Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ To Those Who Wait ❯ To Those Who Wait ( Chapter 2 )

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

Chapter 2

Kuwabara froze, bucket still poised over his head and eyes trained on the yellow tiles before him. He contemplated the squirm of warm flesh wallowing in his lap, but didn't really want to look down. So he looked up. No, didn't fall from the ceiling. Right. No hole in the wall there. Left. Nope. Maybe it came from in front and he just missed the gaping point of entry. So, he looked forward.

Brown and black impeded his view.

Kuwabara blinked.

It blinked.

Kuwabara suddenly felt very uncomfortable. So, with a scream that he never would admit was actually a scream, he jumped up and darted from the bathroom, ignoring the clamor of bucket and stool as he ran. Eikichi spazzed when she saw him barreling towards her, somewhere between arching her back and digging her legs into the carpet up to her shoulders before Kuwabara plucked her up, intent on leaving no man behind.

He burst out of his apartment and slammed the door behind him, leaning on it and breathing heavily.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. There had to be an explanation for this. There had to be a reason why a-a-a-... person? fell out of nowhere and onto his lap, while he was showering. Was it even a person? He tried to concentrate, seeing in his mind's eye an enormous fall of black hair, dark skin laced with wicked looking tattoos, and narrowed brown eyes.

"What the hell is going on here!?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."

Kuwabara jumped, startled. He blushed down to his toes as his next door neighbor finished setting out her evening garbage. Eikichi squawked as he used her as a makeshift loincloth.

"I can think of at least three crude comments about this situation." She said, staring pointedly at Eikichi.

"Inari-san! I, uh, uh... hi!" He made the mistake of trying to wave, nearly losing his grip on Eikichi before recovering and replacing her, ignoring her protests. He giggled nervously, trying to decide if it was safer under the scrutinous gaze of his eighty year old neighbor or that thing that assaulted him in his bathroom.

She waved him off as his epiphany struck him- so to speak. "At my age, it's nothing I haven't seen, son." Kuwabara blinked several times as she turned and made her way back inside her apartment. "Though do come over for tea sometime, won't you?" Kuwabara thought he heard her laughing behind her closed door.

Then his thoughts returned.

Shovel. Marble. Tattooed thing. A great deal of Kuwabara-assaulting going on.

His expression turned thunderous as he spun on his heel, clawing at the handle and entering the apartment with a hearty slam of the door. Whatever had happened to him, that thing in his bathroom was to blame, or at least partly responsible. He dropped Eikichi in favor of a baseball bat, feeling his nerves fray a bit as he walked further into his apartment.

He held the bat close to his chest, his body pressed close to the wall beside the bathroom doorway. He listened carefully, but heard no noises from within. Deciding a surprise attack would be best, he jumped in the doorway with a loud yell, bat ready.

No one there.

His eyes darted wildly and he spun, looking back out into the hallway. Slowly he reached down and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. Feeling marginally better now that his parts weren't out there in the open, he quietly stalked down the hallway to his bedroom door, which was pushed to. He peeked in through the small crack. He could see his window, the top half of his bed and his closet doors. He held his breath, listening, but again heard nothing.

As quietly as he could, Kuwabara slid his door open, looking left, right, then up, just to be safe. His eyes locked on the bed, then the closet- he wasn't sure which to check first. He heard a loud shuffle behind him and froze as Eikichi bolted between his legs with a screech, seeking sanctuary under his bed. He turned back to the hallway, the way she had come.

And there it was.

Black. Brown. Tattoos. Staring at him.

The bat shook in his grip as he widened his stance, all the tutoring from when he played in little league coming back to him, as he readied to take the best swing he could if it came any closer.

"Who are you, what do you want, and how the hell did you get in my bathroom!?" For a tiny instant, he prided himself on the strength of his delivery.

His pride soon fled, though, as those eyes narrowed at him, seeming more yellow and feral than he had remembered. It hunched down as if about to lunge, baring white teeth with elongated fangs.

'Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit'

He knew he had thought his life was basically over, but he didn't want to actually *die.* Kuwabara took a step back, into his room.

It took a step forward.

Lighting fast, it darted toward him and *growled.*

"Shit!" Kuwabara swung with all his might, but at the last second, the thing shimmered and disappeared in midair. Contacting nothing but air, his balance was thrown off and he fell on his side. There was another good reason he never became an athlete. He screwed his eyes shut and braced for the impact and the rending of his flesh. He didn't remember hearing it land, but he could feel the heat from it's body as it straddled his shoulder, breathing hotly into his ear, still growling quietly.

'Be merciful- please, be quick.'

He shuddered as the hot skin pressed against him; blushed as it- obviously a 'he', he now fully realized- slid down the length of his body along his side. With his shorter stature, the attacker came to rest with his thighs clamped firmly against Kuwabara's back and abdomen, even with his navel.

A cross between a whine and a groan escaped Kuwabara as he waited for who knew what, his life flashing before his eyes. His parents- distant but caring, urging him on. Their funeral, lovely though heartbreaking and confusing to a child of his age. His sister, taking care of him and loving him in her own harsh way- teaching him to fight, be independent, take care of himself, not cry when a girl kicked him in the crotch. His first relationship, which lasted all of three seconds before he was slapped and, of course, kicked in the crotch. Graduating from junior high at the bottom of his class and making it to high school, where his reputation meant little, meaning he had to fight his way back to the top and not without his share of painful downfalls. His job, horrible though it was, physically demanding enough to keep him too exhausted to really complain or even bother for anything else in life.

He thought of his regrets- he'd never have any children or a loving wife. He'd never get to make love. Hell- he'd never kissed a girl before! Seventeen years old and he was still a virgin! He vowed that if he survived, he'd change that, no matter how much money it cost him.

His thoughts ran lightning fast behind his eyes as teeth settled over his neck. With a final cringe, Kuwabara bid his farewell to the world.

"Really, I thought you'd put up more of a fight." It muffled between it's mouthful of skin.

Kuwabara's eyes snapped open. "Fight?"

"Mm-hm." It hummed, causing Kuwabara's skin to tingle and rise in goose bumps. "You started out so well. Well, after you had the bat, at least." It resumed it's toothy grip on his throat.

Kuwabara blinked. And again. "Are..."

"Hm?" It hummed again, a hand moving to rest on Kuwabara's bicep to support itself.

"Are you giving me a hickey?"

"Mm-hm." It pulled it's mouth off with a wet snap of flesh. "What did you think I was going to do- tear your throat out?" He asked mischievously.

"Uh... *yeah.*" Kuwabara said, head wobbling with attitude as his voice neared hysterical. He turned his head, making eye contact with the smirking thing- *naked* thing- straddling him and eyeing his lips like candy.

"Now why would I do that? You saved me, afterall." With a feral, toothy grin, it leaned down and clamped it's hot mouth on Kuwabara's earlobe.

Kuwabara bolted upright, tossing the other off with a squawk. It looked up at him curiously, legs sprawled. Kuwabara returned the look, incredulous, unconsciously grabbing its knees and snapping them together. "Saved you??"

It nodded. "I was stuck. In the crystal."

"The marble?" Kuwabara's voice rose an octave with every word. It nodded again. "But.. how? And who- *what* are you?"

"As for how... well, if I knew exactly *how* to get out, I wouldn't have stayed in there so long. As for who I am, you may call me..." It seemed to be searching it's memory. "Yusuke. Does that sound about right?"

"How should I know, I've never met you before!" Kuwabara stood, untangling himself from Yusuke.

"If you don't like it, I can change it."

Kuwabara opened his closet door, searching for clothes. 'This isn't happening, this *isn't* happening... At least I'm not dead, but what have I gotten myself into!?'

"Hm?" Kuwabara shot over his shoulder absently.

"I said if you don't like the name, I can change it."

