Carbon

Chapter six

Yusuke spent half the night pacing. The house was empty but even the silence didn’t calm him. He felt like running off and destroying things. He was so full of anxiety and annoyance that when he finally forced himself to lie down, he lay with a clenched jaw until he finally managed to fall into a fretful sleep.

He was warm when he awoke. It was like sunshine was streaming in through his windows and covering his entire body with warmth. It took a moment for his awareness to kick in before he realized that Hiei was sleeping curled up against his back.

Yusuke turned to face the fire demon, his movements waking his friend. “What are you doing?” Yusuke asked, more curious than annoyed.

Hiei yawned. “You didn’t expect me to sleep outside?” he countered.

“Well, no. You coulda warned me, though. It’s sort of rude just to climb into my bed.”

“Hn. Like you haven’t done that to Kurama several times.”

“That’s different.”

Hiei raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “You seemed to settle down when I lay beside you. I think you owe me thanks, not argument.”

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

“I don’t want to stay here any longer. So either go back to Kurama’s house or leave.”

“Are you kicking me out of my own house?”

Hiei gave Yusuke an incredulous look. “You’re not very observant today,” he commented. “The bracelet is supposed to correct that.”

“You don’t wanna be around my mom? Is that what you mean?”

Hiei scowled.

“She’s asleep.”

Hiei just looked at Yusuke until he climbed out of bed and got dressed. As with Kurama, Yusuke had no qualms about being nude in front of Hiei. Hiei didn’t take Yusuke’s nakedness as any sort of provocative invitation. It simply seemed natural to him. Frankly, Hiei would have been bothered had Yusuke left the room to dress. In addition, Hiei enjoyed the view.

“Why are you leering at me?” Yusuke asked before turning around.

Hiei was shocked that Yusuke could tell. He caught the former detective’s questioning gaze and smirked. “You’re attractive. I thought I made that clear yesterday.”

Yusuke shrugged and walked out to the living room to toe on his shoes. He noted that Hiei already had his boots on but made no comment of it. They headed off vaguely in the direction of Kurama’s but in a round-about way.

“Where are we going?” Hiei asked after several blocks of silence.

“Kurama’s, eventually. But I didn’t think it was fair to make him put up with me all the time.”

It was interesting to Hiei that Yusuke apparently thought of himself as a burden. It wasn’t that spending time with the human bothered Hiei. He resented the fact that Yusuke was an assignment. He wanted Yusuke to know he was around him because he wanted to be, not because he was ordered. So he made no mention of Yusuke’s insistence that he take up Hiei’s time instead of Kurama’s. He was glad, in fact. Hiei had been hoping to get closer to Yusuke. Not to compete with Kurama (he had every intention of sharing if it came to that) but to make sure he had fun with Yusuke as well.

Hiei’s fondness for the detective began as an appreciation of Yusuke’s strength. As Yusuke became stronger, so, too did Hiei’s fondness for him. It took his sparring with Yusuke to make him realize how attractive the detective was and his death sealed his feelings. It was at the moment of Yusuke’s demise that he wished he’d realized the depth of his infatuation with Yusuke. Indeed, Hiei knew that he could very well fall in love with Yusuke if given the chance.

And as unlike him as the sentiment was, Hiei very much liked the idea of falling for Yusuke.

Hiei turned around, realizing that Yusuke was no longer beside him. It took a moment for him to register that Yusuke’s chest was heaving with the effort to breathe and was beside his friend a second later. “Yusuke?” he asked.

“Where… where’s that pounding coming from…?” Yusuke stuttered. He clutched his head. “Make it stop!” he shouted.

Hiei was alarmed. He reached out and touched Yusuke’s arm. It was fortunate that he did, because at that moment, Yusuke collapsed and Hiei was in the perfect position to catch him.

“Yusuke,” Hiei whispered. He stroked Yusuke’s hair away from his face. “What happened?”

Yusuke groaned. “My head is killing me,” he muttered. “I feel like I was hit by a truck.”

Hiei fed some of his ki into Yusuke and Yusuke relaxed –melted, really- into Hiei’s arms. A moment later, he managed to stand on his own, although Hiei kept himself close should Yusuke collapse again.

“Thanks,” Yusuke grunted, taking a step forward. “I guess I should go back to Kurama’s, now…” He looked at Hiei and winced. “No offence, man, but you’re making me uncomfortable.”

Hiei shrugged and walked with Yusuke in the direction of Kurama’s house. He left as soon as Yusuke was at the door but stuck close until Yusuke let himself in. He smirked when the detective opened the door and walked in without knocking. Much as he found pleasantries superfluous, he was amused that Yusuke, who had grown up in human society, was ignoring one of the basic rules of decorum.

