Disclaimer: The genius that is Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine. If it were, we'd see a lot more of our friends from the Dark Tournament! (cough cough Jin!)
Hiei had still not returned by the time the kitsune woke the next morning. He had hoped that his friend would have snuck back in while he was sleeping, but the air was void of his energy- no such appearance had been made. It was just hours after sunrise, but the fox deemed it time for relocation; it would give the fire demon some time to sleep without disturbance if he did choose to return to the room they were supposed to be sharing. He sighed. These disappearing acts were only adding to his frustration.
Kurama was surprised to say the least when he found Yusuke not only awake, but alert. The detective had, inexplicably, wrestled the redheaded Shinobi out of bed as soon as he could manage, dragging him down the hall and into the kitchen. Jin, to his credit, had put up an impressive fight, but the matter was quickly settled when an overtired and extremely grumpy ice apparition shot them a glare that clearly said, There will either be silence or there will be death. That was all it took for the two to take their impromptu wrestling match elsewhere, as Yusuke had planned.
The fox greeted them both with a tired smile- Yusuke guessed that he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before- and began making the necessary preparations for breakfast. He had pulled up his hair, giving the pair an enticing view of his neck, something they were unaccustomed to. The kitsune was never one to show skin, even during battles where his counterparts' clothing were somehow reduced to shreds, almost as if the patron saint of modesty kept one eye on him at all times. It was impossible not to stare, to take in the curve as creamy skin met with his shoulder, to wonder what secrets were being hidden under the soft, just-too-big sweater that graced his musculature. The detective may not have been enamored with his friend, but it was impossible not to be… interested. Captivated. A light blush crawled up the Shinobi's neck as he watched the line of his friend's eyes, the way they trailed over the other without so much as a spoken word.
"Oi, Urameshi. Quit starin' at Kurama; you're givin' me the heeby jeebies with that face o' yours." He shifted in his chair somewhat uncomfortably and Yusuke grinned wickedly; he was clearly thinking the same thing about the viridian eyed fighter. Kurama turned, eggs in hand, to meet the gaze of the human teen.
"Lay off, Jin. Kurama doesn't mind; do you, Kurama?" He made it a point to drag his eyes over his friend's delicate stature before making eye contact, punctuating his action by leaning back in his chair cockily, daring the other to catch on. It would have taken much less, but the detective wasn't one for his showmanship. Or his plans. Those both belonged to the fox.
Kurama's face betrayed no emotion as he observed his friend's uncharacteristic actions, weighing his options. A full two seconds passed before he allowed himself to react, a small smile tugging at his lips as he balanced his gaze between the two in front of him.
"No, not at all." His eyes crinkled around the edges, a playful glint hiding behind blank cheerfulness. Jin was now openly staring at him, more shocked than anything else, his blush having crept up to the tip of his ears. Seeming not to realize what he was doing, the air apparition licked his lips, finding himself suddenly nervous. The action only made the fox smile more, and the Shinobi had never felt more like a cornered hen in his life.
The kettle whistled, breaking their visual stalemate as Kurama turned to prepare the tea, but his hand wavered.
"Jin," he began, not looking up from what he was doing, "Would you be so kind as to prepare the tea while I finish this?"
Oh yes, Yusuke smirked. He had gotten the message. It took all his effort not to roll his eyes as the horned demon rose from his chair at a ridiculous speed, appearing at the other redhead's side as if it was a matter of dire urgency. The detective watched for a moment as the two slipped into a rhythm, then excused himself, saying something about finding a deck of playing cards.
Kurama's attention was split, so he let Yusuke disappear without giving it much notice. One part of his brain was trying to figure out the detective's motivations; unless he was mistaken, the boy was playing some twisted game of matchmaker. Or just teasing him. Either way, the situation seemed a bit unprompted… unless his hintings had been noticed.
On the other hand, he was letting himself be preoccupied with following the other's lead. He couldn't rightly deny it, not with the way he made sure his hand brushed over the air apparition's as he handed him the delicate porcelain cups for the tea, the way touched his forearm lightly when directing him to the tray, or the soft, almost sensual tones in which he spoke, as if sharing a secret. The wind master's reactions were immediately solicited: a blush here, his stammered speech.
It wasn't an entirely farfetched idea. Though, frankly, the actions of the night before had simply been convenient. Something in his beautiful mind itched for what the other was unconsciously offering him, and it had been too long since that feeling had been sated.
