Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Intangible ❯ Death's Surprise ( Chapter 8 )

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.Eight.

The next morning could be described as chaotic. Or possibly, horrendous. Actually, now that I think back on it, it was really a mixture of the two. When I had woken up, behold my surprise when I saw that Kurama was actually watching me. Before I could even say anything to him a snap was sounded above me. I turned around and saw Botan winking at me, a camera in her hands. My jaw dropped.

"What the…?"

"That was so sweet. Yusuke waking up to look upon his lover's eyes!" exclaimed Botan dramatically, her eyes growing misty. "Oh, you can't beat the power of love."

I narrowed my eyes. "What in the world are you rambling about?" I asked.

Suddenly, she put a finger to her lips and gestured to the side. I glanced over and saw that everyone else was still sleeping soundly. Somehow or another Kuwabara made his way to Yukina's side and was now sleeping facing her. I stifled my laughter. Oh yeah, he'd be dead if Hiei caught him.

"Everyone's still sleeping. Don't be so loud!"

I glared at Botan. Why was she even so lively at this time of the day? I looked over at Kurama and saw that he had closed his eyes and appeared to be sleeping again. Good idea.

"Well, while you go and take your nice little pictures, I'm going back to sleep," I muttered to Botan as I crept under my sleeping bag.

I didn't know whether she said something or not because right when I closed my eyes, my mind drifted off once again. Staying up half the night staring at Kurama was taking its toll and I clonked out within a few seconds. There were no nightmares plaguing my mind this time round and the only reason why I woke up so soon after was because someone was screaming. Loudly. Above my head. In an absolutely annoying pitch. Kuwabara.

"U-Urameshi and Kurama! Wait…I think I remember this from last night… But…them? And-"

His outburst was soon brought to a halt by a strange strangling noise. When I glanced over, I saw his hand covering his mouth before he bolted up the stairs-to the bathroom, probably. I chuckled soundlessly and propped an elbow under my head amusedly.

"He's always too hasty," I commented dryly as Botan looked at me.

She folded her arms crossly. "Yusuke, I don't find this very funny. Kuwabara looked utterly appalled. Aren't you worried…?" she asked before I waved her off carelessly.

"He's just surprised that it's me and Kurama. I'll bet that a majority of you was thinking that it would be Hiei and Kurama, right?" I retorted smartly.

Botan stared at me with distressed eyes. "Well…yes…I mean…" she drawled on confusedly.

"Don't worry. I wasn't expecting it either."

Half of me was laughing. It was wrong of me to tease Botan like this, but I couldn't help it. I watched her as she played around with her words before she finally pointed a finger at me accusingly.

"Urameshi Yusuke, you are worth more trouble than good!"

I smiled wryly. "I know. Tell me something else I don't," I replied calmly. Like I didn't know I was trouble? Hell, it's bad enough when you're a troublemaker, but it's even worse when you're a troublemaker whom trouble loves coming to. And that was me. I sighed wearily. Maybe that was why I wasn't meant for lasting relationships.

"I think the trouble makes you all the more desirable," came a calm tone.

I froze for a second as chills played along my neck when Kurama reached over and placed his chin on my shoulder playfully. I could feel his eyes on me as he spoke and did all I could from melting right then and there.

"How long have you two been going out?" inquired Botan.

I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as Kurama turned his gaze on her. He still remained on my shoulder, though. "Just a few weeks," he answered simply. I bit my lip and tried not to laugh. Sometimes Kurama could be both the most enigmatic and most hilarious person I knew.

"But it feels longer. Right, Yusuke?"

Again his eyes were on me. I finally risked a look at him and saw his emerald eyes boring straight into mine with an intensity that unnerved me slightly. Then before I could open my mouth, another flash went off. I shut my eyes and growled while clenching my fist. Kurama chuckled lightly at me.

"Exactly how many pictures are you going to waste, Botan?"

"It's not wasting, Yusuke! And I bet that you haven't taken a single picture with each other since you started going out so consider it a favor!"

I blinked in mild surprise.

"Be sure to give us copies then," quipped Kurama.

Botan beamed at him. "Of course! I told you these pictures were for you! Besides, blackmailing is out of the question now that everyone knows," she replied, a bit of disappointment in her tone. She then shrugged cheerfully and left the room.

I glowered at her departing form. Why were women so devious?

"I'll be leaving now."

I turned around in absolute shock before my eyes fell on Hiei, who had folded up his sleeping bag and changed back to his own clothes. I frowned slightly at the coldness in his tone. True, Hiei was always cold but this time it sounded hostile. I shuddered at the thought of him being one of my enemies-which if I was, I'd probably be dead by now.

"Already? You don't even want to see Kuwabara open his presents whenever he finally decides to come down from the bathroom?" queried Kurama. He had sat up from his former position and I found myself wondering slightly at the sudden absence of weight on my shoulder.

Hiei snorted. "I don't care about his stupid presents," he replied nonchalantly before turning his dark eyes on me for a second. I stared back at him evenly, but couldn't read a single thing in his expression. Then without a good-bye, he vanished from the room altogether. Not a millisecond later we heard the front door swinging slowly from the breeze outside.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Kurama. "I think he hates me," I stated uncertainly.

The redhead looked at me curiously. "He doesn't," he reassured.

"But now it's obvious that he wants you, right? So we can stop the charade," I pointed out, a bit too excitedly. To be honest, I didn't want to stay with Kurama longer than was necessary. I could barely deal with the pain now. Extending the time would only make it harder.

