Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ One heart ,three minds ❯ Revelations and surprises galore ( Chapter 2 )

One heart, three minds

By: shadowbrat

Disclaimer: I dun own it, now please, leave me to my misery of the fact that I don't own it ; __;

Author notes: Aeeeiiiiii! Chapter 2! If you are sad at the moment, I command for you to be happy! B/c if you are to be sad, it will be because of this fic made you that way with the torment our boys are going through. ^__^ lol j/k Well that's enough outta me for now, * goes and dances happily in her black hole*

Chapter two: Revelations and surprises galore

Kieko looked worryingly over at the obviously sleep deprived Yusuke, judging by the huge bags that draped under his chocolate eyes. He just sat across from her in a seemingly mindless state. His gaze was fixated on the textbook in front of him, making anyone who would just happen to look over a moment think he was studying faithfully as the girl across from him. However, although his look was on piece of school property, his eyes were anything but focused, his face was worn and tired, his wild eyes no longer vibrant and lively as the Yusuke Urameshi Keiko knew all her life. She looked up from her book, and frowned, Yusuke hadn't moved from when she last looked across the restaurant booth table. Not even an inch.

" Yusuke…" Keiko called and shook his arm gently, trying to awake the S-class from his mysterious trance. Prodding Yusuke's eyes for an answer but failed to see what hindered the boy to such an extent. He sighed heavily, blinking his sleepy eyes and looked at the girl in silent regard.

" Oi, Keiko. What? I was studying…" Yusuke said quietly, looking around him. He turned his head sharply towards the door as another customer strolled into the Ramen shop, disturbing the peaceful bells that hung on the door. The sound screamed in Yusuke's headache laden mind, as the door slammed shut. He struggled to keep his eyes open but they closed despite himself. His eyes had begged to be shut, his mind had pleaded and his body had yearned for the luxury of a long dreamless sleep. He hadn't had more than 5 hours of sleep in the past week…

" No you weren't Yusuke!" Kieko exclaimed and slammed her book closed. Her eyes flared as she glared daggers at the boy. Who, however, didn't even flinch. He just yawned and regarded her with distant interest.

" Keiko… not so loud, headache. HUGE headache. Must not sleep…" he mumbled, his head slowly dropping until his forehead fell, resting on the open book. He moaned and turned his sideways to stare at the disgruntled girl, she was looking at him more concern. He looked absolutely pathetic.

" Yusuke, tell me what's wrong. You look terrible. Like you haven't slept in days. At first I thought you were tired from all your training, but this is ridiculous!" Kieko threw her hands up in frustrated abandon as Yusuke continued to stare. He yawned and started drumming his fingers gently on the table.

" Its Hiei…" Yusuke finally whispered, just loud enough for Keiko to hear, barely.

After what he considered the best night of his life with Kurama and Hiei, Hiei had, well to put it simply, vanished. Neither Yusuke nor Kurama had seen him since.

" Hai? What about him, isn't he in the Makai working for Mukuro-sama?" Kieko asked and reopened her book, searching for the page that was lost in her moment of frustration. She sighed her regret for yelling at Yusuke for something that was truly bothering him, instead of being a caring and understanding, "girlfriend".

" He's not there, I went and visited Mukuro and she says she hasn't seen him in weeks." Yusuke adorned this hopeless look in his eyes that would make a homeless puppy whimper its defeat. Kieko's eyes widened her mouth ajar slightly as she looked at him. He really was worried about the aloof fire youkai. She didn't even bother to inquire if he asked Kurama on the koorime's whereabouts. For she would figure he would ask Kurama before he would go confront the Makai lord herself.

" How long has he been gone?" Kieko finally got out around a sigh of sadness at the tattered young man. Her fingers abandoned their search for the lost book page and went to rub Yusuke's arm in a comforting gesture.

" I take it that you've looked other places then at Mukuro-sama's, Kuwabara would be able to sense him ne?"

