Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Clean ❯ When Things Are Looking UP... ( Chapter 31 )

[ 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: 08.20.2005 | Updated On: 06.03.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.0K | Visits: 675 | Status: Completed

After a long time just lying together and staring at each other, the demon lovers finally decided to get up. Kurama busied himself making breakfast while Hiei explored every inch of their apartment with his newly restored vision. Fortunately, the apartment was small enough that he was finished by the time Kurama was putting breakfast on the table. The two sat together and enjoyed their meal, shooting covert looks and loving expressions at each other.

When breakfast was finished and the kitchen cleaned, Kurama and Hiei sat on the couch together, snuggling and chatting. They both felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders now that Hiei had full use of all his senses. They were perfectly content until Kurama brought up a sore subject.

"Love? What would you like to do with your hiruseki?" he asked softly. Instantly Hiei stiffened.

"I don't care; they're worthless," he replied, a bit coldly.

Kurama was a bit shocked at this, and drew back, his hand automatically going to the hiruseki he wore around his neck still. The stone was the first gift Hiei had given him, and he treasured it deeply. Now the idea that it was worthless brought a bitter taste to his mouth.

When Kurama drew back, Hiei turned to look at him. Seeing the hurt expression and Kurama clutching the stone around his neck, Hiei realized what he had said. "Fox, they are worthless because they were formed out of self pity. Not his one." Hiei placed his hand over Kurama's, holding the stone. "This one came from emotion for another. It was made for you only. The ones I shed for myself are an embarrassment to me, nothing more." Kurama relaxed at this description.

"Hiei? If you do not want them, may I use them?" Kurama asked gently.

"If you wish. You could cast them into a fire for all I care," Hiei replied dourly. Kurama smiled. A plan was forming in his mind, and he was sure his little lover would appreciate it.

"Thank you, Love," the fox murmured as he drew the hiyoukai in for a deep kiss.

The two demons cuddled a bit more before they decided to get out of the apartment. After his ordeal Hiei had a tremendous case of cabin fever, and wanted nothing more than to be free of the confines of the small abode. Kurama gladly complied, and the two headed to the park to indulge in some training. During the afternoon they flitted around to visit their friends and let everyone know Hiei had regained his sight (Kurama's idea. Hiei was content to let them find out on their own, but the fox insisted.) Then they returned to the park for some sparring. They did not return to the apartment until after nightfall, sweaty and happy.

"Love, I think we stink," Kurama noted as he peeled off his dripping shirt. Hiei stepped close to his sweat-drenched lover and inhaled deeply. Kurama blushed at this and tried to step back, but Hiei reached out and stopped him.

"No, all I smell is hot, sexy fox," Hiei breathed. Kurama blushed even more, and the two began to stagger towards the shower, never letting go of each other. After about two hours they finally emerged, sparkling clean. After the water had gone cold, Hiei had warmed them with his own heat while they...bathed. They made their way to the bed and curled up together, tired and content.

"Hiei, I need to go to the jeweler tomorrow, then the bank. I would like you to come with me," Kurama said sleepily.

"Hn. Human stuff. Why should I go?" Hiei mumbled.

"Because it will affect you, too. I want to open a joint account for us. That way we can both access our money without having to travel to Makai to trade gold," Kurama explained, punctuating his sentence with a large yawn.

"We have to go to Makai anyway, unless you have some stash in this world you have not mentioned," Hiei replied.

"Stash? Of course we do. But we discussed it earlier," Kurama said mysteriously. When Hiei tried to ask more, Kurama silenced him with a kiss. "Just come along?" he asked when they finally parted.

"Hn," Hiei replied, but Kurama knew that meant yes.

The next morning the demons got up and got dressed. Kurama went into the bedroom to get something, and they were off. First they went to a local jeweler. Upon entering, the human approached the couple with a friendly smile. "How can I help you today, gentlemen?" he asked politely.

"Perhaps we can help you," Kurama said, producing a pouch from his pocket. He reached inside and drew forth one dark red hiruseki. The jeweler's eyes sparkled when he saw the gem.

"Might I examine that stone?" he asked politely. Kurama handed it to him and waited. The jeweler took an eyepiece out of his pocket and slowly, meticulously examined the stone. After a few minutes, he placed it under a brighter light to look even more closely. Finally he brought it back to the demons.

"You have a beautiful gemstone there, sir," he said, reluctantly returning it.

"Do you think you would have a market for these gems?" Kurama asked, almost nonchalantly. The jeweler perked up immediately upon hearing this.

