Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Clean ❯ Bittersweet ( Chapter 27 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: This story was written by me, mhmartini, for enjoyment purposes only. All characters taken from a show/series/book/etc. are property of their respective creators; I am only borrowing them. Original characters are mine. The storyline is mine. I am making no money from this endeavor. The only �profit� involved is the joy of writing and the reviews of my readers. No copyright infringement is intended.

Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.26.2005 | Updated On: 06.03.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 729 | Status: Completed

The three friends walked towards the market chatting amicably. Yusuke had already told Kurama that Spirit World had turned up nothing new on Intaro. He and Kuwabara had been called upon twice to capture some demons showing the same energy enhancement as the fiend, but the demons had been so high on their own power that restraining them was impossible. They did not stop fighting until they were dead. Kurama just nodded without replying. He knew that Intaro was simply biding his time, letting the fox enjoy the sting of Hiei's wounds before he struck again.

The rest of the conversation was between Yusuke and Kuwabara. They did not realize how silent Kurama had been until Kuwabara asked a question and got no response. Turning, the two realized they were alone. Looking back, they saw Kurama slowly catching up to them.

"Hey, Fox-boy, what's the matter? You never had trouble keeping up before," Yusuke asked.

"Nothing, Yusuke. I have not been out of the apartment since we returned home, and I just paused to enjoy the fresh air," Kurama said smoothly.

Yusuke took a closer look at his friend. The lighting in the apartment was low, so Yusuke had thought nothing of Kurama's coloring. Out in the sunlight, however, he could see the fox's pale features.

"Bull. Kurama, you look like shit. What's up, man?" the detective pressed.

"Nothing. Please, let's go. I need to get home. Mother means well, but she has never taken care of Hiei before, and I don't want to leave them alone too long," Kurama said, starting towards the market again. He moved as quickly as he could, but it was still much slower than normal.

"Kurama, wait!" Kuwabara called out, catching up easily. "Your mom never took care of him before? So then, you've been doing it all by yourself all this time?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm sure his mom's been helping. Yukina, too, I'll bet," Yusuke interjected, catching up on the other side.

"No, Yusuke. Yukina cannot touch Hiei at all. The residual power of the wards hurts her. I told my mother that I would not need her help, and have been intentionally keeping her away. Hiei would rather die than give his care over to a ningen. As it is, he is making a tremendous concession by staying with her while I shop. I must, therefore, do him the favor of hurrying." The conversation ended there as the two teenagers watched their friend with concern. Kurama had been doing a lot more than they realized, and they were beginning to understand what a toll that was taking on him.

When they arrived at the market, Kurama grasped a shopping cart and began pushing it around. He picked up the necessities, and then set out about getting his love some 'fun foods.' He stayed away from the ice cream, as Hiei still was unable to regulate his body temperature. Instead he chose some box cakes and brownies. Kurama was thankful for the shopping cart during the trip. He leaned on it heavily at times when he got dizzy. The glass of milk he had managed to keep down helped him quite a bit, but it didn't make up for over a week of malnutrition, dehydration, and over exhaustion. Several times the fox stumbled. He was glad the cart obscured this weakness. The two humans, while concerned, were not observant enough to see his true condition.

Once they had checked out each boy ended up with two shopping bags to carry. Kurama looked at his bags with disdain. 'Please,' he thought. 'Let me get these home without incident.' He scooped one bag up in each arm and began walking towards the apartment.

They were almost to the building in which Kurama lived when the fox experienced a serious dizzy spell. The ground seemed to shift under him, and he was forced to lean heavily on the closest wall. Doggedly, he remained standing. When Yusuke and Kuwabara realized that their friend was missing again, they turned to look for him.

"Hey, Kurama. What's up, man?" Yusuke called to him. Resolutely Kurama pushed himself off the wall and walked to the other two boys.

