Ghost Files: Appendix M

Ghost Files: Appendix M
Two

It was such a lovely summer day, not too hot, with a pleasant breeze, Yukina decided to open up the doors looking out onto the garden. Kurama was already out there looking over her prized blue irises. Difficult plants to keep, but with a kitsune as a regular visitor, she had few problems with them. Just as Genkai was carrying in a tray of pastries, a loud slam came from the front door followed by a called, “Hey Grandma, we’re here!”--Yusuke.

Then a moment later, Kuwabara-- or Kazuma to her-- came rushing in like an excited puppy, “Yukina!”

“Kazuma, so glad you made it,” she smiled for him, “It’s so nice of you to come all the way out here just to visit Genkai and me.”

He kneeled down and took her hand, like he often did, a red blush coloring his face, “I’d cross any distance just to see you, my love. Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low, to keep he away from you.”

“Ya ain’t gonna start singing are ya?” Yusuke barged in, kicking Kuwabara playfully on the back of the head with the sole of his foot.

“Urameshi, we we’re having a mature conversation!” Kuwabara shrieked at him.

Yukina tittered into her hand, “I’ve known them for so long, yet I still don’t understand their behavior.”

“That’s because there’s no rhyme or reason to it. In short, they‘re morons.” The tall, cool woman with long brown hair came striding into the room, puffing a cigarette. She was followed by a shorter girl with a pretty face and slightly darker brown hair the tall one, Shizuru Kuwabara, glared half interestedly at the two young men, now wresting on the floor, “Give it a rest bro!”

They stopped, separated, Kuwabara muttered, “He started it.”

“And that’s a very mature response,” Shizuru said flatly. Then to Yukina, “Is everybody who’s coming to this shin-dig here?”

“Almost,” the tiny girl with aqua colored hair replayed, “Botan’s not here yet.”

The girl with dark brown hair, Keiko piped up excitedly, “Botan’s coming?”

“Botan’s here!” A chipper voice started nearly everyone in the room, save for Genkai and Kurama. Keiko rushed to greet her seldom seen friend.

Yukina said, “Everyone’s here, then.”

Kurama touched her shoulder, “I think we’ve got a surprise guest.”

“Huh?” She blinked, but then a second later she sensed what he had, “Hiei!”

Seconds later the same named demon appeared in the garden, looking very out of place among the blue and violet flowers in his stark black coat and pants. Yukina rushed out onto the patio to greet him, followed close behind by Yusuke and Kurama.

“What a surprise to see you here, Hiei,” Yukina said.

“You usually don’t come to our monthly get together,” Kurama added warily, “Is there some… other reason for you being here?”

“What, I need a reason to visit now?” Hiei feigned indigence. “And after all those lectures you gave me, fox, about how much you’d all enjoy my company. But seriously, no. The world is not about to come to an end.”

“Good to know,” Yusuke put in, “So what are you up to these days, Short Stack?”

“I took a new job recently,” Hiei paused for dramatic effect, “I’m the liaison with the new Spirit Detective.”

“New Spirit Detective!” Yusuke and Botan exclaimed at once.

“You didn’t know?” Hiei squinted at Botan, “I thought the Spirit Detective thing was your department.”

“I’ve just been a regular ferry guide, since Yusuke was excused,” she said “Why wasn‘t I notified?”

Hiei shrugged, “Maybe the brains in Spirit World didn’t think you were the right fit with Masaru.”

“Masaru?” Botan’s eyes widened.

“Masaru Yutaka,” Hiei informed.

Botan chewed her thumb, suddenly nervous, glanced over at Yusuke. Then she laughed unconvincingly, “Well how about that? They brought back the Spirit Detective system and didn’t tell me. Uh, would you guys excuse me? There’s something I forgot about that I really need to see to.” With that she bolted from the room.

They stared after her, until Yusuke broke the silence, “Man, I would have thought they’d be done with Spirit Detectives after me.”

“You will be a tough act to follow,” Hiei drawled, “Masaru… is interesting to say the least. He might have some potential as a fighter, given the proper motivation. Coincidentally, he goes to the same school as you did. Sarayashiki right?” Hiei didn’t mention that Masaru had kissed him the day before on the roof of said school. Even though their initial reactions would have been hilarious, they’d probably feel the need to start lecturing him on propriety.

