Author's Note: I hope everyone forgives the late finale, but life has been a royal mess as of late. Thank the good lord I had already started writing this before the crazy started otherwise it would have taken ages to wrap up. In any case, I hope you all enjoy and that I also hope that no one is too OOC.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or the characters.

Kurama woke in a distinctly wonderful mood. The sun was shinning again and he had managed to sleep in for at least a little while, something he rarely used to do, but was quite fond of recently. The house was quiet, but despite the plush coverings the bed was cold.

She was not there, he reminded himself. Normally that would have bothered him significantly and today it still niggled at the back of his mind.

The alarm clock on his phone buzzed incessantly on the bedside table and he reached over to silence it. This was the weekend and he was allowed to take his time if he felt so inclined. With a hand over his eyes he smiled. It would be a busy one. There was much to do and he had gotten an early night the day before to make sure he was well prepared.

With a guttural groan he rolled into a sitting position, stretching his arms up and then letting them fall at his side while he breathed the fresh morning air deeply. The barest of chills in the air denoted that summer would soon make way for autumn, but for now the warm weather wood persist, which suited his purposes. His brow scrunched together. Something was still buzzing. A quick glance at his bedside table informed him as to what it was. He reached over to grab the device. He still was not completely used to having it.

His grey communicator fit snuggly in the palm of his hand. He recalled that it used to ring, but he had set it to vibrate instead as not to draw too much attention from prying eyes. He flipped the screen open.

A bright smile greeted him and he instantly recalled the date. The 23rd. Her voice called to him, melodic and chipper, invigorating him a way that nothing else seemed to manage. "Morning handsome! Don't forget we have a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants kind of day. I'll see you soon," she ended her message with a wink and a kiss, a gesture that made his mind swim to a few evenings before when she had found out just what that he thought of that little wink she was so fond of.

He threw the covers off and placed the device back on the table. Within a few strides he was over to the closet where the bag he had packed the night before still sat. He marched into the shower with purpose. The sooner he made himself decent the faster he could get to his deity and begin their plans.

Botan looked over to the clock in the square. It was almost lunch. Her morning had been a mad rush to get down to Neigenkai followed by a frantic search through every store in town. It had been worth it though. The bag firmly gripped between her fingers announced her success. It had looked a little rough going for a while, but finally she had spotted them in a window. The perfect pair of black heels. Thankfully the store had her size, otherwise she would have ended up running late. Well, as late as one could be to a meeting they were already involved in.

"Botan-chan," the calm voice called to her, a tone that she was becoming more and more accustomed to. Shiori's motherly countenance was facing the direction of the near by train station, quietly suggesting that she should turn too.

Botan had not anticipated that after their dinner together Shiori would be so interested in spending the next Saturday with them as well. She was relieved really. She could not have possibly asked for a better outcome and was instantly on board. Sadly they had plans later that day, but the couple had promised her lunch and Botan had accepted her offer to help find the last few items on her list.

One in particular was vital for the day ahead. Or so she had been led to believe. She did not actually know where they were going. All she knew was what she was wearing.

When Kurama asked her to grab him a sweatshirt from his closet while he chopped veggies for dinner she had not thought too much of it. At first she failed to notice the black silk hanging against his closet door, but when she turned with her of heather grey prize it pulled her in and she stood flabbergasted. The dress from the store hung just as it had the day she tried it on and this whole venture began. She did not know how long she stood there, but eventually his request to take her out after their meet up with the gang broke through to her. There he stood leaning against the door way with a confident and smug smile. He knew he had done well. She had reached for him to give him her answer and then promptly made him forget about dinner for a while.

The one down side was that she had to go back to Reikai and extend her time off, so she had begun the day cold and early, something was becoming less and less used to with each night she spent with him. So when his mother announced his arrival her heart beat faster, as it always seemed to when ever he was near.

Botan followed Shiori's line of sight and found the red-head heading straight for them.

"Oka-san," he said kissing his mother on the cheek before turning his full attention to the lady waiting patiently near by. Shiori did her best not to intrude, averting her gaze to give the pair a moment to catch up. All the while she bounced on her heels, clearly tickled pink at the turn of events.

