This took so much longing than I thought. But I wanted to write a sweet little something, something between the four. They make a real good team.

Kuwabara wasn't quite sure when his room became the hang out spot for everyone. He knew is happened gradually and he knew it started, surprisingly, with Hiei.

During an easy mission to the Makai, the three of them, Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara, had been holding their ground against an army of mindless lower class demons; giving Yusuke enough time to kill the head honcho. Kurama was off to Kuwabara's right, whip whirling around him, bringing a swift end to many. Kuwabara himself was using every combination of his spirit sword he'd developed, even going so far as to pull out the spirit flyswatter.

Hiei was flittering from place to place, pausing only long enough to strike at the enemy then disappearing in a blink of the eye. From the collapsing hordes of demons dispersed at random across the vast field the battle was taking place, Kuwabara could only tell where Hiei had been. It was towards the end of the fight when a demon had been smart end to double back and circle around that Hiei had been injured. The demon had snuck up behind Kuwabara so as to slash at his exposed back.

Hiei saw this as an opportunity to humiliate Kuwabara with a rescue; springing forward with a manic grin on his face, Hiei missed Kuwabara's manipulation of this spirit sword. Just as Hiei was bringing his own sword down to slice the demon in half, Kuwabara's sword exploded through the demon's body and plunged through Hiei's shoulder.

Kuwabara stared in horror as blood flew from Hiei's nearly amputated shoulder as it wobbled to and fro with the movements of his fall. A few heartbeats had passed, Kuwabara's strong and fast with adrenaline and Hiei's slowing as blood spilled from him, before Kurama was notified of the Hiei's dire circumstances through the holler of regret and anguish that finally worked its way free of Kuwabara's choked throat.

Hiei was dead silent.

It was Kuwabara's room the four flew into covered in blood, some their own, more from the enemy, but most was Hiei's. Kurama had already stopped the bleeding back in the Makai. He was working on knitting back the gaping wound the best he could with a needle and thread Shizuru'd gotten from her sewing kit when Yukina and Genkai arrived. It took hours, but the combined work of the three saved Hiei's life and his arm; which was basically an extension of his life because if he couldn't fight than he would see no reason to live.

Throughout the entire process, Kuwabara sat in the corner outta the way, staring at Hiei's bloodied figure. He was hunched over as if he'd collapse into himself at any moment (probably the moment Hiei would have died) and his hands were clutched in front of his mouth, a heavy coating of blood covering them. Kuwabara's eyes were wide and had a certain wild, panic look to them, the kinda look one saw on cornered animals.

Yusuke stood to the side of Kuwabara; lending his support with the hand he had gripping the stretch of flesh in between Kuwabara's shoulder and neck. He was careful not to touch Kuwabara's shoulders in anyway, but Kuwabara still felt the pain in his shoulders as if it were his own that had been torn off.

It was there in Kuwabara's room, in his very own bed that Hiei remained for a week. Once Hiei woke up, he was up on his feet and bursting through Kuwabara's window in an instant. Kuwabara was left to hang half way out the window, jagged shards cutting into his stomach, with an out stretched hand towards Hiei's falling form. One five story drop, two broken legs, and three people crowded around to heal him again had Hiei firmly planted in Kuwabara's bed, courtesy of one of Kurama's plant, for the next three week.

Afterwards Hiei never really left. Well, he did, but he always came back. Hiei'd grow custom of a permanent residence. Even one where he shared a twin bed with Kuwabara, something Hiei was beginning to really like. The fact that Kuwabara pampered him, mostly from guilt but partly because he liked to see Hiei smile when he'd make him a meal he'd really liked, also swayed him into staying.

The next to take up a semi-permanent residence in Kuwabara's room was Kurama.

November had come barreling into the city and with it all kinds of colds and sickness. While staying out late with Yusuke and hitting up the arcade, Kuwabara had what seemed like a small pond splashed all over him by a passing car. Yusuke, who had a sense when it came to vehicles ever since his firth death, stood off to the side at a safe range from the edge of the sidewalk with not a drop on him. Drenched from orange topped head to toe, Kuwabara chased after a hysterically laughing Yusuke, curls slipping from its wet gelled cocoon and streaming behind him.

The next morning had Kuwabara curled up under a mountain of covers, the occasional sniffle or cough making its muffled way through. For the first two day Kuwabara was pretty much left to his own, Shizuru checking in on him every so often, usually to give him homework that she demanded he do now rather than later.

On the third day Kuwabara heard the door to his room open. Expecting it to be Shizuru with breakfast or Hiei to keep him company, Kuwabara shifted a cover around and poked out his head, wincing at the cold air. Instead of his sister, there stood Kurama quietly toeing off his shoes so as to not awake Kuwabara's huddled form.