Once inside, Yusuke felt his mind clear and become entirely at ease. He walked up the stairs and let himself into Kurama’s room. He paused momentarily at the sight of Kurama’s bare back. Kurama was changing shirts.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” Kurama said with a smile as he turned back around.

Yusuke shrugged one shoulder. “I was sick of Hiei,” he replied.

Kurama squinted for a moment before chuckling. “He’s subtle, isn’t he?”

Yusuke rolled his eyes. “As a jackhammer.”

Yusuke walked over to Kurama’s bed and lay down. He was exhausted.

“Rough night?” Kurama asked, sitting beside Yusuke.

“He had the audacity to grope me and act like it was normal. It was… rude.”

“Perhaps from your perspective, yes, it’s quite rude. But in demon culture, it is fairly normal.”

“That’s weird.”

Kurama smiled. “Be that as it may, Hiei doubtlessly doesn’t think he’s crossed a line. I take it you didn’t attack him?”

Yusuke sat up. Is EVERYONE going to be weird today? “Why would I attack him?”

“In Hiei’s mind, you didn’t reject his advance.”

“The hell I didn’t! I told him to knock it off.” Yusuke thought about it for a minute. “Oh wait… no, I didn’t. I didn’t say a damn word. He backed off on his own.”

“How unlike him. I’m impressed. He must really like you.”

“That’s pretty obvious.” Yusuke rested his elbows in his lap and buried his face in his hands. “Plus, I had a freak-out in front of him.”

“A freak-out, Yusuke-kun?”

Yusuke’s stomach tightened pleasantly at the honorific and he almost forgot that there was a question attached. “Yeah, I heard a weird pounding in my head and sort of fainted.”

“Can you describe the pounding?” Kurama was trying very hard not to sound concerned but he feared he wasn’t very affective.

Yusuke gave him an apologetic look. Clearly, he’d heard Kurama’s worried tone. “It was like a really loud, slow heartbeat.”

Kurama visibly relaxed. “Probably your demonic heart beat. Were you feeling overwhelmed prior to the incident?”

“Er…”

Kurama just waited.

“I was walking with Hiei and I noticed something weird about his energy and then my… heartbeat or whatever started acting up.”

“I would guess it was in reaction to Hiei’s energy, than.”

“Why?”

Kurama shrugged. “I’d have to know what his energy was doing to be able to tell you exactly why, but I’d guess that you subconsciously knew and it made you nervous. Your demonic heartbeat acts as a warning at times and occasionally as a signal to pay attention.”

The idea made Yusuke’s head hurt. He lay back down. “I’m really tired. Will you be annoyed if I go to sleep?”

“Not at all.” Kurama lay beside Yusuke and pulled the covers over the both of them. The warmth and closeness soon had both demons falling into a contented sleep.

= - = - = - =

As Yusuke woke up, he became aware of just how close Kurama was. Closeness might be putting too fine a point on it. Kurama was practically on top of Yusuke. Yusuke was too stunned to move or push Kurama off. Even when Kurama let out a quiet moan and Yusuke felt like jumping out of his skin, Yusuke didn’t move. Instead, he decided to wake the kitsune. “Uh... Kurama?”

Kurama snapped awake and Yusuke was shocked at the look of hunger in Kurama’s eyes.

“K-Kurama?” Yusuke stuttered. “What are you…?”

Kurama nuzzled his nose into Yusuke’s neck and placed feather-light kisses along his jaw-line. When Kurama moved up to kiss Yusuke’s lips, Yusuke somehow managed to get the presence of mind to grab Kurama’s face and push him back. “What the hell are you doing?” Yusuke demanded.

Kurama mumbled something around his mouthful of Yusuke’s palm and Yusuke released him. “D’you mind?”

Kurama blinked, shook his head and pulled himself off Yusuke. “I…” he began.

“Demon thing?” Yusuke asked.

Kurama nodded and climbed out of the bed. “Would you like to go get something for dinner?” Kurama asked. All apology and embarrassment was erased from his voice and his posture betrayed no shame for his actions.

Yusuke almost protested that he didn’t want Kurama buying him food again, but remembered how Kurama’s energy turned a soft, buttery yellow when he’d bought Yusuke brunch a few days before. “Sounds good,” Yusuke finally agreed.

The smile Kurama flashed Yusuke was radiant and for a moment, Yusuke felt as if he was looking at Kurama’s real smile for the first time.

= - = - = - =

“You tricked me,” said Yusuke.

“What on earth do you mean?” Kurama asked.

“Don’t give me that innocent act. This place… it’s even WORSE than the last one.”

Kurama glanced around. He didn’t see any problem with the restaurant he’d chosen.

