Chapter 9: To love, honor and cherish…
"Yusuke, you are fidgeting…again." Kurama whispered. The days leading up to the wedding had gone fast. No one had had time to think as all the last minute planning took place. The red head felt Hiei near and was glad the fire demon had made it. Hiei had stayed in the Makai, upon Mukuro's request, with the red head missing him more than he let on. Kurama wondered if the fire demon would head back to the Makai after the wedding or stick around, Kurama hoped for the latter.
"Sorry." Yusuke muttered, stopping his shifting from one foot to the other.
"Just relax, Urameshi, it will all be over with soon." Kuwabara said, running his hands over the raven haired's shoulders to flatten the imaginary wrinkles and tugging the heavy fabric of his kimono, which was black. Kurama and Kuwabara's were a dark charcoal grey.
"Well, I wish it was already over with. I've faced Suzaku, Toguro, Sensui and his merry men, then the whole underworld, but this." Yusuke rambled, smacking Kuwabara's hands away so he could start pacing.
Kurama walked over and grabbed his friend by the shoulders, turning him so they were face to face. "Yusuke, look at me." The red head said and waited until the brown eyes looked into his green ones. "You can do this. You love her, correct?" He got a muttered 'Yes'. "Okay and you are happy about the baby." He barely finished the sentence before he got a 'Hell yeah.' He continued. "You said you owe her for everything you have done to her over the years." Again when he finished he got a 'Yes I do'.
Kuwabara could see what the fox was doing. He would describe it as a coach getting a team member wound up before a big game.
"Then go out there and tell her that you will love, honor and cherish her for the rest of your life." Kurama said then let go of the boy's shoulders and waited.
"Yeah…I can do that." Yusuke said to himself.
Koenma stepped in the small room the three had been waiting in. "Guys, it's time." He said.
Yusuke took a deep breath and gave a nod before heading to the door. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Kuwabara. "You go last, remember?" Kuwabara said, before he walked out the door. Kurama gave a soft smile and followed the taller boy.
a)a)a)a)
The wedding was described by the small group that attended as 'breath taking.' It was held at Genkai's temple, in one of the small gardens on the land. Keiko wore a traditional Shiro-maku (a traditional white wedding kimono) while Yusuke wore a montuski kimono. On the chest of the kimono, where the family crest would be, was the crest for Raizen's territory, anyone who didn't know the crest would have assumed it was just a decorative patch that Yusuke decided to wear because he had no true family crest, not knowing his real father and such.
Yukina was the flower girl and wore a baby pink kimono, embroidered with silver leaves, which made her turquoise hair sparkle. All the non-demons present couldn't figure out how she made ice crystals fall with the rose petals she dropped on her way to the alter. Botan was maid of honor and Shizuru was a bride's maid, who felt very special because she got to walk back down the aisle with her favorite red head. They too wore pink kimonos, but of a darker shade, with the silver leaves. Koenma officiated, in his teenage form of course, and Keiko's parents just believed he was a preacher the two had found. Genkai took care of the reception, along with Keiko's parents. The guest list was small, in addition to the wedding party, there was Yusuke's mom, who didn't do a thing to help with anything, Kurama's mom and step-father, and a few other family members from Keiko's side, other than that, there was no one the two could think of that they wanted to attend. Keiko no longer kept in touch with her girlfriends from high school. They had always been against her being with Yusuke, so she no longer cared to hear it and had dropped communications. Yusuke didn't want to have problems with Keiko or her parents, so he didn't invite anyone from the Makai. Keiko had not seemed to care either way whether Hiei attended or not. No one dared to ask why.
The weather could not have been more perfect and because of it, the reception was held outside under a pergola that was next to the kitchen.
As the evening progressed, Kurama found himself sitting in a corner waiting his turn. He had made small talk and stayed with his parents for a time, but now he just wanted time with his own thoughts.
After playing the traditional games and such, the happy couple cut the cake and fed each other, then did the crossing of the arms to take a drink of sparkling cider. Kurama was proud of Yusuke, once the boy had said 'I do' he'd relaxed and became what could be called 'normal.'
Kuwabara got up and went to the two's table. "Um…can I have everyone's attention please?" He called out and waited for the small group to quiet down. Yusuke's mom could still be heard crying, she'd not stopped since that morning after seeing her son in his kimono. No one was even trying to comfort her anymore and Kuwabara didn't wait to see if she would stop, she hadn't so far and he didn't want to be here all night waiting.
