Ghost Files: Appendix M

Ghost Files: Appendix M
Five

“I gotta tell you,” Masaru grunted under the load of his knapsack, “I’m not really that big on the whole nature thing.”

Yusuke snorted as if it were some private joke. He was slightly higher up than Masaru was so he had to look down and back at him, “I feel ya man, but the sort of stuff we’re gonna be doing isn’t exactly city friendly. I ever tell ya about the time we blew up Kuwabara’s apartment? Lucky for us that Keiko ran off the cops with her hysterical women routine.” He laughed again.

Yusuke was taking Masaru out into the deep woods and halfway up a mountain for an overnight training/camping trip. Yep, sleeping on the ground, going in the woods, getting eaten by insects, fun fun fun. ‘Yet, I can’t really complain about the view,’ Masaru thought mischievously as he looked ahead of him on the trail at Yusuke’s tight denim clad rear.

But then he instantly berated himself. He was there to receive martial arts training that could potentially save his life in the future, not to shack up with his mentor! Sure, during his last case he had kissed Yusuke. But since then Yusuke’s acted as if nothing ever happened. Could he have forgotten about it? Well, there had been a lot going on at the time-- but how do you forget another guy kissing you?

A thought occurred to Masaru, maybe he didn’t forget. Maybe that’s what this whole camping trip is about, so he could get him all alone and make his move. What a stunning revelation! But coming all the way out to the woods, obviously he wanted more than just kisses and hugs and sharing popcorn at the movie theater. Sex. Masaru was six years younger than Yusuke. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that sort of thing.

But then, he had been in love with Yusuke for most of his life. He supposed that when the time came, in the middle of the night when Yusuke came to him, his hot body slipping into his sleeping bag, maybe already naked. Masaru knew already that he’d be conquered by the feeling of Yusuke’s hands, gliding so surly over his skin and the taste of his lips. And then he’d whisper in Masaru’s ear, lust dripping in his voice.

‘Well that was a fun little fantasy,’ Masaru shook himself, ‘I’ll make sure to remember it later when I’m jacking myself off.’ The truth, Masaru figured Yusuke had forgotten about their little lip lock. Or if he hadn’t, he was pretending he’d forgotten because he wasn’t interested, but didn’t know how to tell Masaru.

Yusuke even had a girlfriend; that Keiko girl. Hiei had told him about her when he came to visit him the night before. That was a novel experience waking up in the middle of the night to a demonic aura in his bedroom. Apparently, Hiei found out about the camping trip he was taking with Yusuke.

“Don’t go getting any ideas in your head.” Hiei told him, “Yusuke already has himself a female. Keiko. Though their relationship doesn’t have the fiery passion someone else could offer him, he’s very loyal to her. He wouldn’t go to anyone else even it he wanted it.”

“Are you trying to convince me to give up on Yusuke and… come back to you?” Masaru yawned. It was the middle of the night and his brain wasn’t quite functioning.

Hiei snorted coldly, “I don’t need Urameshi’s cast offs. I was just warning you so that you’d be better prepared for when he tells you himself that he’s not interested. Remember, I still have to work with you. The last thing I need is your fragile emotional state to compromise our missions.”

What a jerk. Masaru wondered what he ever saw in the guy to make him act the way he did. However he had to admit, Hiei was a good kisser. When their lips touched it feel like his entire body was vibrating. He’d kissed lots of girls in the past, but none of them had ever had that effect on him. A sigh escaped his lips.

“Hey, kid you’re lagging,” Yusuke called down to him from ahead on the trail, “You’re lucky I’m not making you do this with fifty pounds of bricks tied to your back. That’s what the old lady who trained me used to do.”

At some point just before the sun turned ruby red and started its descent, they came to a place Yusuke deemed their campsite. Though Masaru couldn’t see why this spot was superior to one, oh lets say, ten miles down the mountain they’d climbed. They started to set up the camp.

Yusuke had said when he asked Masaru to come that he’d provide all the camping equipment. That was fine because Masaru didn’t own any, not really the outdoors type and all. But then as they where setting things up, Masaru came to a startling realization. Yusuke only brought one tent.

