Title: Cold Feet

Pairing: Yusuke/Kurama, Botan/Keiko (eventual)

Summary: A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but for Yusuke Urameshi it is nothing more than hell. Why can't he just make up his mind about what he really wants?

Disclaimer: If I owned them, I would not be writing about them.

Notes: Here we are again, another lovely chapter. I thank you all for everything. Enjoy.

Key: Italics are for thoughts as well as emphasis. You'll know which is which.

Exchanging Pleasantries: Things Have Changed For Me

And all the roads we have to walk are winding

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

There are many things that I would

Like to say to youI don't know how

-Oasis "Wonderwall"

x.x.x.

The following morning, Keiko had made breakfast for the two of them. She was humming to herself as she worked meticulously to make the scrabbled eggs, toast, and bacon for herself and her husband. She felt like she was living in a never-ending dream, and she was quite content with it. If everyday was beautiful and blissful, then she would be absolutely happy.

Her husband, on the other hand woke up grumbling as the sun's rays filtered into the room and straight to his vision. He rubbed the dust out of his eyes and yawned, momentarily forgetting that he was a married man, seeing as no one was in his bed. Then, he sniffed the home cooked meal wafting from the kitchen, to his own room.

A good little housewife, is that what you truly desire?

Yusuke grimaced as his thoughts were getting more and more sarcastic. Half of the time it felt like Raizen was still living on inside of him and speaking in his thoughts; adamantly believing that this normal human life was not for him. Yusuke would be damned if he was going to let his demon self win this battle. He was going to love Keiko for the rest of his life. Fuck his demonic heritage and whatever it believed.

He walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen in only his boxers. His darling wife was smiling happily as she kept humming to herself, not registering her husband's presence. Yusuke just watched her for a moment. She truly was a beautiful woman, and he really did not deserve her. He felt like he was pulling her along and stealing her from someone who could treat her better than he ever could.

Since when did the great Yusuke Urameshi begin to doubt himself?

You tasted the forbidden fruit of that fox, boy…

Kurama was just a friend.

As you wish to tell yourself.

The half breed shook his head to clear his thoughts, and moved to his wife, wrapping his arms around her. Keiko was shocked for a moment, but then settled in his arms. They stayed that way for a while, until the food was fully cooked and she pointedly made her husband go to the table so they could eat. She was going to be working at the restaurant for half of the day and then the girls would want to hear even more details about the honeymoon so she was going to go out with them.

She made it a point to tell Yusuke, but he only half listened. He realized she was going to go out for whatever and probably wouldn't be back for a while. It was better for him anyway. He could go over to Kuwabara's today, especially since his friend was pretty adamant about it last night. He reminded his friend about twenty times that they needed to talk, and that he had better show up at his house tomorrow. Kuwabara could get pretty annoying if he wanted to when Yusuke had an issue, and he wouldn't stop until it was all figured out.

A few hours later, Yusuke found himself at the front door of his best friend's home. His hand was poised to strike the door but he made no move to do so. He knew if there were people looking at him, he probably looked like an idiot with his hand above the door but not doing anything to it. A few moments of arguing with himself, he finally knocked. He could hear someone crash into various object, screaming obscenities, and finally the door opened to reveal Kuwabara's older sister, Shizuru.

The brunette female had a non-lit cigarette dangling from her mouth, clad in a long t-shirt that left little to the imagination, and a sneer to which Yusuke gathered that she had just woken up. "It's only you. The hell you doing knocking on people's doors so early in the damn morning? It's the weekend." She turned away from him, leaving the door open and stalked off to her room in order to get some more rest. Yusuke knew to get inside the house and close the damn door on his own. She was the one who always heard the door because her dad and lazy ass brother slept like logs.

Shizuru was never a early to bed and early to rise person. Yusuke just shook his head, amused with her. This was not the first time he got told off by his best friend's sister for waking her up. He went inside, closed the door, took off his shoes, and made his way to his friend's room. He wasn't surprised that Kuwabara wasn't awake. He went into the room, finding him sprawled on the bed, his hand fisted in his pants, scratching at his nuts. He was always a heavy sleeper, and not the most gracious. Yusuke shook his head, pressing one of his feet on his friend's stomach until his eyes opened.

