• 1-Selfish Desire
• 2-Chapter 2
• 3-Chapter 3
• 4-Chapter 4
• 5-Chapter 5
• 6-Chapter 6
• 7-Chapter 7
• 8-Chapter 8
• 9-Chapter 9
• 10-Chapter 10
• 11-Note
• 12-Last Chapter
• 13-Epilogue
• 14-Yukina and Kuwabara, a Romantic Night

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Yusuke studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror, comb in hand, a jar of
grease in front of him; indecision troubled his mind. "Greased or not, greased
or not," he repeated to himself, brows drawing together faintly. Keiko had
always thought he looked better with his hair down, although in his mind he
looked like a kid without it slicked back.

It was also for only one night, then she would be gone and out of his life
again. He doubted he would ever see her again once she returned to whatever jerk
she had married. That thought alone was enough to make the former tantei's heart
ache with once-forgotten pain.

The sound of a knock at the front door drew his attention and away from his
thoughts. Quickly, he ran the comb through his hair, tossed it on top of the
sink, and jogged out to the front of the apartment to open the door. There she
was, standing in front of his apartment, a sweet smile on her face as she waited
to be invited inside. "Hi, Yusuke."

He realized he was staring at her when she frowned several minutes later. "Oh
yeah, one moment!" He grabbed his shoes, and his wallet too. He then stepped
outside with her, locking up the apartment door behind him. "Since I don't have
a car, I was thinking we could walk like old times, or take your car if you
want."

"Walking is fine, Yusuke. I have a bit of time before I'm expected home."

The two departed the apartment complex, walking out onto the street and
towards the busy streets of downtown Tokyo. "Your favorite restaurant is still
open on Tenshi Street. I called as soon as I got home and got us a reservation.
We'll make it with a few minutes to spare."

"But Yusuke, the cost is too much for you," she protested, turning towards
her ex-boyfriend. She couldn't possibly allow him to spend so much money on her
when she would be leaving Tokyo before the night ended. "The average cost for
one plate of food is five thousand yen."

Yusuke grinned at her, brown eyes large and expression smug. "I know that,
Keiko. I remember the first time I took you, before I knew the price and I ended
up washing dishes for the rest of the night. I'm not doing that tonight
but hell, you're only going to be here one night and I have the money so don't
w abo about it, Keiko."

"Yusuke, that's so sweet of you," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss his
cheek.

That began the first date shared between Yusuke and Keiko in eight years, and
neither cared less that they were separated by the bonds of her marriage.
Together, they walked down the street practically hand in hand, exchanging
emotion-filled glances that could make any onlooker mistake them for lovers.

***

Hiding the serious trouble that had befallen Kurama took less effort than
Hiei imagined it would. He had worried at first that the fox's inquisitive
stepfather would discover Kurama's unnatural sleep was anything but normal, and
that he would have difficulty getting the redhead out of the house. After
speaking to Shiori and explaining the trouble, he'd heard the woman claim to her
husband that Shuichi had not been feeling well and had taken a bit of medication
to help him sleep. Excusing himself, Hiei left for several hours to go think,
mostly to get out of the presence of the fox's family.

During the night, as Hiei slouched in the window of the kitsune's bedroom,
Shiori had snuck out of the bedroom shared with her husband, sliding on her
house robe as she crossed the hallway and entered her son's bedroom. The sweet
scene in front of her made her realize why her son could love such a seemingly
cold-hearted and different person from himself. Hiei was there, sound asleep in
the window, a sight she had never seen before. Her son had told her of the
nights Hiei slept in his window in the past, but this time she knew it was for a
difference reason. Hiei was protecting her Shuichi at host ost vulnerable
moment, making sure that he stayed safe and out of harm.

The window was often drafty, and she worried that he was cold sleeping within
it. Quietly, or as quietly as a mother could move in her son's room with years
of practice, she moved to the closet door, gently pulled it open, and removed
the extra blanket kept within it. Shaking out the blanket, she carefully draped
it over Hiei's sleeping body but was startled when the fire youkai lazily opened
one eye to regard for for her kind deed.

"Thank you."

Thank you? Something told her he wasn't the kind to often show
gratitude, and it made her beam with pride to know that her son had such an
effect on the su dem demon.

"I thought you might be cold," she whispered.

