The next few weeks felt a little unreal, if Yusuke let himself think too deeply about it. His life progressed almost exactly as it had before the day trip to Makai. He slept until late morning, operated his ramen stand at night, met Kuwabara for a beer a couple of times, and wandered around the city when he had nothing better to do. Most of the time he only saw Kurama during his Friday lunch, and they kept their interactions casual and their physical touches nonexistent; Kurama didn't even touch his bowl until Yusuke had pulled his hand away.
The feeling of dreamy unreality that had begun to tinge Yusuke's life came whenever he and Kurama were entirely alone. Sometimes they would find an excuse to go to Makai, and once business was taken care of Kurama would pull him off into the forest somewhere. (Yusuke was quickly developing an affinity for the outdoors after all; the solitude was a little less annoying when Kurama's mouth was on his neck and his hands could explore Kurama's skin freely.) Sometimes he would come home and find Kurama waiting on his couch, usually with a book and a cup of tea that he would set down and a promising smirk that he kept, and as soon as Yusuke had locked the front door Kurama would go upstairs confidently with the knowledge that Yusuke was right behind him.
It was on one of those nights that Yusuke decided some things needed clarification. Kurama lay with his back to Yusuke, content to be snuggled into him for post-coital relaxation while Yusuke trailed idle patterns with his fingertips over Kurama's hip and up his stomach. "Kurama, are we dating?"
Kurama was silent for so long that Yusuke was about to repeat the question, wondering if his fox was lost in thought and hadn't heard him. But before Kurama's name could slip from Yusuke's lips again, he rolled onto his back and looked up at Yusuke. "I'm sorry, Yusuke. I'm afraid I've pulled you into a complicated situation."
Yusuke frowned. "What's complicated about this?" he asked. "You're single, I'm single, the sex is great, and we literally trust each other with our lives." He didn't like the way Kurama's eyes dimmed in response. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm a dimwit, remember? Whatever's bothering you, you're gonna have to spell it out for me."
Kurama let his fingers trail over Yusuke's cheek, and Yusuke turned his head to kiss his hand. "Now that I'm working at my father's company, it's very important that I maintain a tight control over my social image," he said slowly. "I may only be a general employee, but anything that draws attention to myself could reflect badly on him."
"Isn't he like the president of that place or something?" asked Yusuke. "I mean, he can just tell people to mind their own friggin' business." It didn't seem fair that Kurama should have to hide part of his life because of some stupid social requirement, and from what he had heard, he didn't think Kurama's stepfather was the sort of man to let image stand in the way of his son's happiness.
Kurama smiled; as always, Yusuke's idea of the best path was the most straightforward one. If only it were that simple. "As president, he does have a lot of influence, yes. However, he still has the chairman to answer to. And the chairman is...a very traditional, conservative man." Yusuke said nothing, the implications of Kurama's words seeping in. "If either of us lost our position, it would be a great strain on Mother...especially if it happened through scandal."
"So...you want this to stay a secret so you don't get fired, is what you're telling me," said Yusuke. Kurama nodded, and Yusuke gave him a grin in an attempt to ease the guilt that was hovering on the edges of Kurama's expression. "Okay, I can do that," he said. "We'll just be a couple of best buds whenever we're in public."
Kurama's thankful smile was a thing of beauty. "Thank you, Yusuke," he said softly. "I'm glad you understand."
Pretending that thoughts of Kurama weren't beginning to slip into Yusuke's mind every waking moment wasn't that difficult, as it turned out. Nor was acting as casual as ever whenever someone else was around, or even letting Kurama set the schedule for their more private encounters. No, what caught him off guard first was the jealousy that caught him sitting in a café next to Kuwabara on a sunny day, waiting for Kurama to join them for lunch. Kuwabara spotted Kurama at the door and turned to wave at the approaching redhead, then asked him how his date had gone.
Yusuke choked on his coffee; Kurama ignored him. "It went well, thank you," said Kurama. "But I informed Mother that I didn't see it going further."
"Yeah I bet you don't," said Kuwabara with a grin, nudging Yusuke in the ribs with his elbow. Yusuke just stared at Kurama. "What's with the face, Urameshi?" asked Kuwabara, noting the sudden tension.
"You didn't tell me you had a date," said Yusuke, trying to keep his voice casual instead of accusing.
"It wasn't one in the usual sense, really," said Kurama, glancing idly over the menu. "I simply take young women out to dinner occasionally when Mother is particularly persistent in her recommendations."
"Oh, if that's all," said Yusuke, trying to ignore the tightness around his chest. He shrugged offhandedly. "Whatever. So long as I'm the only one getting tied to the bed with those plants of yours." Kurama narrowed his eyes sharply, apparently not appreciating the joke. "Oh come on," grumbled Yusuke. "It's just Kuwabara. He already knows what's going on."
"I'm aware, but we are still in a public location," hissed Kurama through his teeth. The dark expression on his face blossomed into a pleasant smile as the waitress stopped by to take his drink order and see if they were ready to order a meal. When she had left, the smile remained on Kurama's face but the look in his eyes was cold enough to make an Ice Maiden jealous. "People see and hear far more than you give them credit for."
"Well, um...how is your mom, anyway?" fumbled Kuwabara in interruption, desperate to chase away the awkwardness that settled over the table along with Yusuke's sulking expression. He engaged Kurama in small talk, dragging Yusuke into the conversation eventually, and kept them from lapsing back into silence for the rest of the meal. When they parted ways, Kuwabara went one direction and Yusuke found himself walking alongside Kurama in a terse silence.