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty. I came to visit your ass, just like you told me to. And this is what I come over to see; you playing with yourself in the middle of you sleeping. That's just nasty." His chuckles bubbled over into good natured laughter as the other man's eyes glimmered with the confusion that comes with waking up.

"Urameshi?"

"The one and the only. Wake up, damn it." Yusuke still had not lifted his foot, so he pressed it urgently into his friend's stomach, hoping it would do the job faster.

"Gah! Stop it!" Kuwabara lifted the other man's foot off of him, making Yusuke off balance and fall. He looked at his friend laying on the floor saying, "Don't cheat on Keiko with my floor." His friend merely glared at him as she he shrugged sitting upward. He stretched before swinging his feet over and placing them on the floor by his friend's body. "You just gonna lay there the whole time or are you seriously here to talk to me?"

"You invited me over, dumbass. You should do the talking."

"Fine. You ever gonna tell me what it was you were going to tell me?" Yusuke's face couldn't have read other than the huge question of what was he blabbering about. "I mean when you called, remember? The one you didn't want me to bring up again. I told you we've got to talk about it. And I know it has something to do with Kurama."

Yusuke got off the floor and closed the bedroom door. God forbid if Shizuru or Kuwabara's dad waltzed into the room during their conversation. They only knocked on bedroom doors when any of them had company, even with Yusuke there, although they all treated him like another sibling/child in the family. "I don't want to risk anyone hearing about this. You know Shizuru would put her foot up my ass if she got wind that I was messing with someone or thinking of messing with someone. The girls are all protective of each other."

Kuwabara just nodded in understanding. "So, fess up. What's been eating at you throughout the honeymoon? I'm sure things weren't smooth sailing for you if you called me the day after you guys got married."

Yusuke moved over to the bed, making Kuwabara move further up to give him room. "I had thoughts about Kurama…"

"Yeah, you told me that part."

"While I was in bed with Keiko."

Kuwabara's eyes went wide and he shot up from the bed, pointing an accusing finger at his buddy. "Are you nuts? You can't go on like this Urameshi! If you're going to be with her then be with her, if you're going to do those kinds of things with her, you should focus your attention only on her! You're going to go even crazier if you keep doing these kinds of things. I told you not to marry her when you didn't have your head on straight! Look what you've got yourself into, you idiot!"

Yusuke sprung up from the bed, hooking Kuwabara in the jaw. Kuwabara retaliated with his own punch. The two of them started going at it even more, knowing that their punches were the only words they truly needed. Their fists were the only things that mattered when it came down to dire situations. They were on the same emotional wavelength now. Fear for Keiko, disdain for Yusuke's thoughts and actions, even a tiny sliver of sadness panged them. Things were beginning to change rapidly. Neither of them knew how the situation would turn out from here on end. They needed to do something about this, something about Kurama.

After their scuffle, they slinked back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. They didn't talk for a while, until someone came knocking on the door. Breathlessly, Kuwabara called out, "Come in." His father opened the door, grinning to see his boy and his friend, wondering if the two would like to come on out with him. He was going to run some errands and a few extra hands would be a good thing. Both boys traded a look, but decided to help him. As Kuwabara got ready, Yusuke stayed down in the living room beside Shizuru and her father.

The cigarette she had been donning this morning was finally lit, unless if she had procured another one. He asked her once how many times she smoked a day, but she never really got around to answering. He knew she smoked far more than he did, and offered one to him every once in a while, but then someone would always take the damn smoke away from him.

He looked over at her. "I thought you would be out by now. Hanging around with the girls."

