Yukina led the birthday song, and Botan hoped everyone would let her sing alone, but Yusuke drunkenly chimed in, followed by Kuwabara's gang and, finally, Keiko. Yanagisawa, Kaito, and Genkai came in from their game, but only Yana sang; Kido was sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

"Happy birthday, you punk!" Yusuke yelled at song's end.

Kuwabara's grin matched his happy tears, and he looked into Yukina's eyes, glowing above the flicker of candlelight. "You look so pretty, baby," he said before making a wish and inhaling—

The flames on the candles died before Kuwabara could exhale. He passed his breath out through his lips like a deflating balloon. "Hey, what gives?"

The candles bloomed with light of their own accord, and Kuwabara inhaled only for the flames to curl into nothing again.

"What the heck?!"

"Whoa, ever see trick candles do that?"

Botan looked at Kurama, who was smirking at Hiei, who met eyes with an infuriated Keiko. Suddenly, almost scoffing to life, the flames behaved, just as Kuwabara tried to trick them with his breath: he'd inhaled as great as before, but passed the air out of his nose to fool everyone; when he saw the flames flicker at his secret exhalation, he gasped, and choked, and fell over, coughing.

Yusuke couldn't breathe, he laughed so hard; Botan guiltily wiped a tear from her eye, and Kurama covered his mouth and turned away. Only Yukina seemed concerned; Keiko just looked mad.

"Hn. Even if I do nothing, he doesn't have the brains to blow them out."

Kuwabara bared his teeth at Hiei. "This was you? I'll get you, you little—"

"Blow them out!" Keiko spat, worry creasing her brow. "The frosting can't just sit under the heat!"

When Kuwabara successfully conquered the candles, Keiko doled out slice after slice of homemade birthday cake, everyone offering up their compliments to her.

"Hey, Botan," whispered Komada, indicating the cake on his plate, "I know you helped bake it. I just wanted to say, you did a great job."

Botan chewed, brushing off his compliment before she could explain. "It was really Keiko. I only followed her directions. She was very specific."

Kurama watched their exchange with mischief. "Kuwabara, will you be opening presents now?"

Botan tensed.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Whadja get me?"

Suddenly the stereo was unwrapped and Kuwabara was shouting with glee, hugging Okubo, Miyamoto, and Komada at once.

"That's not all," said Miyamoto as Komada pointed to the back of the box.

"We got the souped-up karaoke attachments!"

"Oh no way, heh heh!" Kuwabara materialized a CD from—well, Botan was sure it came from the fiery pits of Limbo. "Now we can do Megallica whenever we want!"

"Right!" said Okubo. "I'll get this hooked up."

Botan panicked. "Yusuke, where's your gift? I bet Kuwabara will love it!"

"Huh? Oh, it's here somewhere." He looked around, sluggish with alcohol. "Hey, Kurama, can I get one of those?"

Kurama curiously pointed to his brandy, and Yusuke nodded.

"Hurry up, Yusuke!" Botan cried, desperate that her window to distract Kuwabara from karaoke was closing.

Kurama chuckled, withdrawing an envelope from his pocket. "Here," he said to Kuwabara. "It's nothing special, I'm afraid."

Kuwabara ripped it open and grinned like a fool. "Oh, nice! A certificate for the fancy pet store! I'm gonna get Eikitchi gourmet food for weeks. Thanks!"

"Glad you like it," said Kurama brightly.

Genkai stepped forward with an antique book. "I know you kids don't read these days, but I thought you'd like this one."

Kuwabara seemed to take on a serious air, thanking her with a quiet reverence.

"It's a book of meditations," Genkai continued. "It's sorted by subject, so when you're nervous, just go to the middle section. It's helped me through a lot of sales pitches. Why they'd ever come all the way up to my door is beyond me."

"Oh, here it is!" Yusuke laughed. "I was sitting on it!"

"Tch! Figures, Urameshi doesn't care enough about my birthday present to not crush it with his butt."

"Hey, just take the damn thing and say thank you." He handed him the bag of colored tissue paper and turned to Genkai. "Hey, Grandma, shouldn't you be giving me those meditation books? I'm the one with the Spirit Wave, ya know."

"And you can honestly say you'd read the damn thing?"

"Well, I'd get the Cliff Notes or something."

"That's an ancient text, dimwit!"

"What! So is Shakespeare, Grandma, ever heard of him?"

Keiko rolled her eyes, and Kurama laughed.

"Alright, Urameshi! Goblin Empire!"

"We should play it!" Botan shouted.

"Jeez, hang on, Botan," said Kuwabara.

"Yes," said Kurama, "Yukina hasn't given her gift yet. And neither have you."

"Oh, right. Heh."

"You didn't have to get me anything, Yukina. Our love is enough, and it always will be!"

Miyamoto gagged, and Hiei swept from the room, calling out to Kurama to wake him if Kuwabara choked on his cake.

"Botan helped me with it," Yukina said, producing a box no bigger than Puu's smaller form. "It's for keeping your memories."

Kuwabara unwrapped a camera and exclaimed, hugging Yukina as delicately as he could. "I love it, baby!"

"Oh, and mine goes with it," Botan said, wading through her drunk friends to hand Kuwabara a pink-wrapped parcel.

"Gross, what's with the girly wrapping pap—oh, awesome, a picture album!"

"And there are some in there already," Yukina said. "Remember when I took your picture, Kazuma? With Yusuke and Botan and all your detective friends?"

