Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Goodbye, Lady Luck ❯ One Shitty Hand ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I had nothing to do with the creation of YuYu Hakusho or any of its characters. In other words, me no make and me no own. Me sad.

Warning: This story will contain shounen-ai and eventually full-blown yaoi. Maybe even some semi-graphic nonconsensual situations. Read at your own risk and don't go flaming me because you were too stupid to read this warning. Flames are funny, but the stupid ones are just a waste of my ever-depleting brains cells, not to mention yours.

Chapter 1: One Shitty Hand

"This is so humiliating. What the hell was that thing?" a voice complained.

The redhead sighed dramatically. "You brought this entirely upon yourself. I warned you to stay back. Must you always learn everything the hard way?" Kurama couldn't help but rub the young detective's nose in the situation, even though he was half dragging the human along whose shirt was soaked front and back from the blood oozing from his sliced shoulder.

"I thought it was dead! And who are you--Mr. Perfect? It's not like you've never screwed up before."

"Ah yes, but *I'm* not the leader of this little party, and *I'm* not the one who suggested we split up in enemy territory, and *I'm* not the one who decided it would be a neat idea to go poking at prickly creatures, which, by the way, are called swamp borogs. They thrive in this region of Makai." With an exasperated huff, Kurama continued. "You are lucky to be alive. A normal person wouldn't have been able to detect the attack until it was too late. You, on the other hand, managed to deflect nineteen blades." Kurama stated pointedly and hoisted Yusuke further on his side so he could get a better grip. He did not need to imply further about the twentieth razor-like claw that had slashed open his teammate's shoulder just a few inches from his neck. Nor did he mention his growing concern over his friend's condition. He definitely did not look so well. But of course, severe blood loss was never healthy for anybody. Not even Yusuke, accustomed to such physical damage as he was.

Wincing at the sudden jolt and remarkably irritated, Yusuke declined to comment further and hung his head sulkily. This was just not his day. Thanks to him, he and Kurama--well, mostly Kurama--were trudging along an expanse of icky, smelly marshlands that ended who knows where and where it lead, he doubted he wanted to find out. All he wanted at this point was to find Hiei and Kuwabara and head back to Spirit World. Once there, he would find a nice place to bathe and dress his wounds and tell a certain demi-god-employer where he could shove this stupid assignment.

The thought perked him up a bit and encouraged his mind to think of other things besides his throbbing injury and smarting pride. Who really cared about a remote estate in the heart of a remote island in the center of a remote sea in the middle of a crappy-ass part of the world? He sure as hell didn't.

But of course, Koenma did. Especially if it were rumored that said estate happened to harbor shady Makai dealings by even shadier demons who had supposedly suspicious human contacts. How much of this was just speculation and hasty conclusions, Yusuke could not guess. He was fed up with trying to reason with snobby toddlers whose daddies could cast him to oblivion without so much as a twitch of a finger.

So, here they were. Their mission, whether they chose to accept it or not, was to infiltrate and report any fishy business, particularly, but not limited to rouge demon operations and/or black market trading. Come to think of it, Koenma had acted like he wanted to say more on the subject, but he held back for whatever reason.

Accustomed to shifty pre-mission briefings as they were, none of the team had felt inclined to squeeze more info out of the twerp. Now Yusuke was seriously reconsidering that certain policy. Breaking the habit if you will, and for damn good reason. Turns out that this so-called estate must be a really big hole in the ground, for they could find neither hide nor hair of it. After hours of traipsing around the very bowels of Makai, Yusuke's already thin string of patience snapped. At the time, deciding to split into separate parties had seemed a swell idea. They could comb the area in half the time, find nothing, and return to Koenma's office to ream his ass for wasting their precious time with wild goose chases.

