Author's Note: Thank you for reading and reviewing, sorry for the delay – I'm a busy college student, just started the new quarter. I'm taking Intro to Law, and let's just say.. it's not a piece of cake. :/ Updates may be a bit sluggish going forward, thank you for your patience and continued support. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.
"Please come in, Yusuke."
The ex-detective was extremely wary of Kurama's too inviting green eyes. He stood before the front door with his hands stuffed in his pockets, debating with himself over whether he should enter or not. The brush with Kuwabara, the small giggle in Kurama's voice and the suggestive swearing from Hiei had all left his mind slightly jumbled.
"I promise I do not bite, Yusuke, it's alright," Kurama assured the teenaged thug with a smile.
Yusuke found himself being half-pulled into the house by Kurama's gentle but firm hands. The door was shut behind him, and he got a sense of claustrophobia and confrontation he usually felt when entering a fighting match. He took in his surroundings, "Nice pad."
"Thank you, it is my parent's house, please make yourself at home."
"Well in that case, is there anything good in the fridge?"
"A gentleman as always, detective," Hiei's voice dripped with sarcasm as he watched Yusuke begin to rummage the fridge in the small kitchen.
Kurama chuckled, "Feel free to anything Yusuke, and then have a seat in the living room with me." The fox-demon positioned himself on the plush chair once more and shared a look with Hiei, who simply rested himself on the cushions by the window. Once the half-demon joined them by sitting on the couch, a bag of chips and the full bottle of orange juice in his hands, Kurama asked, "So Yusuke, how have things been since the case?"
"Oh you know, boring as hell," Yusuke grinned, more relaxed with the situation than before. Cool your jets Urameshi, they're your friends, not enemies.
"I see," Kurama smiled and lowered his eyes. "I called you because I wanted to check on how you're doing.. being a demon now, I wanted to make sure your transition was going smoothly."
"It's fine, kinda weird that my tickers not beating, but not much different besides that," Yusuke gulped from the bottle of orange juice.
Kurama watched the boy carefully, "I think you'll find that it can be quite different. A demon's senses are much sharper than that of a human, emotions and instincts are more heavily relied upon, and it can take a vast amount of control to keep them in check."
Yusuke immediately noted the increasingly serious tone in Kurama's voice, and fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Kurama, I'll be fine."
"If that's so, then why are you so tense in the company of your friends, whom you know will pose no threat to you?"
The dark-haired teen was suddenly on guard once more, realizing that he had in fact been gripping the couch he sat on, "…Whatever. I'm just tired." Getting frustrated with being the one interrogated, Yusuke pointed at the spirit fox, a movement that he noticed made Hiei jump. "I just have one question."
"I'll answer any question you may have, Yusuke," Kurama leaned forward slightly, his expression intently warm, undeterred by Yusuke's gesture.
"Why is Hiei here?"
The fire-demon snorted, obviously relaxing, "Why is it surprising?"
"I dunno, I just didn't realize the two of you got along that well to just hang out for funsies."
"I don't see why you should care, detective."
"Well I don't, but I think it's kinda weird that the two of you-"
Kurama coughed prettily, "Yusuke, you are getting off topic. I wanted to talk about you and your situation."
"Well I don't wanna talk about it cuz I'm fine," chocolate-eyes bounced around the room as the once spirit-detective stuffed his mouth full of chips.
"What about your attraction to Kuwabara?"
Yusuke nearly choked, "What?"
The fox-demon's smile was secretive and revealing at the same time. It proved to Yusuke his suspicion that the fox was up to no good. Kurama pressed forward, "I saw the way you looked at him and the way he looked at you. What are your feelings toward him?"
Yusuke almost had no answer, but quickly found his footing, "It's Kuwabara, what the hell kind of feelings could I have toward him, he's a blockhead."
"That's true."
"Hiei!" Kurama scolded. "You know that's not true, Yusuke. You trust Kuwabara with your life. More than that. You trusted him, along with myself and Hiei, to continue your battle for you when you could not. But with Kuwabara it's different, and you know it."
"Well shit, if you know sooo much about me, Kurama, why bother asking?" Yusuke drawled. He gulped down the last of the orange juice and slammed it on the table. He stood as though to leave, but found himself facing a sly fox-demon.
"Yusuke, I want you to think about how you treat Kuwabara, that's all I'm asking. He cares about you, so deeply," Kurama's voice deepened in his serious tone, green eyes flashing suggestively. "And I want you to take care of yourself."
Yusuke stood in silent shock, his inner doubts and emotions surfacing for a split second. He had been seen right through. He should have guessed that Kurama could see his inner turmoil. His shattered identity, his confusion and unanswered questions, his attraction and sexual frustration. Shit.
"Take care of yourself," Kurama repeated, before gently leading the stunned teen out the door. He shut it quietly with a sigh. But there was a smile on his face, "Your trap is set. Of course, they willingly allowed themselves to be caught, it was too easy.."
"Hn," Hiei flitted to stand behind the red head, and wrapped his arms around the fox's waist. Kurama leaned back into the embrace, "The oaf and the detective don't deserve our help, I just couldn't stand the obnoxious tension between them anymore."
"It's a good idea that you had to get them together, with me as the believable mediator.. since they would never have taken that kind of advice from you.."
"Hey. You promised that a good deed would be rewarded," Hiei glared as the fox turned around in his arms. The smile that beamed down on him drove away his anger. "Well?" he demanded impatiently.
Kurama laughed, "You've been very naughty, torturing Yusuke and Kuwabara the way you asked me to. But alright, you win this round." The red-head dropped gracefully to his knees.
Hiei grinned.
Holy shit.. I like him.