"I've got a shift in a few at the café. They'll probably see me there or something. You and my little bro were fighting again? I could hear it in my room while I was trying to sleep." She laughed, shaking her head. Shizuru was always the type that didn't really care if the boys got into fights in the house, as long as they didn't break any of the furniture that was hers or any of the walls. They weren't going to be replacing things, of course it would probably be on her and her dad's paycheck. And Kazuma's ass as well.

Speaking of, Kuwabara finally headed down to them, fully dressed and ready for action. The men found themselves shopping for some household tools that Kuwabara's dad needed. The shop that sold every little tool that he needed was not too far from the house, so they strolled about. Yusuke would pass by every female, checking them out, despite him being a married man and in a very tight spot with his libido, considering that Kurama messed him up. Kuwabara would catch his friend's wandering eye and elbow him in the stomach, trying to get him to stop.

"Disrespectful, Urameshi." He whispered to the brunette as his father walked on ahead of them, oblivious to Yusuke's leering.

"Shut up. I'm just…testing out my eyes." Kuwabara shot him a look of disbelief. "I mean, that since I've been thinking about messing with Kurama, I want to know if I see that other women are attractive, you know? I want to know if I still like women."

"You love Keiko. And you've been messing around with Keiko. So you don't need to look at all of these other women, Urameshi. Just get it through your head that you either want to be with Keiko or you want to be with Kurama. Make a damn choice, or go and talk to Kurama."

Yusuke scowled at his pal, he had a point. He should go and talk to the red-headed fox and explain the situation, hoping that something would happen…or rather, not happen to make him feel this way. He didn't want to be attracted to the demon. He was married for cripes' sake! His hands reached up to tug at his hair, wanting to tear it out and yell. His friend had noticed this and smacked his hands off of his head, and slapped his head again for good measure. They would have gone at it again, but then Kuwabara's dad turned around smiling and pointing at the shop.

"Alright boys, here we are. Now, I've got a list of the things I need to buy, and you two are just going to pick them up and put them in my cart. Okay?" The two of them nodded, while entering the shop. Both Kuwabara and Yusuke smiled as they went inside, grabbing every little tool that was needed without even thinking about it. Half an hour went by as they stayed inside, picking up everything and then trading either jokes or some kind of story. Yusuke and Kuwabara figured out that the work done in the house should either be done by them or by Shizuru because Kuwabara's dad was more clumsy than not.

"And then, your old pal here managed to hammer my foot while he was supposed to be hammering the nail in front of him!" The elder Kuwabara laughed with riotous laughter and Yusuke joined him.

"Hey! No one told you to have your foot there!" Kuwabara laughed with them too, seeing as it was more at his father's expense and it was one hilarious story.

"I thought those voices were vaguely familiar. I never expected to run into the two of you." Yusuke's and Kuwabara's laughter died in their throats as both of them turned around to come face-to-face with none other than Kurama. Yusuke bit his lip, trying to look somewhere else, while Kuwabara was searching for words to say. "Don't look so shocked to see me, they sell amazing gardening tools here. My mother and I are both shopping, but she has fled somewhere else, seeing as this place is quite large."

"Kurama, wow we didn't ever expect to see you here…'specially not today. It's good to see you!" Kuwabara kept letting words fly out of his mouth so neither Kurama nor Yusuke could get a word in. However, the two of them linked eyes as Yusuke hoped to distract his attention. He could feel the current of electricity run through him, as his gaze was held by the mysterious fox demon.

It was like his world was crumbling around him, but he didn't care. The shock running through his body was delicious. His stomach was just as turbulent as the tide, but that didn't matter. His focus was those forest green eyes that were holding him captivated. Not even Kuwabara's banter was taking him away from it. However, as he felt like it was years as he was under Kurama's spell, it was only a moment in real time. The demon's eyes flickered back to the other human who finally stopped talking, seemingly ran out of words to tell him, and just smiled. "Well, it is always interesting to see the two of you and I am surprised that you are not with Keiko, Yusuke."

The lilt to his voice when it came to Keiko did not go unnoticed by the old spirit detective and he cleared his throat. "She and the girls are…uh…out. They're having some time for themselves." He shuffled his feet as Kuwabara looked between the two men. He knew things were just getting hella awkward but he didn't know what to do or say. Then, an idea clicked in his mind and he grinned.