After a tense deliberation session, it was settled that Hiei and Kuwabara would team up and tackle the mucky wilderness to the south while Kurama and Yusuke worked to the north. Of course, Hiei and Kuwabara needed the most convincing. Kurama obliged by reasoning that this mission required a certain espionage finesse, which only himself and Hiei possessed. Therefore, they each had to partner with one of the humans to ensure that they didn't unwittingly barge into any enemy shindigs, or similarly bring attention to their objectionable presence. Logic finally won out and Hiei stomped through the undergrowth with a reluctant carrot top struggling to keep up.

He'd be damned if he would argue for the privilege of being Yusuke's partner. No matter how much he preferred his company over the 'sniveling idiot's.'

Considering the present situation, Yusuke was grateful. He could just imagine the fun Hiei would have at his expense when he saw him. Not to mention Kuwabara. It's not every day that Yusuke's Lady Luck took a coffee break and let his spontaneous and often careless antics came back around to bite him in the arse. The very thought of Hiei's cold mockery and Kuwabara's imminent hysteria made him want to sink into the mud.

The stream of gloomy thoughts and premonitions prevented Yusuke from noticing the worried looks Kurama shot him beneath his sweaty bangs. The human's uncharacteristic silence bothered him, but not quite as much as the unnatural pallor of normally well-tanned skin or the too-bright eyes under drooping lashes. Yusuke was becoming heavier and heavier with every step and Kurama could feel his limbs quiver with each breath. Fighting against his Youko instincts that told him to keep moving, Kurama made his way to a fairly decent patch of dry land and began to remove his bandages. He cursed softly when the yellow strip of cloth he had torn from his shirt came away dripping with blood. Evidently, traveling across the landscape had prevented Yusuke's gash from closing properly and now it was completely reopened and bleeding profusely. Ripping another section from his tunic and knotting it about his fist, Kurama applied direct pressure to the severed veins, all the while noting Yusuke's dilating pupils and how his movements gradually became weaker and more sluggish. Meanwhile, Yusuke bit his lip at the discomfort of the kitsune's administrations.

"You know," Yusuke ventured. "We really outta find the others."

"Not until you've stopped bleeding." Kurama replied firmly. "I didn't realize until now how bad this was becoming. Hiei and Kuwabara can wait--for the moment--let's just concentrate on keeping you in the world of the living." Lifting a hand, he brushed it against Yusuke's forehead, sighing when he felt an abnormal warmth. "You've also taken a fever…which means your shoulder has become infected."

Yusuke made a frustrated noise. "Just what I needed to hear! More bad news! Why does this day hafta suck so much?" Hey, if he couldn't go anywhere, at least he could entertain himself by whining.

"None of this would have happened if you could just learn a little restraint, Yusuke. In the Makai especially, you should look bef-"

"Look before you leap." Yusuke finished for him. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. You're starting to sound like Keiko. Tell me, are you gonna start smacking me around too?"

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle. "No. It wouldn't help anyway. Your head is thicker than Hiei's and Kuwabara's put together."

Yusuke snorted. "Sure doesn't stop her though."

"Oh my, am I detecting a hint of bitterness? What's the matter? I thought that you two were the perfect dream couple."

"We're fine. She's just…just…" Yusuke faltered. "Can we talk about something else?"

Kurama shrugged and partially lifted his hand with the red-stained cloth to check beneath it. The bleeding had finally stopped. He reached into his mane of crimson tresses and combed for a few herbal seeds that quickly sprouted in his hand. Taking a few of the leaves, the fox demon began to chew them until they became a thick, greenish-brown paste mixed with his saliva. Using his fingers, he then applied the poultice to Yusuke's shoulder, making sure to smear the excess on the rag before he used it to gently rebind the wound. Satisfied for now, Kurama sat back and peered into the detective's face. His eyes were closed, but his breathing had become strong and even.

He was asleep.

AN: This is my very first fic so please take that into consideration when you review. And you WILL review, right?

Oh, by the way…this fic is far from finished. Stay tuned for more updates within a few days. On the other hand, the more reviews, the faster I'll write. 0.~