"Fire apparitions don't get cold." Well, he could get cold, although it would
take some serious conditions for that to happen. An almost complete loss of his
youki and a lot of blood loss would be enough to weaken him.

Red tinted Shiori's cheeks. "Oh. I'm sorry. I don't know much about your
kind."

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to speak with you privately again, anyway.
There are many ts ths that must be taken care of concerning Kurama... human
things that I have no control over, and know little about. His job for
instance."

"I know how to phone his job, if he does not return in time I will call and
tell them an emergency happened. Hiei-kun? Could I ask one thing?"

"If you must."

"What does my son mean to you now? You told me earlier you were worried he
would harm himself if you didn't allow him to look at your Jagan, but before
yesterday, he told me he feared you hated him."

"I can't hate Kurama any more than I could hate myself, Shiori-san. Both were
something I once did, but not anymore."

"That's all I wanted to know. Please, call me Mother. Shiori-san is too
formal for the man that my Shuichi loves." She smiled at him, then gently
touched his shoulder. "My husbanll wll wonder and begin to suspect something is
wrong if he stays here past the morning unawake. Is there somewhere safer that
we can move Shuichi?"

Hiei visibly tensed and tightened his muscles as her fingers rested at his
shoulder. Slowly, the fire demon began to relax, and gazed once more into the
space of the serene night...A mother's touch and caring was something he had
never known. Now that Shiori was here, it was awkward to have so much pushed
upon him at once. "The temple," he answered. "If Kurama has not awakened, I will
leave with him before morning and take him to Genkai's temple."

Concern filled her features. "Are you sure you can do that on your own,
Hiei-kun? Won't you need a ride in the car."

He scoffed. "I'll be fine. You needn't worry about me." Then, as an
afterthought, he added, "Or Shuichi."

When Shiori returned to bed, the weight of worries was lifted from her chest.
Shuichi was safe in Hiei's hands. It was something she would bet her own life
upon.

***

Keiko leaned across the candlelit table of the fancy restaurant, gazing into
the warm brown eyes of her childhood friend and first true love. "I really don't
know how to thank you for this, Yusuke. It was perfect," she murmured, reaching
to take one of his hands from the table to interlace her fingers between his
own. "What will you do after this? All of those thoughts of reclaiming your job
are gone, aren't they?"

"All of them," he responded honestly. He couldn't take his eyes off of her,
and nothing could make him put himself at risk now that he knew. He knew
of the chance he had of righting the wrongs of the past and moving forward with
a clean slate with the woman he had always loved. He couldn't release her
without a fight. No.

He was the one who risked his life for Keiko numerous times, not this man.
Yusuke had fought for her, shed blood and bruised his knuckles, almost died in
the dark tournament, come back to life and gone through trials and hell. What
did this husband of hers do? Luck out at the right moment and gain her as his
wife.

Right now, she was smiling warmly at him, the flame of the candle reflecting
off of her friendly, dark eyes. "Earth to Yusuke. Are you okay? I lost you for a
moment."

"Oh." He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. A lot on my mi"
"

Keiko nodded in understanding, then released his hand. "It's nearly time for
me to leave. If I don't get on the road now I'll be delayed even more."

Yusuke called for the waiter with the check, and paid the rather incredible
sum with his own money, despite Keiko's offer of sharing some of the bill. He
refused her money, grinning and folding what bit of his earnings that remained
before stuffing it into his pocket. "I'm still good. Don't worry about it.
Where's your car anyway?"

It was Keiko's turn to look sheepish. "At your apartment."

A twilight stroll through Tokyo's streets reminded him of times that had gone
by, and moments forever lost. Both wished for the ability to turn back the clock
and regain the time stolen from them by their own foolishness. Eight years lost,
and a future stolen by childish insecurities, betrayal, and
stupidity...and a man Yusuke had never met.

"Well. this is where I go. Thank you, Yusuke, for such a wonderful night."

"Aw, it was no problem, Keiko. Like I said, you deserved it. It can't make up
for the shit I did but it's a start."

It was like a clichéd scene from any romance movie or novel, the two of them
standing beneath the street lamp beside her car after a romantic dinner for two.
Gazing intently into each other's eyes as they said their farewells. They were
close enough for Yusuke to catch a hint of the scent of her floral-scented
shampoo lingering on her shiny brown locks.