"You know Kurama, Urameshi here was just talking about how he had some things to tell you. He was going to go over to your house later, but since you're right here…ha, well we can kill two birds with one stone, yeah?" He felt like he should pat himself on the back while Yusuke was emanating vicious amount of energy directed at him. The need to kill Kuwabara was almost palpable and Kurama was a bit confused. He certainly did not expect these turns of events.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Things were becoming interesting indeed. What with Hiei's sudden interest in gambling with these "human pawns" as he called them, and Yusuke's hesitance to deal with anything that had to deal with Kurama. He just wasn't sure how the rest of his days were going to carry on now.

"No, I didn't."

"Urameshi's a liar. He said he had something real important to tell ya. But he can't speak about it in front of me or anyone else. So, I'm just going to go along with my dad, and help him. I'm sure he only needs a few more things. I'll see ya!" Then Kuwabara ran off, leaving Yusuke to glare after him, and alone with the fox demon he was lusting after! Some best pal he is.

Yusuke turned his attention to the fox and sighed. This was hard enough as it is just thinking about his newly found lust for the other. He didn't really want to discuss it, but it would have to happen eventually. Just not today. It could wait. "Hey, Kurama. Lookin' good." He hoped that didn't sound as wrong as he thought it did.

Kurama chuckled, moving closer to the younger man before him. "Thank you. You don't look quite as good myself, but I suppose that can be fixed? Are you well, Yusuke? You do look troubled. Anything you need to speak about?" As he drew nearer, he could feel the sudden change in the mazoku's energy. It was swirling about in various ways, confused about which way it should go. Then it channel itself directly to him…so this was it…he was still dwelling on the past; what happened in the Demon World was supposed to stay there, but apparently it didn't. "Yusuke…"

"I wasn't supposed be talking about anything, really. I just-"

"You are still dwelling in the Demon World and what transpired between us. I had told you to leave that all behind and to forget about it."

Yusuke frowned. Kurama was too damn smart for his good at times. He wished that he couldn't just understand him like the back of his own hand. He hated being predictable after spending his entire lifetime trying to be the opposite. I mean, no one could have foreseen him being a spirit detective, fighting lots of demons, becoming one, and then lusting after a fox demon that he didn't even mean to lust after!

That last one wasn't supposed to count. "Damn it!" Yusuke shouted all of a sudden. Even his friend was taken aback by the sudden explosion from him, but said nothing. "You…you can't just go around kissing people like that damn you! Do you know how fucked up you made me right now? All of this-" He pointed to himself, and pointedly his chest. "it's fucking ridiculous. I don't even know what to do anymore. I'm married but the shit is, I can't stop thinking about it!" His voice was rising and he didn't care that there were people stopping to stare at him and wonder what going on.

Kurama's eyes were flicked with a mix of his emerald eyes as well as the gold that comes when his pure demon form was roused. He was the source of Yusuke's pain from a time that should have been better left forgotten. "I am sorry, Yusuke. I truly am. I stayed away from you as much as I possibly could have, but right now you are causing a scene. We cannot carry on like this." He wanted to do something to comfort the brunette before him, but a mere touch was out of the question.

"Then let's take this elsewhere." The words left his mouth before he could even think of them. Yusuke held up his hand to his lips, asking himself where the hell these words were coming from, but Kurama agreed to it.

"I must tell my mother and then we will be off. I suppose you should tell Kuwabara as well?" Yusuke nodded to him. "Then we will meet out front. I will see you in a few moments." And then Kurama walked away from him to goodness knows where inside of the store.

"Shit." Yusuke's hand went straight to his hair, tugging at the strands before he walked around trying to find Kuwabara. When he finally found his friend along with his father, they were bickering about paints. Yusuke shook his head at the normalcy before him while inside him his blood was rushing through his body swiftly. The adrenaline of going to see Kurama and talk to him all alone was running through him now. "Yo!" He called out to the father and son who looked up, smiling at him as if he wasn't missing anything.