"I would like to congratulate the happy couple and wish them many happy years together. Um…that's about it." He heard soft laughter from the crowd. "Oh and we, uh the gang, want to present you with a gift. Uh…Shuiichi." Kuwabara almost said Kurama, but then remembered the fox's parents were there and had stopped himself.
Kurama got up and walked to the table, handing Yusuke a manila folder before turning to address the crowd. "On behalf of the 'gang' we would like to present to you this." He said and turned back to watch as Yusuke opened the folder. Everyone watched as two plane tickets fell onto the table. While reading them, chocolate eyes grew big and he handed one to Keiko. She started crying and could not believe what see was seeing.
Kurama continued. "We all contributed and got you an all expense paid trip to Hawaii, six nights and seven days. The airline tickets and the hotel are paid in full. There are travelers checks for any shopping you may wish to do and I have arranged for an interrupter to meet you at the airport there so they can translate, chauffeur you around and show you some sights, if you wish." He bowed his congratulations.
The crowd applauded as Keiko got up and went to hug the red head. She pulled back and whispered. "So this is why you asked me the other day if I could travel?"
"I wanted to make sure the doctor said it was alright." He said with a smile.
"Thank you so much." She squealed and hugged him again.
Kurama hugged Yusuke and then the fox went back to his table in the corner.
The evening wore on as everyone watch the couple have their first dance and then joined in as the music went on. Kurama turned down a request to dance with Shizuru.
After seeing his parents off with promises to visit soon, Kurama was getting ready to leave when Yusuke found him.
"Hey…you leaving without saying good-bye, fox-boy?" Yusuke called out.
"It is getting late and I would like to find Hiei." The red head replied.
"Well, I know Hiei was here during the first half." The raven haired said, scratching his head. "But now I don't sense him anymore, which is probably a good thing, since I think Kuwabara is out there proposing to Yukina right now." He said, motioning with his head out into the woods.
"Yes." Kurama agreed with a nod, having felt the fire demon's presence earlier, but not now. "He was here when you two exchanged vows. He wanted to watch Yukina and give his blessings to you, but I doubt he stayed around for the reception, which with what you just said, it was probably for the best." He said.
"Do you think he will ever tell her?" Yusuke asked.
"I can not answer that." Kurama said with a shrug. "I know sometimes it builds up inside of him and he wants to tell her, but then something always seems to happen and he decides not to." He said softly, lost in his own thoughts about the many conversations they've had on the subject, mostly Kurama telling Hiei that he needed to tell her.
"Have you two had a chance to talk about…?" Yusuke wanted to ask but shrug, not knowing what to say and didn't even know if he should ask.
"No." The red head shook his head. "He had to stay and help Mukuro, but I am hoping to find him before he has to go back." He stated.
"Well I hope it's over with Yomi and gang." Yusuke said, walking over and pulling the red head into a hug.
"Me too." Kurama said patting the raven haired's back in return.
"Go and find him and have a good life together, you deserve each other." Yusuke said as he pulled back. "And don't let Youko ruin it. You decided to stay here, so let him deal with it, though maybe think about letting him out once in awhile, maybe it will make him content." He suggested.
"I have thought about going to the Makai once in awhile to let him be free. Maybe it will release some tension." Kurama said.
"Instead of that, you should ask Hiei to help." Yusuke suggested. "There's many ways to release tension and maybe Youko and him can get better acquainted." He paused and studied the red head, not getting a response, he said. "That is…if you don't have a problem with it." He followed it by giving a cheesy smile and a wink.
"Yusuke." Kurama gasped and couldn't control the pink appearing on his cheeks.
"Hiei needs to accept you and Youko." The raven haired said bluntly. "He has to realize he can't have one without the other and he can't blame you for what that vain fox does. Like you told me, he needs to love, honor and cherish." He said with seriousness in his voice. "I almost forgot to tell you. Koenma told me yesterday that Enki will be king for another three years."
Kurama's eyebrows went up and Yusuke took that as a sign to continue. "After Taiga's plan was ruined, word spread and Enki was seen as a hero for saving all three worlds from a never ending war. When the tournament was getting started, they had a vote to keep Enki as King and well, let's just say things will be fine for another three years." He shrugged.
"That will make it easier to go back if I decide to. Thank you." Kurama said with a smile. "Have a safe trip and I will stop by when you get back." He then turned and headed to a side gate on the temple grounds, heading to his apartment and hoping to find Hiei there.
Yusuke and Keiko said their good-byes to the rest of the guests and headed to a waiting car to go home for the night. According to the airline tickets they had one day to get ready and then they would be laying on the beach, soaking up the sun.
End Chapter 9