“Heh, let me guess.” He laughed without humor, “You’re gonna make me sleep outside to, like, help me build character or something.”

Yusuke looked at him blankly, “No, we’ll be sleeping in this one together. Dragging more than one tent up here would have been asinine.”

“T-together?” Masaru nearly dropped the cooking utensils he was unpacking. Yusuke wanted to sleep in the same tent with him. Of course, it was for a practical reason, didn’t want to haul unnecessary equipment, but still the prospect made his mind whirl. He and Yusuke would be sleeping within inches of each other. He’d get to see Yusuke’s angelic face as he sleeps. And what if one of them rolls out of his sleeping bag in the night and closer… Oh no, what if Yusuke cuddled up close to him and he got a boner?!

Yusuke continued on, unaware of the boy’s frustration, “I never got that whole character building bullshit. Used to have gym teachers who said stuff like that. Make kids run laps, virtually torturing ‘em and then they say ‘we’re building character…’ it‘s right up there with making some fat kid do chin ups to ‘get in shape’”

“Round’s a shape,” Masaru told him.

“And you’re already a character,” Yusuke rolled his eyes, “So we’re sharing the tent. Get over here and help me pitch it-- and don‘t say let‘s pitch it off the mountain and go stay at a Holiday Inn. That was my joke and guess what, my teacher didn‘t think it was funny either.”

A few minutes later, without glancing up from where he was driving a stake, Yusuke said, “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask-- and since it don’t seem like things are going get any less awkward, I guess now is about as good time as any.”

“What is it?”

“Well, back at that mall… you kissed me,” Yusuke muttered. Masaru felt his blood drain from his face. Sure he knew this moment was going to come eventually, but… “Does that mean you’ve come to terms with the whole, ya know, being gay thing?”

Masaru was floored. That wasn’t exactly what he expected Yusuke to say. “W-what do mean?” He sputtered.

“Don’t play coy,” Yusuke put down his hammer and looked Masaru full in face, “You kissed me in… a fit of passion. And I walked in on you with Hiei twice-- yeah I saw you at that place with all the storage thingies, might as well get that out there, too. So, I know you got this… inclination towards men.”

“Okay so I’ve gotten a little… experimental,” Masaru looked away from Yusuke, “But if you looked into my full track record you’d know that I’ve dated half the girls in my class and casually fooled around with twice that many girls.” It was true.

“If you gotta try that hard to be straight, you must be really really gay,” Yusuke dead panned.

Masaru flinched. “How dare you!” He stood up, his hands balled into fists at his side. “Is this what you dragged me up this mountain for? So you could make these accusations and judgments about me?” Masaru would have loved dearly to shut up, but he just couldn’t stop. “Okay, I kissed Hiei, nearly gave in and gave him a blow job. That doesn’t mean anything. I already told you there was nothing between us. And I told him there would never be anything between us. I’m not gay. I don’t want to be with a man and it‘s none of your business!”

“Really?” Yusuke smirked up at him, “What if it turned out I brought you up here to ravish you in the peaceful tranquilly of nature?”

All of Masaru’s anger drained out of him in an instant. A bright color crossed his face. In a little voice he asked, “Did you?”

Yusuke nodded-- not in answer to Masaru‘s question-- because he confirmed something to himself. “Listen, I know it’s hard, but it’s important that you come to grips with yourself about this stuff. The constant denial of emotion can cause a blockage preventing you from accessing your spirit energy. And believe me; it never happens at a convenient time.”

“My spirit energy?” Masaru blinked, “Oh, so this is about my training. It’s not….”

“Personal? I’m not a homophobe,” Yusuke said dismissively, “One of my best friends, Kurama, likes guys. Actually, I thought for a while he and Hiei were lovers cuz they seemed so close and stuff, that was until I caught Hiei with-- Anyway, I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable, but if you don’t work this thing out with yourself, it’s bound to come back and bite you on the ass.”

“And this thing about me coming to terms with my sexuality,” Masaru said slowly, picking the right words, “Is this going to be a major focal point in my training.”

“If it has to be,” Yusuke answered smoothly.

“You mean we’ll have to sit around and take about… feelings and stuff?”