Kurama chuckled. Hiei asked him why and he replied, “I remember how you reacted when you were made to work with Yusuke. You called it babysitting. I was just wondering how it was you got roped into this one.”

“I volunteered actually,” Hiei sniffed.

“I think that’s great,” Yukina put in, “Does this new job mean you’ll be spending more time in the human world?”

Hiei nodded. He turned to Yusuke, “So you’d better stay on your toes. At any time I might decide to drop in on you and see just how much living in this world has softened you up.”

“Is that a challenge?” Yusuke laughed gleefully, “Cuz I’ll take you on right here and now!”

“Can’t I take you anywhere without you turning it into Wrestle-mania, Yusuke,” Keiko bopped him on the back of the head.

“Awe, you’re no fun,” Yusuke whined half-heartedly.

“Hn,” Hiei couldn’t help but smile at this familiarly nostalgic display.

Kurama leaned over to him, “Just like old times isn’t it?”
* * *
“Eggs, milk, bread, yada yada,” Masaru read from the list his mother had stuffed into his pocket before he left the house. Mostly perishables, he’d have to pick them up on his way home. He wondered if he’d have time to stop at the arcade. He was started by a sudden vibrating in his pocket. His Spirit Phone! He scrambled to fish it out, when it was snatched out of his hand. “Huh?”

“What did I tell you about relying on this contraption?” Hiei stood behind him, tossing the phone in one hand.

“Oh Hiei,” Masaru said relieved that apparition alarm was only Hiei. But then he remembered what happened the last time Hiei had approached him out of the blue. His blood rushed to his face. “Uh, so what brings you out?”

“We’ve another case,” Hiei said as if nothing had happened between them, “The small woman will be sending you details-- ah there it is.” The phone in his hand chimed.

He tossed it back to Masaru, he read the message, “Demon Bees sighted in Human World, most likely nested in abandoned school house on Southside of town. Must take out evil beekeeper before they make Soul Honey. Smiley face.” Masaru closed the message, frowned, “Is she high?”

“Demon Bees are an insect from the Demon World,” Hiei said flatly, turning to walk way. Masaru followed on his coattails as he continued, “They gather spirit energy from humans, much the same way ordinary bees gather pollen from flowers. When eaten in small doses by demons, the honey is a narcotic, so certain demons cultivate it for profit.”

“It’s a drug ring then,” Masaru said.

“It becomes a bit direr,” Hiei told him, “When the hives are permitted to grow past a certain size the spirit energy emitting from it can cause seriously dangerous spatial disruptions. This can lead to a phenomenon known as rift-waves. If a human becomes caught in one of these rift-waves they could be carried away to other dimensions, perhaps even other times. Not many of which you would image are hospitable to humans. Not to worry, if the beekeeper is taken out, the bees will instinctually return to Demon World, no harm done.”

“Swell. You got anything on this evil beekeeper?” Masaru said as they broke out in a run. Hiei shook his head in the negative. Masaru repeated his, “Swell.”

Twenty minutes later, Hiei and Masaru stood on edge of the untended lawn of the derelict school house. Most schools these days were steal and concrete, but this one was built of wood and brick, now rotted and worm eaten. The place, Masaru knew had been deserted since the 1978. Kids liked to say that it closed down because it had become haunted after a number of horrible things happened there. But the truth was they closed it after having built a better facility. However it seemed that it was haunted now, by an evil demon beekeeper and the Demon Bees. Hiei and Masaru moved in.

“Do you feel nervous, like every fiber of your being is crying out, run, run and never come back?” Hiei asked, glancing at Masaru, “That’s a good sign. It’s one of the ways the bees naturally defend their nests, by sending out psychic vibrations, causing their enemies to not WANT to go near them. That means they’re here.”

“What do they do if their enemy doesn’t stay away?” Masaru asked warily.

“They attack of course.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Masaru replied. “Uh, by an chance do they buzz like normal bees or do they sound more like, I don’t know, bullfrogs croaking?”