Kuwabara laughed, trying to keep perspective on the situation. It- er, Yusuke didn't seem to mean him any harm. In fact, he thought with an uncomfortable blush, it seemed he meant the exact opposite. But he still didn't know a lot, and pissing him off might be a bad idea- as far as he could tell from their 'altercation', he could be very dangerous. "I- I don't care what you call yourself. Now what are you? How did..."

Kuwabara's voice died in his throat as firm hands lighted on his ribs, sliding around to rest on his pecs. "I'm whatever you want me to be." A seductive voice angled up at him. When hip bones pressed against his ass, Kuwabara finally spun around, shoving Yusuke back with his forearm.

"What are you doing!?"

Yusuke looked confused and a little hurt, his expression forming into a pout. "I thought this is what you wanted..."

"What!?" Kuwabara glared at him as he fumbled his way into a pair of pants. He grabbed another and tossed them at Yusuke, who caught them without breaking eye contact.

"You wanted something good to happen to you- you're lonely. And I just, you know, felt kinda bad about you getting hurt. You didn't move for so long I thought I'd killed you. I was worried."

"Really?" Kuwabara asked, mildly touched.

"No."

The feeling left him.

"Not at the time. But, since you saved me- in retrospect, I was worried about you."

Kuwabara glared harder. "Put the pants on and get out." He stalked past Yusuke, throwing himself into his desk chair.

"Well, look who's so touchy all of a sudden! I'm just trying to help! And there you were, lamenting your virginity-" Yusuke stopped as Kuwabara's head slowly rotated, pinning him with a look that could melt glass. Yusuke did not back down, however, and stared right back with indignity, puffing up his chest.

"Come again?"

"And you don't even have to pay me. You saved me- consider the bill covered."

"I never said... You READ my freakin' MIND!?"

Yusuke beamed at him. "Of course! You saved me!" He flinched as Kuwabara banged both fists on his desk and stood, knocking his chair over.

"You keep saying that! I didn't SAVE you, I don't even know what's going on here!! I just want you out of my apartment! Why don't you read THAT, huh!?" With a growl, Kuwabara threw himself face down on the bed, clawing at the cover as he roared his frustration into the mattress until he was out of breath.

After a few moments a weight settled beside him.

"I'm a demon." Kuwabara's limbs tightened, but he remained still. "And I was... doomed to that crystal, my life essence trapped inside for all time." When Kuwabara made no move or noise, he continued. "I was... a pain, I suppose. I wreaked havoc, destroying villages, killing livestock, pillaging- but all in fun. I never really meant any serious harm. Most of the time. I hardly ever killed anyone... They- the leaders of the tribe of nomads I was currently playing with- pooled their energy to lock me away. I didn't even know they could do that, until it was done. I was trapped in the crystal, to learn a lesson, they said. Plenty of time to reflect, they said. Time to realize my errors and discover that which I needed to achieve balance, and it in return." He sighed. "I can't tell you how badly that pissed me off. And time just sort of... dragged on. I was so miserable."

Kuwabara felt that he truly was, from the tone his voice had taken, though he still made no move and said nothing, waiting for him to finish. He was hoping this would turn out good- as good as having a havoc-wreaking demon in his bedroom could.

"And then, I felt a presence, a strong one. One that paralleled my own, only by reverse. Where I am strength, it was weakness. Where I am bad, it was good. Where I am... fun, it was purity. It was my ticket to freedom. I finally saved up all the energy I could to send the message, to let it know I was here. I released it all at once, but the outcome was a little different than I had anticipated. That's when the shovel thing happened- sorry, by the way."

Kuwabara grunted his acknowledgment.

"I thought I was lost forever for sure, when you didn't find me. But you came back!" Yusuke crawled ontop of Kuwabara, laying full length along his back, wrapping his arms under Kuwabara's and resting his palms and his head on his shoulders. "But you came back, and I used every last drop, and then some, and you found me and you saved me! And I owe you everything..." Yusuke lifted his head and placed a gentle kiss on Kuwabara's spine, causing the larger man to jerk. "I will do anything for you- I am yours, to do with as you please." Another kiss and Kuwabara rolled over, Yusuke somehow managing to stay ontop of him.