“When we’re not practicing the physical stuff.”

“P-physical?” Masaru put his hands over his reddening cheeks, “I know you want me to come to terms with my inclinations, but don’t you think that’s going a bit too far?”

“What are you--” Yusuke caught on to Masaru’s mistake. How cute. He almost laughed, “I didn’t mean that! By physical stuff, I meant martial arts techniques.”

“Oh,” Masaru wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed, but he was definitely embarrassed. He moved his hands to cover his face in attempt to hide the fact.

“Alright, I think we’ve ridden this conversation to its proper, however awkward conclusion,” Yusuke stood and clapped his hands as if the action somehow dispelled said awkwardness. Funny thing is, it kind of worked. “Why don’t we get dinner started? We can finish the tent later. Now as the trainee, it’ll be your job to traipse around forest the looking for a bunch of wood and hauling it back here. I’ll start the prep work on the food.”

“Sounds fair,” Masaru muttered sarcastically.

He trotted off to do as he was told. Yusuke started pulling necessarily items out of the chuck sack. After a few minutes he said conversationally, “You can come out now. The kid’s got to be pretty far away by now.”

A minute ticked away until the other apparently decided it was pointless staying hidden in the trees after he’d been detected. Hiei dropped from the tree, landing silently as a leaf, a few feet from where Yusuke stood.

“I figured you’d be following your boyfriend of here,” Yusuke said.

“How many times do you have to be told, there’s nothing between me and the kid?” Hiei said, kicking a dirt clod near his foot.

Yusuke responded, “Just cuz there’s nothing going on, doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on.”

Hiei scowled at him silently demanding; is that supposed to make sense or are you just stupid?

Yusuke went on, “Come on, let’s not act like we all don’t know what’s going on here. You like the kid.” Hiei had always been so cool and in control. So, the getting caught up in the moment excuse just didn‘t wash. If something happened with Hiei, it was because Hiei let it happen, he wanted it to happen. “And I think the kid likes you, too. He‘s just confused right now, that’s all.”

“And what do you think I should do? Just swoop in sweep him off his feet and suddenly everything will be resolved?” Hiei drawled, “This isn’t one of Kurama’s BL novels. A quick fuck up against the tree isn’t going to solve anything-- at least not if I do it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Hn, I can’t tell if you’re simply ignoring the fact or if you’re really just that thick,” Hiei snorted, “Fact is, you’re the one he wants, Yusuke.”

“Uh, what makes you think--”

“Please, the boy’s balls have been blue for you before they even dropped,” Hiei snorted. “If you want the kid to come out of his shell, you’re the only one who’ll act as a suitable lure. In other words, do it yourself… or don’t. It’s got nothing to do with me, so I don’t really care.” He turned to walk off dramatically.

“Oh yeah, then why are you here?” Yusuke shouted just as Hiei’s back disappeared into the shadows.

“What, you didn’t want me to bring the firewood?” Masaru popped up suddenly beside Yusuke.

“Uh, kid!” Yusuke jumped. Obviously he’d heard the end of that conversation, but didn’t see Hiei so he thought Yusuke had been talking to him. “Of course I wanted the firewood. You know how to get it started? No? Dang it, gotta teach you everything don’t I. It just goes to show; those stupid schools waste your time teaching crap like quadratic equations-- how many people will ever need that? But they can‘t spare the time to teach a kid the most basic-ass stuff ,like how to start a frigging fire.”

“Can I say something personal?” Masaru asked. “You rant a lot,” a slight smile slipped over his face, “It’s cute.”
* * *
Masaru paused with his back pressed against a trunk of a tree, panting to catch his breath. While he did that he reached out with his sixth sense to locate Yusuke. No good, either Yusuke was masking himself really well or Masaru’s skills were still too under-developed to be reliable. Damn, it was nerve-racking.

They were playing a training game, called Seek and Destroy. The object was for one party to hunt down the other and then engage them in battle. The hunter won by successfully hunting down and defeating the prey within an allotted time. The prey may win by either avoiding the hunter until the allotted time elapses or if they are found, defeating the hunter in battle. Yusuke was the hunter this round. Masaru was the prey.