"Absolutely. Their quality is unparalleled, and the cut is amazing. Never have I seen so perfect a sphere. Even uncut, they are very valuable. If you had any others cut as this one is..."

"They are all cut, all perfect spheres. I can provide a small supply to you, if you are even interested," Kurama supplied. The jeweler immediately took out a calculator and some paper, and they began discussing the terms of their arrangement. By the time the demons left the store, the jeweler had a few hiruseki stored beneath his desk and was already calling his most loyal customers for first dibs on his new stock. Kurama smiled smugly at Hiei's "worthless'" stones, as he made his way to the bank to open their account with their newly discovered assets.

On the way to the bank they made one pit stop. And old demon friend of Kurama's had moved to Ningenkai centuries ago, and had made quite an impressive living by providing forged documents to secure residency for illegal demon immigrants. When Kurama showed up at his door, he was more that eager to help establish an identity for Hiei. Most of his helpful attitude had to do with a life debt he owed the fox spirit, but that never came up. By the time the duo got to the bank, they had all the identification necessary to name Hiei a joint account holder.

After the account was set up, they went out to lunch. "So, Fox, what was so important about that account that I had to be there? You get a few dollars and suddenly I need to be 'legal'? I think human life has rubbed off on you," Hiei commented over their food.

Kurama smiled, and chuckled to himself. "Hiei, do you have any idea how much money we now have?" he asked. When the hiyoukai shook his head, Kurama did some mental calculations and told him the figure in Makai gold. Hiei's chin nearly hit the floor.

"That idiot jeweler gave you that much money for those worthless stones?" he asked, shocked.

"No, Hiei, that jeweler made a very shrewd business deal, and stands to make a tidy profit from it. You are the only one who considers them worthless," Kurama explained and continued eating. After thinking for a few moments, Hiei continued eating as well.

After lunch the demons took a long walk through a nearby park. "So, what did you have in mind, Fox?" Hiei asked. At Kurama's feigned innocence and wide-eyed expression, Hiei continued. "I know you're planning something. You're always planning something. You had me made 'legal' and named me a joint holder on that account for a reason, and I would like to know what. And you did something else at the bank before you opened the account. What was that?"

Kurama held his "who, me?" look for a moment more before he chuckled. "Yes, Love, I do have a plan. I wish to buy something for Mother and something for us. The other something was the gift for Mother. Now let's work on our own gift." Kurama began to explain his plan as he directed Hiei into a realtor's office.

The first two realtors that the demons approached turned them down cold. Neither seemed interested in helping two apparently young men go house hunting for a home to share. The third realtor, however, had no such inhibitions. After a few questions to figure out what her new clients were seeking, she began looking through her listings for a house that may suit their needs. She found several, and they arranged to view them the next day.

Early the next day, Kurama and Hiei entered the realtor's office. She took them to four houses before lunch. Although the houses fit the description of what the demons wanted, they just didn't feel right. The realtor was not discouraged at all. She insisted that if their dream home was out there, she could find it for them. Six houses later, they were all getting tired and grumpy.

"I have only one more house to show you. It has been on the market for some time. Most people are looking for something smaller, or something closer to the urban areas. This house was built more for style than anything else, and it just isn't selling. But I think it fits what you want. We're nearby, so let's take a look. If you don't like it, we can refine our search tomorrow and try again," the realtor suggested. The tired demons agreed, but they were eager to get home.

After a moment Kurama realized with some surprise that they were heading to his mother's neighborhood. When he asked the address of the house they were going to see, he was surprised to learn it was only a few blocks from the house he grew up in. He perked up considerably at this news. A house close to Shiori would be ideal.

As they pulled into the driveway, they noticed the current owners carrying boxes out of the front door and loading them into a truck. "They wanted to sell this before they closed on their new house, but it didn't work that way. They said it would be fine to bring you two over as they packed, so please try to ignore the boxes lying around," the realtor instructed as she got out of the car. Kurama and Hiei just followed her into the house without a word.

When they entered the house, both demons looked around. The front door entered into the living room. The ceiling above them was two stories high. To their left the steps went up to a second floor hallway that was exposed to the living room, separated by only a dark wooden railing. This hallway wrapped around to the right like a letter "L", and the open bedroom doors were just barely visible.

On the first floor, beyond the stairs was the kitchen. The ceiling there was a normal height since it ran under the upstairs rooms. To the right of the kitchen was a laundry room with a small bathroom and stairs down to a storage basement. Both these rooms faced out the back of the house. Along the side of the house, to the right of the laundry room was a small den/private living room, then a guest room and a small, full bathroom. None of these doorways were visible from the front door. That portion of the house was a solid wall with a small alcove on either side housing the doors and the upstairs hallway visible above. All the way at the front of the house, by the doors to the downstairs guest room and the bathroom was a second staircase that wound upwards to lead to the opposite end of the hallway from the main staircase.