"Talk to him and get things straightened out, Urameshi?" Kuwabara walked over to him, patting him on the back.

"I thought you told me he was finding a new punching bag from himself?" Kuwabara's father drawled out while the two buddies just shook their heads, leaving him to return to attending to the paints.

"Actually, I'm going to go and talk to him now." Kuwabara gave him a look. "I was sorta causing a scene at the aisle, so…yeah. He's waiting for me outside."

"Don't do anything rash, Urameshi. You're still married. I don't care how much you like him." Yusuke nodded, bumping him on the shoulder and waving to his friend's dad.

"I promise I won't do anything stupid."

You always seem to stay that, but you find yourself in even more trouble that way.

Yusuke sighed. His mind wasn't helping him any right now. He was about to go and meet up with the guy who he's lusting after. His woman is away with their friends, and he was counting on his body to behave itself. As long as he stayed away from Kurama, he would be fine, right?

And that has worked very well for you.

He grimaced now. Maybe lady luck will give him a boot up the ass and he wouldn't have to be very close to Kurama. As long as they weren't touching each other, or close enough to touch each other, he would be totally fine. He could do this. He was Yusuke Urameshi, and he was not one to give up or go back on his word. He would find a way to deal with Kurama.

x.x.x.

He planned on talking to Kurama in a less public space, that was a given, but he didn't expect to go to his house. And he didn't expect to be talking to Kurama in his room. With the door that was now locked, in case if anyone came into the house, like his mother, they wouldn't ask any questions. Yusuke's luck was just so shitty.

"You may sit down, Yusuke." Kurama's tone was so polite, but Yusuke knew that he better damn well sit somewhere. This conversation was going to take a long time, and he wasn't sure when they would be finished. Since Kurama was perched elegantly on his desk chair that left Yusuke with two options: the floor or the bed. He was going to sink onto the floor but Kurama gave him a curious look that made him transfer himself onto the bed. It was awkward to say the least. "Now then, you may shout at me all you like from where you are sitting."

Yusuke opened his mouth and closed it, trying to figure out what it was that he did want to say. "You and I…" He shook his head, confused about where to start. He looked down at his hands that were balled into fists then back to Kurama. He was exasperated.

"We both have made a mistake by sipping too much wine one night in the Demon World. I acted impulsively an kissed you, making you reciprocate the action. It was not my attention to arouse you, or to make you feel uncomfortable. As I said back then, we should just forget it had ever occurred." Yusuke could feel that the words he was saying were somehow strained or rehearsed, as if he didn't really want to say them at all.

"So, you don't like me like that at all?" Yusuke really didn't know where that came from. He just wanted to find out if he was plaguing Kurama's mind while vice versa it was happening all too much, continually.

"Yusuke-"

"I just really want to know. I've ended up…my mind's been showing me what could have happened if we went on and I just want to know-"

"It does not matter what I think of you. Keiko is your wife and you love her. You took a vow to remain faithful and true to her until the day you die."

"And what happens when I don't age and she does? What am I going to do when she leaves me behind? Kurama, you know as well as I do that I'm going to live a really long time and then Keiko will die on me."

"That is of no consequence to what is happening right now with you and I. That is a subject for much later and you know that I will be there for you. I consider you and the rest of the team, and the girls as my closest companions."

Yusuke huffed. This was getting him nowhere. He wanted to know if Kurama was thinking of him like he was always thinking of Kurama. He wanted to know how much that kiss meant to him back three months ago. He wanted to know why it was still fucking with his head while he was married to the "love of his life." He wanted to know why his lust was insatiable for the fox demon. "Why do you do this to me without even meaning to?"

"I am not doing anything, Yusuke."

"Bullshit!" With his exclamation, he moved from the bed and launched himself at Kurama. It wasn't an attack, it was an assault on the other demon's lips and neck. Yusuke couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips to the other man's and ended up straddling him on the chair. The adrenaline coursing through him felt like liquid flames burning hotly inside of him, and he gripped onto the brilliantly colored red hair of the fox demon while they continued to kiss passionately.

