It was dark out and Sayomi had just finished a long shift of patrol in the Demon Plane, but she had a craving that couldn't be satisfied there. Before she knew it, she found herself back in the Human World, making her way to Yusuke's ramen shop. It was tucked away from most of the busy streets, the train occasionally clacking along the tracks above.

As she weaved through the dark streets and allies, she thought about her former charge. Though she hadn't known him before he became the Underworld Detective, Kuwabara had told her some stories, supplemented with Keiko's childhood memories. Yusuke had always been the outcast, the town's local scapegoat punk with the biggest target on his back. Keiko said he would smoke, gamble, and get into fights every day, yet he would never steal or hurt children.

Sayomi found it hard to believe that the Yusuke she knew used to be so antisocial. The anger she could understand since he still had it to a degree, but he was so blunt and headstrong in his beliefs that he fit right in with demons. He understood them and could negotiate a peaceful alternative to a centuries-long three-way war. He's an anomaly that bridged the misunderstood gaps between humans and demons. He changed everything between the three worlds.

"Welcome!"

She could hear Yusuke's warm greeting over the rushing sound of the passing train. She was almost there.

As she turned the final corner, she stopped short and let herself fade into a semi-corporeal state to blend with the darkness of the alley. Why is Atsuko just hanging back here? She usually doesn't hesitate to approach Yusuke for any reason. And who's the man next to her? Another client?

"Thanks to your tip, I made a killing on that race!"

"See?" Yusuke grinned as he leaned his head into his raised palm.

"Ha ha ha!" The other customer laughed and pulled out some cash. "Here's your fee and what I owe on my tab!"

The pair watched Yusuke from afar as he mingled with his patrons. Then the man said, "He seems to be doing well."

"Uh-huh…" Atsuko agreed.

Does he know Yusuke? Sayomi observed the man in the trench coat carefully. His black hair was slicked back in a similar style to Yusuke's. His jaw was firm, and his eyes looked either bored or tired. She couldn't really tell.

"Sure you're okay for cash?" he asked.

"Yes," Atsuko answered dryly. "Yusuke's not my only source of support."

Sayomi thought of the thugs in black cars that occasionally paid her visits.

"Say…" the man started.

"Hmm…?"

"Want to start over?"

"No. You know how it would end up." Atsuko's eyes stayed glued to her son. "This way, we don't have to worry about it. Besides, Yusuke would have something to say, I think."

The man smirked as he reached into his coat pocket. He lit up a cigarette and Sayomi could see the resemblance in the soft glow of the ember. "I remember he'd cry and jump on me when I hit you."

"When he was three years old, yeah," Atsuko agreed with a proud smile.

The man exhaled a large plume of white smoke. "Can't he see now it was a kind of affection?"

"Don't kid yourself! And the topic is closed, got it?" Atsuko finalized.

"Yeah, got it." The man finished his cigarette and put it out with his foot. When Atsuko turned to stare at him with a big smile, he frowned. "What?"

She placed her arm across his back and patted him on the shoulder as she led him away from the ramen stand. "Pretty bad, getting dumped and having to settle for the company of a semi-understanding ex, isn't it. Ha ha ha!"

The man sulked as he followed along. "Hmph! No comment."

Once they were gone, Sayomi let her body solidify from the shadows. She watched the non-couple walk away as she put the pieces together. So that was Yusuke's biological human father? He does kinda look like him, but I think the old man had more in common with Yusuke.

She approached the stand as the last customer paid for his food and left. Yusuke collected his money and without looking up he said, "Welc— Oh! Sup Sai! You're back so soon?"

"What do you mean soon? It's been a little over two months." Sayomi took her seat and settled in for a night of catching up.

"Yeah," Yusuke agreed as he dropped a large strainer of noodles into a massive boiling pot. "But for you, that's not very long at all. You want your usual tonkotsu ramen? How's everything back in the Demon Plane?"

"Yes, please," she answered, nearly drooling at the sound of her favorite food. "Everything is going okay. Everyone is doing well, especially Chu."

Sayomi had taken a day off to hang out with Chu and Rinku. The young boy had invited his new girlfriend from the tournament, Sasuga, to watch Chu get his ass kicked by Natsume as they trained for the next tournament. They sat a safe distance away on a tall stone plateau where they could easily watch the show.