For a second, a glimmer of surprise crossed Kurama's eyes before disappearing underneath pools of calm green. He smiled slightly at me. "The purpose was to see how far he would go for me. I don't know that answer yet," he said.

I forced myself to laugh. "Oh, so you mean you want to see whether or not he'll fight for you," I reasoned out.

"I couldn't have said it better."

Idiot. Of course he would fight for Kurama. I didn't know how the kitsune couldn't see that. I shook my head at him. "You know, you're not as smart as I thought you were," I said, a bit of my old taunting self leaking through.

Kurama arched a slim eyebrow at me. I laughed.

"Boys!"

I looked up and saw Botan entering the room again. "Wake up Yukina and Keiko for me will you? I think Kuwabara's almost done with the bathroom so he can open his gifts soon and-where's Hiei?" she inquired, sharply turning around in bewilderment at the missing youkai.

"You know Hiei. He's not into these types of things," I replied.

Botan pursed her lips. "Hmph. What a rude youkai," she grumbled as she headed up the stairs. "I'm going to get Shizuru."

The next few minutes were spent trying to wake up Keiko and Yukina. Originally, I handled Keiko but when she smacked me with her hand, I decided to switch with Kurama. Needless to say, Yukina was much more refined in manner and woke up with a dazed expression on her face. I grinned brightly at her.

"Rise and shine, my favorite koorime!"

I only briefly wondered to myself where that had come from.

"What happened?" asked Yukina as she yawned, politely covering her mouth. I smiled charmingly.

"Nothing much. Oh, but you did miss the announcement Kurama and I made on our newfound relationship," I replied whimsically.

She stared at me dumbfoundedly.

"Yusuke, you really have to stop dropping those bombs on people," remarked Kurama from behind me.

When Yukina continued staring at me like I had grown two heads and a scaly tail, I finally held both my hands up apologetically at her. "Sorry, sorry! But it is true," I said, trying to get some other kind of reaction from her.

She then slowly began to nod. "I understand. It just surprised me. But I'm happy for the both of you," she replied, smiling encouragingly at me and Kurama.

By then the only thought in my head was this: Yukina could handle being drunk pretty well. She must have slept everything off. Or maybe her body reacted to alcohol differently. I could only wonder.

"Come on, Kuwabara! You have to open your presents!"

I looked up for a second to see Botan pushing Kuwabara down the stairs. He still looked distinctly grey in the face and wobbled slightly as he went down the steps. I smirked knowingly.

"In three, two, one," I counted down before Kuwabara tripped on his own feet and toppled down the stairs clumsily. He landed on the floor in a heap and looking quite stunned. All the girls cried out in concern. I laughed. "Don't worry. A little fall like that isn't going to hurt him."

And not a minute later Kuwabara was on his feet as soon as Yukina touched him.

"Oh, Yukina! I'm fine really! I just wasn't paying too much attention you know…"

I shook my head wearily. Leave it to Yukina to snap Kuwabara out of his hangover.

"Hey, little brother! Stop wasting time and open your damn gifts. I want some more sleep!" called out Shizuru from above. She stood about halfway into the staircase with her hair mussed and pajamas wrinkled.

Kuwabara glared indignantly at her. "All right, all right! Gee, you would think since their my gifts you could be a little more patient and let the opener decide when he wants to unwrap them!" he exclaimed bitterly as he made his way to the presents on the other side of the room. There were nine gifts altogether piled neatly on top of each other in different sizes and wrapping paper. Amazingly enough, Genkai and Koenma had bestowed their own presents even though they didn't come. I was curious as to what they gave him.

"Okay, first one up is from…Keiko! Gee, thanks!" he said as he picked up the first package. It was relatively flat and decked out in wrapping paper that adorned kittens wearing birthday party hats and signs. Kuwabara was almost reverently peeling off the paper before coming face to face with a plain paperboard box. He opened it slowly and his eyes lit up. "It's…!"

Beep. Beep.

Time seemed to stop for a moment before Botan suddenly jumped and took out the communicator she usually held in her pocket. She snapped it open and Koenma's face beamed in from the small screen.

"Koenma! Kuwabara was just about to open his present!" exclaimed Botan annoyingly.

The toddler's eyes wrinkled slightly. "Oh? Did he open mine yet?" he inquired.

"We just started."

"Well, in that case I can tell you my news then."

Kuwabara raised his fist angrily and took the compact case from Botan's hands. "Hey, come on! Can't you show a little consideration when it's a guy's birthday?!" he yelled.

I sighed and shook my head. Kurama was smiling. Koenma wasn't. I frowned deeply at this.

"What is it?" I asked worriedly. As a rule of thumb when Koenma didn't even have a smirk on his face then that usually meant trouble for us.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your fun but we have some business to deal with first. I have a mission for all of you."

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TBC

Okay, first things first. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I love you all. :D And to answer some questions, yes, the story is being told from Yusuke's POV. As of right now, everything has happened already and Yusuke is merely recollecting the events. I originally said I would switch to Kurama's POV but I'm not doing that anymore. It would ruin the effect of the story I think so it'll be in Yusuke's perspective until the very end. And I just realized now how bad I am at explaining. Okay. Never mind. It'll become clear soon enough.

Cliffhangers…I haven't done these in a while. I kind of missed them. :P I won't leave you hanging too long, though. Or at least I'll try not to. Anyhow, please review, my lovely darlings!