A/N: Thanks to all who have read, added to watch or favorites lists, and especially those who took the time to respond!
FantasyFanatic1: lol, thanks for both reviews. I love writing Yusuke just 'cause he's allowed to say fun stuff like that. Hope this chap came out fast enough for you!
Gemenice: Well of course. If Hiei gave up that just wouldn't be fun, would it?
BlueUtopiah: heh, Hiei's never been too quick on the uptake, has he? Do you really want me to repost Otherworlds? I loved that story so much I've actually reworked the plot and characters and made it into an original fiction. That's why I haven't been posting it- I don't want to get all confused by writing two versions of the same story, but I'm almost done with my original OW so I could probably start posting YuYu OW soonish if you want.
jane: lol, I love french fries, but I can't say I'm that fond of the language. I prefer Japanese. Which is what I"m gonna take when I get to college. yay! And as for the second witness... well, telling would be no fun, so I'll make you read! muahaha (aren't I evil? lol)
happydemonhobo: yay! hope you enjoy the update.
KyoHana: oh, I'm sorry! I actually didn't change it. By "two witnesses" I meant Hiei and one other. I'm pretty much keeping this story the same as the first go-round. (at least... so far... )
Chapter 7
By Yami no Kokoro
Kurama stopped for several long moments around the side of the school building, trying to regain his bearings, horribly aware that Hiei's all seeing eye was still upon him.
Never before had he spoken to anyone with a tone of such unchecked anger. Even during the harshest of battles he had managed to keep some semblance of calm- a deadly calm that he had never lost in either of his lifetimes until that moment in the woods. How is it even possible to stay calm when Hiei was involved?
After a few long moments, when tears no longer threatened to spill down his cheeks, he returned to the large parking lot and quickly spotted Yusuke. He was chatting awkwardly with Kuwabara, who - it appeared - was trying desperately not to look at the ex-Tentei as though he had grown an extra two heads. Yusuke seemed trapped between amusement and annoyance, and Kurama believed he could tell what it was they were talking about.
"Hello, Kuwabara." The taller boy jumped as the kitsune spoke up from directly behind him, and Yusuke grinned over his tall shoulder.
"Hey, Kurama. I was just telling Brainless here that he'd be welcome to join us as long as he didn't mind playing the third wheel." Kuwabara glanced between the two nervously.
"It's ok. I just got here but my cousin's saving me a seat. So . . . you two are . . . like . . . on a . . . you're . . ."
Kurama smiled as Yusuke moved past their carrot-topped friend to slip an arm around his waist.
"A couple, yeah."
Kuwabara flashed Kurama an uneasy look before glancing back to Yusuke, who was smirking. Kurama completely understood what he was thinking. Kuwabara was a good friend, but homophobia was something that neither boy understood or condoned. As for the fox, he was hoping to make a point of his own to the watching koorime.
/Yusuke and I are together, Hiei. Please, just go home. /
"Yeah, well . . . I've gotta go talk to my cousin before he gives up my seat to some pretty girl . . . I mean, not that there would be anything wrong if he liked a guy either . . . well . . . there would be 'cause then I wouldn't have a seat, but I wouldn't especially mind if it was a guy . . . 'cause that's fine, y'know, as long as you're not dating more than one person at once then whatever is fine." That said, Kuwabara nodded to them each and quickly departed.
"That was vaguely amusing." Kurama observed as Yusuke handed him a bowl of ramen.
"Yeah, come on. Let's get back inside." The kitsune nodded turned to return to the school gym with his koi. It was only then that he grasped the deeper meaning behind Kuwabara's earlier woods.
. . . as long as you're not dating more than one person at once . . .
Kuwabara had just arrived at the competition, and the quickest way to this building from where he and Yusuke lived was directly northeast, strait through the small woods.
He needed to find Kuwabara after the final matches, and he needed to talk to him, to make him understand. before he talked to Yusuke and told him what he'd seen.