Natsume thrust her palm out and struck Chu's torso with a powerful blast of her aura. The large man was sent flying back across the field in a crumpled heap.

"Pitiful…" Natsume crossed her arms and looked down at the man lying on his back. "Just pitiful. Speed, skill… all well below par. You're hopeless. Give it up."

As she turned to leave, Chu shot to his feet. "Give up? Now way! Time's not up yet!" He ignored his bleeding mouth and nose. His glazed eyes focused on her as he said, "I'll match, no, I'll surpass you! Then you'll see… Oh yes!"

"Hmph!" Natsume kept walking without turning back.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Chu laughed proudly as he ramped himself up.

"Chu's really dug in his heels this time," Rinku commented.

"Too bad…" Sasuga agreed.

Sayomi got to her feet and followed Natsume, wanting to catch up on how Raizen's other friends were doing. As she was about to catch up, she noticed Kujo sitting on another pillar further ahead. He was watching, too?

As his sister walked by, Kujo asked, "How long will you drag this out?"

"Long enough," she answered with a proud smirk. "He's getting stronger and might just make it before the deadline."

Kujo hopped down from his perch and followed her. "You'd actually go out with him?"

"Hah! Hardly!" Natsume denied. "It's just fun to beat him up."

Kujo smirked. "He deserves to be beat up and ground into the dirt, the scruffy boor."

Natsume stopped walking. She turned on her heel and pointed angrily at her twin brother. "Hey! Just 'cuz he's a jerk doesn't mean you can insult him! That's strictly an opponent's privilege, got it?!"

Kujo blinked and stared at his sister's retreating figure. "Sheesh… Women."

Yusuke placed the bowl of ramen in front of Sayomi with a chuckle. "Sounds like Chu is gonna be a force to be reckoned with come the next tournament. Here's your ramen. Enjoy!"

Sayomi broke her chopsticks and stirred her noodles, mixing the contents in the bowl. "How are things on this end? Any news?"

"Not much to report, honestly," Yusuke admitted. "The detective business is still a little slow, so I get most of my updates through programs like this." He jerked his thumb back to the small TV behind him.

Sayomi focused on the small screen where two talk show hosts were introducing their guests.

"Good evening."

"Hiya."

"Tonight's guests are idiots claiming to be 'demons.'"

"Heh… Don't like 'em, myself."

Sayomi frowned at the human hosts. "The humans still don't believe us."

"It'll take a while," Yusuke explained. "Because of modern technology, humans think of demons as just stories and legends. It's been that way for over a hundred years, so who knows what it will take to convince them otherwise."

"Give it up for the Occult Threesome!" Sayomi returned her attention to the TV and saw Koto, Juri, and Luka. "You gals goin' out with anyone?"

"We all have unrequited loves," Koto answered.

"Izzat a fact?" the host asked with feigned interest. "You're such hotties! Probably have guys crawling all over you."

"Whoa, bro, remember their managers. Scary dudes, man!"

"Okay then, how 'bout you gals just tell us about these 'loves.'"

The camera zoomed in on Koto as she answered, "Mine can seem very aloof and standoffish sometimes. But I think he's very kind and gentle on the inside."

The screen switched to Juri as she pressed her hands together and said, "He's really dense, though I don't think he realizes it. Kinda like you two, if you were good-looking."

"What'd you say?!"

Sayomi almost spit out her noodles at the blunt insult.

The screen changed to Luka, who rested her chin on the back of her hand, her red hair veiling half her face. "He'd rather be doing stuff with his lame-o friends. That's something I'd like to change."

Sayomi smirked as she swallowed her food. "Sounds like they're talking about Toya, Suzuki and Jin."

"You think so?" Yusuke quirked his brow as he watched the interview.

"It would make sense," Sayomi mused. "Koto was there for the first three quarters of the tournament so she's seen how Toya can be. Luka was there for that match too. I guess the two red-heads could make an okay couple, but good luck keeping Jin from his friends. As for Juri, she can also be a little dense and flirty, so her attraction to Suzuki, sans the jester outfit, kinda makes sense."

"Just like your mating with Hiei kinda makes sense?" Yusuke teased.

Sayomi scowled. "Tell me, how're you and Keiko doing?"

Yusuke frowned and returned his attention to making more ramen. "That's none of your business."

Sayomi smirked as she noticed someone walk up next to her.

"Wel—" Yusuke turned to greet the customer, but froze nervously when he realized who it was. "Hey, Keiko!"