"I'm just a bit tired. I have not yet eaten today, and I think my sugar is low," the fox replied smoothly. Shrugging, the two boys turned and continued walking, careful not to walk too fast for their friend. Kurama smirked inwardly. Humans really would believe almost anything. He had convinced everyone, including his normally observant mother, that he was just fine. Of course, he had also convinced her he was human for most of his life, so a week of health was relatively easy to fake.

When he reached the top of the stairs, the kitsune was exhausted. He could barely breathe and his head was spinning. He stumbled towards the door dizzily. Luckily Yusuke and Kuwabara were so busy taunting each other, they never even noticed. He leaned against the wall by the entrance to his home. "It should be unlocked," he said in a faint voice. Yusuke barely heard him, but could still make out the words. Opening the door, the three boys entered. Kurama was so glad to be home. He deposited his bags on the floor right inside the door. His arms were shaking from carrying them all the way home. His body was beginning to shake as well. Before he could sit down, however, his mother was speaking to him. Resolutely, he focused his attention on her, careful to look alert and hide his shaking. He also felt a terrible headache coming on.

"Shuuichi, Hiei has something to tell you," Shiori said. The fire demon was sitting in the chair, not on the sofa where the kitsune had left him. Kurama desperately hoped that nothing embarrassing had happened, such as Hiei having to go to the bathroom or such with only Shiori there to help him.

"Really? What is it, Hiei?" the fox asked, not moving from the wall.

"I think you should go over to him, Sweetheart," Shiori prompted. Hiei kept his mouth closed. Kurama looked at his mother, then at his lover. He wasn't entirely sure he could make it across the room. Slowly, he pushed himself off the wall and walked to Hiei. Each step was a short-term goal, and he kept repeating to himself 'Move left foot. Move right foot. Move left foot..." Finally he was in front of Hiei. Feeling like he would not be able to stand much longer, the kitsune kneeled before his lover.

Taking Hiei's hands in his own, Kurama repeated softly, "Hiei? What is it?" No words answered him, but a squeeze on his hands said it all. Kurama looked down at their hands, unbelieving. "Hiei?" he whispered. Slowly, uncertainly, Hiei removed one of his hands from the fox's and reached blindly for Kurama's face. Kurama closed his eyes and turned his head into the hand, reveling in the feel of Hiei's movement. "Love," he murmured brokenly, tears collecting in his eyes. Even Hiei could barely hear the word; no one else in the room even knew Kurama had spoken.

"He started moving a bit right after you left, Shuuichi. We've been working on it since then. I thought you would be surprised," Shiori said tenderly.

"I'm thrilled. Hiei, you're moving," Kurama said. The hand on his head slipped behind his neck and tried to draw him closer as Hiei leaned forward. Kurama resisted slightly. "Hiei?" he whispered so no one else could hear.

"Fox, won't you kiss me?" Hiei murmured.

"The others are still here, Love. They'll see. I didn't think you would want that," Kurama mumbled.

"I don't care, Fox, all I want is to touch you," Hiei replied. Kurama raised himself, and his lips met Hiei's in a deep, hungry kiss.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were watching Hiei move. They were relieved when it seemed he would be getting better. They saw him pull Kurama's head closer, and the two exchange a few unheard words. When the fox and the fire demon kissed, both boys' mouths dropped open. They had no idea what they were looking at, but it seemed an awful lot like two of their teammates were making out. Stunned, they just stared.

Kurama and Hiei broke apart after a few minutes. "Fox, you're shaking," Hiei commented. Indeed, Kurama's whole body was now shaking, and his head was beginning to throb.

"I'm just so excited and proud of you, Love," Kurama said. Hiei thought this was odd, but let it go. Kurama slowly drew himself up and slipped into the chair beside his lover. Wrapping his arms around the smaller demon, he just held the hiyoukai close.

"Ummm. Uh. Ah. Er," Kuwabara stuttered. "Ahem. Uh. What was that?" he finally managed to ask. Kurama looked up at him blankly.