So much for control. He kissed her with none of the discipline or restraint
that she might have expected. A passionate lip-lock and duel of tongue against
tongue ensued. His arms were like bent steel wrapped around her waist, holding
her firmly in place to prevent escape with her initial squirming. She relaxed
within moments, and any thought that screamed the act of kissing Yusuke was
wrong, soon vanished into oblivion. When they both parted for air, chests
heaving, faces slightly flushed, Keiko couldn't hide the budding feelings
resurrected by Yusuke's persistence.

"I wish tonight never had to end."

"It doesn't," he responded, hope filling his eyes. "Say yes. Give me another
chance, Keiko. It can't end here."

I'm a married woman now. It must end here. It should end here, Keiko
thought as two rough and calloused fighter's hands gently took a hold of her
own, and brown eyes stared with longing into hers.

There was really only one option.

***

Yukina stood by the window, gazing silently as she watched the surrounding
area of the shrine, illuminated by the rising, dawn sun. Since Kuwabara's recent
departure, sleeping was no easy thing. She had been awake for several hours,
anticipating her brother's return with the 'mentally ill' Kurama. As told to
her, Koenma and Botan were hard at work in Reikai looking for a cure to the
malady that the kitsune had fallen prey to, as there were few instances where
people were rendered comatose by an invasion of a Jagan. Even then, none had
ever endured the Jagan for as long of a stretch of time as Kurama had.

She had nearly cried when Kuwabara told her what happened, out of sadness for
her oniisan's suffering, and worry for Kurama in his current predicament. What
if he never awakened? What if when he did awaken, his memories were scrambled
and shuffled? What if he had no memory at all? The possibilities of what could
have occurred were numerous, and too many for the sad Koorime to ponder.

The flicker of a black shape landing in the yard drew her attention from her
thoughts. Half crouched, sweating and exhausted, knelt her brother at the top of
the steps, Kurama's unconscious body on his back. Her brother was by no means
out of shape or weak, but carrying the fox all of that way at the speed she knew
her brother had to travel to avoid a sighting by any humans was a near
impossible feet accomplished through determination, adrenaline, and love.

Yukina ran to the entrance and threw open the doors, running down the small
steps and to the yard. "Oniisan! Are you alright?"

"Fine," he breathed out. He had discarded his cloak somewhere along the way,
and the black undershirt stuck to him like a second skin, plastered to him by
sweat. "I've got to get him inside.

"Let me help you," she offered.

"I've got him, Yukina. You can help me by preparing a bed for Kurama." The
idiot must have told her what happened. Those fools in Spirit World better not
be sitting around with their thumbs up their asses, he thought.

Inside the temple, Kurama was placed upon one of the beds and made
comfortable. Before her brother could sit and begin a long impatient watch,
Yukina gently took him by the shoulders. "Go clean up and rest. Kurama-san would
not want you to sit here like this."

A hot bath would be nice to soothe his tired muscles. Hiei sighed and gave in
to his sister's wishes. Kurama had been a lot heavier than he had expected.

***

Koenma plopped into his seat behind the desk. "If we don't find a cure for
this, I don't want to think about what Hiei does to us for meddling in the first
place. He'll blame me, I know it." Koenma briefly considered having security
raised, until he was reminded of the fact that Hiei had broken into the most
protected vault in Reikai ten years ago. Whether or not Hiei was assisted meant
little to the worried teen. His guards were not formidable against Hiei and
would easily be taken down by his sword.

"I don't think so, Koenma," Botan murmured. "Yukina won't let him fly off the
handle like that, you know! Besides, she was helping us too."

"You're right, but still, it doesn't ease my worries." The junior lord in
adult form watched Botan perch at the corner of his desk, and stare at the large
flat screen revealing the current events at the shrine. "Have you discovered
anything, Botan?"

"Nothing," she replied glumly.

Koenma rose from his seat, then gently slid his arms around Botan to hold
her. "I promise that by the time this all ends, everyone will be fine and our
plan will have worked, Botan. This isn't our fault. It just couldn't be helped,"
the lord said to ease the mind of his fiancée, gently rubbing her back. "Those
two will be okay, they always are." What will I do if they aren't alright? I
can't keep lying to Botan when there's no records of this ever occurring
before.

