me what you learned when you get back," Jin reminded Mizuki with a "look" directed at Kurama.

"Of course!" she agreed, jumping to give Jin a hug as well.

"As much as I care about your dance lessons," Kurama interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "we have to get going. Yusuke, Hiei, come along."

"Bye bye Yusuke-kun!" Bye bye Hiei-kun!" Mizuki said as she hugged each of them. "Be safe and have fun!" Botan and Yukina waved goodbye and the detectives followed Koenma through a portal.

"Split their pots," Jin said, ready to get right back to poker.

)()-()-()-()(

"We have to get groceries after our lessons, so we'll be back just in time to fix dinner," Mizuki told Jin as she and Kurama prepared to leave. "Take good care of Botan-chan and Yukina-chan!"

"I feel like a babysitter," Jin complained playfully as he hugged her goodbye. "I won't let them burn the house down or ruin their dinners." Mizuki chuckled and tapped him on the nose with a fingertip.

"We're going to be late, Mizu-chan," Kurama said gently. "We'd better get going."

"Sayonara!" Mizuki shouted, waving to Botan and Yukina in the living room. Kurama then took her by the hand and led her to the garage, where they drove Mizuki's car in its convertible form- with Kurama behind the wheel, thankfully.