Fire

Yusuke bid a customer farewell, then turned to find another sitting on the other side of his cart. He was surprised to find narrowed red eyes watching him intently. "Hiei? What are you doing here without Kurama?"

"The fox is not my keeper, Yusuke." the jaganshi replied. "I can go places without him."

"I wasn't saying that you can't; I was saying that you don't. But anyway, what's up?"

"You really should choose more appropriate times to visit us, you know." Hiei responded. "It's hardly polite to come over at four in the morning to make out with someone else's lover."

Yusuke flushed. "You know about that?"

"Of course I know about that. Relax, I'm not here to kill you. You're allowed to kiss Kurama."

"Oh. Oh, good."

"But before you get all giddy about that, I should tell you that fair is fair."

Yusuke opened his mouth to ask what the youkai meant by that, but was cut off by a warm pair of slightly chapped lips pressing into his. Brown eyes blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. If he didn't know any better, Yusuke would have said that he was kissing Hiei.

He was kissing…

Hiei?

No…Hiei was kissing him.

The former spirit detective's lips seemed to have a mind of their own. Even though his brain had ceased all normal functions, his mouth had no trouble keeping up with Hiei's demanding kiss.

Suddenly, the small fire demon released the front of his shirt and settled back into his seat with a satisfied smirk.

Yusuke just gaped at him while Hiei began to study the menu.

"What was that?" the mazoku yelped finally.

"Don't be a fool. You kissed what's mine, so I kissed you." Hiei responded without looking up from the menu.

"But…I didn't think you…liked me like that."

Red eyes rolled up to glare at the half demon. "Why else would I have offered you a place beside us for the rest of eternity, idiot? Do you ever use that brain of yours for thinking, or has it just become something to keep the wind from rushing through your head?"

"Fuck, Hiei! You still haven't explained anything to me! Stop acting like I'm just supposed to know what's going on here."

"The fox said-"

"Kurama explained his side of things to me. But I still don't know why you want this, Hiei. I don't know why you want me. I'm thinking about leaving my wife because you want me, and I want to know why, Hiei."

The jaganshi turned the menu around and pointed to an illustration. "Make me that, and we'll talk."

"Fine." Yusuke went over to his cooking materials and began to prepare the dish. He knew that talking about feelings was not something that Hiei was comfortable with, so he resolved not to push him anymore.

"I trust you." Hiei said abruptly. "I…admire you. You somehow manage to be a competent fighter and retain the relationships in your life. I only learned how to do that when I met you. I've grown accustomed to you."

Yusuke set the steaming bowl of noodles and broth down in front of his friend and sighed. That was a more in depth answer than he was expecting from the reticent jaganshi. "I really am thinking about leaving Keiko, you know." he said.

"Because of us?"

"Because of everything. She doesn't understand me, and she's stopped trying to. Now all she wants to do is pick fights."

"Humans." Hiei replied. He applied himself to his food then, and Yusuke watched in amusement. He couldn't deny that he found the small demon attractive. Their kiss had shocked him, but now that his mental capacities had been restored, he had to admit that he had really enjoyed it. It was different from his kiss with Kurama. That one had been all about seduction and prowess, much like Kurama himself. Hiei's kiss had been hot passion. No forethought or ulterior motive. Just…kissing. It was obvious that being with the two demons was going to keep his life interesting.

Keiko looked up with angry eyes as her husband let himself into their home. "And where have you been?"

"Um…at work?" Yusuke replied in confusion.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, Keiko. Where do you think I was?"

"I don't know. Maybe wherever it was you snuck off to the other morning."

There wasn't really much Yusuke could say to that. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the fight. "I went to Kurama's the other morning."

"Of course you did. That's the only place you seem to want to be these days. Why is that, Yusuke?"

"Really, Keiko, this again? You know why I go to Kurama and Hiei. To talk."

"And you can't talk to me anymore? I'm your wife, Yusuke, and I used to be your best friend."

"I can't talk to you about this."

"Oh please! I know I'm just a lowly human, but I've known you longer than any of these demons. Whatever is happening with you concerns me."

The half demon sighed. "You're right."

"What?"

"You're right. You deserve to know what's going on with me. Keiko, I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend like I'm just a normal human. I can't play at this marriage with you just for appearances; it isn't right."

"What are you saying, Yusuke?" Keiko whispered.

"I need to leave. You deserve better than this."

"You're leaving me?"

Yusuke nodded. "I have to. Keiko, we can't fix this."

"How do you know? You aren't even willing to try!"

"I'm always going to need to go to Hiei and Kurama. I'm always going to be a demon, and you never will be."

"So that's it then? Because we're not the same species anymore we can't be together? I loved you when you were a ghost, Yusuke! What makes this any different?"

"You do! You keep wishing that this was like the time I was a ghost. I'm not magically going return to being a human, Keiko. There's no reversal for this."

"So you're just leaving?"

"I'm doing it for you."

"Oh don't lie to me, Yusuke! I've seen the way you look at Hiei and Kurama when you think no one's watching. If you want to be with them without waiting for me to die, then just say so."

"I was curious about being with men before I married you. According to Kurama, it's part of being a demon."

"And if Kurama said it, it must be true."

Yusuke stared at her blankly. "Uh, yeah. It usually is."

"Whatever, Yusuke. If you want to leave me then just leave. Stop making excuses and just leave."

