Disclaimer: Not mine... yet... -evil laugh-

POV: YUSUKE.

Chapter Six

After that supremely strange conversation with Kurama, I high-tailed it to Kuwabara's. I wanted him back in the flesh as soon as possible. It was a weird feeling because I hadn't been that anxious until last night after I fell asleep and had a few... ahem... dreams. I wanted to be able to hold him and kiss him for real. I wanted to feel his strong arms around me instead of just his essence embracing me and kissing me. How I longed for a real kiss. The thought made me moan out loud. Then I shushed myself.

I walked up to the front door of Kuwabara's house and knocked. "You don't have to knock," Shizuru's voice called from inside.

I took that as an invitation to just let myself in.

I entered the living room and saw that Shizuru was drinking again. I eyed her wine-glass suspiciously. "You know, that's what killed my mom," I said.

Shizuru gasped. "Atsuko is dead?"

"Dead to me," I replied.

"Brace yourself for going to see your husband," Shizuru said. "He looks a little different. So do you, now that I think of it..."

A little different was a major understatement. Kuwabara's hair had grown at least a foot, gotten straighter and turned a red to rival Kurama's hair. His face also seemed... handsomer. Like becoming a demon made him more attractive. Not that it made much of a difference to me. I loved him no matter what he looked like.

I pushed aside his hair to see if his ears had turned pointy like Jin's. They had. Luckily, his hair covered them sufficiently.

There was a pop and Koenma appeared at my side. It wasn't until then that I noticed that Kuwabara was glowing a silver color.

"Why is he silver?" I asked. "I was golden, right?"

"Yes," said Koenma. "But Kuwabara is a demon now and you weren't. Go on, kiss him."

"I don't feel him anywhere near by," I said. "Where is he?" I suddenly felt him standing beside me. "Never mind."

I knelt beside Kuwabara's bed and leaned in to kiss him. "I love you," I said before lowering my mouth to his and kissing him softly.

I knew the second he was back because he started responding to my kiss.

I pulled away and looked at him. "Man, you're hot!" I said.

Kuwabara sat up and looked at me. "I could say the same about you."

"Your voice is different too! It sounds lower and less rough. I like it." I hugged him tightly.

"There's just one problem," said Koenma.

We looked at him without letting go of each other. "What?" I asked.

"Kuwabara needs to go to the Makai to fully develop his powers and train."

I looked at Kuwabara and felt his answer without him having to say a word. It was just like when he was a ghost, I could feel his emotions and thoughts. It wasn't like telepathy or mind-reading, it was more a feeling I got from him.

"We'll leave tonight," I said.

Kuwabara nodded.

Shizuru walked in and bopped Koenma upside the head. "Jerk," she spat.

"What?" asked Koenma, rubbing his head where Shizuru had hit him.

"You're sending my baby bro off to a world full of dangerous monsters!" she said.

"It's okay, Sis," said Kuwabara. "I have Yusuke protecting me."

I stared at him, shocked for a second. "You called me Yusuke!" I said.

"Yeeahh... that's your name..." said Kuwabara.

I tackled him and gave him a noogie.

"Besides, Shizuru-san," said Koenma. "Kuwabara could give most of those demons a run for their money. He could probably easily kill a lower A-Class demon."

"I'm A-Class?" asked Kuwabara. "Cool!"

Koenma preemptively explained the class system to Shizuru.

"Let's go see if Kurama and Hiei want to come back with us," said Kuwabara.

"Hiei? Isn't he in the Makai?"

"No, didn't you feel his presence yesterday? He was right out there. I think something bad happened to him too, because I could tell his energy was kinda weak."

"Okay, we'll probably find them at Kurama's house."

"Let me get packed first," said Kuwabara.

"Yeah, I gotta go pack too," I said.

Shizuru gave us a disgusted look as I walked out. "Meet you at Kurama's!" I called over my shoulder.

- -

We met at Kurama's front porch a few hours later. I had called ahead to let Kurama know we were coming. Kurama answered the door with a plastered on cheerful face. I knew that it was fake immediately because Kurama only looked happy when he was trying not to look sad. Also because he was giving off a very agitated energy. It was weird that all of a sudden I could feel other people's energy so well.

"Come in, Hiei and I were just having dinner," said Kurama. "We would like it if you joined us."

We walked in and I knew that Hiei wasn't trying to even hide his sadness. He looked up at Kuwabara when we entered the dining room with open-mouthed wonder. He seemed to realize that he was staring because he snapped his mouth shut and went back to eating something that kind of looked like food.

"Did you cook?" I asked Kurama.

"Yes," said Kurama.

"Oh... well, I'm not exactly hungry. So!" I clapped my hands then stared at them like 'what the hell?' Because I don't clap. "Anyway, are you guys about ready to go to the Makai?"

Hiei grunted the affirmative. "Just let me finish eating this..." he trailed off. "this... Kurama, what in blue hell is this?"

"An omelet," said Kurama.