Masaru heard a small group of birds cry out and take to the skies as if frightened by something. ‘Ah-ha, that’s where you are!’ Masaru grinned and peeked out from behind his tree, looking for visual conformation that the demon was in the area. But then, as he leaned out, a set of arms closed around his belly from behind.

“Gyhh!” Masaru cried out.

“Hahaha! Gotcha!” Yusuke laughed.

It wasn’t over yet! Masaru spun around, bringing his elbow up to ear level. He increased his flow of spirit energy to his arm. Yusuke was a powerful demon, so he knew it would take a hard blow to dislodge him. Delivering a blow that hard would have been enough to shatter a normal person’s elbow. The blow landed and it was just enough to get Yusuke to slacken his grip. Masaru was able to bring his feet up and deliver a double foot kick to Yusuke’s chest. The blow acted like a springboard and Masaru actually traveled a greater distance backward than Yusuke did, being of lesser mass and not planted to the ground. That was fine though, Masaru needed put some distance between him and his teacher anyway. He was the prey.

He spun to run, but before he could get any momentum going, there was Yusuke right in his path. Before the boy could redirect his feet, Yusuke attacked with a barrage of punches to his midsection. He finished it off with an uppercut to the jaw that sent Masaru flinging back through the trunk of a deadwood tree.

“Lesson one about fighting demons,” Yusuke appeared over Masaru’s prone figure. “Demons are fast. So there’s no point running from them once they’ve got you spotted.”

“Duly noted,” Masaru grunted as he tried to pry himself out from the splintery mess.

Yusuke continued, “I know you have high psychic defenses, but you got to be aware of your vulnerabilities too. Those blows could have at least rendered you unconscious, if I hadn’t been holding back.”

“I get it, I get it,” Masaru said, “If I got knocked out, you could have done anything to me, cut my throat, toss me a river and let me drown.”

Yusuke offered the boy a hand up. He took it and Yusuke yanked him up into a head lock and preceded to noogie him. “Ah, see what a quick learner you are! Man, am I lucky I didn’t get stuck with a dim-wit like me for a pupil.” He laughed gleefully as he messed the boy’s hair.

Masaru wriggled out of his grasp enough to turn on him. Then the two found themselves on the forest floor, locked in a playful wrestling match. Things were a lot less awkward than they had been the day before. The tension between them seemed to fall way immediately after Masaru’s declaration that Yusuke was cute. In most circumstances such a statement would have increased the awkward factor. But for some reason it had the opposite effect here, odd as it was.

Masaru pinned Yusuke’s shoulders. (Yusuke let him win, of course.) “We going for another round then? I’m the hunter this time?”

“Nope,” Yusuke told him, “With your spirit awareness, you’d never find me. Until your awareness is so good, you could single out a fly in a poop shack, you’re designated prey.”

Masaru got a five minute head start. He dampened his energy as he moved out. It would leave him slightly more vulnerable to pain if Yusuke sprung on him, but it would also make it harder for Yusuke to find him in the first place. Masaru was really getting the hang of this control of spirit energy thing. Now for awareness, he let little filaments of his awareness reach out touching the surrounding area, a thousand little sensors attuned to the taste of demonic energy.

“What?” Masaru muttered. There was blip ahead of him, up, like in a tree or something. Was it possible that Yusuke had taken a round about route to get in front of him and was lying in wait to pounce him? Yusuke pouncing him, hmmm--

‘Get it together boy,’ Masaru slapped himself, ‘If that’s the way he wants to play it, maybe I’ll circle around and get the drop on him!’ Yusuke never said anything in the rules about not turning the tables on the hunter. And it did seem like a good strategy. After all Yusuke was stronger than him, so the only way he stood even the remotest chance was if he took him by surprise.

He put his plan into action, dampening his energy down to a dangerously low level. He could have it back up in a second. He found the tree, judged where would be the most suitable place to perch and sprung up into it, really to yell a surprise to the demon he expected to find there. His call died in his throat. He found a demon there, just not the one he expected.