Hiei frowned “Why yes, in fact, they do.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Masaru said, eyes wide, looking up into the shadowed eaves of the school house. The croaking sound raised to a deafening pitch as great red and yellow bugs, like wasps with skull faces, the size of a man’s head swooped out of the shadows and charged for Masaru and Hiei.

“Spirit Shield!” Masaru howled and instantly a warm greenish glow enveloped his right arm, fanned out to form a large irradiant shield of energy. He braced himself as the bees hit it hard, bounced off and flew away to regroup.

“What was that?” Hiei barked.

“Weren’t you listening? It’s my Spirit Shield,” Masaru said, “Hinageshi taught me how to do it a couple days ago.”

“She couldn’t teach you something more useful?” Hiei scowled.

Masaru growled, “Yeah, I’ll show you useful!” He twisted his body and raised his arm as another giant bee dive-bombed for him. He caught it fully on the edge of his shield and spilt the thing in half.

“The woman teach you that one too?” Hiei said, a touch of appreciation creeping into his voice.

“Nope.” Masaru said, “Saw it on the History Channel, the Spartan Special. Apparently what made them such formidable warriors was that they’d perfected using their shields both defensively and offensively. Seemed like a good idea to me too.”

Hiei didn’t know what to say to that, so he settled for, “Hn, keep your eyes on the battle.”

More bees came. Masaru and Hiei dispatched them, until a fair sized pile of bodies had accumulated around them. Then all at once there was a low droning noise swept over the grounds and the swarm fell back.

That was when the deep booming voice rang out of the darkness, “Who dares disturb my hive!”

“The evil beekeeper?” Masaru said.

“The fool is coming to us,” Hiei said, a blood thirsty grin spreading on his face, “This is opportune for us.”

The shadows stirred. A shape took on definition inside, stepped foreword. Masaru nearly fell down laughing. The evil beekeeper was wearing black and yellow striped tights under a bright yellow tunic. A netted hood covered his head. He wore bug-eyed goggles and thick elbow high gloves, and… a long yellow cape on his back.

“Ya look like a cheesy comic book villain,” Masaru said, nearly peeing himself with laughter.

“Impertinent fool,” the evil beekeeper roared, “These clothes are necessary to protect me from the bees’ deadly sting, when I collect the honey. Every article serves a critical purpose.”

“Oh yeah? What does the big K on your chest do?” Masaru pointed.

“It prevents the bees from attacking because they’re too busy laughing,” Hiei put in. “Alright you know this dimension isn’t zoned for evil beekeeping. So, why don’t you save yourself some trouble and surrender, so I can take you back to Demon World?”

“You think I fear you, just because you’re an A-class,” the beekeeper sneered, “I know you, Hiei the master of the Jagan, and I have your number!” He grasped the end of his cape and flung it out around him, a set of massive insect wings unfurled from underneath it. He raised the wings and they started to vibrate filling the air with that same low droning sound that had called off the bees.

“He’s up to something!” Masaru readied himself for what ever was to come. But then Hiei groaned beside him, “Hiei?!” He gasped.

The small apparition’s eyes were clinched tightly as if in pain. “Ahh!” He grunted, raising his hands to claw at his brow.

“Hiei, what’s a matter?” Masaru implored him worriedly.

“T-that noise… the pitch…my eye!” Hiei gurgled and dropped to his kneels.

“Ha ha. I have the rare ability to create a supersonic noise that only apparitions can hear. And your eye only makes you more sensitive to them.” The beekeeper gloated.

Masaru still didn’t understand, but it had something to do with the sound the beekeeper was making. It was hurting Hiei and he had to stop it. He flung himself at the beekeeper, raising his fist. The beekeeper was quicker than he looked and fainted back from the uppercut. But then Masaru howled, “Spirit Shield!”

The glowing energy shield appeared on his raised arm, he jerked it down, hard. The edge of the shield struck the back of the demon’s head. It didn’t knock him down but the shock did cease the noise. Masaru glanced back at Hiei. There were puzzling wisps of black smoke rising from his bandaged right arm, but he didn’t seem to be in pain anymore.

“This is over,” Masaru whipped back to the beekeeper, throwing his balled up left fist at him. But the beekeeper had already moved away and was retreating into the refuge of the school, “Oh no you don’t!” Masaru shouted and followed suit.