Upstairs, starting from the main staircase was a walk in closet, a small office, the master bathroom (accessible only through the master bedroom), the master bedroom, two smaller bedrooms and another full bathroom. The whole house had an open, airy feeling and comfortable atmosphere. The laundry room had a door to the backyard that entered into a screened in patio, and the master bedroom (which was above the laundry room) opened onto a terrace above the patio. There was a garage attached to the house at the front door, but neither demon cared too much for garages since neither drove a car.

The demons looked at each other. This house had potential. The realtor invited them to walk around and get a feel for the house while she talked to the vacating owner. The two wandered around, liking the house more and more. When they walked out into the backyard, they were surprised at how large it was and how many trees it housed. It looked much less impressive from the street.

"What do you think, Hiei?" Kurama asked softly.

"It's not objectionable. What do you think?" Hiei replied in a non-committal manner.

"I think I would like it here. Would you be happy here?" the kitsune asked softly.

"With you, yes, I would," Hiei replied. The two looked at each other for a moment, reading each other's intentions, then shared a nod and went to find the realtor. They had found their new home.

The vacating owners were thrilled that their house was finally selling, and even more excited when they learned that the demons did not want to carry a mortgage. Kurama and the realtor arranged to have the money transferred from his new account into the old owners' account in a few days. They would sign all of the necessary paperwork at the realtor's office on the morning of the transfer and pick up the keys at that time. The excited kitsune thanked the realtor, and explained that they would not need a ride home since he had family nearby. When the arrangements were finalized and they shook hands, Kurama and Hiei began walking the short distance to the fox's mother's house.

It was just after dinner when the doorbell to the Hatanaka household rang. Shiori wiped her hands on the dishtowel and left the kitchen to answer the door. To her great surprise, her son and Hiei were standing on the doorstep. Kurama had not been back to her house since Yusuke and Kuwabara had dragged him there the day Hiei had been kidnapped. "Shuuichi! Hiei! Come in, both of you," she invited. Kurama shook his head.

"No, Mother, we cannot stay. We wanted to give you this," he said, extending a small wooden box to her in both his hands. Noting the formality of the presentation, Shiori accepted it with both hands, and carefully opened it, curiosity written on her face. When she peered inside, a single document met her gaze. Carefully she removed it and opened it. Her eyes widened.

"Shuuichi, this is the deed to this house! How did you? What? I don't understand," she trailed off, looking at him incredulously. "I still have seventeen years left to pay on the mortgage. How did you get this?"

Kurama smiled widely. "Hiei and I have come into some money, and we paid off your mortgage as a gift. Please accept it, Mother."

"But, Son, it's too much! You should save up for your own house!" Shiori protested, but stopped when her son smiled slyly at her. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"We have a house," Kurama announced, putting an arm around Hiei as he did. "The paperwork will be complete by the end of the week, and then I would like you to come and see it." Shiori stood in shock at this.

Finally she replied, "I, uh, we would love to come see it. Are we all invited?" she asked quickly, unsure if the invitation included her husband.

"Yes, of course. I'll call you when we've closed the deal," Kurama said, hugging his mother. He told her the address, and she was thrilled he would be living so close. Then the fox and hiyoukai bid her goodnight and went to their apartment.

Within two weeks, Hiei and Kurama were moved in and buying furniture for their new place. The two demons found furniture shopping to be a fun adventure since they had very similar taste. The proceeds from selling Hiei's "worthless" hiruseki had paid for the house in full, with no mortgage, paid off Shiori's house, and paid for their furnishings. Still, after these expenses, there was hardly a dent in their savings. Now they had their own little den free and clear.

As promised, Kurama's family came over the night they closed to see the house. Even Hatanaka appeared impressed at the size and style of their choice. He did keep his son close to him at all times, a quirk that did not pass unnoticed by Kurama. But the fox just pasted on one of his famous Shuuichi Smiles, and the evening progressed without incident.

Eventually the demons got around to telling their teammates that they had moved. For some time they were too busy romping around their new den, playing, wrestling, and claiming the space as their own. When their new bed arrived, a western style, king sized, pillow top bed, they did not get out of it for two days straight. All in all they were very pleased with their new home.

