I'd love to hear your thoughts as the story progresses.

If you haven't gotten anything for valentines day yet; consider this my gift to you!

The Beginning Of Change

He clenched his fists as he saw red splattering on the pavement. His eyes were still closed, his energy gone as it was sealed and drained. The plant kept taking in order to grow but Kurama wasn't in control anymore.

It was Bakken who threw the blows, hit after hit Yusuke hoped his stare alone could stop the beating but nothing had changed for minutes. The committee was wrong for approving this match, this wasn't a fight, this was a slaughter.

A couple more hits before his blouse ripped and gravity slammed Kurama to the floor. A steady stream of crimson covered the stadium as the blows had drawn blood. Koto, the announcer found the mercy she'd stacked away during the entire tournament. She called it out but found herself thrown out of the ring.

'I'm not going to stand here and watch.' A voice penetrated his head. He looked towards Kuwabara and Botan who both couldn't have been the owners of the voice. They looked on with horror, in some instances, Botan turned herself away from the scene.

'Am I clear, detective?' It was Hiei. Yusuke should've known. Hiei was even closer to Kurama than Yusuke was and he hadn't even realized that Hiei would also be forced to watch from inside the medical tent.

He looked behind him, the fire demon flexing the fingers on his dominant hand with a scowl on his face.

'One more blow and he's mine.' Hiei continued, maintaining eye contact with Yusuke. 'Or are you with me on this?'

Yusuke didn't need to answer, of course he was. He'd fight every demon in this stadium, whatever it takes.

Bakken lifted Kurama and as he did, Yusuke lifted his hands into position. He never got to fire his spirit gun as the leader from the opposite team had seen their silent threat.

"Alright, take your precious buddy." Bakken scoffed as he threw Kurama out of the ring.

Yusuke began to run even before Bakken had let go of Kurama. Even though he ran as fast as he could, he was unable to catch the redhead, making him land with a dull thud on the grass.

While his revenge was sweet, he still found it to not be enough. As he propelled Bakken towards the stadium wall, he wished he had done more damage, stretched his short fight longer just like he did to Kurama.

His heart jumped as he saw the fox had opened his eyes. His breathing was still labored and Yusuke knew he was in pain, but the facade the fox had made him curious as to how he really felt. The plant was still firmly in Kurama's arm and Yusuke couldn't fathom the thought of such a thing being painless.

He touched Kurama's shoulder as he saw the fox has was slipping a bit to the side. A soft grimace escaped him but he never showed his pain. The plant was in his bloodstream, meaning that every movement he made was combined with pain from the scratching roots of the death-plant.

Yusuke was hesitant to carry him to the hotel. The stadium was slowly drained as the spectators left, the matches were over. He had told Kuwabara, Yukina and Botan to take Hiei and the masked fighter to the dorms. Kuwabara, still broken from the previous fight, hovered above Kurama, offering to carry him but Kurama declined. Yusuke begged them to go ahead, that they'd catch up to them.

It was after everyone had left, that Kurama's mask started to slip. Yusuke saw how tired he was but he refused to leave even though Kurama had asked him multiple times.

"I'll be fine." He had said but Yusuke didn't buy any of it. The fox was in pain and he wasn't going to leave him alone and vulnerable in a stadium full of creatures that wanted them dead.

Kurama refused to be carried and Yusuke had to accept the fact that Kurama was going to try and walk it off. He did well, occasionally leaning onto Yusuke as he tried to conceal the pain walking caused him.

They took their time and when they arrived at the dorm, Kuwabara was already bandaged and nearly fully healed with Yukina's help. They watched them with a careful eye, Kurama leaned heavily on Yusuke as he swayed softly. The bloodloss hadn't helped him and the way the plant was still growing made Yusuke want to scoop him up and demand medical treatment.

Attempting to approach Kurama, her hands stretched out before her, a cold voice stopped her. "You can't help him." Hiei said from the corner of the room. She turned towards him with a frown but allowed Yusuke to pass her and drag Kurama into his bedroom.

He was already unconscious when he reached the bed. Yusuke carefully lifted him, trying his best to avoid the plant as its length had increased. He was at a loss. How could he remove the plant?