Hiei's POV
Pain nearly overwhelms me as my third eye sees the baka detective put his arm around my fox's waist. I want to kill him right now, want to obliterate him with my dragon where he stands for daring to lay his hands upon that which I covet. No . . . the dragon's incineration would be too quick a death. I'll cut off those filthy hands, then take out his tongue for ever entering the kitsune's mouth . . .
I grin as my thoughts continue to stray into each form of torture I could inflict upon my new enemy, each more vicious than the last, but stop suddenly as my kitsune's harsh voice comes to mind.
. . . you don't care . . . you just don't want to lose to Yusuke.
I shake the words from my thoughts quickly. That isn't it. The baka kitsune thinks that I've just returned to stop him from moving on - true enough - but that's only because of everything that that stupid dream reminded me of, things that I've long tried, unsuccessfully, to bury.
I love him. As pathetic as that may sound I know that it's true, and now that I've been forced to endure seven months without him I know that I would chose him over Mukuro's territory in an instant, even if it does mean living here in this wretched world he loves so dearly.
I know that he wants me to stay. I could feel it in the desperation of his kiss, heard it screaming in my mind just as though his lips formed the words. If he left the detective I would be willing to stay with him forever.
Now if only I could say that aloud.
Yusuke's POV
Where did Kurama go? For almost ten minutes he completely disappeared from me at lunch, and he hasn't been back since. Well, he's back as in he's sitting right next to me, watching the fights, cheering and smiling, but I've spent enough time watching my rose to notice when he's putting on an act. Something has him seriously freaked out, and I wish he'd just trust me enough to tell me what.
But no, he'd prefer to put on a big facade, and I'm ok with that too, as long as this thing isn't too serious. If it was too serious then he would tell me about it.
I trust him.
Kuwabara's POV
"Kuwabara!" I spin away from my cousin as my name is called, and spot Kurama leaving Yusuke's side to stride towards me.
Oh man. What am I gonna say to him? I was freaked out enough when I'd seen the runt kiss him, but then I saw him with Urameshi . . . I'm not against gay relationships - even though I never expected Urameshi to be in one - but I am against two-timing, and I'd hadn't thought that my friend would be involved in anything like that.
The fox youkai reaches me, a serious expression on his normally calm face. Great. He knows that I know.
Before I can think of what to say my cousin pushes his way between us, holding out his hand.
"Hey, Kazuma, aren't you gonna introduce me to your friend?" My eyes narrow. He'd gotten the same way during Christmas when I'd introduced Yukina to my family.
Kurama flashes him a polite smile, taking his hand briefly.
"My name is Shuichi Minamino. It's nice to meet you, but I really must have a word with -"
He grabs Kurama's hand again, holding it tightly.
"Kamito Kuwabara. Hey, if you aren't busy-" I cut him off, stepping between the two quickly as my friend gently disentangles his hand from my cousin's.
"Ok, Kamito. I'm going to go talk to my male friend now." Quickly I pull Kurama away from him, leaving Kamito with a weird love-struck gaze I'm glad I never get.
"Darn it, Kurama, how many guys do you have after you?" The kitsune is gazing back at my cousin with an amused expression.
"I think I see the family resemblance. . ."
"Huh?" Kamito has black, strait hair, green eyes, and is paler than me. He's shorter too, only about Yusuke's height, and has less muscles. "He looks nothing like me." Kurama shrugs as I let go of my death-grip on his arm, still smiling.
"There's just something about the face." Then an apprehensive look comes over his face, and he looks back to meet my eyes. "And to answer your earlier question, Kuwabara, quite a few more than I'd like. I'm only worried about two, however, and I'm sure you know which ones I'm talking about."
I look over to Yusuke, who's now talking to one of the winning contestants a few dozen meters away.
"Yeah. Big mess you've got yourself into."
Kurama is nervous. More nervous than I've ever seen him. I mean, I saw him face a freak ready to blow him apart piece by piece with a calmer expression than he's got on now.
"Hiei and I . . ." He pauses, talking a shallow breath before continuing, "we used to be intimate, for a long time, Kuwabara. I don't know whether or not you were aware." Slowly I shake my head. Ok, this is all news to me.