Kuwabara was floored at the sight. For one, it was midmorning on a Wednesday and Kurama was apparently skipping school; skipping without it being because of a mission. Kurama also happened to be wearing a ratty old teal bathrobe over top his blue and orange pinstripe pajamas. A quick glance to the floor showed that the shoes Kurama had just slipped off were, in fact, hot pink bunny slippers. It would be years still before Kuwabara accepted Kurama's hodgepodge sense of nighttime wardrobe. The last thing that Kuwabara noticed, and it was hard to see pass Kurama's garish clothes choice, was the sheen of sweat and the flush of red across Kurama's face. Kuwabara had never known Kurama to be sick. He didn't really think it possible.

"What you doin' here, Kur'ma" Kuwabara muttered with a slur. Kurama gave a start, surprised that Kuwabara was awake. A watery smile was sent his way with a replied, "Mother pampers me so whenever I suffer from any aliment. Thought I'd come here to clear my head."

Kuwabara nodded his assent and scooted over. Pulling a part of the blankets from under himself, Kuwabara opened up his nice warm cover cocoon for Kurama to join in. Kurama blinked in surprise, having thought he'd recline in the chair by the desk in the corner, but quickly took to loving offer before Kuwabara retracted it.

Kurama greatly disliked when people referred to him in a girlie manner; he was beginning to regret about growing his hair out and on more than one occasion thought of just chopping off the damned thing. He was careful to avoid tossing his hair over his shoulder, even when it was annoying him, and he had a strict 15 minute time limit in the bathroom to get all the essentials done. He did not want to be perceived as a female. So when he settled under the covers and Kuwabara snuggled into his side, it was with a burst of pure male pride swelling in his chest that Kurama wrapped his arms around Kuwabara's fevered body. He even went so far as to let Kuwabara use one of his arms as a pillow.

After a while of glorifying in the testosterone boost, Kurama grudgingly asked, "Where's Hiei at?"

Kurama felt Kuwabara jump in his arm and cursed at having woke him up. Kuwabara breathed a sigh that ruffled Kurama's crimson hair. "Went to spy on Yukina for the day. Weirdo. If I did tha' ta Shizuru she'd hit me til I was black and blue for'a week."

"You know about Hiei and Yukina?" Kurama asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Hiei told me," Said Kuwabara a bit more clearly, waking up. His stomach gave off a growl which was echoed by Kurama's stomach. Both boys laughed, Kurama falling into a cough.

"I'll go make a brunch for us. Least I could do," Kurama said as he shuffled to the bed's edge and pushed himself up, making sure to keep Kuwabara covered up, "since I'm crashing with you."

Just as Kurama got to the door, Kuwabara let out a groan, gathered up all the covers off the bed and followed after Kurama. Walking into the kitchen Kurama chuckled at the Kuwabara ball piled in the corner.

When Shizuru got home that night, she came home to the sight of a destroyed kitchen. There was flour in clumps all along the countertops, sauce and crumble stuck to the stove top, every cabinet or drawer was partially open, piles and piles of pots, pans, and plates were in the sink with food crusted onto then. Shizuru took one look at the mess and went on the man hunt. She didn't have to go far to find the culprits.

In the living she saw Kuwabara and Kurama on a makeshift cover pallet, collapsed on top of one another and in what appeared to be a snoring contest. By far Kurama was winning. Grinning, she ran to get the camcorder. Shizuru had a cigarette lit between her lips when she came back in to videotape their sweet moment. When she got a significant amount of blackmail material, Shizuru flicked off the camera and went to get out the mop. Just this once she's let this slid and cleaned up after them.

After spending a week huddled together fighting off their cold and talking about everything ranging to what kind of plants Kurama liked to tend to which video game release Kuwabara was looking forward to, the two discovered the great joy they had in common. Both boys absolutely loved to cook. Kuwabara from not being able to stomach the stuff Shizuru tried to make and Kurama because there were so many ways to incorporate his plants into them.

From that time on, Kurama could be seen coming over to the Kuwabara household every day after school. Kurama tended to prepare extravagant meals, whereas Kuwabara would perfect the more simple 'grandma's cooking' meals. More often than not Kurama's mother and Yusuke would be invited over to share in the meal.

Hiei, used to the cozy company of just him and Kuwabara, tried to discourage Kurama from staying the night over on the, frequent, times he'd stay so late helping clean up after dining or studying. His first act of rebellion came when Kuwabara, in a gesture to make Kurama feel more welcomed, set up a dozen or so potted plants in his room. Hiei pushed them out the window.