Hiei regained his senses just in time to see Masaru’s backside vanish into the building. He called, “Don’t go in alone, you fool!” Too late. Masaru was out of earshot.

“Oh sick, I thought honey was supposed to smell sweet,” Masaru grumbled. Inside the building the walls were covered with hexagon shaped chambers that oozed thick green slime that smelled like wet salty garbage. “Demons eat this stuff?” He shuffled to one side of the hall to void a big puddle of the gross stuff.

The beekeeper vanished almost as soon as they’d entered the crumbling building. It was quiet in there. An unnerving thing, considering it was supposed to be brimming with giant ravenous insects. Masaru had the stupidest impulse to call out, ‘Hello, is anyone there?’ But he resisted it. He spotted an area at the end of the hall, in front of a door. The honey was smeared there like the door had been opened and dragged through it.

“Got cha,” Masaru muttered under his breath. He crept to the door. It was marked ‘Principal’s Office.’ Figures. He reached for the knob, and not seeing any way he could go about it stealthily, he flung the door open-- And found himself face to face with a variable wall of angry bees. In a fury of croaking and buffeting wings they swarmed out on him.

“Oh crap, Spirit Shield!” Masaru hastily formed a shield to fit the door, thus preventing the bees from swarming out.

“Ha ha, I got you,” the deep rumbling voice came from behind. Before Masaru could react the beekeeper hit him in the kidneys. His psychic defenses protected him from damage, and a part of the pain, but it could do noting for the fact that he was standing on that slick green goo. The blow up ended him, causing him to not only drop his Spirit Shield but also tumble head first into the room of bees.

He landed, struggled to right himself. He felt a sharp burning pain in his hand, looked to find a bee losing its stinger in the back of his hand. In the next second, Masaru felt like fire was flashing over his body. His head swam. All he knew was the madding croaking, buzzing, and the laughter of the beekeeper, before the floor rushed up to meet his face.

Hiei arrived just a split second after Masaru lost consciousness. He drew his sword, ready to slice the lesser demon to ribbons.

“You might want to reconsider that,” the beekeeper raised his hands to halt Hiei.

“Don’t think you have me matched because of that obnoxious racket you can make,” Hiei sneered, “You were lucky that the boy was there and I have such good self control, otherwise my dragon would have acted on its own and… well this city would have one less abandoned building to take up space. As a matter of fact…” Dark smoke started to smolder from under his bandages.

“Wait!” The beekeeper urged him, “The boy lives and can still live. The recipe for the anti-venom is well known and the ingredients are readily available, even in this world. Take him and go now, you can still save him…. I won’t stop you. Or fight me if you want, but if the clock runs out, he dies.”

Hiei scowled. It was true there was an antidote to Demon Bee venom and he knew exactly who would know how to concoct it. If he left this low-life alive, he would get away, move his nest and start producing his vile honey elsewhere. Hiei’s choice was clear. He sheathed his weapon. Stooped to lift the boy’s limp body off the sticky floor, he gave the evil beekeeper a menacing glance as a parting shot and a promise. ‘If I ever see you again….’
* * *
Kurama had just finished eating the meal he’d cooked for himself, washing the dishes from said meal and assuring his mother over the phone that doing said tasks himself would not, in fact, kill him as she seemed to suspect they would. He was just meandering into the living room of his adequately comfortable apartment to relax for a time, when an urgent knocking came at his door.

Kurama frowned and went to the door. Who could it be? Most of his friends called before coming over and he was just on the phone with his mother so it wasn’t one of her surprise inspections. Imagine his surprise when he opened the door to find a rather nerve beaten Hiei, bearing an unconscious teen boy.

Masaru dreamt of bees and fire, bees made of fire and fire made of bees. . Something bounced past him, a soccer ball. A boy picked it up, a boy in a green uniform. He smiled, carried the ball, walking up a path to… Masaru couldn’t see where the path led to, but he thought he wanted to go there too. He ran to follow the boy, but the flames shot up around him, trapping him. He danced in those stinging, scorching fires, a pained dance. Until a dark shadowy figure appeared. His arms closed around Masaru’s waist and the pain was gone.