Hips ground together, and although Kurama was hesitant at first, he gave in. He reciprocated the kisses that the ex-spirit detective was gracing him with. The hips that were pulled flushed against his own were being pulled by him without a thought and he began to moan. He could hear Yusuke's own moan, and feel the rumble of it against his body and it was making him feel so hot. It was rough, fast, and becoming increasingly sloppy, but neither of them let go of the other until they were through.

This is what you are aching for. No human girl could ever give this to you.

Yusuke's mind was explaining how this could only be right and nothing else could ever feel this right. He could never feel this complete with anyone else. No other person's touch could set him ablaze like Kurama's could. He wouldn't be able to live without this feeling for the rest of his days. He needed this despite just merely wanting it.

Meanwhile, as Kurama was being pelted with kiss after kiss, there something wrong about doing this. True, he was ecstatic about the other male kissing him and yearning for him, only wanting him, but it was wrong. Yusuke was married, happily so. Or he should have been when he made the decision to marry her. He couldn't just keep running them both on a string. He knew Yusuke loved Keiko somehow in some way, and if he was just making her happy, that was still a form of love.

"Yusuke!" He kept trying to grab the other's attention but it was to no avail. He was so lost in his lust and need that eventually his thoughts ran out of the window. Kurama's shirt came off, and his pants unbuckled, he didn't know when that happened, or when Yusuke's tongue started to slide across his skin. And despite it feeling fucking fantastic, Kurama still had his wits, even if they were slowly been driven away. The moment Yusuke's tongue dipped into his bellybutton, and his teeth nicked at the skin before trying to pull onto his pants, Kurama was at the point of losing it.

He grabbed onto his companion's hair, tugging him upward, making him stop. It was painful but if they continued to delve further into this territory, there was no going back, and neither of them would have redemption. Kurama would not be a home wrecker and Yusuke would not be a cheater. The fox demon would not let someone he cared deeply about for so long ruin himself in such a manner. He had to stop this, and he had to stop this now.

"Yusuke. This has got to stop. We can't do this." Yusuke's eyes were clouded with lust and the need of belonging to Kurama. He wasn't even trying to fight it anymore; he had already given in. "Yusuke, you're married to Keiko. You love her. You're going to have children, and when she's aged you will become so great…you don't want to ruin yourself by being with me. I will not taint your reputation." He gave a harsh tug to his friend's hair, pulling and pulling until the haze from his eyes cleared.

"Kurama…"

"You know I am right, Yusuke. We have to stop this. You must forget about all of this. We can only be friends and nothing more." Kurama was sure as he was saying these words, his heart was plummeting. In all of his years, there had never been such a harsh decision. He had left many lovers behind, disposed of them like they were nothing, flitted about like some strumpet, and broke so many hearts he couldn't even count them, but he was hurting more so now, as he knew he had to give up the mazoku.

"You're right." Yusuke got up and moved backwards to the bed again, sinking down on it, and holding his head in his hands. The fog of desire finally cleared from his mind, he didn't know what he would have done if Kurama hadn't stopped him. He was treading dangerous ground being near the man, and it wasn't Kurama's fault. He was the one who kissed him, he was the one who wanted to fuck him. Was he suppose to end his friendship now too? Because he was horny, no less?

Kurama sighed, this was becoming too much to handle. "Yusuke, we will continue as friends, and that is all. You and I…we just won't be alone when we see each other, that's all. No secret glances, flirtations, touches, nothing. A platonic friendship, that is all that we can share." He didn't know if he would keep up with the end of that bargain, but he would try if it would help Yusuke and Keiko. He was a loyal friend, after his many hardships in his lifetime. "I don't think there is anything else that can be said about this."