Hiei answered before the fox could. "It was a kiss, Oaf. Maybe someday you'll get one, too. But not from my sister," the fire demon said. His voice was not as cold as usual, though.

Yusuke responded before Kuwabara could start an argument. "We know it was a kiss, but, um, you just kissed Kurama. You know, Fox-boy Kurama; looks like a girl but is really a guy Kurama. I think Kuwa meant 'what was that?'"

Kurama answered this time. "It was a kiss. Yusuke, Kuwabara, we have a bit of a confession." Kurama glanced at the youkai before he continued. Hiei's expression reassured him that this conversation was acceptable. "Hiei and I are lovers," Kurama admitted.

"......" was the highly intelligent response from both human boys, accompanied by equally intelligent expressions on both of their faces.

Kurama sighed and explained. "Hiei and I became lovers shortly after I moved in here. When he returned from Makai, we started living together here. We were, um, seeing each other prior to that time. We thought it best not to advertise this information to the rest of the team."

"So, then, when Intaro wanted to take someone, he picked Shrimp because of your relationship?" Kuwabara deduced.

"Yes, Oaf," Hiei said, with a glare. "He used that to try to hurt Kurama. He also tried to convince me that Kurama had abandoned me. He very nearly succeeded."

"Woah. Kurama, you've been handling this whole thing without telling us? You must really be hurting inside, then," Kuwabara said. He tried to pick up on Kurama's spirit energy, but the fox had it masked for some reason.

Kurama did not respond to his teammate's comment. Instead, he posed a question. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, how do you feel about this revelation?" Inside he cringed. These were the only people he truly considered friends. Although he was well liked enough at his school, there was no one there he considered to be among his close inner circle. If he were to lose their friendship now, he may not be able to take it.

"Well, to be blunt, it's kinda weird," Yusuke said. "I mean, I never guessed you guys were together. I never thought Hiei would be that close to anyone, and I always just assumed you would take pick of the litter from your fan club at your school. But hey, if you guys are happy like this, then who am I to argue?" Kurama was relieved at this. He turned to Kuwabara.

The taller boy was biting his lip. "I'm not sure. I mean, I guess it's okay for guys to like guys and all. I mean, if you fall in love with someone, then you fall in love with them. Um, you guys are in love right? This isn't some demon thing?"

"Yes, Idiot. We are in love," Hiei answered abruptly. Even Kurama was shocked to hear the fire demon say that. The fox nodded his agreement.

"Well, then, it's a good thing. It just may take me a little bit to get used to it. 'Cause you guys are on the team and all, and I just never saw either of you as feeling for the other, or anyone even. So it may take some time. But like Urameshi said, if you guys are happy, who am I to say anything?" Kurama was so relieved at this he began shaking more.

"Lunch is ready!" came a voice from the kitchen. While the boys were talking, Shiori had slipped into the kitchen, put away the groceries, and made a huge lunch for everyone. She was now carrying a tray into the living room with all kinds of sandwiches on it.

Yusuke and Kuwabara wasted no time in grabbing some sandwiches. Kurama picked one up, and gently placed it in Hiei's hands. Slowly the fire demon began to eat. His coordination was a little off after not moving for such a long time, but Kurama's stretches had kept him in pretty good shape. Kurama watched his lover with pride. True, Hiei was only feeding himself, something any ningen baby could do, but after his long immobility, this was quite an accomplishment.

Shiori watched the demons. She noticed that her son was not eating. "Shuuichi," she said, and gestured to the tray.

"Yeah, Kurama. You said you hadn't eaten today; dig in. Mrs. Hatanaka, these are great," Yusuke said through a mouthful of sandwich. Kuwabara nodded his agreement. Kurama gingerly selected a smaller sandwich (none could be considered small, but this one was one of the less large ones Shiori had prepared). Slowly he took a bite, hoping for the best.