"I'm sorry."
Kurama glanced at Yusuke and came to a halt, the words having come out of Yusuke's mouth at the intersection where they had been about to part. "It's quite all right," he said quietly, but Yusuke wasn't looking at him. Kurama let the silence linger for a moment, searching his mind for a gesture that might make it up to him. "Come to Mother's with me."
That got his attention. Yusuke gave Kurama an odd look; he hadn't even been invited back to Kurama's apartment yet, let alone to the Hatanaka house. He knew Kuwabara was invited for dinner every so often, having become a close friend of the family, but Yusuke hadn't even met them properly. "Why?" was all he could manage.
Kurama tilted his head slightly. "I'm on my way there now. I go almost every Sunday to visit. She always enjoys it when I bring a friend."
Yusuke looked suspicious, but he nodded and followed Kurama. Sure enough, Shiori was delighted to see Yusuke and wrapped him in a hug that caught him off guard. "My goodness, it's so nice to finally meet you," she beamed. "I hear so much from Shuuichi and Kazuma."
"Whatever you've heard, I maintain plausible deniability," said Yusuke with a grin, and Shiori laughed. She greeted her son with a kiss on the cheek and led them both to the living room, where Yusuke was introduced to Kazuya and the younger Shuuichi. The afternoon passed pleasantly; Yusuke let Kurama field the questions about how the two of them had met, then distracted Shiori by sharing stories of running his own food cart and swapping recipes and cooking tips with her. Kurama's brother seemed interested in his tales, particularly when Yusuke mentioned having never gone to high school (an interest that Kurama shut down quickly), and hung on to his every word. It wasn't until the sun was starting to sink below the horizon that Yusuke stood to leave, thanking the Hatanakas for their hospitality and getting another hug from Shiori along with an open invitation to come to dinner some day.
Kurama said his goodbyes as well, following Yusuke outside. "It seems pretty nice," said Yusuke when they were some distance down the road. He shrugged when Kurama questioned him with a look. "To have a normal family like that. They really care about you."
"You speak as if you don't have that," said Kurama. Yusuke said nothing, and Kurama took his arm to get him to stop walking. "Yusuke..."
Yusuke kept his head down. "I know I got people who love me," he said. "People to protect and all. It's just...it's different, okay?" It was Kurama's turn to stay silent, and they continued walking. "I gotta try her recipe for seasoning pork for sure though," he mused, and Kurama relaxed at the sign that Yusuke wasn't upset.
"You should ask her how she seasons aburaage before she adds it to soup," said Kurama, and folded his hands behind his back as they walked. "Perhaps even add it to your menu."
Yusuke glanced at him, laughing when he got the hint. "Yeah, all right fox boy," he snickered, clapping Kurama on the shoulder. "Should I start making inarizushi too?"
"I certainly wouldn't complain if you did," said Kurama lightly, and Yusuke laughed harder. (1)
Yusuke seemed to be content with their arrangement more now that Kurama was involving him in aspects of his human life. When they were in public together, even alone, Yusuke never said or did anything that could be construed as suspicious. In the absence of any melancholy moods from the Mazoku, Kurama was content as well. That contentment wasn't disturbed until a couple of months later, when he approached Yusuke's ramen stand for lunch only to see Yusuke leaning on the counter, grinning at a lithe young man who was praising Yusuke's cooking skills freely. It wasn't necessarily an unusual sight, but Yusuke not having Kurama's meal ready like usual while lavishing attention on a stranger sat uneasily.
"Oh, hey Kurama!" greeted Yusuke cheerily, and moved away from the customer. He had apparently begun Kurama's bowl, as he finished a few final preparations before sliding it in front of him. Kurama watched the other man in the meantime.
"Aw, I wish I was special enough for him to have my order memorized," said the customer, giving Yusuke a pout through long lashes. The eyes under the lashes were red if the sun hit them just right, but instead of being attractive like Hiei's, Kurama found them uncomfortably close to the rusty reddish-brown of dried blood.
Yusuke laughed. "Himeru, I can't very well memorize your order when you order something different every damn time you come by," he said, swatting at the man's arm with a cloth. "Not to mention at different times."
"Oh, I see," said Himeru smugly, running his fingers through his black, disheveled hair. "So he's just predictable, not special."
Kurama focused on his soup, something about Himeru's presence irking him that he couldn't quite put a finger on, though Yusuke's response of "Naw, he's special. He's one of my best friends" helped ease the feeling.
"I'll leave you two be, then," said Himeru, finishing off his food and sliding Yusuke some money. Kurama caught the glint of Makai gold in the corner of his eye. Not human, then, but apparently hiding his youki well. Perhaps that's why he feels odd. "I'll see you later," he said cheerfully, blowing Yusuke a kiss.
Kurama's eyes narrowed and he turned his head to watch Himeru leave. "Damn, don't burn a hole in his back," said Yusuke, moving over to wipe the counter next to Kurama. "You okay?"
Kurama looked back at Yusuke, a little surprised by the concern and his own reaction to the other man. "I'm fine," he said. "Who was that?"
"Just a regular," said Yusuke, and it seemed innocent enough. But Yusuke tended to his stall with a smile on his lips and a spring in his step, leaving an unpleasant taste in Kurama's mouth that couldn't be attributed to the ramen.
(1) The comments about aburaage and inarizushi are a reference to the belief that fried tofu is a fox's favorite food.