Kuwabara flushed and pressed his palms into his eyes. "Aw man, why didn't you put the pants on first!" Having a naked demon straddling him was doing all kinds of horrible things to mess up his train of thought. He managed, however, to look Yusuke in the eye and focus. "I don't own you- you said it yourself, you're free. Go and... do whatever it is demons do." He closed his eyes, resting his arm across his forehead. "Man, this is so unreal." He said, more to himself.

"But a nice change, yes? You've been very sad and lonely, lately..." Kuwabara groaned. "The fact is... I have nowhere to go. All I know is what I was, and I'm not that anymore- ... so much. A few thousand years changes one's attitude."

"Thousand!?" Kuwabara marveled, looking at Yusuke slightly differently.

"Yes. But of this world I only know you- your energy connected with mine, on some level, that's how I know you, how I can read your thoughts, when I want to. Your energy calls to mine as mine does you yours- we fit each other." Yusuke leaned closer, gazing at Kuwabara's lips again.

Kuwabara buried his head as far back into the mattress as he could, to keep some distance between them. "What are you doing??"

"You are my balance, and I am yours- we were meant to be together." Yusuke breathed, lips lightly brushing Kuwabara's jaw. "I can never leave you now- I am bound to you by my soul. It's destiny." With a final stretch, Yusuke's lips reached Kuwabara's, sucking on his bottom lip. And was promptly shoved off with another cry, wincing upon impact with the hard floor.

Eikichi yowled and darted from under the bed, disappearing down the hall.

'Poor girl.' Kuwabara thought, looking after her before being distracted by Yusuke's legs sticking in the air. 'She's as weirded out by this as I am...'

"I take it you do not feel the bond as strongly as I do..." Yusuke's voice wandered from the floor.

"No."

"Why not?" Yusuke asked, more to himself, as he rolled to a sitting position, thinking.

Kuwabara sat up, grabbed the pants laying across his pillow and dropped them onto Yusuke's lap. "Because I'm sane. Because you're a freaky thousand year old demon- a bad one at that- and I'm a human. Because I'm a guy and you're a guy and I'm not *gay.*"

Yusuke looked up as Kuwabara righted his desk chair, then picked up his bat, tapping it against his thigh. "If you are insinuating that thousands of years as a void- bodiless and senseless, only consciousness- in a black pit of nothingness has made me a little odd, I am insulted. And I'm not bad! As demons go... And how do you know you don't want me- you hardly know me!"

"Right. We just met, but so far you've crawled all over me and proclaimed everlasting devotion to me. *None* of this makes any sense! Look, I'm sorry you think you like me-"

"I know I do." Yusuke grumped, finally slipping into the pants, face perfectly serious.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm sorry, but I'm just not that way."

"How do you know, if you've never tried." Yusuke countered, approaching Kuwabara slyly, while trying to keep the oversized jeans on his body- only halfway successfully.

Kuwabara backed up, holding the bat more threateningly. "I just. Do."

"Ah, but you seem so unsure. Allow me the opportunity to change your mind?"

"NO!" Kuwabara turned and left, Yusuke close on his heels. " I do not like other men, and I never will!"

"The idea disgusts you?" Yusuke asked, sounding a little confused. Surely the bond wouldn't be so strong if...

"Yes. Well... I mean... I don't have a problem with homosexuals. My sister used to hang out with a gay guy. But I'm just not gay."

"So you say, but how-"

"Drop it!" Kuwabara turned, poking Yusuke in the nose with the tip of the bat, glaring down threateningly.

After a few moments of staring, Yusuke's surprise turned to a defensive, closed expression. "Fine. What am I supposed to do? I'm here because of you, and I can't leave."

"Why?" Kuwabara lowered the bat.

"I told you, our energies are bonded."

"Energies..." Kuwabara sounded exasperated, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"The force which drives you- your life force. Ours are intertwined. For me to leave would be like losing my life force, my soul. But since mine is older and more deeply rooted, you'd be the one most likely to feel that way."