Kurama and the runt . . . what did he even see in him? I don't even want to think about it.
He nods.
"Alright. Well, seven months ago, about the last time you saw me, Hiei left to stay permanently in the Makai - I'm sure you've heard about Mukuro's job offer. He wanted me to come with him, but I couldn't because of Shiori, and I asked him to stay, but he wouldn't, so we parted ways.
"For over half a year he's been gone, Kuwabara, so I think that it was fair to go out with Yusuke when he asked me only yesterday. Then today Hiei suddenly showed up again, and you saw what happened."
"Yeah, so -" I get cut off quickly.
"Then you heard what I told him. I loved Hiei, and it's impossible for me to completely forget about him, but I am not and will not attempt to rekindle our flame. What we had . . . it's over. I have no intention of letting what happened earlier occur again."
His eyes are on the ground, as though he's afraid to meet my own. I've gotta say, it's scary to see him this way. He's supposed to be the one we all rely on to be calm.
"Ok, so why are you even telling me this?"
He raises his eyes and bites his lip before responding firmly.
"Because I want you to understand what you saw, and I don't want you to tell Yusuke."
Wow, wait a minute, now he wants to hide what happened? I cross my arms and glare at him.
"You wanna' start whatever weirdo relationship you have with Urameshi by hiding stuff? If kissing Hiei didn't mean anything then you've got nothing to be ashamed of, right?"
There's a long pause after my words, as though he can't decide how to respond. Then a weird thought crosses my mind.
"The kiss didn't mean anything to you, did it?"
The question seems to hit upon something. Kurama blinks slowly, takes a deep breath, and when his eyes open they're wet.
"Kuwabara . . . I don't -" but right then Urameshi appears, slinging an arm around the fox's shoulders. I see Kurama tense for an instant before turning and smiling at him, wet eyes magically dry, pained expression completely gone.
It's creepy to watch the transformation, like, you never know which face is really his.
"We should probably be going." He murmurs to his . . . date. Then he turns and grins at me flawlessly. "It's been nice talking to you again, Kuwabara. Seven months is a long time to go without seeing old friends."
"Yeah, everyone seems to be getting together again today." I reply, before nodding to him solemnly, letting that stand as a sign that I'll keep my silence, and turn away to return to Kamito. He gazes after Kurama with a sad look on his face.
"So, he has a boyfriend, huh?" I glare at my older cousin, glancing back to see Kurama laughing softly at something Yusuke's just said. Then I look to the left and freeze, because a small black haired figure is watching the two through the crowds, a look of rage on his face.
Kurama's POV
All of my doubts seem to disappear when I'm with Yusuke, though I have no idea how I can possibly be having any sort of fun when I can still sense Hiei watching us. Silently I will him to leave, to return to Mukuro quietly, and to stop haunting me as though I were some traitor to our love, because I know that I'm not. Speaking to Kuwabara had eased my worries, though I must say that my spiritually aware friend seemed less than sure.
Hiei and I had our time, but we are of different worlds, and I could no more force him to leave his than he could get me to leave mine.
The eyes disappear as we begin to head home, and I can once again turn my fill attention to my koi. He knows that something's wrong, I can tell. For once, however, he has decided to be patient, to see if I want to tell what's on my mind.
Right now, though, I just want to forget.
"Hey, kit, you there?" I smile at the nickname, and glance up.
"Sorry, Yusuke, I was lost in thought for a moment." The boy merely shrugs, as though my completely ignoring him was a trifle that hardly mattered.
"It's ok. I just got an extra few minutes to marvel at how perfect you are."
My face heats at the compliment that Yoko would have once taken with a grain of sand, and look away quickly. How many times had my counterpart been told such things, offhandedly, as ways to catch his attention for a single instant, to win the sensual Yoko's favor for a night? And yet when Yusuke said it it had sounded so honest. This wasn't said to impress me, it was spoken like a simple fact.
It's surprising how hard they are to hear.
"I'm nowhere near as wonderful as you seem to think I am."