And why shouldn't he? It wasn't as if he were waiting for anything… well, it wasn't as if he were waiting for anything that was likely in this lifetime. He had bided his time; his human mother had already approached the idea of him finding his own place a distance from their dwelling, now that she was a newlywed- she could hardly be considered an excuse for him to keep with his chaste saintliness. His schooling was on hold as well; he graduated early with hurried diligence once his step-brother had moved in, rightly hoping that it would earn him a chance to give Shiori the life he wanted for her as soon as possible. He had done just that, and now found himself with an immense amount of time and not much to do with it. Not being opposed to some of the habits of his earlier lifestyle, he had already begun looking for safe holds in the human world that would mimic his dens of the Makai from years long passed, but all of that was just preparation. Something in the Makai air was still unsettled, leaving that option out, and he wasn't willing to play his old games in Ningenkai while his mother was still alive. He worried at his bottom lip with his teeth absentmindedly.
Waiting never seemed this hard. But then, that could be said for a lot of things.
His mind pulled him back to the task at hand as he sat across from the Shinobi, who had taken to devouring the eggs at a ghastly speed. Jin was certainly a good candidate… if he was actually considering it. Despite his look he was older than most of their little gang, being a Shinobi and all, and that meant experience. He certainly knew how to work with at partner; he and Touya communicated well both on and off the battlefield. As for attraction, well, it wasn't really a question he had to ponder long.
More importantly was trust. It had been years since the kitsune had taken a partner, his whole human lifetime in point of fact. Whether he wanted it to or not, it would be a first for him, and that meant that it mattered. If he wasn't going to choose a partner out of reasons of love, it had better damn be out of trust. Then again, in Makai, weren't the two synonymous? Of all things that stood out to the fox, it was that Jin was loyal- maybe even to a fault. He had declared his allegiance to Yusuke and his followers, and it was not to be taken lightly. Maybe, just maybe, this could work.
Now all there was to do was convince Jin.
"Yusuke stares at you, you stare at me… who am I supposed to be starin' at then?" He didn't realize he had been looking intently at the other until he spoke. Jin's face was tilted down toward his bowl of rice, but his eyes pointed upward with a look of slight concern and curiosity. Kurama blinked a few times, the puppy-eyed look catching his attention and derailing his thoughts. Almost unconsciously, but equally deliberate, he leaned forward to brush a grain of rice from the corner of wind master's mouth, taking a second longer than he needed to. Jin's effort to control his blush did not go unnoticed, though he did not move.
"You could look only at me," his intonation and smile were innocent, but his eyes clearly reflected his implication. It couldn't be helped; the idea certainly was intoxicating. Especially with the other growing pink at the very suggestion. The fox was surprised at how much he was enjoying his new plan- that and the fact that it was no longer a question in his mind.
"I didn't think you liked to be looked at so much," the horned demon had broken their gaze for a moment, focusing on the chopsticks that he was rolling between his fingers like a child. He peeked back up, just as astonished as the fox was at his claim. He truly hadn't expected that.
"Isn't it obvious?" the words came out before he thought them through. Suddenly, it was Jin's turn to grin. Slightly triumphant, but not at all condescending or ill meant. He was simply jubilant, something that the former thief absorbed refreshedly. None of his other companions had ever looked so pleased to have gotten an unintended bit of information from him- specifically one in particular. The difference made something in the pit of his stomach flutter.
He wasn't given a chance to dwell on the feeling as the door loudly crashed open, none other than the detective bursting through.
"Hey, you two, I just had a brilliant idea- I know they don't come often so listen up. We have no clue when the next time we'll all be together will be, so why not stage a little contest of our own?" The boy was grinning from ear to ear, and Kurama wondered how brilliant this plan could be if he couldn't so much as remember the cards he had been looking for.
"What'chya have in mind Urameshi? Though I bet I'd have you by the hair no matter what yer plannin'!" the Shinobi baited, taking the opportunity to shift the conversation away from the fox. Yusuke showed no signs of being perturbed, rolling his eyes a little before continuing.
"Yeah, well we already know that we're a pretty equally matched pair in the ring. What fun is that anyway?" His tone had changed slightly, leaving the kitsune to wonder if he was going where he thought with this game.
"What exactly are you suggesting then, Yusuke?" Kurama's voice was even, but his expression suggested that he was prepared to follow the detective's lead once more. Yusuke couldn't help but widen his grin.
"Let's do a round of unlikely matches- us versus whoever we never would have considered sparring with before. I mean, we always go for the obvious pairs, don't we? Let's mix it up a bit while we've still got the chance." His eyes strayed from the half human to his demon friend, who was scratching at his head- no doubt suspicious. "Come on, I kinda want to have a go at Touya, and haven't you said you've wanted to see what Kurama's got, Jin?" The Shinobi looked at the redhead in question, who was still staring up at Yusuke without a hint to what was going on in his mind.
"I dunno, Urameshi. It all just sounds a bit-"
"I think it's a great idea."
A moment of stunned silence followed. Kurama cocked his head to the side, looking from the detective to the air apparition, the picture of innocent questioning. "Unless you don't want to?"