"You guys, this is great," Kuwabara said. "Thanks a lot."

"The three of us went in on a bottle of Ogre Killer together," Kaitoh said, eyeing the fallen Kido. "Though it looks like it was already used."

"Haha, yeah, man. No worries!" Kuwabara put his arm over Kaitoh's and Yana's shoulders. "I'm glad you guys came! We haven't seen you in so long."

"If you're done playing Huggy Time," Genkai said, eyeing Kuwabara, "I'd like to open that Goblin City sequel."

"Go for it, Genkai!" Kuwabara turned to Okubo and the stereo. "I'm gonna get started on a little something for my lady. And it's gonna rock."

Botan helped Yukina open the camera and set it up. "Now, point it there."

The camera screeched, capturing Yusuke getting slapped for touching Keiko's bottom.

"Hey! That's not polite!" Yusuke yelled. Then he leaned in to whisper to Yukina. "But I'd like a copy of that, if that's okay."

Yukina nodded, then went off to snap a picture of her sleeping brother.

"I'm afraid you've just unleashed a monster."

Botan didn't have to turn to know it was Kurama. "Pretty good for a girl who said it captures your soul, huh?"

"Of course." He took a sip. "Looks like they're ready to sing to you, there."

Botan peeked into Kurama's glass. "What's in that? Can I have some? Or a lot? Thanks." She took a deep swig, surprising herself when it didn't overpower her.

"You could just watch Genkai play Goblins."

"I should do that, shouldn't I?"

Kurama picked up the meditations book and followed Botan to the floor sofa.

Genkai started Goblin Empire and handed the controllers to Kaitoh and Yanagisawa. "I play winner."

Yukina got a picture of Yana gaping at the screen as Kaitoh smiled, a picture of Botan's head falling onto Kurama's shoulder as he read, a picture of Yusuke laughing at Kuwabara getting shocked by his microphone, and a picture of Keiko on the floor, flipping through the photo album.

Botan jolted awake when the stereo roared to life and Kuwabara's voice shook the foundation of the estate: "Are you ready to rock?"

"What on earth?" She looked up at Kurama, who placed his finger in the book and met her eyes.

"Seems you woke up on time."

Botan groaned into his shoulder. "Kill me?"

"Sorry." He opened the book again, picking up in the middle where he'd left off.

Botan saw Hiei stand from his spot in the corner and draw his cloak over himself again. He crossed into the other room, where Kuwabara, Yukina, and his gang were all cheering his rendition of Megallica's greatest hit.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kuwabara interrupted his own song as Hiei slid open the shoji, admitting howling winter wind. "It's like twelve degrees out there!"

"I much prefer the chill to whatever this is. You're worse than that infernal Whistle."

"Poor Kuwabara. Oh, dear." Botan smiled at Komada, who gestured her over.

Kurama stole a sidelong glance at Botan. "We could escape somewhere to discuss a few things. Besides, you're not indebted to him."

"Am I indebted to someone?"

He still seemed to be reading as he said, "You were going to fold that winning hand."

"Yes, but now Komada keeps congratulating me on a game well played."

"Yet if you concede, he'll believe you're interested in him as well. It would do the thievery case good if you and I stole away to an empty room, pardon the pun."

She put a hand to her head. "I don't know if I'm up for all that, Kurama. And I don't want to be mean." She stood, and for a moment, she thought he was following her, but he left just as Hiei had, the book forgotten on his seat. She sat next to Yukina, smiling politely as Komada took the microphone from Kuwabara.

#

"I don't think the wall is what you're truly angry about."

Kurama watched little globules of blood appear on his knuckles in the light of the moon. "Not now, Hiei."

"Don't tell me that fool had any effect on you, with your manners and smiles." Hiei hopped down from the roof and leaned beside the mark Kurama's fist had made in the wall.

"I'm losing control," Kurama said finally.

"It's time you sought a real woman, Kurama. Not one of those humans," he spat.

"I don't call for them."

"So who was it? The detective's assistant? Yes, there was a time when I would've taken her, but she never stops talking. When she opens her mouth, I just want to ram my sword through it. The real one."

Kurama slammed Hiei's head against the wall.

Hiei scoffed, a grin forming. "Yes, I figured it was her. Forgive me. You were less than forthcoming."

"That was a cheap way to find out," said Kurama, releasing him.

"You would have seen through it if you liked her less." Hiei righted his cloak. "You came to this wretched world eighteen years ago. Naturally you're losing your grip—you know what you're missing."

Kurama leaned over a stone birdbath, grasping the edges and watching the clouds reflected in the ice. "My efforts have been ineffective, and I can't win her without my control. Yet I dare not take a woman who is nothing to me to regain it. Doing so would degrade my devotion to Botan, and I would lose her."

"Perhaps it's not my business, and I do hope it isn't, but she seemed to cling to you all night. And now, in the midst of all that mind-piercing noise, she's fidgeting around, turning repeatedly to the door. Trust me." His Jagan Eye glowed behind its band.

Kurama offered a small smile of gratitude. "Yukina is glad you came," he said, and Hiei scoffed and leapt away, cursing Kurama's renewed control.

#

Alrighty! The next chapter will have more discussion about the stupidly named Red Glove Gang, more Botan-Kurama goodness, and even more Keiko cooking! I know that's why you're all following; you just want some of those recipes.

I know the correct brand is "CliffsNotes," but I really didn't like the sound of Yusuke saying it correctly. That's just not him!