Botan opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of George
bursting into the office, frantic and waving papers at the couple. "Koenma-sama!
There you are!"

"Ogre, don't you know how to knock!? Where else would I be, I'm always here."

"Oh yeah." George scratched his head, seeming to forget the purpose in
seeking out his boss. As he recalled his reason, he ran forward and tossed down
the stack of recently written papers on the desk. "The new sheets."

"What about them, Ogre?"

"Look whose name is on it, boss!"

Botan and Koenma separated so the lord could pick up the sheet of papers, the
blue-haireapeeaper peering over his shoulder. "How? It can't be him. That was
just a lie to get Hiei to go to him!" she exclaimed.

"There's a reason for death stated here...peculiar." Botan and George both
raised brows. It wasn't the fact that a reason was given that Koenma found
peculiar, it was the reason itself they both knew. "It appears we've
inadvertently been given the cure to the cause of Kurama's trouble now that we
know the actual condition. The problem is, will Hiei be willing to do it?"

Only a visit to Genkai's shrine would tell, and it was a visit neither
demigod nor future princess wished to make. The most troubling thoughts on their
minds were perhaps the fear of what Hiei would do when he discovered the
seriousness and potentially fatal outcome that would occur.

***

A freshly bathed Hiei sat at Kurama's bedside, staring at the prone shape of
the kitsune that had become his best friend, lover, and hated enemy over the
course of ten years. Again, he felt the stirrings of love, an emotion he always
thought a hindrance and curse to the weak. An emotion he had always refused to
feel for anyone but his darling sister Yukina. That cursed emotion had never
done anything for him but be a bother, weighing him down and holding him back
from accomplishing his goals. Now, feelings long buried had resurfaced.

He was staring at Kurama again when he felt their presence. "What the hell do
those two morons want?" he practically snarled, standing from the chair and
heading into the main room of the temple to find Botan and Koenma standing with
Yukina and speaking in hushed voices. "What's going on?"

Botan shrieked and stepped behind Koenma for protection, who awkwardly gazed
at Hiei across the room. "We came with some news, Hiei, that you won't find
pleasant."

"The whole day hasn't been pleasant. Quit stalling and just say what it is."

"Kurama's on the death lists."

"I know this," he snarled, pointing a finger at Botan. "She told me."

Botan and Koenma exchanged glances. The temple was the place both of them
least wanted to be, but they also came bearing a confession neither of them had
the nerve or the cowardice to put off on Yukina to handle alon"Abo"About what
Botan said, she lied to get you to go make up with Kurama. This is the
real list--Hiei, your arm is smoking." Koenma's voice wavered on the last
word, and the gazes of Yukina, Botan, and the godling riveted to said right arm,
where thin ribbons of grey smoke rose and curled from the ward strips and
bandage, the power barely contained by the spells.

"You lied about the fox dying? LIED to me about it for some petty
reunion!?"

"Hiei, please, what matters now is that it's true and only you can save him!"
Koenma cried as Hiei began to stalk towards them.

"Hn. You have five minutes to tell me everything I need to know before I
decide what action to take," he warned. His own sister of course, automatically
excluded from the threat of death that loomed over the Reikai pair's heads. He
couldn't harm Yukina if his own life was at threat.

"This is the list George brought in today," the ferrygirl said quickly,
thrusting the sheet at Hiei who began to read the information presented about
Kurama.

"His mind is on a different wavelength from his body and spirit," Koenma
explained. Normally, harsh mental collisions such as high emotional stress and
suffering, or in your case. extended use of a Jagan, cause a shuffle between the
connection of mind and body. In some cases, the person goes crazy or loses
memories for a short term. The prolonged exposure has done more than that. His
soul and body remain one, but his mind is separate, catatonic in a way. He'll
need to be repaired from the inside, Hiei."

"What's the catch?" the jaganshi growled, sensing that there was something
the two were not telling him. "There's a risk you haven't mentioned."

"The body cannot exist without the mind. If you fail to accomplish your goal
while inside his mind, Kurama's body will eventually go into shock, and he will
die, Hiei."

A/N: I briefly considered a loss of memory for Kurama, but I thought that
it was mega cliché for a soap opera, and frankly was one of those Sls I got
super tired of watching. I thought I'd try to add a bit of a twist to it. You'll
see. Blame Lady Readwolf for it, for it was her idea, not mine!