Kieko asked hopefully, waiting for Yusuke to spring up and hit himself in the head for not thinking of that himself. She wanted to bring him back from the drowning emotions that were obviously hindering the boy's spirit. She wanted him to make a joke or be a pervert, anything to cheer him up. Yusuke had looked ragged and now she knew why. He had been undoubtedly been looking for the Hiei in the Makai, and well, in probably all three worlds. She had mistook his fatigue for the result of long training sessions for which she also thought was also the reason for his absence.

" Iya! Kuwabara hasn't been able to sense him! Neither has Kurama and he's usually very aware of Hiei whereabouts!" Yusuke yelled, sitting half way in his seat. He stopped when the tops of his thighs hit the edge of the table. He huffed and sat back down, in an even more depressed state. Keiko frowned slightly; she didn't want to make him feel worse! Now what was she going to do?

" Go… Gomen nasai Yusuke, I just wanted to help." Keiko whispered, but was interrupted by an another murmur from the young man.

" I think he's mad… he doesn't want to see us…" He muttered around a forced frown whose purpose was to hide his on coming tears. Kieko raised a thin brow at his words. Why would Hiei be mad at him? And what did he mean when he said `us'? She wondered if he had meant to voice his thoughts, or if it wasn't of his knowledge that he was doing so. Either way, it only made Keiko more curious and even worried. She raised in her seat, leaning forward as studied the boys expression filled face.

"Mad? Doushite Yusuke, why would he be mad?" Keiko inquired, watching as Yusuke shifted gracelessly in his seat. He slowly started regretting mentioning anything to Keiko at the moment, and he wished he could have kept his big mouth shut. Stupid! Now she would prod, and probe until she got the information she wanted. Now that Keiko had that piece of this information, she caught of whiff that sparked her curiosity, and nothing was going to stop her until she found the source of the scent.

"Nani? What happened?" Keiko asked, her palms panted on the booth table firmly, as she loomed over the s-class.

" Umm…Uh."

How was he going to tell Keiko about what happened between him and his friends? How was he going to tell he slept with his teammates? Who are MALE or that matter, to her? He would slap him into oblivion a million times over! He poked his index fingers together and looked down.

" Um well, something happened between us…"

He fidgeted more on the leather-clad seat of the booth, glancing up to see if that had satisfied Kieko's newly acquired curiosity. Prayed that it would be enough. Begged for it to be enough to leave him alone.

It wasn't.

" You know, it would make you feel better if you talked about it, instead of holding it all bottled up inside. Its not healthy." Kieko said matter-of-factly.

Yusuke glared at her uncanny logic, as she sat back down in her seat. She looked at him with sympathy and worry, drumming her fingers on her forearm casually as she waited for an answer.

Damn her and her persistence!

" Shit Keiko! You always have to know everything don't you?"

Yusuke tried to sound angry, but only managed to sound only half, maybe even a quarter angry, and that wasn't enough to convince Kieko. Stones beat against him through her hard stare and he started shifting in his seat again. Surrendering to the onslaught of the inquiring gaze.

"Well… something happened between me, Kurama and Hiei…"

` Ah, so it has to do with Kurama too?' Keiko pondered, not making her surprise known to the S-class as he continued.

" We might think Hiei is mad at us, either that or regrets it…" Yusuke let the prevailing tear slid down his cheek and onto the table in silent surrender.

` I'm to tired to hide it anymore…'

" You see, Kurama, Hiei and I, well, we slept together a couple weeks ago. And we thought he would come back when we woke up the next morning, and he was gone…"

He couldn't bring himself to look at her undoubtedly shocked and disgusted face. Her eyes were probably brimming with unshed tears and a open palm at the ready.