"So if you leave, I turn into a zombie or something."

"Or something- you'd likely die."

Kuwabara sighed and leaned against the wall. "Why me... why is it always me..."

"You did sort of wish for this, you know." Yusuke smiled. "Something good to happen to you." He repeated with a wink.

"Yeah? And who says you're good for me?" Kuwabara turned and put his bat back where it belonged, sitting on the couch.

"I do. And you would too, if you gave me half the chance." Yusuke leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and watching as Kuwabara coaxed Eikichi out from under the couch and began stroking her to calmness.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence where Kuwabara focused all his attention on his furry companion. Finally, Kuwabara spoke up, eyes never leaving Eikichi. "I don't really have a choice. You can stay with me, here- on the couch." He amended sternly. "But you'll have to behave yourself- no destroying or killing or pillaging, got it?" From his peripheral vision, he could see Yusuke nod. He looked up. Yusuke cut quite an imposing figure, for someone so much smaller than himself. "And you've got to do something about your appearance."

"You don't like the way I look? I can change for you."

Kuwabara rolled his eyes and sighed, feeling his headache returning with friends. "It's not for my benefit- I don't *care* what you look like... as long as you're dressed. But if you want to fit in, you're going to have to look the part."

"Like this?"

Kuwabara looked up and had to do a double take. Yusuke looked almost completely... normal. His long hair was replaced by short, feathery locks, his skin an unblemished caramel color. His eyes were large and warm brown, and he even seemed a little smaller than before, less muscular and more compact- far less frightening. Standing across the room in a pair of oversized pants, wearing a look of slight hope, Kuwabara could very well imagine he was just an average guy. "Not bad."

Yusuke smirked, looking very devious. "So, you saying you like what you see?" He winked. Kuwabara sputtered and turned red, causing Yusuke to laugh. "I told you I could convince you." At the dark look he received he held up his hands, conceding to a stalemate, for the moment. "So." He clapped his hands, starling Eikichi, though she already seemed to be more at ease, though not by much. "What's next?"

"Next?" Kuwabara replied, settling his cat on the sofa and standing. "Next we get some sleep- it's late."

"Oh good, I'm tired." Yusuke turned.

"STOP!"

Yusuke halted mid-step, one leg frozen in air. "What?" He asked over his shoulder.

Kuwabara stood and left Yusuke alone in the room. When he returned his arms were full of blankets and a pillow. "I sleep *alone.*" He dropped the items on the floor. "You sleep out here."

Yusuke stuck out his bottom lip, putting his foot down. "Why can't I sleep with you?"

Kuwabara leveled a blank stare. "Why-" He shook his head, brushing past Yusuke's shoulder as he headed for his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Yusuke tsk'ed under his breath and shook his head, a rueful smile on his lips. 'This is going to take some work. I wouldn't be here if it we weren't balanced.' A sound from the floor drew his attention and he turned to see Eikichi pawing his pillow into a state of fluffiness. Once done, she settled down and proceeded to glance at him from the corner of her eye. Yusuke held up his hands. "Hey- you were here first." He streched his arms and locked his fingers behind his head, slowly rising to float horizontally near the ceiling where it was warmer, and was soon asleep, snoring softly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Checking once more that his door was shut, Kuwabara undressed and slipped under the covers. He hated to go to bed without brushing his teeth, but he didn't want to press his luck and find Yusuke in his bed upon his return. He'd just brush twice as long in the morning, he thought with a yawn. He also hated to be so rude to a guest, since it went against his upbringing, but he hadn't invited the demon- not intentionally, and he wasn't a normal person, no matter how he changed his physical appearance. Besides, he didn't put up too much of a fight- a thought that sent him into a panicky search around his room for sneaky eyes. Finding and hearing nothing, he laid back down, making certain he was tucked securely in. Despite the buzzing of his brain, he was exhausted, and quickly fell asleep to visions of naked demons giving him hickies and stealing his underwear.