It was only when Hiei pushed him out of the room that Yusuke understood. Noone could remove the plant, the only one who could was Kurama himself.

That night, Yusuke couldn't filter out the pained groans and insults coming from the other room. It plagued his mind to the extent where Kuwabara's snoring, something which usually kept him awake in annoyance, wasn't able to filter it out.

So he moved to the living area, waiting for them to finish, waiting for Kurama to be closer to life than death as that was seemingly a daily state for the fox.

…

Opening his eyes, Yusuke squinted as he looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The smell of roses reached his nose and he turned towards red hair. Kurama laid besides him, his eyes closed as his breathing came in slow, calm waves.

He was alive and Yusuke felt his heart swell up, Kurama was alive yet he himself had never felt this alive before. Staring to the digital clock behind Kurama, his suspicions were proven right. It was the middle of the night.

He didn't know much about what happened the night before. They had been drinking. He had confessed. Kurama had verified it. His light lingering headache told Yusuke that he was experiencing a slight hangover. Had he drank too much?

The next time he opened his eyes, the bed was empty, rays of light filtered through the curtains and the smell of bread reached his nose. He tried to push himself up but his head felt like it was coated in cement, forcing him back down onto the pillow with a soft groan.

"I see you're awake." Kurama entered the room, his voice low as he brought warm toast to Yusuke. "You had quite the night."

Yusuke sat, his back against the headboard as he eyed the redhead. Was he dreaming? Was this real? Light danced on Kurama's frame as he stood in the room, his eyes firmly on Yusuke with a look he couldn't describe or understand. His skin glowed golden in the light, his skin slightly damp from the shower he had probably taken. The sheen was breath taking and Yusuke probably looked like a fish gasping for air to Kurama.

He laughed. A sound Yusuke so rarely heard but so enjoyed hearing. His eyes squinted as he did, soft lines capturing his maturity. They weren't the teenage boys anymore who met on top of the hospital as Kurama tried to safe his mother's life.

"Are you okay?" Kurama snickered after his laughter had died down. Yusuke couldn't find the words but managed to nod. He didn't want to blink, it would only take away from the sight he was enjoying. Kurama's words were comforting, the toast adding to the feeling he though he had lost long ago.

Being home.

He hadn't felt as much at home than here. He had never had a big, nice, warm breakfast. He never had anyone make it for him after his childhood. But Kurama did. Kurama felt like home.

But he didn't deserve him. Yusuke swallowed thickly as reality came crashing down on him. Kurama was still in the light, toast still in hand, but there was a grim reality Yusuke knew he couldn't escape.

Kurama was expensive, smart, successful and here he sat, a lone noodle cook, past high school thug with no sense of morality. One who lived in filth and didn't bother washing clothes he'd borrowed for weeks. He didn't deserve Kurama. Kurama deserved someone of his own status, not an adult child who didn't know how to do chores.

"Are you okay?" Kurama repeated his question, this time his voice softened, his eyes dropping with concern.

Yusuke shook the thought off. Kurama was here, he had accepted his feelings. Yusuke would do everything for him and show him his worth. "I am. Might just be a hangover."

"I figured as much." Kurama scoffed softly. "Eat up, you'll need some good stuff to out the headache."

Yusuke eyed the toast as he took it, taking a gentle bite as he tried to ignore his nervousness, Kurama was still watching him. "And..?"

The muscles in his jaw tensed as Yusuke heard his questioning voice. 'And?' what would he have to say? They kissed.. Wasn't it just some dream, an illusion? Kurama's eyes dug deep and he couldn't do anything else than just say what was on his mind. "I don't deserve you."

Kurama was physically thrown back by this. "What do you mean? It's just toast, I don't know if you like the spread I put on it."

"Oh, that, yes…" Yusuke felt his skin starting to get sticky. "I l-love it."

The new rule was set in place that same day. Faster than Yusuke thought and secretly wanted. The new rule meant that he'd have to return to work, just like Kurama. He wouldn't see him as often and it hurt him internally.

The oath he took with himself went into effect immediately, the first step was to wash the clothing Kurama had borrowed him. It washed away his scent but Yusuke knew Kurama was never far away.