Masaru awoke, the images of the dream flashing before his eyes. Boy in green. Bees. Fire. Boy in green. Fire. Shadow. Boy in green. Boy in green. “Ugh, our dreams together are unsurely more fun than that,” Masaru grumbled to an imagery bedmate.

“You’re awake,” a soft man’s voice startled him. The owner of the voice was seated in a computer chair next to the bed, in a room Masaru didn’t recognize. Of course, the room was last thing on his mind when he saw this man. He had to be bar-none, the most beautiful man he’d ever seen! He was tall and lithely built, with a delicately constructed face, bright green eyes and the reddest hair ever.

“Am I still dreaming or dead?”

The beautiful man apparently didn’t hear Maseru muttering as he move to check his bandaged hand. It stung a little when he touched it. “You were stung by a Demon Bee.” The man told him, “Hiei brought you here so I could treat the poison. I’m Kurama by the way and yes, I’m a demon. Anyway, you’ll be fine now.”

“Uh, and where is Hiei?” Masaru asked.

“Probably in the kitchen, stealing fudge-pops from my freezer,” Kurama said with a whimsical grin.

“I see-- oh! What about the beekeeper?”

“Moved out,” Hiei’s voice in the doorway drew his attention.

“You mean… he got away?” Masaru sagged after Hiei nodded the affirmative. “Shit.”

“That wound is going to start itching soon,” Kurama stood up and headed to the door, “I’m just going to run down to the corner store to get some topical cream.” As he passed he spared a glance toward Hiei. He turned his back on a foe which he could have easily taken down, for the sake of some human kid he barely knew. ‘There was a time when things would have been different.’

Hiei glared back at him, ‘Shut up, fox.’ When the redhead left he settled down on the edge of the bed.

“Alright let me have it,” Masaru sighed.

“Let you have what?”

“My lecture,” Masaru said, “Listen, I know I screwed up and let the bad guy get away. So go on, get it over with and yell at me.”

Hiei shifted on the bed, “It’s not my job to lecture you on your failures.” He paused, “And besides it wasn’t a complete failure. The hive has to be operation in one spot for some time before the spatial disruption, that we‘re worried, to occur. That little skirmish forced him to move location, thus putting the disruption back to square one.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to make me feel better,” Masaru muttered. “I guess I’ll have to track him down with my demon radar app.”

Hiei snatched the phone out of his hand as soon as he pulled it from his pocket, “I thought I told you to stop relying on this ridiculous Spirit World gizmo.”

“How else am I supposed to do it?” Masaru snapped, rising up onto his knees, on the bed, in his excitement.

Hiei sighed in mild agitation, “I suppose if no one else will take the initiative, I’ll have to teach you. Come here, I’m going to show you something.”

Masaru warily scooted closer to the demon. He felt a little nervous allowing himself to be so near him, after what happened on the school roof. Hiei reached up to remove his headband. Masaru jumped back a fraction, sucked in his breath.

“It’s my Jagan Eye, it enables me a number of abilities,” Hiei told him, “I’m going to use it now to enter your mind and show you how to find your spirit awareness. Hmm, at your level it‘ll be more effective with physical contact.” Hiei took Masaru’s hands in his, laced their fingers together.

Masaru could only stare down into Hiei’s face with its third eye set in the middle of his forehead. The iris was a pale purple rather than the red of his other two eyes. Then it glowed, Masaru nearly snatched his hands back. He knew Hiei was a demon from the beginning, but until then he just saw him as another guy, a really short, strong, and cute guy.

Hiei grunted, “Damn it, Masaru, you have to let down your mental shields to let me in. My god, it’s like walking into a brick wall. Though now I’m starting to see why Spirit World wanted you. Your deflection abilities are ridiculous. Now relax your mind. Let me in.”

“L-let you in?” Masaru blushed. It sounded kinda sexy the way Hiei said it, though he hadn’t meant it that way. Man with a voice like that, who cares about a few surplus eyes? Masaru relaxed, willed his mind to open for Hiei. “Ah!” He gasped as an unfamiliar feeling seeped into his being.

“You feel that?” Hiei muttered close to his ear.

“Y-yeah,” Masaru breathed. It was like a slight pressure on his psyche; a fullness. It was warm and pulsing.