Yusuke and Kuwabara polished off the majority of the sandwiches. Hiei had eaten several as well with minimal help. Kurama ate about one half of his. Shiori watched him carefully. She was satisfied that he had at least eaten something. When they were all done, she wrapped the remainder and placed them in the refrigerator.

When Shiori returned to the living room, her gaze fell onto the clock. "Oh my goodness, is that the time? I have to get going. I have so much to do before my husband gets home, and Shuu-kun should be home from school any time now." Kurama tried to get up to say goodbye, but between being scrunched into the chair with Hiei, his head pounding like a hammer, and his stomach doing jumping jacks, he was hardly able to get up. Shiori just bustled over to his side.

"See you later, Sweetheart," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "See you later, Hiei. I'm very proud of you." Then she waved to the other boys and scurried out the door. Kurama breathed a sigh of relief when she was gone. He thought she would figure out his health issues for sure if she had stayed. Now, there were only two more to go. Unfortunately, Kurama wasn't able to wait for them to leave.

"Excuse me a moment," he said softly, hauling himself out of the chair and making his way towards the bathroom. He made sure to turn the water on full blast so the others would not hear anything. When he returned to the living room several minutes later, the others appeared to suspect nothing. 'Hm,' he thought to himself. 'This is how teenagers die from eating disorders without anyone realizing what is happening. Only in my case, it's not voluntary.' Kurama sat on the couch and tried not to let his headache interfere with entertaining his guests.

"Kurama? Hey, now I know why you won't let anyone help you out with Hiei. But if you need anything, call me. Even if it's just to bring over some ramen from work or something," Yusuke said.

"Yeah, me too," Kuwabara chimed in.

"Thank you. Right now, though, I think we just need some time to relax," Kurama answered. The headache wasn't going to quit, so he had to get rid of the visitors. Taking the hint, the two boys stood, bid their friends farewell, and left. Once they were out the door, Kurama shut off the lights in the apartment. Immediately his headache lessened, but not by much.

"Hiei, have you tried to walk yet?" Kurama asked softly as he sat on the sofa.

"Not yet; Shiori moved me over here so I could try sitting upright without assistance. I think I may be able to walk shortly, though," the hiyoukai responded.

"That's wonderful. What about your vision?" Kurama asked as he lay sideways on the sofa and closed his eyes.

"Nothing. Fox, you sound tired. You should relax. I'm fine right here," Hiei offered.

"Mmm. Okay. I'll be right here, call me if you need anything," Kurama mumbled before drifting off to sleep. Hiei made no response, but wondered at his lover's tiredness. Kurama had napped the day before as well (or at least, that was what he had told his lover). Unable to see the fox, and until now, unable to touch and feel him either, Hiei just let Kurama sleep. Kurama was intelligent; if he were ill he would know how to get well.

Two days later, Hiei finally began walking again. Kurama started by lifting him to his feet. The hiyoukai's legs would buckle at first, but the kitsune always supported him. With practice, Hiei began slowly placing one foot in front of the other. Soon he could support himself completely, only holding Kurama's hands for guidance as the kitsune walked backwards, leading his blind lover around the small apartment.

During this time Kurama was still getting the intense headaches that made him sensitive to light. He tried to eat on several occasions, and even kept a small portion of food down. But most of it just made him ill. The sickness and lack of nutrition continued taking their toll on the fox, and he continued faking good health. By some miracle, he had convinced his mother not to visit. It seemed Shuuichi-kun had come down with a virus of some sort, and she was busy taking care of the boy. Daily phone calls kept them in touch, but health was easier to fake over the telephone.

Several times Hiei had tried to wrap his arms around his lover, but Kurama had stopped him. Hiei believed it was because Kurama was frustrated by the fire demon's inability to respond sexually. He had not healed quite that much yet. Figuring any contact would increase his lover's discomfort, the hiyoukai stopped trying to hold Kurama, settling instead for holding the fox's hand, or allowing the fox to hold him in bed. Kurama was just relieved that Hiei had given up. He knew the hiyoukai would be angry if he found out how skinny the fox had gotten.