It wasn't until Hiei actually bothered to taste a bite of one of Kurama's meals, previously having eaten meals cooked by Kuwabara, that Hiei decided Kurama's presence wasn't all bad. The only problem was the tight fit of squeezing three boys onto a single twin bed at night.

The oddest happenstance of occupying Kuwabara's room, was when Yusuke started to come by more and more.

It was dinner time at the Kuwabara residence which meant Kuwabara was cutting up chicken, Hiei was sitting on the counter next to him watching his every movements, and Kurama was on Kuwabara's other side mixing together the dough for pizza. Not one of their more elegant meals, but it was Hiei's turn to pick what they had. At this lull in daily routine, Yusuke came barging in unannounced.

This was a fairly common thing for Yusuke to do, especially on a pizza night. However, the graffitied turtle he carried in his arms was new. Everyone paused in their activity to stare at the sight. Yusuke was a little worse for wear, probably a good old fashion street brawl. The turtle too was rather rugged, sporting a green makeshift bandaged from Yusuke's torn sleeve around its front leg.

"That pizza isn't gonna make itself!" Yusuke bit out. He marched over to the table and plopped into a seat, settling the turtle carefully on the table. Kurama and Kuwabara resumed making dinner. Hiei jumped from Kuwabara's side to the table with the turtle to settle down behind it.

"What is that writing on it for?" Hiei asked.

"Some kids being dicks. Set them straight, I did." Yusuke got up from the table. "Watch Humphry for me," he said, walking out the room.

Kurama and Kuwabara exchanged amusing looks, Kurama mouthing 'Humphry' with one eyebrow cocked and Kuwabara answering with a shrug. At the table Hiei had picked up Humphry and was cradling him in his arms. Caressing the vandalized shell, Hiei pitied the poor creature. Yusuke returned with two brushes in hand. He first went to the fridge and brought out a head of lettuce, then made his way back to Hiei and Humphry. Placing a toothbrush in Hiei's hand and the lettuce in front of Humphry, Yusuke used the brush he had to start scrubbing the paint off of the turtle's shell. Seeing what Yusuke was trying to do, Hiei followed suit.

In the time it took for Kurama and Kuwabara to finish making the pizza and for them to cook it in the oven, Hiei and Yusuke managed to clean Humphry up, making him look like a brand new turtle.

"Can he stay here with you, Kuwabara? I'd take him home, but I don't think alcohol and turtle mix very well," Yusuke said. Hiei answered in Kuwabara's place. "Absoluetly."

Kuwabara smiled. "Yeah. Now Eikichi'll have a friend other than Kurama's plants to play with!"

"Hopefully she'll stop digging up the dirt in my pots." Kurama remarked.

In order to get Humphry adjusted to his new living arrangements, Yusuke ended up spending the night with Kuwabara. As the four boys lay down to sleep there was a great amount of pushing and shoving between them. Kuwabara and Yusuke got into a pillow fight that ended up on the floor before everyone was settled. Kuwabara was hanging half off the bed, Hiei was stretched across the foot of it, Yusuke was in the middle with his head resting on Hiei's stomach and feet shoved into Kurama's hair, and Kurama was on the far side crammed against the wall. Unbelievably, everyone deemed themselves comfortable and were asleep within minutes.

After sharing a small bed between the four of them for three nights in a row, Kuwabara was fed up. He grabbed Kurama's wallet from the hall table and wrestled Yusuke's from the back of the boy's pocket. With money in toll and determination in his eye, Kuwabara set off, Hiei tagging along. Hours later, the duo returned to the questions of their friends.

"So'd you go get that new game, man?" Yusuke asked with excitement, having already planned staying up all night kicking Kuwabara'a ass level after level. Kuwabara shook his head.

"Did you run by and pick up that spice we needed for dinner tomorrow night?" Kurama asked.

"We did that too," Hiei replied. Yusuke was confused. "Well what the Hell else you get? Beers and Bitches?"

Kuwabara hit Yusuke up side the head. "Don't talk about girls like that, Urameshi! We got something we could all share." Yusuke rubbed his head, venturing again, "Bitches and Beers?"

"No. A bigger bed!" Kurama cried out. "Hell yeah!" Kuwabara shouted, breaking into a smile. "Now let's go lug it in!"

As the four ran out to bring in the new bed, Eikichi blinked lazily from her position on Humphry's back. Curling into a ball on his back, Eikichi was lulled to sleep was the gently swaying of Humphry's wondering, both oblivious to the ruckus the boys were causing switching out beds and, in Kuwabara and Yusuke's case, jumping on the new. Kurama moved his plants aside to make room with a grin, while Hiei shook out the new sheets and let them fall to drape over the bouncing buffoons.