Part Seventeen: A Fight Reveals far More then a Friend's Anger

A week passes and Kurama finds himself staying in the Makai. Shiori had made a few phone calls and had Shuichi pulled from school as if she were deciding teach him at home in an effort to try and hide the truth. Kurama knows that his life in the Ningenkai has come to an end though he can't say that he's going to miss that life too much. He settles down in the Toguro's home with Kuronue and the triplets. Kuwabara comes everyday after school and stays for the night with Ani who has managed to keep a little bit of food down that isn't fruit. The smaller demon keeps looking in the mirror and sighing knowing that he's soon going to start bulging. He isn't looking forward to it though he refuses to do anything to fix that.

Life starts to calm down for the small group, though Karasu does what he can to make himself scarce during the day. He cannot bear to be in the same room as Kuronue or Kurama though he was decidedly fond of their children. Tiara has Yoko's golden eyes while Velaris and Amarlie have Kuronue's sapphire ones. Tiara has tufts of black hair coming in, Velaris seems to have a mix of black and silver, and Amarlie has silver tufts of hair. They were all precious and had anyone tried to hurt them, Karasu would gladly blow them up. He just couldn't face Kurama and he didn't want to be around Kuronue afraid of what he might do out of jealousy. He knows that Ani understands his reasons for not staying around and respects them. His wanderings bring him to the pond where he had discovered the cloth soaked in chloroform. He sits down and stares into the water. 'I wish I had stayed in Limbo,' he thinks, 'It hurt less than this. I still want him…I guess that will never change. At least he's happy with Kuronue, he deserves that much.' "Moping doesn't suit you," Bui murmurs from behind him.

"Yes, well that is my issue not yours," Karasu retorts not really in the mood to talk to the blue-haired demon.

"You can't go the rest of eternity looking like a beaten puppy, Karasu. You've always been stronger than that."

"Not when it comes to Kurama. Something about him just makes me feel so helpless, and I hate him for it!"

"Yet you would have it no other way."

"…Yes."

Bui chuckles softly. "You really have it bad for that one. It's just unfortunate that he has a mate already."

"Yes, Kuronue. He seems nice enough…I suppose."

"You haven't taken the time to observe him have you?"

"No. I don't want to know what he has that I don't…could we not talk about this? I don't feel up to the conversation and even if I was, I wouldn't want to have it with you."

"All right, don't bite my head off, Karasu." He doesn't leave after saying this; instead he sits down quietly beside his black-haired comrade showing a surprising amount of intelligence where Karasu is concerned. The violet-eyed bomb-wielder leans his head against his shoulder and sighs.

"Have you ever fallen in love, Bui?" he asks.

Bui goes silent for a moment before answering. "Yes."

"Oh, with whom?"

"Hiei if you must know."

"Hiei? Wow, I didn't realize."

"I am good at hiding my emotions. Wearing armor except while sleeping helps hide that fact. It doesn't really matter. I doubt that Hiei would ever consider taking a mate. He considers most emotions as weakness."

"I have noticed that though I think it has more to do with him being afraid of needing someone close to him. I don't think he had a good childhood."

"That would do it."

Both demons lapse into a companionable silence, each thinking about the demon they wanted but could never possibly have. They had been companions before Toguro had found them and somewhere along they way that had grown almost friendly towards one another. Though Bui almost always found ways to get himself into trouble, he was often the one Karasu talked to for advice if he didn't want to talk to Ani. The blue-haired demon listened well and offered what advice he had. His tendency to be rather dense and immature sometimes grated on Karasu's nerves and ended up with him on the bad side of Oto, but all in all, Bui made a wonderful companion and friend. Karasu doesn't know what he would do if Bui were to beat Oto and reclaim his freedom. He knows that it's selfish of him but he hopes that Bui never gets that strong so that he can't leave.

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Around noon, there is a visitor. Kuwabara immediately knows whom it is by the way they pound on the door. "I'll deal with this, Ani, it's Yusuke," the carrot-top murmurs heading towards the hall. He doesn't want Yusuke anywhere near the pregnant demon while he's angry and Kuwabara is sure that the dark haired teen is probably in a bad mood. He opens the door. "Hello, Yusuke," he greets pleasantly.

"I didn't know you had a change of address," the black-haired teen mutters irritably.

"I stay here when I am not in school, Yusuke."

"You have a home you know."

"Yes, I know. I just like to check up on Ani."

"Of course, the midget needs constant supervision."

"Don't start, Yusuke."

"Don't start, don't start! Kuwabara, you are watching over a tormentive, psychotic demon who seems to enjoy harassing you! When are you going to get it through your thick skull that once your children are born he's going to try and send you onto your afterlife?"

Kuwabara doesn't respond, he merely grabs Yusuke's wrist and shoves him outside. He steps out after him and shuts the door. "What are you doing?"

"I am keeping you from upsetting Ani! You need to stop being so accusative. He's having mood swings and I personally don't want to go through another one because you're being an idiot! Mind your own business and let me make my own decisions. You and I have had this discussion before and I don't feel like having it again!"

"Yeah, well you didn't listen to me the last time or you wouldn't be here! I am trying to keep you from getting hurt by him again! You are putting yourself needlessly at risk for being killed! I don't know why you can't see this!"

