Chapter Seven- Ability Practice

Yusuke stared into the bathroom mirror at the brown-eyed black fox that looked back. Yoko was right: I do look good like this. A shame that no one else will see this form. He checked that he was alone before leaving the bathroom. He delighted in his sharper senses and knew he was going to love being a demon. He knew his boyfriend and mate liked it.

He padded over to his bed and knelt on the mattress to look at the pots sitting on the windowsill next to his bed. There were three of them. One had a rose seed, a second held a chamomile, and the last had lavender. He picked up a watering can and watered the three to the precise amounts Yoko had recommended. There, he thought. Keep following Yoko's instructions and I'll have three healthy plants. He gently ran a clawed finger over the moist soil of the rose seed and saw a trickle of energy enter the dirt. He scrambled back as the beginnings of a rose bush appeared.

Whoa! What the hell? He looked at the plant and then at his hand. I saw a little of my energy enter it and now it's a small bush. He grinned at the bush. It seems I have the same element as Kurama and Yoko. Cool.

"Yoko, I am not too pleased."

"You refer to where Yusuke and I had our date. I can understand why you are not pleased. We could have stayed in the woods behind the house. I apologize. I was very excited to be with him and wanted to show him where we once lived."

"Apology accepted. I do like Yusuke's new look."

"I do as well. I wonder what element of nature he received."

"It may take a little time before Yusuke discovers it as he will need to focus on his illusion ability."

"Agreed. He has school tomorrow and so do you."

Yusuke opened his eyes and saw his human appearance. Perfect and it'll stay until I choose to drop it. He gathered up his bag and lunch before heading off to school, reflecting on how last Tuesday, he had dwelled on loving Kurama and Yoko and then admitting it later on that afternoon. Now, I'm a demon and officially Yoko's mate. I think I'll tell Keiko if she asks how my dates went.

He tilted his head to the sun as he sat on the roof of the stairway to the roof at lunchtime. He had just eaten his lunch and the sun was so warm on his face. Keiko hadn't talked to him yet but he suspected she would soon enough. His ears heard footsteps below him ten minutes later and opened his eyes before sitting up to face the roof as Keiko came up. She automatically looked up and surprise flickered across her face at seeing him awake. "Hey, Keiko."

She smiled. "Hi, Yusuke. No nap today?" There was no scolding, just good-natured teasing. It was a refreshing change to Yusuke.

"Nope. Too much energy to sleep."

"Oh. Actually, I was wondering how your dates went."

"Great. First, Kurama and I spent all day at the arcade. I never knew that he enjoyed the arcade in almost the same way I do."

The smile on Yusuke's face told Keiko that he was very happy dating Kurama. Seems they were meant to be together. "And your date with Yoko?"

"Oh, that was something else. He took me camping in Demon World, a place where demons live. We stayed in his home, he taught me about healing herbs, we gathered seeds, we fought some demons, and…I became a demon."

Keiko's eyes widened and she took a step back. "You're a demon? How?"

"I ate a rare flower called Foxes' Desire. It's meant to be eaten by only fox demons. If anyone else eats it, they become fox demons."

Keiko thought of seeing Yoko in the tournament and added, "You don't look like a fox."

"That's because I'm using the illusion ability all foxes have." Yusuke dropped it and Keiko gasped.

"Oh, Yusuke. You look cool."

"Thanks." Yusuke cast the illusion again. "I can keep the illusion as long as I like."

"And can you do the things Yoko can?"

"I'm sure I can. I was told every fox has control of an element of nature. I guess the flower discovered my interest in plants and seized on to it. I actually got a rose seed to become a small bush just by putting a little of my energy into it and I didn't do it on purpose."

"That is impressive, but Yusuke isn't there a way to reverse it?"

"Afraid not. I asked Yoko and he said the flower is to insure that foxes find a mate and besides, a flower that rare doesn't have a counter for it."

"So, the detective's a fox now. Hn, I always felt he was one of us."

"Did you? What made you think that?"

"He does things no human could do. His body seems to endure more punishment than what a human can take."

Kurama thought back to all of Yusuke's fights and concluded that Hiei was right. "You are correct. Most humans cannot endure what Yusuke has. It is possible that he had at least a little demon blood in him. It would explain a lot."

"It would." Hiei sniffed the air subtly. "Fox, I think your mating scent is growing stronger."

"I suspected as much. Yusuke became Yoko's mate before eating the flower."

"And you?"

"Still my boyfriend. That is enough for me."

"Has your mother set up a time to meet him?"

"Not yet, but it cannot be much longer as we became a couple a week ago."

Hiei smirked. "Only a week? It feels a lot longer."

"True, but we've known one another for a year." Silence reigned as Kurama returned to his studies, though the redhead was having trouble concentrating as his thoughts and Yoko's were on Yusuke. Lucky for Kurama, he had already looked the material over and allowed his thoughts to wander and chat with Yoko.

"I do wonder when Mother will want to see Yusuke again."

"I wonder how they will meet. Will it be the typical dinner invite or something different?"

"I think dinner would make Yusuke uncomfortable. I will try to angle for afternoon tea."

"That could work. I suggest you bring up the subject so that you can control the circumstances."

"Agreed." Kurama managed to finally focus on his work.

Yusuke had his ears hidden under a handkerchief that kept his hair back and his tail was tucked into his pants as he tended to his plants. His mother was home and he didn't feel like using his illusion to hide the fact that he wasn't human. He gently brushed the small rosebush he had repotted and added some of his energy. Some of the buds burst into bloom and the sweet smell of roses almost filled the air; enough for him to detect it, but not his mother. Yusuke smiled at the smell and images of his boyfriend and mate appeared in his mind.

"So you can control plants, too."

Yusuke almost jumped at the sudden voice. He turned to see Hiei standing there. "Hiei," he said before looking over to see his mother asleep.

"I put her to sleep so I could see your demon form." Hiei pushed the handkerchief off to expose the ears and Yusuke pulled out his tail. Hiei looked him up and down before nodding. "Kurama was right: You look better this way."

"I think so too and I like being a demon."

"You should know that Kurama is going to set up the meeting between you and his mother in a way that will be comfortable for you." Hiei smirked before leaving and Yusuke concealed his ears and tail again.