“I’ll bet a plate of food in this place costs more than my entire wardrobe,” said Yusuke.

“Don’t be silly,” said Kurama. “The pants you’re wearing alone are worth more than their most costly entrée.”

“These are your pants,” Yusuke reminded him. “And what’s with the champagne? You’re not old enough.”

Kurama merely smiled and sipped his champagne. Yusuke scowled at his glass and drank his water instead. It tasted expensive and filtered. As if they’d opened a bottle of fancy water imported from France and poured it in his glass. There was a fresh arrangement of roses in a vase in the center of the table.

Yusuke looked back up at Kurama. He was shocked to see an unhappy look in his eyes. “What?” Yusuke asked.

“I just hoped to treat you to nice things while you’re around.”

Yusuke couldn’t decide if Kurama was genuinely hurt or if he was trying to make Yusuke feel bad. It only took a moment for Yusuke to realize that Kurama really was bothered by Yusuke’s reaction to the restaurant. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy that you wanna make me feel special but… I just… I’m not used to stuff like this.”

“I understand that, Yusuke,” said Kurama. “I’m not sure what your situation is at home but I do know that my family is rather wealthy and we have a tendency to enjoy extravagances many people can’t afford.”

“It’s… It’s not just the money and… stuff. I’m just not used to…” Yusuke stared at the table cloth. “Forget it.”

Kurama frowned.

“What did you mean by ‘while I’m around’ anyway? Do you think I’m going somewhere?”

Kurama shook his head. “We only have a limited number of days before school begins again.”

Yusuke felt the memory of school closing in on him sink into his stomach with a sickening thud. He didn’t want to go back to school and have to wonder what Hiei was doing outside the gates. He didn’t like the idea of being away from Kurama all day and (probably) for several days at a time. It made him feel sick to his stomach. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to stand sitting in a class room all day with weak humans and no one to temper his energy. There would be nothing stopping him from destroying everyone and everything in sight. He was a loose-cannon, a danger.

The air was suddenly very cold. It bit at Yusuke’s face and caused him to gnash his teeth together at the sensation. A warmth was approaching him from behind and he turned toward it, his hands at the ready to tear the warmth limb from limb should it prove threatening. He let out a low resounding growl of warning when the warmth approached before he realized it was Kurama.

“How…” Yusuke muttered. “Wh- what just happened?” Yusuke looked around. He was outside. More than that, he was outside in the forest.

Kurama’s chest was heaving with the effort it took him to follow Yusuke at such a speed for such a long time.

“You… left,” Kurama gasped out.

Yusuke sighed. “I’m a fucking… problem,” he muttered.

“Why do you say that?” asked Kurama.

“I’ll bet it looked stupid. Just taking off like that.”

“Don’t worry about how it looked, Yusuke-kun. I’m more concerned by what bothered you so much.”

Yusuke leaned forward into Kurama and rested his head on his friend’s shoulder. “I just… I feel like I’m losing it.”

Kurama brought a shaky hand up to stroke Yusuke’s back. “You’re not losing it, Yusuke,” Kurama whispered. “It’s difficult to change so entirely as you hav-“

“It’s not… it’s not that. I just…” Yusuke looked up at Kurama. “Don’t… don’t leave me, okay?”

Kurama was struck silent for a moment. The pleading behind Yusuke’s words was so unlike Yusuke, that Kurama had a strange feeling that someone else had possessed his friend. “I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thanks.”

Yusuke leaned back into Kurama and clutched at his friend’s jacket.

“However, would you mind accompanying me to a more hospitable environment?” Kurama asked. “This forest is rather dark and cold.”

Yusuke thought for a moment before pulling himself away from Kurama’s comforting touch and heading off in the direction of home.

“You don’t want to return to my house?” Kurama asked.

Yusuke shrugged. “I kinda wanna be alone.”

Kurama was stunned by Yusuke’s pronouncement so soon after being told not to leave him alone. “Hiei won’t allow that.”

Yusuke didn’t respond for a minute or two. “Okay, yeah, that was bullshit.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t want you to get sick of me, okay?” Yusuke snapped. “Shit! I didn’t mean to yell. I just… You don’t wanna be around me all the time, right?”

“Have I given you any indication that I resented your presence?”

“You don’t have to. I get sick of being around me. It can’t be a picnic for anyone else.” Yusuke reached into his jacket pocket and was relieved when he located a cigarette. Kurama glanced at it distastefully but didn’t comment when Yusuke lit up and took a long drag.

Yusuke watched the bluish smoke twirl in front of his face and disappear into the air around him.

“If I didn’t want you around, I would have mentioned it,” said Kurama. “Let’s just go back to my house?”

“Okay.”


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