"Yusuke, I know that you are trying to protect me and I am touched but you need to leave me alone. This decision is mine to make. They've changed since we last saw them…they've really changed. I don't know to the extent that it has happened but I rather like the improvements I have seen so far. They are letting Kuronue and Kurama stay here because Kurama's mom tossed them out. Did you get Kurama's message?"

"Yeah, I heard he's the father of three."

"Two girls and a boy. They are the cutest things I have ever seen."

"That's off the subject. Even so, I know that Kurama can take care of himself, he's a demon. You on the other hand are still easily swayed into thinking that there is good left in him. There is nothing good left in that freakish little midget!"

"Don't you start insulting him, Yusuke! He has done nothing to you so leave him alone!"

"I can't believe that you're defending him!"

"Yeah, well if it were Keiko you would be defending her, too!" Kuwabara fires back.

"That's different, I am in LOVE with Keiko. You don't love Ani!" Yusuke retorts.

Something inside Kuwabara snaps. "Yeah, well how do you know?" he demands.

"Because it's Ani Toguro for Christ's sake. No one could fall in love with him."

That does it. Something deep inside Kuwabara takes over as a potent rage spirals through him and he snarls the last thing he had ever expected to come from him. "Well then you've proven what an idiot you are, Urameshi. I AM in love with him thank you very much!" The moment the words leave his mouth he realizes what it is that he's been avoiding thinking about since he was captured and forced to take Ani. His blue-eyes widen to the size of saucers and his entire body tenses. 'Oh my god,' he thinks, 'Oh my god I did NOT just…oh my god!'

"You're what?" Ani asks from the doorway. His golden eyes are wide and he's staring at Kuwabara like he's never seen him before in his life. Kuwabara looks at him for a minute before he does the one thing he can do…he flees back to the portal to the Ningenkai.

He runs the entire five miles from the portal to his house before he realizes it. He almost collapses at the door he's breathing so hard and shaking. He reaches for the doorknob but his hand is shaking too much to turn it. Luckily, Shizuru hears it and opens the door. She looks out and stares at him. "Kazuma?" she asks worriedly seeing the expression on his face, "What happened?"

"I-I," he stammers before he begins trembling too hard to say anything other then, "oh my god!"

"Calm down, Kazuma. Let's get you inside before the neighbors start wondering about you," Shizuru murmurs before ushering him inside and to the couch. He sits down heaving and puts his head in his hands. For awhile he doesn't say a word, he just sits there shaking, wanting to cry but valiantly holding the tears back. "What happened Kazuma? What's got you so upset?"

"Yusuke…he came. We argued about Ani and I…I…oh gods, I said I was in love with him!" he yells before losing the fight with the tears. They spill down his cheeks. "Gods, why me? I can't…not with him! I can't!"

"Shh, calm down, Kazuma. I know things look bad right now but wait until you're level headed before you try to figure this out."

"He heard me. Ani heard me and I ran like the coward I am. I'm not going to be surprised if he hates me."

"Hush, little brother. I don't think he'll hate you. You just rest and try to relax. I am going to call and make sure he knows that he's not the reason you ran." Kuwabara doesn't argue so she heads to the phone and dials the Toguros. Not surprisingly, it's Oto who picks up.

"Hello?" he asks.

"Hi, Oto, it's Shizuru. I just wanted to call to assure Ani that he's not the reason my brother fled. From what I gathered Yusuke and him had a little argument."

"It wasn't a little argument. This was a full-fledged fight without fists. We heard it from inside so my brother went to check on it. That was when Kuwabara told Yusuke in no uncertain terms that he was an idiot before admitting to being in love with my brother. He saw Ani who was absolutely baffled by the situation and that's when he fled."

"Yusuke is such a moron sometimes," Shizuru sighs.

"Yes. It was funny in a way, however, because right after Kuwabara fled, Yoko stormed outside and threatened to sic a carnivorous plant on Yusuke if he didn't remove himself from the property. Yusuke did just not before threatening my brother bodily harm."

"I am sorry about all this. I don't want to imagine what will happen if Yusuke tries to make good on his threats to Ani."

"He'll be dead is what he'll be," Kuwabara says from the doorway. Shizuru looks up at him. "I might not know what I am feeling and or doing at the moment, but I DO know one thing and that is if Yusuke even dares try harm one hair on Ani's head, I will NOT hesitate to kill him."

"Ani will be glad to hear that," Oto says to Shizuru, "Tell Kuwabara not to worry. Ani is just shocked at the outburst is all and also tell him to relax and let the feelings work themselves out. Rushing them will only cause him unnecessary difficulties."

"I will. Thank you, Oto," she remarks.

"You're welcome," he says before she hears that telltale click. She puts the phone down and looks at Kazuma.

"Oto says that Ani is fine albeit a bit shocked at your confession. He also advises you to be patient and let your feelings work themselves out," she tells him.

He merely nods before heading upstairs into his room. What on earth had possessed him to say that? What if it was true? He closes his eyes as his body trembles. He couldn't…wouldn't think about this, not now. He was far too emotionally drained to even begin to work through it. Yusuke had really done him in by coming to Ani and Oto's home. 'Dammit, why couldn't he let it go? Why did he have to go and open a door I didn't want to open? Dammit!'