About this story: It takes place at around the same time that the anime/manga begins. Although for the most part it is really an "AU" story, it follows the YYH storyline as if it truly was in an alternate plane of existence. Expect shorter chapters and quicker updates than usual.

Warnings: There will be mild vulgar language, violence, and tobacco use (Just like the anime/manga). There will also be shounen ai, AKA male-male romances. This warning is only here for those who can not handle that sort of thing - don't like, don't read!

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. This is a fan-fiction using pre-existing characters in a pre-existing world that is not of my original creation.

Loan Me Life

By Zelia Theb

Thread I

This is the tale of Yusuke Urameshi, a fourteen year old boy who died suddenly in a car accident. After being given an ordeal by the young teenaged prince of Spirit World (otherwise known as the place where good and bad spirits go after their body dies), Yusuke was brought back to life in order to be a Spirit Detective. His duties were to investigate strange (or rather, demonic and spiritual) disturbances in the Human World.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite know that yet. The young ebony haired delinquent was still screaming at his acquaintance Kazuma Kuwabara for kissing him.

"What the hell did you do THAT for?!" Yusuke yelled at the taller one.

"What do ya mean?!" the red-head Kuwabara shouted back, "YOU were the one who was dead and was freaking out about getting someone to kiss you back to life! You told me it wouldn't mean anything and that the only way life energy transferred or something was through the lips! I can't believe you're yelling at me for giving you life!"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Yusuke retorted, knowing full well that he was wrong. He just felt like arguing. After all, he didn't want his friend (since a kiss would obviously mean that they have to take the next step) to think that he was gay.

"Geez…" Kuwabara muttered, "Now I know how your mother feels." He rubbed the chin of his well-chiseled face out of deep thought and then remarked, "Anyway, let's forget this happened, Urameshi. Dub it as a promise between two men. We've got bigger problems."

"Yeah, what's that?" the other boy asked, clenching his fist and cracking his knuckles, "Someone trying get in on your turf or somethin'?"

Kuwabara sighed and pointed into a corner of Yusuke's bedroom, yelling, "No you idiot! How about this girl followed me in here and saw everything!"

Yusuke glanced over to the referred corner and saw a young and very pretty woman standing there, the most giddy of smiles on her face. Her light cerulean hair was tied up into a high ponytail; after all; it was important that everyone got to see how well her peony pink kimono went with it.

"Oh," Yusuke remarked, slouching back into his bed, "That's just Botan."

"WHAT?!" Kuwabara yelled out of shock, "You mean that you had a girlfriend this whole time and you made me kiss you?!"

The girl in the corner chuckled and stepped forward to greet Kuwabara with a bow. She smiled at him and stated, "I'm what humans would call a Grim Reaper. Nice to meet you, Kuwabara!" The boy reluctantly stood up and bowed back to her, unable to really understand the full situation. She pulled out a checklist from her left sleeve and then announced, "But I'm not Yusuke's girlfriend. From what I see here…"

Yusuke broke into a sweat. Sure, it felt nice to be able to sweat again, but…

"Yusuke's never had a girlfriend! He's never even been alone with one in that sort of way!"

Leaping at an inhumane speed, Yusuke attempted to snatch what seemed to be his file away from Botan. His friend laughed at the antics, all the while watching Botan slip the list back into her sleeve as if it was never there to begin with. Kuwabara's laughter was cut short when his air supply to do such an act was also cut off. Yusuke had his hands around his neck and was demanding that Kuwabara not tell anyone.

A beeping from an object in Botan's mystical sleeve was heard, demanding silence from the two boys. After discovering that it was a communication device used by both she and Koenma, they listened to her speak in a series of only negative and affirmative words. When the conversation was over, a silver briefcase materialized in her hand. She set it down on the floor and motioned for the two to join her in front of it.

"Hey, Urameshi," Kuwabara protested, "Whatever this is, I don't wanna get involved!"

"Me neither," Yusuke replied, "But I don't really have a choice because I'm living on borrowed time."

"Well then! You both have to come here, because whether or not you like it, the fate of the world is resting in Yusuke's hands! And Kuwabara, your sixth sense could really be of some help to him!" And of course, Botan ended that statement in a smile.

"Too cliché," Yusuke murmured in reference to Botan's speech.

"Hmmph!" Botan scoffed, "But it's true! Three demons are in possession of the Artifacts of Darkness! We need to get them back before the world gets destroyed and humanity becomes enslaved!"

"Artifacts of Darkness?" Kuwabara blinked, "Sounds like something made up for a video game." Yusuke laughed at the joke and the two of them proceeded to ramble off a few more puns.

"This is serious!" Botan yelled, "Now let me explain everything!"

"I think that's a pretty good idea," Yusuke agreed, "So that we both know what the Hell is going on here."

Author's Note

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks )

I know that I have a lot of works in progress at the moment - Let's consider all of those on hiatus (Except for my work Eternal on fictionpress - feel free to take a look at that one too). When I get around to updating my bio again, I'll put up a story status. Lots of my stuff was on hold because I was working two retail jobs over the holidays; so you can safely assume that I had literally no time to do much of anything.

Oh yes - there's more Hiei Fanart at my deviantART account for those of you who like fanart.

A big thanks to danceDANCEdance who does -excellent- work with keeping her stories in touch with the YYH storyline. If you haven't already, go read their works! It was an inspiration to do this particular story.

Another big thanks to kurama-sweethart, who always needs huggles because she just rocks so much. It's because of her spreading the "Zelia Theb" word that I have had an increase in fans. So please, hop on over to her stuff too!

-Zelia Theb