Of course, like was as far as he was willing to accept at this point. Kuwabara couldn't stop slowly banging his head on his desk. I like him. I like him. I like him. It had been a few days since the events in Kurama's house and Kuwabara's realization. He still had not seen Yusuke again, and the suspense was starting to kill him.
"Kuwabara, is something wrong?"
"Huh?" The red-headed punk looked up to see Keiko. Oh great. Exactly who I wanna see right now.. "Uhh.. h-hey Keiko.."
The girl tilted her head prettily, expression of genuine concern written on her face. "Are you feeling sick? I can let you copy my notes if you want to go home."
The classroom was starting to fill back up with students after the lunch break, and Kuwabara wanted to sink into the floor. The sight of the smartest girl in class talking to the dumbest thug in school, besides Yusuke Urameshi, was enough to make one grimace, and Kuwabara knew it. He knew they all had the wrong idea crossing through their thoughts. "Uhh.. no thanks.. I'm feelin' fine, really! Just tired is all."
"Oh," Keiko stood up straight, realizing that she was staring. "Okay. Well, I hope you feel better then." She walked back to her own seat.
Kuwabara nearly sighed in relief until a boy sitting near Keiko asked her, "So, Keiko. Gotten over Urameshi I see. Would you like to let me copy your notes?"
"Buzz off, please."
Knowing a fight would soon ensue if he had to get up and defend Keiko's honor, Kuwabara began to steel himself for it. He sat up straight, turned around, and what he saw was not what he expected. The room had hushed, for there stood Yusuke, green uniform and all, glaring at the boy sitting by Keiko.
No words needed to be spoken, and the offensive boy quickly moved to a different seat far away from the menacing teen. Keiko looked as though she might choke either of them, but didn't get the chance, for Yusuke's piercing gaze shifted to Kuwabara.
The red-head gulped. Their eyes met; Yusuke's seemed to be questioning him, asking for the truth. Kuwabara did not back down, and kept his eyes on Yusuke's.. until the dark-haired boy finally moved to sit in his own chair, two rows away. Yusuke turned his attention uncharacteristically to the teacher.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us," Mr. Iwamoto drawled. His usual smug grin was plastered on in that disgusting way, "Urameshi. Where've you been, beating up small children?"
"I'm not here for you, or for class, so fuck off."
Kuwabara felt something roll up his spine at that tone in Yusuke's voice; it had been so long since he had heard it, and it gave him such a thrill to hear it that he didn't even question what Yusuke had just said. It simply proved to him that Yusuke was not completely gone. He couldn't help but look over at the gelled-haired teen.
"What? Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"My mother has nothing to do with this conversation."
Mr. Iwamoto pulled back in apparent hatred, "I don't know why I even bother letting you in this classroom. Class, this is a prime example of what I like to call a rotten apple."
Yusuke leaned back comfortably and nearly snarled, "If I'm the apple, then you're the tree."
The beaming smile on Kuwabara's face did not go unnoticed by the ex-detective, or by the curious eyes of Keiko.
When school was out and the sun was beginning to turn the sky into a warm colored pallet, Kuwabara found himself walking out the school exit near Yusuke. The green-uniformed teen looked over, and with a secret grin, fell in step with Kuwabara. The two teens continued to walk at a reasonable pace, unaware of Keiko watching them leave with a small sigh.
"..I dunno what the hell is wrong with that teacher," Kuwabara finally broke the ice, surprising himself. "You've saved the world twice over and he's got no respect for you."
Yusuke's familiar spitting tisk made Kuwabara smirk. "Fuck that guy. Who cares."
The whole world's probably screwed. Who cares.
Kuwabara glanced over to see Yusuke obviously deep in thought, yet trying to hide it by resting his hands behind his head. He didn't really think this kind of situation would happen any time soon after their last meeting, and he could only dread what Kurama had possibly admitted to Yusuke.
They were soon standing in front of Kuwabara's house, and the two thugs came to an awkward stop. Feeling like a girl, Kuwabara turned to Yusuke to say goodbye.
They did the same thing at the same time, "Kuwabara, I-" "Urameshi, I-"
They paused, and finally Yusuke chuckled, that wild aspect to his voice creeping back in. Kuwabara's heart swelled. Yusuke looked up with his hands in his pockets, "I'll see you later."
As he began to walk away, Kuwabara summoned the courage to step forward, "Wait!"
Yusuke pivoted on his heel to cast a backward glance.
Kuwabara looked down, "Uhh.. do you wanna.. play some video games?"
"I thought you said you couldn't be around me."
"I did." Kuwabara didn't know what else to say.
Yusuke looked up and after a moment's pause, finally said, "Maybe tomorrow. I gotta date with Koenma tonight."
The red-head's face turned as red as his hair, "T-that's n-not what I meant."
"Right," the ex-detective snickered. The old routine felt more comfortable for some reason, now that things were more out in the open. Though, to tell the truth, Yusuke wasn't sure how much really was in the open, and how much was just speculation. He waved back at the stammering Kuwabara, and he couldn't help but smile at the cuteness of his flustered friend. "Tomorrow then," and he walked away.
Kuwabara stamped his feet in mock-frustration, but soon quieted with a smile. That was the most 'normal' conversation we've had since getting back from the case.. but it was completely different in feeling than any other conversation we've ever had. That's kind of exciting.. I guess.. He looked up at the rustling tree above him, I wonder what he's gotta talk to Koenma about..
To be continued….
Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, and for your patience! I'm so sorry this took so long to get out, I promise I will be better about that in the future. I started this fic during spring break when I had nothing else to do, but now that it's back into the full swing of things at school, I had some trouble getting to this story. Plus, I wasn't sure where I was gonna go with it. Lend me your thoughts, what would YOU like to see happen to these two? I've got a general idea, don't worry, but I want to hear what you're looking for by reading this fic. Thanks for reviewing!