Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Thief in One Life, A Thief in the Next ❯ Coffee and Kisses ( Chapter 14 )

“A Thief in One Life, A Thief in the Next”

Chapter Fourteen

Coffee and Kisses

It was a sleepy group of demons, humans and spirits who trudged down to the kitchens in various forms of half-dress. The head cook glowered at them from a corner, but didn’t dare to do anything else. Blue hair fell unbound around both pairs of female shoulders and Hiei had to half-carry his mate, a funny sight considering their difference in height. Heero was just lethargic enough to allow Kuronue to help him along and guide the pilot to the surprisingly human coffee pot.

“Kuronue, could you mix up some of your lovely wake-up drinks?” Kurama asked, raising his head a fraction from the counter to look at his brother with pleading eyes. Hiei just rolled his.

Grinning, the chimera nodded, looking around the kitchen to count drooping heads. “Alright, four Youko specials coming up. You’ll have to tell me you keep stuff though.”

“Midori-san,” Hiei said in way of introducing the cook.

“Tell me what you want and I’ll get it,” the demoness said, arms crossed firmly over her chest, all four of them.

“Ah, can’t remember the names, just let me go poke around,” Kuronue said, shaking his head cheerfully. Midori scowled. “Please, Midori-san? I won’t make a mess, promise.” He didn’t wait for a reply before bouncing past the woman and into the spice pantry. When he flew back out, his arms were full of jars that held familiar spices.

“Our friend Duo keeps a lot of those,” Wufei said, giving the jars a suspicious glance as Kuronue set to work mixing the contents in coffee mugs.

“That’s funny. Those only grow in the Makai,” Yukina commented, accepting a cup of morning tea from her brother. “And they’re all illegal to export.”

“Someone must have snuck them across the barrier,” Kuronue said with a grin, briefly catching Quatre’s eye and making him giggle.

Catching the pass despite his sleep clogged mind, Heero frowned. Things were adding up to something, but he couldn’t figure out what just yet.

It wasn’t long before everyone was settled with something to drink, the four ‘Youko Specials’ going to Kurama, Yusuke, Botan and Heero. As the pilot had suspected, the drink tasted exactly like the one Duo had made him several weeks before. There was no mistaking the flavor.

“Where did you learn this recipe?” he asked with narrowed eyes, holding up his empty cup.

It was Kurama who answered. “I taught him. Back when we were still thieves, we found that a lot of us had hangover problems after victory parties. That can be dangerous for people in our old lifestyle, so I fiddled around with various plants and such until I got it as a result. It’s also useful for the anti-morning people like ourselves, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. It’s a family recipe.”

“I wonder what the tabloids are making of our disappearance,” Quatre said, changing the subject as he noticed the panic in Kuronue’s eyes. “With the blackout and then our vanishing without a trace. Not to mention the blood spots that Wufei and Heero are bound to have left behind.”

Wufei snorted. “I want to know what happened to the coward who attacked us.”

“He was taken care of,” Kuronue said, his grin more than a little sinister. “I don’t like people who attack those who I- those who aren’t prepared, unless they’re in war.”

“Why did you save us?” Trowa asked, voice more curious than demanding.

Kurama smiled softly, flicking a nearly invisible glance toward his brother. “It was as a favor to an old friend.”

After breakfast, the group split up to wait until evening. Wufei, Trowa and Quatre followed Kurama to the library while Hiei found himself herded off to his office, much to the amusement of Yusuke, who vanished into the Konchuu barracks to gamble with the soldiers. Botan snuck off to play with Puu. This left Heero in the care of Kuronue. So far, he wasn’t sure whether or not that was a good thing. At least the chimera wasn’t insisting on carrying him anymore. Instead, Kuronue walked jauntily beside him with hands clasped behind him.

“I was born not too far from here, you know,” Kuronue said to fill the empty air. “Mom died giving birth to me and Dad got himself killed angering the wrong demon. So I was alone until I met up with Kurama.” The thief snickered. “I was trying to steal his coin purse and bit him in the tail to get away. It didn’t work all that well.”

“You bit him?” Heero asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kuronue grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Hey, he had me by the arm so I couldn’t fly and his tail was the easiest thing to reach. And believe me, little youkai teeth are sharp.”

“I take it that you’ve found this from experience,” the pilot said with a small laugh. The volume rose when Kuronue pulled one wing around to show a series of miniature bite scars.

“I wasn’t the only brat Kurama took into the gang, and apparently I’m ‘good’ with kids,” the demon said with a rueful look. “I think they just wanted to eat me.”

“They sound like the L2 kids Duo sometimes talked about,” Heero said.

Kuronue grinned, a glint in his eyes. “It’s been the joke for a long time that L2 isn’t really a part of the Ningenkai, but is actually on the edge of the Makai, and that all native born are at least part youkai if not full blood.”

“Knowing Duo, that may just be true,” Heero said, shaking his head. “He does look the part sometimes. Only human I’ve ever seen with violet eyes.” He looked up to see the other’s face directly in front of him. “What?”

The chimera tipped his head to the side. “You’re cuter when you smile.” He paused for a moment, eyes scanning carefully over Heero’s face before coming to a decision.

Blue eyes flew wide as he felt lips on his cheek. The pair stared at each other for a moment before Kuronue reddened and he fled, leaving behind a very confused pilot in the hallway. Heero reached up to touch the spot where he’d been kissed, staring down the hallway where the chimera disappeared to. What did it mean?