“Hiei, what are you doing here?” He gasped. Hiei didn’t answer. From the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, Masaru realized he was asleep. Masaru leaned in close to check. Yep, asleep. He took a moment to preen over that. He’d snuck up on a sleeping Hiei and not been detected. He was getting good at masking his prescience. Then he returned to his unanswered question, why was Hiei there?

“Mmm, Detective….” Hiei muttered in his sleep.

Detective? ‘Does he mean me? Is he dreaming about me?’ Masaru was startled when Hiei’s hands closed around his middle and pulled him close. In the next second Hiei’s lips covered his. It was a clumsy, sloppy kiss. Of course, Hiei was doing it in his sleep. Even so… ‘There’s that familiar heat… my god, am I actually on fire? His lips… so soft… should a guy’s lips be… so soft… warm… good…?’

Hiei hummed into the kiss, “Mmm, Yusuke…”

“Yusuke?!” Masaru nearly dumped Hiei out of the tree.

Hiei woke with a violent start. His hand went reflexively to it sword. If he hadn’t assessed the situation so fast, he might have taken Masaru’s head off by accident. “Kid, what are you doing--?”

“Training exercise,” Masaru blurted out, actually succeeding in sounding casual. “I guess I tracked down the wrong demon. Heh, I suppose I need to concentrate more on the specific identification and stuff.”

Hiei liked Yusuke too! How long? On one hand it was relieving. He did feel somewhat guilty for dumping Hiei, even though he was sure Hiei was just fooling around with him. Then on the other hand it was also conformation that Hiei was ONLY fooling around with him. He had no feelings for Masaru. The fact made him sort of… sad. Did he want Hiei to have feelings for him? No! He didn’t want a guy liking him-- unless it was Yusuke. But if Yusuke could like him, why not Hiei instead? Might Yusuke and Hiei get together and leave him out in the cold? Masaru’s mind was whirling with so many contradicting thoughts, he could barely see straight.

“Uh, why are you here?” Masaru asked. He thought, ‘Is it because you want to keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t try anything with our precious Yusuke?’

“The progress of your training concerns me. Seeing that if you fail to grow as a detective, it will be me who has to clean up after you,” Hiei responded. Oh, good answer!

“Does Yusuke know?” Masaru could have bitten his tongue out right then. All of the sudden he felt like shouldn’t speak of Yusuke to Hiei, like he was the mistress speaking to the wife or something.

Hiei knew that Masaru liked Yusuke. And now Masaru knew that Hiei liked him too. But Hiei didn’t know that Masaru knew, so his response was as cool as ever, “We exchanged some words.”

“Then why are you hiding?” Masaru asked, not really thinking about it until he saw Hiei bristle. Whoops, never accuse a prideful demon of hiding. “Oh, I guess ya don’t want to get wrangled into having to help, huh?” Laziness was perfectly acceptable.

Hiei gave him a dismissive grunt. “He can track you by smell.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yusuke’s hunting you right? Demons have a keener sense of smell than humans do. He doesn’t need a fix on your spirit energy. He knows your scent. In fact,” Hiei paused and Masaru saw the third eye on his forehead glow through his headband, “He should be coming over that hill in about three seconds.”

“Oh, uh,” Masaru’s slack expression firmed into something akin to amusement, “Hey isn’t you helping me like this cheating?”

Hiei glanced away, “Not if we don’t get caught. On that note--” He was gone in a burr of black.

“Cheeky bastard.” Masaru muttered somewhat shakily. For a second he thought he spotted what it was in Hiei that drove him mad in the first place. He put it aside. He didn’t want to think about the crazy love triangle he was in or which angle it was he really wanted to play. He needed to focus on his training. Yeah, training, that’s the ticket.

Just as Hiei predicted, Yusuke came over the hill. Since he probably already knew where Masaru was, the boy decided to jump Yusuke, thinking somehow that taking the initiative would help him win the skirmish. He did take Yusuke by surprise and got a few good hits in as a result. But the effect didn’t last as Yusuke gave him the slip. Be felt Yusuke’s presence darting around him, its intensity fading in and out. But then it flared bright, which was usually an indication he was about to attack. He spun about forty five degrees and there he saw Yusuke mid-punch. ‘To bad,’ he thought and summoned his Spirit Shield, ‘huh?”