“That feeling is me inside of you,” Hiei murmured, “Can you feel me moving inside you?”

“Yeah.” Masaru felt the warmth move in his mind, withdrawing slightly and plunging back in. The intuition made him shutter. He thought ruefully, ‘Is this what people mean by getting mind-fucked?’

“I can hear your thoughts, you know,” Hiei told him with a smirk. Masaru balked. He was mortified. Hiei laughed at him, “I suppose it is an apt comparison. I am entering you in a somewhat intimate manner. Does this activity… arouse you?”

“Oh, now you’re just screwing with me,” Masaru snorted. Maybe a little.

“I’m going to turn up my energy some, now,” Hiei told him, “Tell me if you can feel the difference.”

Suddenly the warmth in his brain increased to the point that he felt he would start sweating from it. It tingled like electricity. “Yes, I feel it!” he exclaimed.

“Focus on it,” Hiei told him. Then slowly the warmth withdrew from his head, but he could still feel it where it resided in the body before him, Hiei’s body. The intensity dropped down to its original level, but Masaru could still feel it there. Hiei told him, “There. You should be able to pick up demonic energies, now that you know what to look for. With a little practice you might actually be useful.”

“You’re a real jerk, Hiei.” Hiei’s lips were only a few inches from his when a saucy grim crossed his face. He couldn’t help it, it was just too easy. Masaru breathed, “Why do I have so much trouble controlling myself when you’re around?” Masaru closed that distance. He kissed Hiei. Again. It was wrong. It was stupid. But Hiei’s lips tasted so sweet. Kurama was right about Hiei stealing fudge-pops from his freezer.
* * *
Fetching the anti-itch cream took a little longer than Kurama thought it would. The store on the corner was out, so he had to go to the one down the street. It was for the best anyway, he sensed something hanging in the air between Hiei and the young Spirit Detective. What, he couldn’t say, but perhaps a little one on one time would help clear things. He was on his way back to his place when he spotted three familiar faces.

“Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara,” he waved at them.

“Hey, look-it-here. It’s our favorite fox,” Yusuke greeted him.

“What brings you here?” Kurama asked.

“Yukimura’s dragging us to some student art films,” Kuwabara muttered.

“Hey, not all form of entertainment has to be a couple of guys pounding each other into the floor,” she put in.

“We‘re not that closed minded. We like watching gals fight too,” Yusuke laughed impishly, “Especially in Jell-O!”

“That’s so chauvinistic, Urameshi!” Kuwabara thumped him on top of the head.

“The student films they’re showing at the cinema down the road, huh?” Kurama said to Keiko, ignoring the antics of his two male friends, “I went on Monday. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Really?” She asked.

“They’re just awful. Pretentious and weird just for the sake of being weird,” Kurama told her, “There was one that was just twenty minutes of a guy peeing in jars and then stacking them against a wall. Then at the last moment a girl dressed in a bunny suit comes in and smashes them all with a baseball bat. Horrible.”

“Kurama says it reeks, do we still gotta see it?” Yusuke whined.

“I guess not,” Keiko sighed, “Gosh, what will we do now?”

“Well, I better get going,” Kurama said, “I’ve got a Spirit Detective waiting in my bed… that didn’t come out right.”

“Whoa! You got the new kid at your house?” Yusuke jumped.

“Uh, yes,” Kurama recoiled at Yusuke’s exuberance, “He was injured so Hiei brought him to me for treatment.”

“Man Kurama, I gotta see this kid,” Yusuke pleaded, “Come on, let me take a peek.”

“I can’t see the harm,” Kurama scratched the back of his head, “Who knows meeting you might have a positive impact on him. You want to come too Kuwabara, Keiko?”

“Sounds fun,” Kuwabara said.

Keiko shrugged, “I guess.”

Kurama paused to listen as they walked into the apartment. He didn’t hear any yelling, a good sign to be sure. “I’ll just go warn him we’re coming--” Kurama was cut off when Yusuke cried out.

“Holy crap!” He was standing in the bedroom doorway.

