Whew, that last chappie took a while! Starting this today (Wednesday) so we shall see when this gets put up.
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The next morning, after an awkward evening of Yusuke's snarky comments, Kazuma and Yukina packed up and dragged their bags outside, placing them in the trunk of the car.
"I have a swell idea," Botan said loudly, pushing Yusuke and Kuwabara towards Shizuru's car "I think you two should go in this car and us girls will go in Keiko's!"
"Ha ha, ok, Botan, I gotcha," Yusuke agreed, giving her a thumbs up, "Come on, Kuwabara, the girls have things to discuss."
Kazuma gave Yukina a worried look before he was literally shoved into the passenger seat by Yusuke who then jumped in the driver's seat and drove away before anyone could complain.
Yukina stood in the driveway, watching the car disappear, feeling confused at the sudden events and her unwilling separation from her boyfriend.
"What was that all about?" she asked Keiko.
"I think Botan needs her curiosity fulfilled," Keiko informed her with a smile and shake of her head, "Come on, let's get headed for home."
The girls got in Keiko's small car, Yukina in the passenger seat and Botan in the, but Botan was leaning up into the front with bright and mischievous eyes as Keiko pulled out onto the road and headed in the direction of home.
"Ok, Yukina, I know last night you were pretty tight lipped but we're alone now so spill the beans!" the blue haired Grim Reaper demanded.
"I don't have any beans, Botan," Yukina replied, not understanding at all what her friend's deal was. Keiko giggled loudly as she turned left.
"Yukina...you are so funny," she commented.
"Ugh, I mean tell us all about your weekend!" Botan stated, crossing her arms over the seat and leaning her chin on her wrist, "ALL ABOUT."
Yukina blushed brightly, finally understanding why she'd been forcefully separated from Kazuma...she wondered if Yusuke was asking the same things to him?
"Kazuma said it's not anyone's business," Yukina informed her friend in the nicest way she could.
"Well, maybe not, but...we're curious and this is just something girl friends do!" Keiko informed her, "We gossip about our adventures."
"You don't care about what we did this weekend," Yukina sighed, "You just want to know if we had sex."
"Bingo!" Botan laughed, "But we already know you did we just want details!"
Yukina looked at Botan in shock.
"What...what kind of details?" she asked incredulously.
"Well, the main question I have," Botan replied boldly, "Size? And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."
"I have no idea!" Yukina squealed, blushing furiously, "I...I didn't measure!"
"Show me as best you can remember!" Botan demanded, not backing down, "Come on, Yukina, I have to know what I turned down!"
Yukina sighed heavily, knowing she was not getting out of this situation with her dignity, and held up her hands, spreading them apart in a comparative way to best of her memory. It must have been good enough because Botan and Keiko both squealed loudly and began to giggle like a pair of twelve year old girls instead of an eighteen year old and...who knew how old Botan was...
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By the time they pulled up to the Kuwabara house, Yukina had bared her soul completely to her two friends and they were a blushing, giggling mess. As soon as they stopped moving, Yukina leapt from the car and ran to Kazuma's side, happy to be away from the questioning.
"Hey, miss me that much already?" Kazuma teased, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. Keiko and Botan let out an "awwww" and then there was a beeping noise that made Botan jump and look down at her pocket, she pulled out a device and she sighed.
"Gotta go guys," she announced, "Koenma has a job for me. Good talk, Yukina, I'm sure you'll have more to tell me soon!"
Botan's oar appeared in the air and she jumped on, side-saddle, and zipped away into the sky. Yukina sighed in relief as Keiko gave her a wink and then got in her car to leave with Yusuke.
Kazuma picked up their bags off the sidewalk and Yukina opened the door for him, they kicked off their shoes and Kazuma loudly announced they were home which resulted in a loud thump sound from the living room and hushed whispers and the sound of rustling material...like jeans being pulled up and zipped. Shizuru appeared around the doorway to the living room, her face flushed and her hair sticking up in crazy directions.
"Uh...Shizuru..." Kazuma's eyes were wide and he made an attempt to look around his sister into the living room, she blocked him and shoved him back into the kitchen. He stood there with his arms crossed, looking at his sister grimly. "I'm not stupid, sis, I know what's going on. Who the hell is in there!?"
There was a familiar soft sigh from the living room and Yukina watched in surprise as Kurama stood up from the couch and approached the kitchen calmly, his hair looked similar to Shizuru's and it clicked in her mind what was going on here.
"It's me," Kurama admitted, his voice gentle and quiet as always. He didn't seem flustered at all, his unruffled look nothing like Shizuru's slightly panicked and angry expression.
"KURAMA!?" Kazuma's voice reached an octave Yukina didn't know it could reach and she watched in shock as he grabbed the demon by the front of his shirt and yanked him nearly off the ground, he growled angrily and got right up in his face, "You...you were...WITH MY SISTER!?"
"Kazuma put him down or I swear I'll punch you in your stupid face!" Shizuru hollered loudly, grabbing onto Kurama from behind and pulling against Kazuma. Kurama looked like a rope toy in a doggie tug-of-war!