The ex-tentei laughs, hardly the reaction I'd expected from the confession, and pulls me to a stop, tilting my head up to meet his gaze.
"Of course you'd say that, you idiot. You're totally oblivious to how great you are. I couldn't even begin to name all of the things I love about you. . ." he looks away, the tiniest of blushes tinting his cheeks. "Now, please shut me up before I start getting all gushy and poetic on you."
All the things he loves about me . . . a true smile breaks across my features for the first time since before lunch, and I reach up to toy with a tendril of my koi's raven hair.
"And how would you suggest I silence you?" The thought of Yusuke reciting poetry is an interesting one, but I can't ask too much of him on only our second date, and the alternative is equally appealing. He pretends to consider, leaning into the touch of my hand.
"Well, the best way would probably be to cover my mouth with something . . ."
"I might have a gag on me." He smirks, raising one eyebrow.
"Kinky, Kurama, but the last thing I want to be tasting now is cloth."
"Fine." I try to look disappointed, but can't quite manage it, and instead pull him slowly forward. "Then I might have something else you'd prefer."
"Definitely." Then he's against me, lips parting with mine eagerly, his tongue sliding to caress my own, which yields to allow him better access. Once again we are in the middle of a sidewalk, but I can't bring myself to care as Yusuke's gentle and demanding kiss continues to consume me.
Oh, Inari, I wish I could say that I love Yusuke the way he claims to love me, but if he keeps this up much longer I don't think he'll have a hard time of winning me over completely.
Hiei's POV
My pursuit of the kitsune is hindered by the last person in all of the three worlds that I want to run into right now. A giant, carrot-colored oaf. Hn, at least if I had met up with the detective I would have had a chance to chop him to pieces like I want. But no, he's making his way down the street with my fox while I find my way barred by the baka.
"Uh, hey Hiei. Long time no see, were you even gonna say 'hi'?" I cast him what I consider to be my most withering glare, but he doesn't even flinch. Fine, the fool has a spine, though his brain seems to have been lost completely in the months since I left.
"No, we hate each other, you fool." You have to pity the stupidity of each member of this child race - no wait, you really don't. The oaf seems put off slightly by the comment, but nods.
"Well, right, but I've still got some advice to you, from one former partner to another, if nothing else."
"Hn," I cross my arms, "and I'm supposed to care?"
"No. You're supposed to listen, then decide." That surprises me. I decide to listen. After a second the baka realizes that the fact I haven't left yet is consent, so he continues,
"I think you should go back to the Makai now, before you do something you'll regret." My eyes narrow. So the oaf has grown bold in my absence. He presumes to send me away now like some child.
"And why would I do that?" I growl, causing the other to jump slightly. He presses on, however.
"Because you screwed Kurama up enough when you left. Now you wanna make it worse when he's with Urameshi?"
My face twists into a scowl, and I nearly draw my blade again.
"Fool! The fox belongs to me, not that ningen detective!"
I want to chop him to bits. Slowly. I would take his feet first so he couldn't run, and then I would turn his hands into bleeding stumps. Finally I would carve out that horrible voice box I hate so much, and stomp it into the pavement while he watched.
No one even pretends to consider that our separation hurts me as much as it has injured the kitsune. Poor, poor Kurama, who has the support of every ningen in this stupid world, who seems to have a new koi to ease his pain and oafs lining up to defend his happiness.
If leaving me was so truly painful then why didn't he join me in the Makai, and if he still loves me now then why doesn't he ditch the detective and come back?
Ningen relationships are so complicated.
I leave quickly, before the fool can respond to my outburst, restraining my vicious blows only through extreme willpower.
Yukina would for some reason be upset if I took his life or tortured him, and the last thing I want to do is make Yukina unhappy.
I have no such qualms about harming the detective, however. I'll do whatever I need to in order to get Kurama back.
Because I don't think that I can survive any longer without him.
TBC
A/N: Please pardon any spelling errors you find. I spent the time I usually take to review the chapter responding to reviewers. :P