A/N: My account turns 18 years old today. It is a legal adult. On this day 18 years ago little baby 13 year old me sat down at my parents computer to make my very own account with my brand new, very own email account I'd been given for Christmas three days before. I have been on this site for over half my life, been reading and writing fanfiction longer than that. I am pleased to be here, please enjoy reading this fanfic that has been floating around in my head for a few years.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, it is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi.

. . .

Kuwabara would never admit it, but he felt nervous when he started high school. He was a delinquent who spent his time fight demons. Homework just was not a part of his life, even when he was (semi regularly) attending school. But he had decided to go to high school and so he was going to tackle this like every other fight he had faced. Head on, without fear, and hopefully not dying.

Let it never be said that the great Kazuma Kuwabara backed down from a challenge.

. . .

After a few weeks Kuwabara realized high school was not as bad as he thought it would be. Some of his teachers were dicks, but none of them tried changing his grades to ensure he would fail, so it was already an improvement over his previous school. The other students were pretty nice too. No one was scared of him or looked down on him like at his old school.

Other students said hello, or sought him out simply to talk to him. It honestly gave him the heebie jeebies at first. He wasn't used to being liked. He was starting to get used to it though.

One Monday morning he was walking down the hall thinking about his project for his afternoon class when another student bummed into him. Kuwabara dropped the books and papers he was holding.

"Oops, sorry," the kid said.

"Don't worry about it," Kuwabara replied, bending down to pick up his things. It only took him a few moments and he was off to class, still thinking about his project.

. . .

Kuwabara was headed into his last class of the day when the door suddenly swung open. If he had been a normal human, it would have hit him in the face. Since he had great reflexes, he was able to move out of the way and not get a door to the face.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there!" It was the same kid from before.

"Naw, don't worry about it," Kuwabara waved him off.

"Oh, you know Kibaou?"

Kuwabara turned to see fellow classmate, and maybe friend, Kirito standing in the hall. "Not really. We ran into each other in the hall other day."

Kirito gave him a weird look. Kuwabara shrugged it off and went into the bathroom.

. . .

Lunch time was one of Kuwabara's favorite times. Shizuru usually made him a great lunch, and he would catch up on some reading. Much to his surprise he had found that he enjoyed reading. Very weird, but it was probably just Kurama rubbing off on him. He usually sat at his desk, doing his own thing. Currently he was reading a book on creatures from the deep ocean while eating some of Shizuru's amazing sushi. Deep sea animals were super creepy! Give him demons any day.

"That looks good."

Kuwabara looked up to see Kibaou standing in front of his desk.

"Don't mind if I do," Kibaou used his own chopsticks to take two of Kuwabara's sushi rolls. "Mmm! Delious!"

He watched the kid walk away. Yes, he could have stopped him, but he had seen Kibaou take food from other students and none of them had objected. Maybe this was some sort of high-class social thing? Or a high school student thing. Either way, Kuwabara did not like sharing his food so he vowed to eat faster next time.

. . .

"Man, Urameshi, you're a life saver!" Kuwabara gratefully accepted the package. He had forgotten his lunch at home and had asked Urameshi to bring him some food.

"Keiko made me," was Urameshi's retort.

"And that's why I like her better than you."

Urameshi flipped him off as he left.

"That your boyfriend?" A voice behind him asked.

Kuwabara burst out laughing. He turned to see Kibaou. "No, I'd never want to piss off his girlfriend like that." He paused, thinking. "Or mine."

Kibaou's face scrunched up. "Let me guess. She goes to another school."

"No, she doesn't go to school," Kuwabara replied.

He took a picture out of his wallet and handed it to Kibaou before the other could say anything. Kurama had taken the picture of him and Yukina the month before. The two of them had their arms around each other, flashing peace signs at the camera. "She lives with this old woman, caring for her and the temple the old woman owns."

He took the picture out of a sputtering Kibaou's hand. He had a delicious lunch to eat. He could savor it this time! Ramen was not as easily stolen as sushi.

. . .

"Let's see, I'll need this, this, that… I refuse to take that."

Kuwabara muttered to himself as he looked through his locker. It was the end of the school day, and they had a small break coming up. He was trying to decide what he needed to take with him and what could stay here. While he was compilating it felt like someone got thrown into his back.

Kuwabara did not move, but he looked over his shoulder. Kibaou was standing there with a startled expression. "Are you okay?"

Kibaou's expression didn't change.

"It felt like you bummed into me kinda hard. Are you okay?" Kuwabara looked up and down that hall. "Did someone shove you?"

"Um, no." Kibaou mumbled and then quickly walked away.

He frowned after the kid, but then brushed it off and turned his attention back to his locker.

. . .

Kuwabara was in a rush to leave. It was the end of the school week, and he was going to see Yukina! Thoughts of her distracted him, so when someone hit his arm he dropped his papers and books instead of holding onto them. He saw Kibaou laughing as he walked away. The guy was such a klutz. He had been bumping into Kuwabara a lot in the past week or two.