"If you'll just calm down and allow me to speak..." Kurama began calmly but Kazuma only shook him roughly. Yukina saw Kurama's expression change into a dangerous glare and she gasped in fear for Kazuma's well being. But she shouldn't have worried, Kurama simply twisted and gave Kazuma a punch in the ribs which caused him to lose his grip and let go of Kurama's shirt. The Kitsune stepped away gracefully. "That's better. Now, Kuwabara, allow me to talk and I will explain to you the situation as it stands."
Kazuma hesitated a little while longer, his anger still very obvious in the shaking of his hands and the death glare Kurama was on the receiving end of, but he finally closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath and stepped back to lean against the kitchen counter next to Yukina and crossed his arms defiantly. Yukina placed her hand gently on his left bicep and silently hoped he would listen and not be so quick to be angry...he was a little bit frightening when he was angry.
"Alright, Kurama," he muttered, his voice low and unhappy, "Convince me why I shouldn't tear you to pieces right now."
"I understand that you are angry at the prospect of your sister being involved sexually with your close friend," Kurama began carefully, but confidently, "I believe we had this discussion before..."
Kazuma's eyes opened in surprise and he met Kurama's look anxiously.
"But...that's not..." he sputtered, his arms fell to his sides in a more defensive and passive way.
"We discussed the way Hiei feels about you and Yukina," Kurama emphasized his point, "And you told me how terrible it seemed that Hiei was happy about your momentary breakup. You also agreed to give Yukina all your love despite what anyone says, even her brother..."
"That's not the same!" Kazuma lamely attempted a retort.
"It is precisely the same," Kurama stated firmly, "Hiei is unhappy about you being involved with Yukina and you are unhappy about my involvement with Shizuru...but you feel Hiei is wrong in his disapproval."
Kazuma blinked silently at the demon, not knowing what to say in his own defense. After a long moment of silence and angry eye twitches, his shoulders sagged in defeat and he hung his head.
"You...you're right, Kurama," he admitted quietly, " I want Hiei's approval of Yukina and I more than anything and I imagine you want my approval of you two?"
Kurama and Shizuru clasped hands and smiled.
"Yes, baby bro," Shizuru confirmed, "You know I love you more than anyone on Earth and your approval means a lot to me."
"And it means a lot to me as well," Kurama added, "You're one of my best friends. I know this must be strange for you...I hope you'll give me a chance at least to show you I mean well."
Kazuma took a deep breath and let it out for a long time then he stood up straight and approached Kurama and Shizuru with a threatening expression and jabbed his index finger into Kurama's chest, a tiny bit of Sacred Energy flared up in his fingertip and Yukina was surprised to see Kurama winced at the contact.
"Alright, Kurama, I'll give you a chance," he said firmly, "But if you mess up...you don't get another one."
"I accept your terms," Kurama said calmly, "Thank you, Kuwabara. You're very reasonable."
"If only Hiei were as reasonable," Shizuru muttered, her eyes flicking off to the right. Yukina looked to see what Shizuru was looking at but there was nothing there.
Kazuma stepped back, seeming at least slightly at ease about the whole situation, and then shook his head slowly, grabbed their bags and nodded for Yukina to follow him upstairs to unpack. Kurama and Shizuru watched them go and then sighed in relief.
"That...was terrible timing," Shizuru muttered, rubbing her face in distress, "I thought they'd be home a lot later since they don't have school today."
"So did I," Kurama admitted, "But...it went better than expected."
Shizuru nodded and walked over to the sink, running hot water to begin washing dishes now that the moment between her and Kurama had been utterly destroyed with no chance of recovery.
"You hit him in a very sore spot," Shizuru pointed out, "How can he argue with something like that? He knows better than anyone how it feels to lack the approval of family. Yukina has no other family and Kazuma knows if he can't get Hiei's approval that Yukina will be forced to choose between them one day...and he knows Yukina will choose Hiei."
"Would she?" Kurama asked in surprise.
"Yes," Shizuru sighed unhappily, "Even though it would break my brother's heart, and most likely his spirit, she would choose Hiei. I'm a sister...I know there is no one in this world, or any of the other worlds, who I could ever love more than my brother. Family is all you have at the end of the day."
Kurama considered this for a moment.
"And I would choose my mother over my own life," he said softly, "Yes...I believe you're right in your observation. I hope we never have to see that choice be made."
A quick whoosh of air came as no surprise to either the Kitsune or the psychic and they both turned to look down at Hiei who was no standing in the kitchen behind them.
"I heard everything that happened," he said in his usual bored tone, his red eyes alight with glee, "Thank you for the information on how to break those two up. I will continue to withhold my approval."
Shizuru glared angrily at Hiei and splashed him with water from the sink in her fury.
"You little shit!" she snapped, staying somewhat quiet to avoid the suspicions of the couple upstairs, "How can you possibly put my brother and your sister through that? I thought you loved her!"