One night, after they had more or less settled in, Kurama went into the backyard with a small plant in his hands. Hiei followed him curiously. Kurama looked around the entire yard before carefully selecting a spot, and there he planted the tiny tree. He infused it with enough of his own energy for it to take root and begin to grow. When he was convinced it was well established, he stood and snuggled into Hiei's neck. "Remember that tree, Love? You gave it to me in the hospital. It finally has a home, just like us." Hiei just snuggled back silently.

About one month after they had moved in, Kurama got up early one morning and began to dress in his school uniform. "Fox, don't go. Come back here and stay with me," Hiei murmured from the still warm bed.

"I can't, Love. Finals start today. In three days school will be over, and I will have the whole summer to stay in bed with you. But if I don't go and pass these tests, I will fail the year," Kurama said, with disappointment in his voice.

"Fox, you have more money than you could ever hope to make at a ningen job. You don't need this school crap. You know it all already, anyway," Hiei argued halfheartedly. He knew Kurama would go to school no matter what he said.

"True, Love. But I like to do well, and I like to finish what I begin. Let me finish school, and then I'll be all yours," the fox replied.

"I'm holding you to that last part," Hiei said with a sly smile on his features. With an equally sly smile, Kurama kissed him goodbye and left.

Three days later Kurama was walking home with an extra bounce in his step. The school year was over. Despite his abysmal attendance, he had managed to score highest on the finals again this year. The other students had given up on jealousy and settled for awe of his academic record. Knowing he had the whole summer with Hiei in their house ahead of him, he could not help but hum as he made his way home.

When Kurama entered their house he found it empty. Hiei had mentioned going to the forest outside of Genkai's temple to train, so the fox thought nothing of his lover's absence. Kurama tossed his bookbag into the closet beneath the stairs and went to his room to change out of his uniform. He was only a few steps up the stairs when a small chuckle from his living room caught his attention. Turning, the kitsune saw a face he'd rather forget.

Intaro sat perched in the bay window, watching the oblivious fox. Kurama cast a glare at the intruder and assumed a defensive stance. "Where is Hiei?" the kitsune asked coldly.

"The fire demon? Why ever would I know?" Intaro responded with feigned innocence. Kurama narrowed his eyes. When the fox moved he was almost imperceptible. His attack was vicious. His rose whip flashed out to slash the intruder, yet somehow the other demon was faster. Intaro sidestepped the whip time and again. Any punches or kicks that the fox threw were avoided with the same ease.

"Little Foxy, you're slipping," Intaro noted casually.

"Do not call me that. Tell me where Hiei is," Kurama spat at his opponent, pulling his arm back and preparing a lethal slash with his whip. Faster than he thought possible, Intaro was before him, only inches away. The demon grabbed Kurama's wrist in a crushing grip before the blow could be struck. After a moment of struggling Kurama released the whip, which returned to a beautiful rose before it landed softly on the floor. Try as he might, Kurama could not free his arm.

"Now, Little Foxy, is this any way to treat a house guest?" Intaro chided. With a small flick of his wrist he sent Kurama flying through the air across the room. Landing hard on his side, Kurama staggered to his feet, gasping for breath. How was this demon so strong and so fast? Kurama should have been able to kill him in two blows, max. Yet here the fox stood, bruised, winded, and whipless, having been tossed through his own living room. In his anger and fear for his lover, Kurama forgot about the strange strength-enhancing drug Intaro had given his minions, or that perhaps the demon used it himself. Foolishly, Kurama threw himself back into battle against the faster, stronger foe.

When he arrived at Genkai's temple, Hiei was surprised to find Yusuke and Kuwabara there. Yusuke was training with Genkai, and shouts of "Hag!" and "You old witch!" could be heard from the temple training area. Kuwabara was making a fool of himself trying to woo Yukina. What alarmed Hiei was that the ice maiden seemed to genuinely enjoy the oaf's presence. Hiei waited, unseen, in the trees for some time, watching the exchange.

As much as he acted as if he hated Kuwabara, the human had earned Hiei's grudging respect. He knew his sister would be safe with the carrot top. Seeing her smiling and laughing with a human, though, almost hurt Hiei. For years he had watched her, following her in the shadows. For years she had searched alone. Every smile or laugh was alone. To Hiei it felt as if those smiles were for him, her brother, and only for him. Now she was sharing her laughter with someone else.

As jealous as he felt, Hiei also reached a conclusion that day. If the oaf courted his sister, and if she accepted him, Hiei would accept it as well. He would always keep watch on the foolish ningen, and if the youth ever did anything to hurt his sister, Hiei knew many painful techniques to which he could introduce the human. But deep down Hiei also knew that would never be necessary.