He wasn't given a chance to answer. Before he could even open his mouth, the detective had declared it a go, sitting down at the table with unbidden excitement and beginning to outline who would be matched against whom. The kitsune's untouched eggs were pushed in front of him, and he ate without missing a beat in his plan. Jin watched, eyebrow raised, as the fox stood from his seat, taking his small bowl of rice with him.
"Well, I suppose I should wake the others then. We seem to have an eventful day ahead of us." He smiled again, capturing both boys gazes before shuffling down the hall and into one of the other's rooms. Jin watched until he disappeared, then turned on the detective.
"I don't like that look about you. What do you know that I don't, now?" He narrowed his eyes a bit, as if it would harshen his look, but Yusuke only laughed between bites.
"Oh, come on Jin. Don't I get to have my own little secrets? Besides, you'll like this one. I guarantee it." The teen had moved on to what was left of the Shinobi's rice, not bothering to ask if he was finished. Jin leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, but a smile where a frown once resided.
"Well I do like surprises- just nothin' too serious I hope." You have no idea, Yusuke thought as he finished the bowl.
"Serious? Me? Come on, let's find a spot for our matches." He didn't wait for Kurama, who he assumed would catch them up once he had gathered their crew as he dragged the still somewhat apprehensive wind master towards the tree line.
He was pleased with himself. More than pleased- if this worked out the way he was hoping, he'd crown himself boy wonder. This plan was sure to do the trick. All that was missing was Hiei.
After all, what use was flustered Jin and flirtatious fox if the fire demon in question wasn't there to witness it?
He wasn't overly worried; there had been a familiar energy loitering around the compound when Yusuke had decided to take his impromptu stroll, and had it been anyone else it would have been killed. He'd find them all eventually, and if they were lucky he'd have first row seats to the Jin-Kurama face-off that was going to take place.
The matchup had been a stroke of genius on Yusuke's part: both fighters were keen on talking and testing during their respective skirmishes, which would give them plenty of opportunity to interact. It was just how they interacted that would either make or break his scheme. Kurama, as he always did, had seemed to know exactly what Yusuke had in mind; he just wondered how he would go about accomplishing it. Jin, on the other hand, still wasn't up to speed, despite his suspicions. It was a mystery to the detective whether that would work in their favor. The biggest obstacle in their way was the same variable he was missing: it would take careful effort to keep Hiei there throughout the fight… and possibly from killing Jin.
In typical Yusuke style, he decided not think about it.
Jin, unsurprisingly, was thoroughly and completely confused. He had found himself in this state the night before, but it had only gotten worse as the day progressed. What exactly was going on between the three of them was beyond his comprehension, though he had an idea that he was being kept in the dark on purpose. Still, it made him happy to be pulled into Yusuke's inner circle, not to mention into Kurama's. He was a whole different story, it seemed.
Something was horribly different about the fox in the past twenty-four hours. Unless he had been imagining it, Kurama was somewhat off kilter, even his aura felt different. The way he moved, the tone of his voice, it all seemed so much more seductive than he remembered. Of course, the last time they had seen each other was in the middle of the Ankoku Bujutsukai- one could hardly expect his charm to be at their top levels then. He shook the thought away. There was no doubt he was charming, and it would have been a boldfaced lie to say that he didn't find himself ridiculously attracted to the soft spoken warrior. Even Yusuke, who loved Keiko more than anything else in the world, was drawn to him. Certainly that wasn't his fault.
Maybe it was just him. He had been acting strangely in the presence of the fox since his arrival- though he had assumed it was because he looked up to him so much. But that didn't account for the way he had felt with the other in his arms the first night, or how he had run after him. Actually, his eyes had been following the fox for far longer than his brain had been aware of, realization sinking in belatedly as Yusuke dragged him into a suitable clearing. He wriggled uncomfortably at the thought, suddenly becoming self conscious. His mind flashed back to that look in the other's eyes, something completely foreign to him. That look spelled trouble, but he still found himself with a quickening heartbeat. Curiosity, nothin' more. Even he didn't believe himself.
Then again, Kurama seemed just as keen on whatever was happening as he did- if not more so. He had to at least admit that he looked forward to their fight; it was something he had hoped for since he saw what the half human was capable of against Touya. This was their vacation, a break from the world shattering, family threatening competitions which they were accustomed to. Surely they could put aside whatever was growing between them for a friendly match, couldn't they?
To Yusuke's delight, they most certainly could not.
A/N: Hey Everyone, Let's bring the fandom back to life! I'm working on a series of fanfics to breathe new life into the YYH Yaoi community, but to do that I need to know what you want. So please, leave reviews or shoot me a pm with your requests! I promise I don't bite!