"Fine. I'll be back for my stuff later."

"Whatever."

Yusuke left the apartment then, wincing as the door was slammed behind him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed in the only direction he could think to go in. Towards Kurama's.

He raised a hand to knock cautiously, his awareness on the lookout for spikes in energy that might imply that his friends were otherwise occupied. Before his hand could make contact with the wood, however, the door was opened by Hiei.

"Obsessed are you?" the shorter demon asked in a bored tone.

"No. Just homeless."

Hiei met Yusuke's brown eyes and nodded. "Come in then."

"Kurama still at work?" the mazoku asked.

"What happened?"

"Keiko and I are done." Yusuke said. "She started yelling at me about how much time I was spending with you and Kurama, and I told her I was leaving her."

"For us?"

"Not in so many words, but she knew where I was going when I left."

Hiei studied the face of the male in front of him. It was rare that his brown eyes were so dull and lifeless. The jaganshi could tell that his friend was pretty broken up about the failing of his marriage.

"I just…" Yusuke continued. "I loved her. I did. But it wasn't enough." he shook his head. "What happens now, Hiei?"

The fire demon shrugged. He was no good at comforting people (it was a side effect of having rarely been comforted himself) but his senses were screaming at him to do something to take that look off of Yusuke's face. That only happened when Kurama was depressed. It was almost as if…shit.

It was almost as if, on some level, he kind of, perhaps, lo…er…felt a deep affection for the former detective.

"Hiei?" Yusuke was confused. There was a look in the jaganshi's red eyes that he had never seen before. They were far away and looked almost lost. The crimson orbs darted to Yusuke's face and then away again. "Are you…?"

Before he knew what was happening Yusuke was on his back on the couch with a lap full of fire demon. Hiei was straddling him, his small calloused hands pressed under the shirt that the mazoku was wearing and his tongue running soothing circles on Yusuke's collarbone.

"Um…" was all the half demon could choke out.

"Shut up." Hiei snapped against his neck.

And for once Yusuke obeyed that command. He could feel that this was as strange and awkward for Hiei as it was for himself. He didn't understand why Hiei felt the need to be so close to him anymore than he understood his need to keep the jaganshi where he was. All he could really feel was contentment pulsing through him in waves, though it did feel like something was missing.

Just then the front door opened and a bemused chuckle floated through the room. "Comfortable are we?" went Kurama's soft alto.

"You can shut up too." Hiei replied.

"You'll forgive me Hiei, but it's not everyday one comes home to find their boyfriend straddling another man."

"It was-"

"Instinct, I'm assuming." Kurama finished. "What spurred this inherent need to comfort Yusuke?"

"I left Keiko." the mazoku answered.

"Ah. That would explain it." Having had much more practice ignoring them, the kitsune was not as ruled by his baser instincts as Hiei was, but even he felt the pull of Yusuke's desperation and wanted very much to chase the hopelessness from his eyes. "Did she take it badly?"

Yusuke shook his head. "She knew why. I wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to feel bad about it."

Kurama smiled apologetically. "Is it for the best?"

"I think so. I wasn't being fair to her."

The redhead walked closer to the couch. He knelt next to it, and bowed his head so that a curtain of crimson hair fell around the three of them. "What exactly were you doing that was so unfair, Yusuke?" Kurama murmured.

Yusuke swallowed hard as something clicked. The feeling of something missing was gone and a wholeness took its place. The kitsune's hair smelled exotic and heady and he was having a hard time focusing between that and the nuzzle of Hiei's nose against his neck. "Um. I was…always…er…I wanted to be here…more than there…with her."

Hiei and Kurama locked eyes and a moment of perfect understanding passed between the two of them.

Kurama sat back on his heels and Hiei was on the other side of the room, perched on a bookcase in less than a second. He grimaced as his head yelled at him to get back over there and touch Yusuke more.

"Wha…?" the stunned mazoku articulated.

"I want to be perfectly clear here, Yusuke." Kurama began. "Hiei and I are more than ready to accept you into our lives in this new capacity. You can move out of Keiko's and in with us today if you wish, but only if that is what you really want. I do not want you to feel like we are pressuring you in this just because we are crazy about you. Both of us know how to wait if need be."

"Hn." Hiei agreed. "The fox is right."

Yusuke was silent for a moment, then he sat up. "Thanks, guys." he said. "But I know what I want. I think I've known since we first fought together. I always did feel more at home with you guys and in the Makai than I did here with humans. I guess that makes sense now."

"I suppose it does." Kurama chuckled. "Tell us what you want, Yusuke."

"I want to be with you two. I want to move in here and hang out with Hiei while you're at work, Kurama. I want to bring home dinner from my stand for you guys. I want to finally feel like I belong somewhere."

Hiei slid off the bookcase and walked over to his friend. "Belong here." he said and pulled the half demon down to meet his mouth.

Kurama shook his head with a smirk. "This should prove interesting."

A/N: So there you have it: the destruction of one thing and the beginning of another. I'm not sure if I've said this before or not, but I don't have anything against Keiko. I think she's a perfectly respectable character, and if I wasn't so obsessed with yaoi, I would have left her and Yusuke together. But, I like the these three together, so sorry, Keiko. Anyway, lately I have been wondering if I should put all the oneshots in this series into one easy collection rather than keep posting them as separate stories. What do you guys think? As always, thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this.