" So the morning after, me and Kurama made love. Not really worrying about Hiei because we thought he would be back. But he didn't come back Keiko. He didn't come back! We went to see Mukuro, and she hasn't seen him since his leave, he hasn't contacted anyone else. Kurama and I searched almost all of the goddamn Makai! He's no where to be found! Even in the Ningenkai, Kuwabara can't sense him. I'm so fucking worried Keiko! I don't want to lose one of my best friends. I… I can't lose him. Not now, Please forgive me Keiko. I… got to know what happened to him. And I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I…"

Feminine arms circled him in a gentle hug and held him close. Causing his eyes to nearly pop out of his head and roll across the floor. He automatically started sobbing into her sailor fuku, grabbing her upper arms and fisting the fabric of her uniform. He let go of everything that had been eating him from the inside. Wait, Kieko was hugging him? No slap? No screaming?

She… understood…

She understood!

His mind couldn't comprehend the thought, the action, of Keiko understanding instead of beating him into the wall with her palm. He tried to control his sobbing but he couldn't, he needed to cry to badly. His body shook and Keiko tightened her hold.

" Shhh Yusuke, it's alright. Calm down." Keiko cooed and pulled him away from her chest, wiping a tear as it slid down his cheek. He sniffled, and looked at Keiko as if she had grown a third eye.

" Keiko… you're not mad?" He swiftly wiped a tear with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Gawking at the girl who looked at him such understanding and… friendship?

" Oh Yusuke, why would I be mad?" She chuckled, which threw Yusuke off even more than he could have thought possible in one day.

" Oh I dunno, because I just admitted I cheated on you with two of my friends, at the same time. Not one, two!"

Keiko laughed and slapped his arm, giggling.

" Oh… Yusuke, tell me, when did we establish that we are "boyfriend and girlfriend"? Never! Tell me who do you feel deeper for, me or Kurama and Hiei?" She smiled widely at Yusuke state of shock.

Yusuke couldn't even speak. Of all the reactions he had thought he could possibly get, this was NOT the reaction he expected!

" Um… Kurama and Hiei…" He looked down at his own realization. He cared for Keiko more like a sister than anything else. For what he felt for Kurama and Hiei… it was something deeper, and was held in a different region in his heart then from where Keiko was.

Keiko smiled. " I thought so, I know how you look at them Yusuke. I've known it for quite a while now. I do have eyes you know."

Yusuke tried his voice again, this time it wasn't as forced.

" So… your not hurt?"

Kieko laughed again, this truly did tickle her.

" Not at all. I care for you like a brother Yusuke. I figured at out now, I did have a thing for you. And then I realized it was a silly crush. Besides I'm with…"

Keiko had stopped herself, slapping a hand on her mouth to muffle what ever of the sentence that would have escaped. Yusuke looked at her, eyes narrowed. She was about to say something…

" Oh, what was that Keiko? You were about to say something weren't you? But Oh! Your hand kinda interrupted you. Here, let me help you."

He grinned evilly has he grabbed her hand from her mouth, while grabbing the other and pinning them both to the table.

" Come on… now what where you going to say!" Yusuke neared her face until their noses touched and looked hard into the guilty eyes.

" Ah! Yusuke let go!" she struggled against his hands but it was no use. She was caught.

`Damnit!' she thought.

" Okay okay! Ummm…" Keiko looked around nervously and a furious blush heated her cheeks.

" Promise not to tell?" she asked meekly and Yusuke shook his head yes with a victorious smile.

" Ummm you see, Botan and I have been…"

" BOTAN!?!?!?!?"

Yusuke practically screamed on the top of his lungs and Keiko scurried to cover his mouth. Smiling innocently at the people who were giving them odd looks. She turned to glare as hard as she could at Yusuke, who just smiled behind her hand and chuckled.

" Shush!!! Yusuke must you shout?! " Keiko said in a loud hushed whisper, a blush still dominating her face. She slowly removed her hand, and lowered herself to sit in her seat.

" Gomen, but whoa… since when? " Yusuke soon forgot his own fatigue and was now interested in this new turn of events. Kieko and… Botan?

" Since a couple years ago okay? Sheesh!" Keiko shook the blush off her face; she took a deep breath to compose herself.