They rushed into the room behind him. They all gasped in shock at what they found. Hiei was on the bed, kneeling indecently between Masaru’s open legs, leaning over him. Hiei was fully dressed and Masaru was still wearing his jeans, but the innuendo was still there. Their lips connected softly with little nibbling kisses. That was until they heard the clamorous intuition.

“Hiei!” Kurama said crossly.

“Uh, Kurama,” Hiei replied lamely.

“Hiei!” Yusuke said shocked.

Hiei‘s eyes shot over, “Yusuke.”

“Yusuke?” Masaru sat up, looked at Yusuke horror dawning on his face.

“Uh, I think this is a bad time,” Keiko said tactfully, “I think we should go.”

“No I’ll go,” Masaru said getting up out of the bed and sought out his shirt, “I’ve got an evil beekeeper to find anyway.”

“Evil beekeeper? Hiei did you scramble his brains?” Kuwabara asked.

“I’m really tracking down an evil beekeeper. I didn’t believe it at first either,” Masaru said. He glanced over at Yusuke. “I-I have to go.” He ran from the room.

Down the street, Masaru repetitively cursed himself. What the hell did he think he was doing? Making out with another guy-- an older guy-- an older demon guy. And to make it worse, Yusuke saw him-- like Yusuke would care. It wasn’t like Yusuke was his boyfriend or anything like that. What was he doing there anyway? He hadn’t thought to stick around and ask, not just because he was embarrassed. He wasn’t supposed to have any contact with Yusuke. Spirit World had been very explicit about that.

All those years ago, the day he decided to become an agent of Spirit World, the same day he attended Yusuke’s wake. The deathly pale lady came to see him again. “You’ve decided to take Spirit World up on its offer and become Spirit Detective when called on?” She asked.

“Yeah, I,” Masaru paused unsure what to say.

“To complete the compact all you must do is state it aloud,” she instructed.

“Uh okay. I, uh, Masaru Yutaka, will become Spirit Detective and fight bad guys and stuff, if the Spirit World brings the boy in green-- that is, Yusuke back to life. That good?”

“It’ll do,” she told him.

“So Yusuke’s gonna be brought back to life now?” Masaru asked excitedly, “I can’t wait to see him.”

“No Masaru, as a stipulation to your contract with Spirit World, you are forbidden to ever see Yusuke again.”

“Why not?”

“It’s the rules,” she told him coldly. “If you attempt to contact him ever again-- or if you should refuse to serve as Spirit Detective-- the penalty will be immediate removal of Yusuke’s life. It matters not how much time has passed between then and now. He will be dead again.”

“No!” Masaru shouted, “I’ll be good! I’ll fight as many demons as you want and I’ll stay away from Yusuke! Just please don’t take his life away again!”

Now all these years later, Masaru has made contact with his boy in green. But he didn’t drop dead on the spot. Maybe there was some leeway there. Like what if they passed each other on the street? Spirit World wouldn’t just strike him dead for that, would they? And besides it’d been so many years, he was six when Yusuke met him. There was no way he’d recognize him. And he was probably distracted anyway, what with the situation he was in….

He made out with Hiei. It came back to that. If only he hadn’t kissed Hiei, there wouldn’t be a problem at all, he thought. He was upset. Logic gets a little sloppy when one is upset. Just another example of how nothing good could come from being attracted to other guys.

Just then, “Hey, Masaru Yutaka. Is that you?” It was a girl from his school. He didn’t recognize her at first, with the absence of her uniform and the addition of makeup, which was not allowed in school. She also had her hair crimped, sprayed and teased, with big hoop earrings dangling from her ears. She was dressed like she was trying to look older than she was, with a short black skirt and a red halter top that had the word ‘tasty’ printed on it in glitter.

“Nina, right?” He said to her.

She giggled, “Like you don’t know. Hey, you not doing nothing right now? Me neither. Ya want to do something together?”

Masaru thought for a second, then said, “Yeah, sure.”
* * *
TBC…
A/N: Up dated quick, no? I’ve actually got this story completely written and typed right now. It’s six parts long. I just have to do the finial editing, so you’ll be getting these chapters pretty fast. You liking it so far? I don’t know how it turned into a MasaruXHiei story, when I intended it to be MasaruXYusuke. I lost complete control of these boys! It gets even more out of control, next time.