Yusuke looked up at his friend, watching him redress himself. He saw the hickeys he had adorned across his chest and one on his neck. He really couldn't control himself. A platonic friendship would be great, but would it be enough to keep his actions at bay? More than likely Kurama would kick his ass if things got too out of hand, but after today, he just wasn't so sure. "Right…" He stood up, walking to the bedroom door and unlocking it. "Just a friendship."

He couldn't turn to look at Kurama. He just simply opened the door, walked through it, and closed it behind him. It was time to run. No thinking, just running, and that's exactly what he did; ran for it. He ran and ran until he finally got to Kuwabara's house, banging on the door till his friend answered, and burst inside. His life was fucked up, he almost screwed Kurama, and his heart was twisting in all sorts of unpleasant ways. This wasn't supposed to hurt. It wasn't like they broke up or anything! But it didn't matter. His heart hurt, and that was when he realized it was possibly more than just lusting after Kurama, he might have even started to love him.

How do you fall in love with one of your best friends and not even know it until he kisses you? How do you fall in love with someone that's been by your side for no longer than the woman who had stuck by your side since forever? How do you fall in love with a guy who practically has people falling at his feet but only wants you and you're taken? Yusuke started to bang his head on Kuwabara's wall. "I fucked up." That was the only thing he had to say before his friend dragged him upstairs. Urameshi was indeed in some deep shit.

While in another part of the town, Kurama was sitting at his desk, looking out of his window. "How long are you going to hide in the shadows?" A figure emerged from the tree in his view, and swooped in through the window. "I could see you from here. What is it that you want?"

Hiei's teeth glimmered as he smirked. "He is in danger. You're also ruining my plans. Why didn't you just fuck him like you could have done? You had him right where you wanted him. Should have shown him that you were better than his dear old human girl. You've become soft in this human realm, Kurama." He jumped onto the fox's bed, laying out on top of it, like he belonged there.

Kurama didn't even glance at him. "I am going to return to Demon World, indefinitely. I will stay with Yomi."

"And become his harlot?"

"Better than the mistress of a married man."

"He will follow you until the ends of the earth, do you not know that? You've begun to seep into his pores instead of just festering within his mind. You've dug deep into that soul of his." Hiei spat out the last words, knowing they were true. He knew the one who knew him best was falling in love with the old spirit-detective. It was a disgusting human emotion he had no need for, but he could see that Kurama was laying in it's trap, while it was eating Yusuke alive.

"I will put up walls, and fences, and guards, and all sorts of things."

"You almost sound sad. Is that human heart of yours breaking with such a decision? Disgusting. If you want to go home that bad, then go. But if you take Yomi's invitation, you will never be able to have that half breed again." He walked to the window, and swooped right out of it. He left Kurama with his thoughts for hours, while Yusuke stayed with Kuwabara.

Keiko finally came to get her husband, who didn't even so much as want to look at her, and she wondered what was wrong. What was breaking the man she fell in love with? Was it her? Did she do something? She fidgeted as she watched him pace, lost in thought, and when she reached out to him, he would only move away. She was hurting because he was, even if she didn't know what for. She wanted to comfort him, and take his pain away.

Kuwabara watched his friend sink into despair, while Yukina, Shizuru, and Botan watched on just as confused as Keiko. But all the while, Kurama made his decision. He was going to the Demon World. He was going to become Yomi's harlot. He won't let Yusuke fall in love with him and ruin his life. He just couldn't let it happen. So he set out, telling his family he was moving, and only going to visit for holidays. When he set foot in the Demon Realm, he felt at home, but he was also at a loss.

Climbing into bed with Yomi, did nothing to satisfy the desire he had for the mazoku. If anything, that fire burned even hotter than any before.

Extra Notes: Phew! Finally I was able to update this! Things are getting even more complicated now that Yusuke knows his feelings, Kurama's feelings, and now Kurama has moved to Demon World. What can possibly go wrong now? Many things, many things.

Sorry for the sporadic updates, but I plan to keep updating this beauty. I won't forget this fic. I thank you all for sticking by me and reading this, I really appreciate it.

xoxoxo