" The point is, you and Kurama obviously care about Hiei very much. And maybe Hiei needs his space, let him come to you instead of looking for him. Trust that he'll come back when he's ready."

Yusuke thought about her words and nodded. With a sigh he stood up, deciding that he had studied enough for one day. He packed his books into his bag, and hoisted it over his shoulder as he walked to the front door of the shop. He looked up at Keiko who remained seated, she looked at him with a reassuring smile. With a small smile he pushed the doors open.

Trust that he will come back…

` Damn, your lucky I trust you with all my heart Hiei'

He waved to Keiko through the window, as he walked and disappeared into the blood flow of the city.

^. ~

Kurama looked blankly at the stack of paper work that loomed over him; not caring weather or not it wasn't getting done by staring at it. He hung up the phone after he had heard Yusuke's answering machine go off for what had to be the twentieth time that day. He sighed turning to watch as the phantom wind blew the curtains that hung over the open window. He huffed and threw a hand out towards the stack of papers, sending them flying in all directions. He could give a damn about work right now.

" I can't concentrate on work! Dad can just wait. I need a vacation anyway."

With Hiei being gone and his link that he built with him severed, Kurama had gotten irritable. He wasn't focused at work, and his family worried about him. His stepfather had asked if anything was wrong and Kurama just told him it was stress. His family didn't readily believe his excuse, but accepted it none the less. Shiori would come and visit Kurama, and that had cheered him up a little. His stepfather had offered that he took a vacation, but Kurama insisted that he was fine. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea. Some time away from the stress of work to focus on another source. Finding Hiei.

He shot his head towards the door as Yusuke poked his head in, offering Kurama a tiny smile as he fully entered the room.

" Hey, If you got a pacifier you would look just like Koenma surrounded by all that paper work. Now you just need some ogres to run around and serve your every whim. "

Yusuke chuckled and sat on the bed. He stared at the youko silently for a many minutes, watching as the youko didn't smile or laugh. He hoped that his little joke would cheer Kurama up, maybe just a little? He wanted to see that gentle smile grace his beautiful face. He had not liked seeing the tired and miserable expression that didn't fit him so.

` It should be against the law for a face to look that miserable.'

For Kurama's smile could melt the polar ice caps of a cold heart, rouse the spirits to tears and could easily become the center of anyone's known universe. Kurama sighed and looked away. He rested his head on his folded arms below him, scowling as he continued to blame. He blamed himself, Hiei had severed their link because of him, and now he might never see the shadow upon his window again. He didn't know what to do, without Hiei there with them he felt as if his heart was missing a third of itself. He started suddenly, feeling warm callused hands rub his shoulders gently. He sat up and turned to look at Yusuke. The S-class leaned over to plant a chaste kiss upon the frowning lips, as Yusuke's gentle hands rubbed his shoulders, his hands remedied his work-acquired stress, his thumbs roughly caressing the taut muscles under the suit and supple skin underneath.

" Kurama…" Yusuke whispered, leaning to bury his face in the red mane. " There's… there's nothing we can do. We have to trust him, we have to trust that he will come back to us."

He did trust Hiei, he did trust that he would see him again at some time. But what worried him was… did he regret it?

" But… what if he regrets it…"

Yusuke withdrew his hands and dug into his pockets. Searching for the object he hadn't let out of his sight since it was received. With a sad smile he pulled out the small tear gem. He looked up, feeling Kurama's gaze as it fell upon him. Kurama turned around in his chair and wrapped his arms around Yusuke's waist. Yusuke leaned down and hugged back, petting the red hair and kissing along his ear.

" Somehow, I don't think he regrets loving us Kurama..."

He whispered against Kurama's ear as he held him, Kurama's heavy sigh muffled by his chest. He held Yusuke closer to him for the unrealized fear that he too would leave him. But he knew Yusuke wouldn't leave him.

Not now.

Not ever.

They reveled in the feel of each other's embrace.

Together they prayed to all the gods for the return for their beloved friend.

And hoped, that one of them had listened.