Unexpectedly he had help picking his belongings up. Asuna knelt down to help him. "Kibaou is such a bully."

Kuwabara stared at her. "What?"

"He is so mean," Kirito agreed. "I wish someone would do something about him."

"What?" Kuwabara repeated.

"His parents have too much influence for the administration to do anything," Asuna said. "As long as he stays on this side of the line, they'll turn a blind eye to his harassment."

Several things clicked into place for Kuwabara. "Oh."

. . .

Yusuke fell off his chair laughing.

"Its not funny!" Kuwabara yelled.

Yusuke continued laughing, ignoring him.

"You have to admit. It is a little funny," Kurama said, smiling. "With all you've faced some human child thinks that he can take you on, and in such a poor fashion."

"You should be ashamed," Hiei said "for not realizing that he was being antagonistic."

Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "He's not a threat. He didn't even set off my senses! He can't even be called a punk, he's nowhere near Urameshi's level!"

"Damn right!" Yusuke exclaimed. "I am the best punk kid!" He started laughing again.

Kuwabara ignored him. "He's annoying! I want him to leave me alone." He paused for a moment, thinking. "And the other students too. They don't really deserve that."

"You can always do what I did to that annoying salesman," Hiei commented.

Kuwabara stared at him. "Hiei, you punched a hole in his chest and set his heart on fire."

Yusuke seemed to seriously consider the idea. "Naw, that wouldn't work. Kuwabara can't set things on fire."

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "He can try harder."

Yusuke tapped his chin thoughtfully. I guess gasoline can help set anything on fire."

"I don't want to rip his heart out!" Kuwabara yelled. "Or set it on fire! I'd probably set myself on fire!"

Hiei muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "You would set yourself on fire" but Kuwabara couldn't be sure.

"This also isn't the Maki, where such actions would have little to no consequence," Kurama added. "You shall have to think of a stealthier method."

Yusuke immediately tossed out ideas. Hiei either shot those ideas down, or added in ways sword could be used.

Kuwabara glared the kitsune. He could usually count on him to be the more logical one in the group. Kurama smirked at him and mouthed 'trickster'. He rolled his eyes. Of course Kurama would add to the chaos. He was just as protective as Yusuke, though he didn't beat people over the head with it like Yusuke was prone to do.

"Look, guys, I appreciate the advice, but I don't want to go to jail. Or murder anyone. I think I'll deal with it my way," Kuwabara said.

"Oh, yeah?" Yusuke asked. "How's that?"

Kuwabara smirked. "By teaching him how real bullies act."

"Hn. That's stupid." Hiei said. "I'll kill him. It can't be traced back to you that way."

"Hiei, no!" Kuwabara.

"Hiei yes!" Yusuke laughed.

The conversation broke down from there. Kurama kept instigating crime ideas, Yusuke and Hiei made them more violent, and Kuwabara yelled at them to knock it off. It didn't end until Shizuru told them to shut up or they wouldn't get dinner.

. . .

Kuwabara had a fairly solid plan for how he was going to deal with Kibaou. He just needed the right moment. He was going to take after Hiei in that regard. The little guy sure did have a sense of showmanship and dramatics, no matter how much he denied it.

The right time came about two and a half weeks after his talk with the others. He'd made himself look distracted while he wandered to the back of the school. No one was around.

Perfect.

He put a book up close to his face, pretending to read it. Kibaou moved so he was in front and to the side of him. As Kuwabara was about to pass him he stuck his foot out to trip him. Kuwabara nimbly moved out of the way. He gently put his book on the ground, and glared at Kibaou. The kid froze, not expecting this outcome.

"You are pitiful."

"Excuse-"

Kuwabara cut off Kibaou's indignant response. "You are a spiteful little bully. You are so lame I didn't even realize you were trying to bully me. I just thought you were rude and clumsy."

"How dare-" Kibaou tried again. He was cut off when Kuwabara got right in his face, looming over him.

"A real man with honor would never pick on those weaker than himself. You are pathetic. Urameshi was a punk and he still had more integrity and honor then you."

Kuwabara let a little bit of his true self come through. The part of him that fought demons. The part he kept hidden from the human world.

"You are going to be polite and courteous to everyone now. If you aren't, I will make you hurt. There are lots of ways to inflict pain on a person that doesn't leave a mark. Ways to keep a person in agony until they want to die." Kuwabara smiled a nice, friendly smile. "But I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen. So be nice."

It was very gratifying to see Kibaou wet himself.

Kuwabara whistled as he walked off. He had a date with Yukina tonight. He needed to those chocolate she liked and some pretty flowers. Maybe Kurama had some pretty Maki flowers he could give her.

. . .

The student population was confused by the sudden personality changed in Kibaou, but they were very grateful for it.