The brunette ignored him and took a seat next to Sayomi, resting her cheek in her hand.

"Geez, you still sore at me?" Yusuke asked.

"One pork ramen!" Keiko curtly ordered.

"Comin' up!" Yusuke turned back to his work with a strained smirk.

"Your treat," Keiko added with a smile.

Yusuke stared at her with an arched brow. She met his stare without backing down.

"Gimme a break!" Yusuke groaned. "I didn't really sell your uniform!"

"I know, your mom returned it," Keiko replied. "So one bowl of ramen will settle accounts."

Sayomi could see the veins on his forehead from her seated angle and smirked when she heard him mumbling to himself.

"Maybe I'll add a special ingredient, like boogers or…."

"Izzat so?" Keiko asked, hearing his quiet plans over the boiling noodles.

"No, no, just ramen…" Yusuke quickly corrected himself.

Sayomi quietly watched as Yusuke made Keiko's food. Her gaze shifted to the brunette next to her who watched Yusuke with interest. Is this how it was for everyone else when they noticed my interactions with Hiei? Were we this awkward and obvious?

"Here you go." Yusuke placed the bowl down in front of Keiko. She broke her chopsticks and took her first taste. Yusuke watched her eat and asked, "How is it?"

"Mmm…" Keiko swallowed before giving a proper answer. "Pretty tasty, actually." She looked down at the steaming broth. "Until you opened this shop it never occurred to me you could cook."

Yusuke collected Sayomi's empty bowl and other dirty dishes as he turned to wash them. "I'll be glad to whip something up for you every day if you like. But my secret ingredients stay secret!"

"Huh?" Keiko blinked at him in shock as her face started to heat up.

Yusuke glanced at her curiously, then leaned forward for a closer look. "Hey, you look flustered. Are you feeling ill?"

"What? No!" Keiko quickly denied. "The ramen's just… really hot."

"You sure you're all right?" Yusuke pressed worriedly.

"Shut up, okay? I'm fine!" Keiko insisted.

Just then, Kuwabara and Yukina walked up to the booth and took their seats next to Keiko. Yusuke grinned and said, "Welcome to the party! What can I get you two?"

Kuwabara turned to the ice maiden to his left and raised a hand towards her. "Ladies first."

Yukina smiled. "I'll have the miso ramen, please."

"Comin' right up! And you?" Yusuke dropped two strainers of noodles into the bubbling pot.

"The seafood ramen, of course!" Kuwabara turned to the other girls at the shop. "Hi, Keiko! Sayomi, I didn't realize you were already back."

"Hello Kuwabara, Yukina." The brunette smiled warmly at the pair.

"Hey." Sayomi waved. "I just got back, actually. I had a craving for ramen."

"Haha! Is that all?" Kuwabara leaned over to get a better view of the demoness. "Can't say I blame you, but I thought you came for a break from Hiei."

"Things are fine with us. We're both natural nomads when you get down to it and it makes our reunions that much more…"

"No need to finish that sentence, Sai." Yusuke placed the large steaming bowls in front of the newcomers and gave her a wicked smirk. "We get the picture, loud and clear."

"That's not what she meant, Yusuke!" Keiko frowned as she scolded him. "She means that distance doesn't dampen their love for each other."

Sayomi shrugged. "Something like that, yeah."

"Has anyone heard from Botan?" Yukina asked. Her ramen was significantly cooler than Kuwabara's nearly instantly.

"Oh yeah!" Keiko leaned back to meet her eyes. "She dropped by a couple weeks ago. She had finished a job in the area and wanted to say hi."

"How are things going in the Underworld?" Yusuke asked curiously, leaning forward with his elbow on the counter.

"Well, Botan didn't say anything to be concerned about. Although…" Keiko tapped her finger to her chin as she recalled Botan's gossip.

Botan and her coworker Ayame watched as Koenma stamped his paperwork with a heavy sigh. Ayame's eyes reflected her worry as she said, "Lord Koenma sounds morose."

"Can't really blame him," Botan agreed.

Ayame frowned as her gaze dropped to the floor. "Be nice if we could cheer him up."

"Him…" Botan observed the other reaper's body language. "And you, too."

Ayame turned away, embarrassed by the implication. Botan smiled as she had an idea. She walked up to her boss' desk and invited him out for a small break. When he agreed, she whisked him away, along with Ayama flying her own oar.