It didn’t happen! Yusuke made the realization a beat before Masaru did. Good thing too, he had just enough time to open his fist and slow it. The blow still knocked the boy off his feet, but at least it didn’t kill him. It could have killed him. His spirit defenses were entirely down. He’d lost his spirit energy!

The boy groaned on the ground, Yusuke shouted, “Damn it, didn’t I tell you this would happen, if you didn’t come to terms with yourself!”

“I am to terms with myself,” Masaru protested, “I know exactly what I want.”

“Bullshit! You’re in denial!” Yusuke shouted again. Then he took a breath to cool off, “No worries, we can get it back. We’ve got time. Its not like you got a really hard mission coming up or anything.”

Just then Masaru’s Spirit Phone rang in his pocket. Yusuke groaned, “Had to say it, didn’t I?”

“Wow, four bars all the way out here. Spirit World technology is amazing,” Masaru opened the vid-message. It was Koenma.

“Masaru,” he began, “I’m afraid we a dire situation, the outcome of which will determine the fate of all three worlds. You may have heard of the apparition Dalynk the current holder of the demon crown. He just made it known that he plans an invasion on the human world. Now, Spirit World has prevented things like this from happening in the past by keeping a Reikei barrier in place between the human and demon worlds. That barrier was taken down a few years ago and can not be raised again in time to make a difference.

“I know what you’re thinking, why don’t we just bring in Spirit World troops to fight off the demons? Well, if Spirit World becomes directly involved the result would be a bloodbath. The losses on all sides would be far heaver than if we just allowed demon world to take occupation of the human world.

“The good news is that Dalynk understands this too. So we’ve come to an arrangement. In three months time you, Masaru, will met with Dalynk in the ring to fight for the future of the worlds. Dark Tournament rules, that means no weapon, technique or strategy is forbidden. If you win, he will resign his title as demon king. If he wins… Spirit World will annex the human world into demon territory.” He finished on a somber note, “Koenma out.”

“I can’t believe it,” Masaru breathed, “That runt, would put something so vital in a message!”

“It was VSH tapes in my day. I think he does it cuz he doesn’t want us to be able to talk back,” Yusuke said, “But I think we’re missing the bigger issue here.”

“That’s right. I have to fight this guy in three months,” Masaru appalled, “He’s the king of demons, so he must be so out of my league-- and I’ve lost my spirit energy!”

“Just couldn’t stop lying to yourself, could you?!” Yusuke barked a sense of panic coming over him.

“Fine I admit it,” Masaru pleaded, “I’m gay. I like guys. I like a nice firm muscled chest, washboard stomach, trim hips and an ass you could bounce a quarter off of! I don’t give a damn about boobs. I’ve fooled around with lots of girls, but all those times I my dick was so limp, you could have tied it into a knot!”
“You gotta have a pretty long cock to tie it into a knot,” Yusuke said.

“It was an expression!” Masaru snapped. He concentrated on drawing out his energy, “Gah! Nothing’s happening!”

“Maybe you’re still holding back too much,” Yusuke urged him, “Say you like dicks or something!”

“Dicks!” Masaru’s eyes widened, “I just admitted to being gay. I wouldn’t even know what to do with a dick if I had one in my face.”

“Of course you would. It if it was in your face, you’d suck it,” Yusuke told, “Or stroke it, or let the guy take you up the--”

“That’s horrifying! I’m only fifteen years old and a virgin,” Masaru told him.

“Ah-ha! Maybe that’s the problem. You’re into guys, but you’re still afraid of doing the physical stuff with one,” Yusuke put forth.

“And what do you propose to do about that?”

“Uh,” Yusuke was silent then. The awkwardness settled over the entire area. Yusuke swallowed and stepped up close to Masaru, putting his arms stiffly around the boy’s shoulders. “I guess the only way for you to get over it, is to do it.”

Before Masaru could respond, Yusuke put his hand on the boys cheek and lifted his face so he could lay a tender kiss on his lips.

TBC…
A/N: Desserts coming up and we’re having lemon tarts, next time!