"I do," Hiei hissed, side stepping away from the small puddle the water had made after he'd avoided it, "I want her to be with me in Demon World, not stuck here with a human who will never be able to protect her from the danger all around!"
"That's unfair, Hiei," Kurama spoke up, "You know Kuwabara would do anything in the world for her."
"And it would still not be enough," Hiei cut his friend off quickly, "He is stronger now than he was, but he is still too weak to keep her safe."
Shizuru stepped forward with her fist raised, but Kurama stopped her gently and looked down at Hiei with a very serious expression.
"I would have thought, Hiei, that after all we've seen humans accomplish in our time here in Human World, that you would be the first to admit that humans excel at a power even demons find difficult to master."
"If you mean Sacred Energy, I have only seen one human able to use it and he was a crazy idiot!" Hiei retorted easily, dismissing Kurama's statement.
"That's not the power I mean," Kurama insisted, "You saw it many times, Hiei. You saw it when Yusuke fought you to rescue Keiko, when Kuwabara gave his life energy to save Yusuke in Maze Castle, when I took all those blows from Roto, when Kuwabara was about to sacrifice himself in the fight with Reysho, when Yusuke thought Toguro had killed Kuwabara, when Yusuke thought Keiko had been killed while he was fighting Suzako...and you even felt it yourself once, when Sensui killed Yusuke."
Hiei squinted curiously at Kurama, a look of hesitant understanding slowly changing his face from aloof anger to painful acceptance.
"It's love, Hiei."
Hiei crossed his arms, but listened to what his friend had to say.
"Love is the power above all powers," Kurama insisted genuinely, "It was love for Keiko that gave Yusuke the determination to defeat you in that warehouse when you first met. It was love that made Kuwabara disregard his own life on the slim chance that it would save his best friend. It was love that made me stay still and accept my possible death when my mother's life was threatened because she meant more to me than my life. It was love that made Kuwabara fight against all odds with Reysho, knowing he would most likely die, because he knew the rest of us, including you, would be allowed to live if he could just manage a tie...and it was his love for Yukina that gave him enough strength to defeat Reysho in the end. It was love that unlocked Yusuke's true potential in the battle with Toguro when he thought his best friend had died because of him. It was love that made Yusuke use his own life energy to defeat Suzako when he thought he'd lost Keiko. And it was love that caused you to summon two Black Dragons after you saw your friend killed in front of your eyes...even though you know using it twice could have killed you."
"You see, Hiei?" Shizuru jumped in quietly, "He may not be strong by demon standards...but I have never known anyone more capable of love than my baby brother. He has always had that inner strength that so many humans don't have...and that is more powerful than anything."
Hiei remained silent, turning on his heels and heading for the door. Kurama and Shizuru watched him go and they both let out a sigh.
"Do you think it worked?" she asked.
"I think not even Hiei can deny such an obvious truth," Kurama assured her, "I'll help you with the dishes if you'd like?"
Shizuru nodded and handed him an apron, grinning as he donned the white piece of clothing that claimed "Queen of the Kitchen".
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Kazuma sat at his desk, reading his History textbook for information to put into his ten page paper due tomorrow on the Genroku Era of Japan. Yukina was asleep on his bed next to him, exhausted from the weekend and, no doubt, her long ride home with Keiko and Botan. He looked over at her now and then, smiling at the lovely sight of her laying there...his girl.
In the middle of a sentence in his book, Kazuma felt a familiar energy approaching and he took a deep breath in preparation of the coming event. Sure enough, he saw Hiei leaping across the rooftops out of the corner of his eye.
Hiei squinted at the figure of Kazuma engrossed in a book through the window and leapt through, drawing his sword silently and aiming it to where he knew he would give the human a nick on the skin but no severe damage, he grinned wickedly as he imagine the shock and surprise on Kuwabara's face. But before he even knew what had happened, Hiei found himself thrown off course and hit the bedroom floor with a thump, knocking the wind out of him. He looked up in anger and his face turned to utter shock when he saw Kuwabara's left hand raised slightly, his palm glowing slightly yellow and his eyes still focused on the page he was reading.
"What...!?" Hiei started to get angry but Kuwabara shushed him and he was so surprised at his friend's lack of concern that he fell silent.
"Please be quiet, Hiei," Kuwabara whispered, "Yukina's asleep and I think she needs this nap. Can we talk outside?"
Hiei glanced around the room for the first time, anger rose in his gut at the sight of his sister laying so at ease in Kuwabara's bed! He stood quickly and gave a quick nod before disappearing out the window.
Kazuma sighed heavily and leaned over to kiss Yukina gently.
"This is it, love," he whispered so as not to wake her up, "If he won't accept us now...I honestly don't know what else I can to prove myself to him."
He glanced down to the backyard through the window to where Hiei was waiting with his arms crossed. It was now or never...
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Yay! Got it done in one day! I even skipped my workout to get this done before work tomorrow so...I am so unhealthy.
Anyway, give me your lovely feedback and reviews and suggestions and I will be working on more ASAP :)