With this resolution, Hiei's jealousness evaporated, and he jumped down into the courtyard to scare the oaf. The girlish scream that echoed through the compound announced his success.

Kurama shut the bedroom door, gasping, and leaned heavily against it. He was losing the fight. He had fought foolishly, angered over his lover's unknown whereabouts, and had squandered his energy in a very un-Kurama-like manner. He knew he now lacked the power to transform into his strongest form: Youko Kurama. He also knew his human form lacked the power to defeat Intaro. He had only one option, but he was loath to use it. Last time it had failed him miserably, resulting in his death. Stubbornly, he pushed that option to the back of his mind, determined to make it in his human form.

A hard thud against the door sent it flying open, ripping it off one hinge. Before he could react, a fist connected with Kurama's face, sending him sprawling across the bed. Pushing himself up, Kurama saw blood on the mattress beneath him. Without looking, planning, or thinking, he launched himself at his attacker, allowing his instincts to guide him.

His punches would have caused severe damage, and he would have killed his opponent, had the opponent not been high on strength enhancers. Intaro shrugged off Kurama's attack like the buzzing of a persistent fly, and proceeded to beat the fox to a bloody pulp. One particularly vicious punch sent Kurama flying onto the dresser, knocking all the contents to the floor and shattering the mirror. As glass rained down on the bleeding fox, he decided it was now or never. He employed the escape method that had saved his life countless times, with the exception of the last time he tried to use it. The red-haired human on the dresser collapsed and almost seemed to melt. A silver fox coalesced in its place and immediately scampered towards the door.

Intaro's eyes narrowed. His prey would not escape so easily. He happened to know how to cage a kitsune's energy while in fox form. With lightning fast speed he reached out to grab the nimble fox.

Kurama was inches from the door, from his escape, when pain lanced through his back. Every type of pain he had ever known: burning, stinging, searing, rending, combined and started at the base of his back, shooting up his spine. Bile rose into his mouth as he was picked up from the floor and cast back down. His energy spiraled out of control enough to wilt all the plants within the house. The being that hit the floor was not the lovely silver fox, but a red-haired teenager with green eyes and expression of surprised agony. His body had reverted to its most familiar form, and his power was completely gone.

When he landed Kurama did not move. The pain shooting up his back branched out into all parts of his body. Even blinking was excruciating. He lay on the bloodstained floor, shocked and terrified. His body convulsed and heaved a few times outside of his control, then lay still. Kurama could not even muster the strength to look at his assailant as heavy footsteps approached him.

"Well, Little Foxy, that was a clever idea, trying to turn into your fox form to escape. I'll bet that little trick got you out of many tight situations that a thief like yourself must escape. Good thing I know how to neutralize a fox's power in that form, eh?" Intaro jeered. He dropped something long, silver, and furry into the puddle of blood right in front of Kurama's face. Kurama's eyes widened as he saw the object, but before he could respond, Intaro picked him up and looked him in the face.

"And now you are mine. The intimacy you stole from me by killing Karasu will be reclaimed tenfold. While that crow knew intimacy, he never tasted its true heights. We will share that, my Little Foxy. We will drink of it together." With that, Intaro flung the unmoving form over his shoulder and walked to the sliding glass doors and opened them. Before he left, he carefully modulated his power to its original pattern, one recognizable by the Spirit World lackeys that were still looking for him, and flared it: a beacon to his pursuers. He then allowed it to fluctuate under the influence of his drugs and flashed out of sight as the first Spirit World Intelligence agent came into view.

Around midafternoon Botan appeared in the courtyard on Genkai's temple, floating on her oar. Luckily, most of the team was right there. "Guys, we have a problem!" she called hurriedly.

Yusuke looked up from the porch, where he had flopped to lay down when Genkai had finally granted him a break from training. Kuwabara and Yukina looked up as well, and even Hiei gave her his attention from his perch on the roof.

"A demon informant saw Intaro entering Human World this morning. We're not sure where he is now; agents are searching the city for him. Koenma believes we should all stick together until he is found. We can't trace his energy, so we believe he has taken some of the strength enhancing drugs he gave his minions. That stuff scrambles a demon's energy and makes it untraceable. I think we should all go find Kurama and stay in one place until Koenma calls us with more information. Hopefully we can eliminate Intaro today," she said quickly.

Yusuke and Kuwabara jumped up and Hiei abandoned the roof. "Kurama should be just getting home from school right now. He'll be at the house," Hiei supplied, and the team set off to warn their friend.