On the third day, Hiei woke up later than usual. The bed next to him was empty. The hiyoukai sat up and listened for any sound of his lover. "Kurama?" he called out.

"I'm in the kitchen, Love. I'll be there in a moment," Kurama's voice came back to him. Feeling brave, Hiei slipped out of bed, holding the headboard to steady himself. He remembered where the kitchen was, so he began to take tentative steps in that direction.

Kurama turned off the flame under the breakfast and rinsed his hands. When he reached the doorway into the bedroom he stopped, astonished. Hiei was up and walking by himself. "Hiei?" he asked tentatively.

"Fox? Where are you?" Hiei called out, reaching his hands out for Kurama's guidance. Kurama did not move from the doorway.

"I'm right here, Love, a bit to your right. Come here," he said softly, hopefully.

"Kurama, guide me. I can't find you," the fire demon said.

"Yes, you can. Follow my voice, Hiei. Just come towards it. That's right. Keep going," Kurama continued encouraging his lover. Hiei took tiny steps, his hands held out in front of him to keep him from hitting a wall. He tried to follow the voice, but he felt like he was lost.

"Kurama, please," he said softly as he took more tiny steps.

"Please what?" Came a voice in his ear, as arms wrapped around him. Hiei melted into the fox's embrace. "You came to me on your own. Hiei, we're in the doorway. You came across the room alone; I never moved," Kurama whispered. Hiei slipped his arms up and around the fox's shoulders. They just held each other for a few moments.

After that, the hiyoukai began to get around on his own. Although he could not leave the apartment alone (of course; any demon would be able to pick him off before he even knew he was being attacked) he did get around inside the apartment rather well. Kurama was relieved that his duties were lightening. With his recent weakness and dizzy spells, the fox did not trust himself to carry the smaller demon around much anymore.

During the past few days of Hiei's convalescence, Kurama had taken to keeping the lights off all the time, and the shades partially drawn. He found the light brought on his headaches. The fox also napped every day with Hiei, although he did not sleep. While the fire demon was sleeping off the wards effects, Kurama tried to sleep as well, but found himself incapable of drifting off. The only rest he got was during the several blackouts he suffered. Luckily, he passed out in places Hiei did not walk, and for short enough periods of time that his absence was not terribly obvious.

The fox knew his health issues were a direct result of the pressure of caring for Hiei and his paranoia that Intaro would attack again and take his love away from him forever. Although his stress level had decreased considerably once Hiei began walking again, Kurama found his body simply was not healing. He realized that he had let himself go too far, and now, even though the stress no longer caused him to vomit, his stomach was intolerant of food. Several times he brought up blood as well.

Kurama taught Hiei to use the telephone answering machine to listen to messages. The fox reasoned that he had some tests coming up in school, and he would be able to leave a message for his lover, should he have to leave the house before Hiei had awakened. Regretfully, Kurama looked back at the past four weeks. He recalled coming home from school and announcing that his midterms were over and he and Hiei would have some time together now. Then Hiei was taken. The rest of their time together was filled with nightmares, immobility, sickness, staying awake to guard his lover, and fear of attack. No wonder the fox was sick.

Finally, about a week after Hiei began walking again, Kurama had no choice but to go to school. He had a history test that simply could not be avoided. As the two were going to bed, he told Hiei of the test. "I'm sorry, Love, but I have to go. It won't take long."

"Kurama, I'll be fine. Go, take this test thing, and don't worry about me. You need the break, anyway, and I can get around the apartment just fine on my own," Hiei responded. Kurama silently agreed with him.

Snuggling up to his lover from behind, Kurama just said, "Thank you." Hiei drifted off to sleep, and Kurama sat and waited for the sleep that, as usual, never came.