They went out for demon ramen, a new delicacy that was introduced through open visits to the Human World. Botan and Ayame sang karaoke to raise the young prince's spirits. By the end of the night, they were all standing on the main balcony of the palace as they gazed at the stars.

"I'll fetch some drinks!" Botan smiled and left to give them a little privacy.

"Phew!" Koenma let out a breath of relief as he watched the city below him. "It seems I've caused you to worry. My apologies."

Ayame smiled at the prince and said, "King Yama got off lightly due to popular sentiment, but the Underworld is still firmly behind you."

"Thank you," Koenma said quietly.

Ayame's smile softened as she watched the city with him.

Botan had come back with stashed drinks as she eavesdropped from behind a large potted plant. She quietly sipped on her canned green tea as she read the atmosphere. "Finally…"

"So Koenma's dating?" Kuwabara asked in disbelief. "He doesn't seem like the kinda guy who would."

"Right?" Yusuke agreed. "Who'd want to date a toddler?"

"Yusuke!" Keiko glared.

"What?" Yusuke met her glare with confusion. "Seriously! Have you never seen what he actually looks like?"

"I don't think she has, Yusuke. I think Koenma was always in his Human World disguise around the girls," Sayomi explained.

"Well, spoiler alert! He's a literal toddler!" Yusuke stressed.

"Even if he is, that's no way to talk about someone so important," Keiko lectured.

Yusuke frowned and opted for a change of topic with Kuwabara. "Hear anything about those guys in Swarm City?"

"Yeah." Kuwabara slurped an oyster from his soup and set the empty shell aside on a napkin. "Kurama and I sometimes meet up with them to see how they're coping with their powers."

"I thought they promised Genkai that they wouldn't use them anymore," Sayomi said, slightly confused.

"They did," Yusuke confirmed. "They still holding up on that promise?"

"So far, so good," Kuwabara said with a shrug. He picked up his bowl and took in a big gulp of broth. With a satisfied smack of his lips, he sat his empty bowl down. "Yana is having the hardest trouble with it. He said he's trying to respect peoples' privacy by avoiding physical contact, but a certain friend carelessly touches him all the time. He said he already knows everything about her since they've been friends for years, so he doesn't see the harm in that case."

"What about Kido?" Sayomi asked. Though she didn't like him right away, she appreciated his shadow technique.

"No issues on his end," Kuwabara informed. "Though, he is a little bummed his date didn't show up at the movies. He assumed she got sick, but he didn't call her to confirm it."

"Poor guy," Keiko sympathized.

"And Kaito?" Yusuke asked.

"Kurama talks to him more than I do," Kuwabara admitted. "Seems like all he does is write and play video games."

"Guess some things never change," Yusuke mused.

"How is your brother doing, Sayomi?" Yukina asked. Her bowl was only half finished, and it looked like she was going to save the rest for later.

"He's doing pretty well, especially lately," Sayomi answered with a mischievous smirk. "He and Mukuro have been spending quite a bit of time together, either training or just hanging out in her room. He denies that it means anything, but the way Mukuro looks at him tends to imply otherwise. He just doesn't realize it himself, yet."

"Sounds like a dangerous pair, if you ask me," Kuwabara criticized. "One used to be known as a bloodthirsty tyrant, and the other is your brother who went crazy in his pursuit for power."

"Yeah, but they're both doing much better now," Sayomi defended. "They've already spent a lot of time together during their darker days, and now they've both mellowed out. They seem to understand each other well enough, at least."

"So, you brother has Hiei for an in-law and you might end up being in-laws with Mukuro?" Yusuke had trouble wrapping his brain around the idea of family holidays. He silently added Yukina and Kuwabara to the mental scene. "What a helluva time that'll end up being."

"Don't think you and Keiko are getting out of this," Sayomi warned. "The old man was practically a father figure to me, so in a way you and I are like stepsiblings or something."

"Don't remind me," Yusuke drawled half seriously. Then his brow arched when he noticed Keiko's face heating up again. He leaned in to touch her forehead. "You sure you're not coming down with somethin'?"

Keiko's face reddened even more from his proximity. "I'm fine!"

Sayomi noticed and smirked at how oblivious Yusuke was to his words and actions. They're not getting any younger, so they might as well confess sooner rather than later. I just hope I get to be there when it happens.