"I have my own chefs in Tourin," I said. "They could make you actual food."

"Yusuke," said Kuwabara. "It's not that bad."

"Have you ever eaten Kurama's cooking?" I asked.

"That's a good point."

"Humph!" said Kurama. Which also struck me as weird because Kurama didn't make noises of indignation. He usually just gave evil looks.

What is the matter with everyone today?

"You look very nice, Kuwabara," said Kurama.

"I know, right?" I said. "He's so smexy!"

Hiei choked on his 'omelet' for a second before saying "I concur."

"What does that mean?" asked Kuwabara.

"He agrees with me," I replied. "Weird, I know. So, are we heading straight to Tourin or do we need to make a stop in Ala..." Kurama was making slashing motions behind Hiei's back so I said. "We should probably just go to Tourin."

Hiei stared at Kuwabara again. "What?" asked Kuwabara.

"You are floating," said Hiei.

I wondered where that breeze was coming from. I put a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder and pushed him back earth-bound. "Try not to do that in public."

"I didn't realize I was doing it," he said.

"S'okay, Babe." I gave him a kiss and a smile. He blushed and turned away.

- -

The trip to Tourin was really quiet, which unnerved me a lot because usually when you get us four together, there's nothing but talking and fighting and messing around. I looked around at my buddies and my 'mate' (I guess) and noticed that they were all wearing solemn expressions.

We were in the middle of a forest on the edge of my territory. It was starting to get dark.

"What's wrong with you guys?" I asked.

Hiei glanced at Kurama quickly and Kurama shrugged.

Kuwabara leaned in and whispered to me, "I was just thinking about last night."

Kurama tried to hide his amusement. It didn't work.

"What are you snickering about?" asked Hiei.

"Nothing, Hiei," said Kurama. "I just have very good hearing." He smirked at Kuwabara who ducked behind me to avoid looking at him.

"What does that have to do with anything, Kitsune?" asked Hiei.

"You probably don't want to know," I said.

Hiei looked from Kurama to me to Kuwabara and furrowed his brow. "Is something going on between you and Kuwabara?" he asked me.

"Look at Yusuke's neck," said Kurama

Hiei's eyes widened. "When did that happen?"

"What?" asked Kuwabara.

I pointed to the bite-marks on my neck. I knew where they were because I spent about fifteen minutes that morning looking for them. Then I just relaxed and saw Kuwabara's yellow spirit energy surrounding a circular mark on my neck.

Kuwabara touched it and I yelped. "I didn't mean to do that... I wasn't even trying to bite you. So... what does it mean?"

"It means that you and the Detective are married, idiot," said Hiei. "And I suggest not touching that mark unless you want to be jumped."

I felt the truth of Hiei's words all the way in my bones. I did want to jump Kuwabara. My whole body was filled with a wonderful tension.

"Married?" said Kuwabara. "You mean mated?"

"Very good, fool. You know the term mated."

"Every demon knows that term, brat."

I instinctively reached up and tickled Kuwabara's ears and he forgot all about Hiei and started laughing. "S-stop it!" he said ears wiggling the way Jin's did when he was really happy. Which, oddly enough, was when he was beating the crap out of me.

Kuwabara suddenly lifted off the ground, still laughing.

"You're floating again, Idiot," said Hiei.

He breezed past Hiei and circled him. "Jealous?" he asked.

"Knock that off before I knock you out."

"Love to see you try, Shrimp."

I rolled my eyes.

Hiei threw a punch at where Kuwabara was and nearly toppled over when Kuwabara wasn't there an instant later to take the punch. Kuwabara pushed Hiei from behind then zoomed up into the air, spinning like a tornado. He rocketed down and knocked Hiei over.

Hiei jumped up and tried to tackle Kuwabara again but ended up grabbing at air because Kuwabara was in the air a split second before Hiei reached him.

Kuwabara was clearly enjoying himself.

"Get down here and fight me on the ground!" Hiei yelled, sounding very annoyed.

"Why don't you just flit up here like you always do?" asked Kuwabara, starting to go after Hiei again.

"Do you think maybe we should stop them?" I asked. "Hiei might get seriously hurt. Kuwabara has a lot of leverage in the air."

"Stop!" Hiei screamed.

Kuwabara paused in mid-air and looked down at Hiei who appeared to be having a panic attack. He was clutching his chest and breathing fast and shallow.

Kurama rushed over to him and put a steadying hand on his shoulder while he reached into his hair for a seed. When his hand paused at his neck, I remembered the tattoo there and wondered what the sad story behind it was.

Kurama grew a leafy plant that looked like a small cabbage and handed it to Hiei. Hiei ate it and calmed down immediately. "Thank you, Kurama," he said.

Kuwabara flew over to me and rested to the ground beside me. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"I don't know but I don't think any of us should fight Hiei for a while. I've never seen him look that scared."

Kuwabara nodded.

That was significantly longer than my last few chapters and the next one promises to be even longer.

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