A swift but ardent kiss was followed by the quietest whisper she had ever heard at the shell of her ear, "I missed you."

She had missed him too. They had only been apart for a night but the ache was painfully apparent. She had been spending as much time as she could with him, usually lunch breaks or evenings. She had been making a point to work her own shifts and not take any extras. With that she had a little more free time and that free time had been spent with her kitsune who was always waiting with open arms. It was amazing how such everyday activities like eating, cooking, shopping, and sleeping were now suddenly so enjoyable. She even brought her paperwork with her last time and had set up camp at the kitchen table. He had even helped her with a particularly tricky scheduling issue and the time had simply flown by.

Staying at Kurama's was not yet routine, but she suspected it soon would be. When she had returned on the previous Monday night, after being away all of Sunday, he had taken her out to the corner store and together they had made his home 'Botan friendly'. It really had been like a whirlwind, but one that she was more than happy to get caught up in.

He left a lingering kiss on her neck and she clung to his back with a broad grin. "I missed you too," she said leaving kiss on the corner of his upturned lips. They pulled back slowly but did not go far.

Kurama reached down to take her hand and found a string of cloth near her pulse point. "I see your mission was successful." He slipped the bag off of her wrist and quietly began to rearrange the items he held to make space for the newest item. Her hand was waiting for his when he had adjusted everything.

"Very. So much shopping demands energy. Shall we get something to eat before you two have to go?" Shiori queried, already turning towards a restaurant across the road.

Kurama squeezed her hand gently and brought the back of her hand to his lips. Botan blushed but took the opportunity to move closer. He was a little disappointed when her fingers retreated from his but leaned into her embrace as her arm snaked around his waist. She cooed in contentment. "Sounds like a plan," she said as they made their way towards the restaurant entrance.

Yusuke could not explain how excited he was. He was not going to show it, but he was ecstatic. It had been a while since the whole gang had gotten together. Keiko had heard from Yukina in her phone call that Botan was scheduled to show up, as were Kurama, Hiei, and the Kwuabara siblings. Even Koemna had promised to stop by if he could, though no one was banking on it.

"Yusuke if you don't hurry we will miss the train." The voice was reprimanding, something that had never gone away and he doubted ever would. Nor did he wish it to. That was his Keiko, always doing her best to keep in him on track.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm moving." He rushed his steps when he heard the beep of the doors, but knew they would not make it in time. There was no point in rushing if Keiko was so far behind. And it was rather a shame because the train was mostly empty, at least compared to the way it normally was. Hopefully the next one would be just as open lest he get stuck glaring at everyone in sight to avoid having some jerks armpit in his face, or ending up nose to nose with some poor unfortunate for far too long. A tell tale blue ponytail swished inside the train and instinctively he called out to the only person he knew with that specific hair color.

"Hey, Botan!" The call was drowned out by the announcement of the loud speakers on the platform and the doors closing, but when the woman turned her head to get a look at the map on the train wall he could see her face clearly. He could also see what he thought was a fairly identifiable shade of red that mingled in with blue intimately. And was that a hand on her waist? It was hard to get a good glimpse because the train began to move and things became blurry.

Keiko wandered up behind him with her hand on her protruding belly. "Botan-chan?" she queried enthusiastically. It had been a while since either of them had seen the bubbly deity. Keiko had been looking forward to the meet up, bemoaning the fact that they and not seen Botan since their pregnancy announcement almost five months before. The others she could see regularly, but Botan was far more elusive than Yukina or Shizuru.

"She didn't hear me," he explained with a small pout. If she had he was sure she would have held the doors open, to hell with what anyone else had to say about it, but as it stood they would probably be the last ones to the party.

Keiko frowned patting her belly absentmindedly, a sign that she would soon be looking for food of some fashion. "Are you sure it was her? She normally flies."

Yusuke paused before running hand over his slicked back hair. His wife was right but he was positive it had been her. "Yeah, I'm sure." And he was fairly positive he had seen Kurama too, which was odd. But it had just been a flash of red really. It could have been a woman with red hair or a brightly colored jacket. Still, he was pretty sure it was Kurama he had seen. Perhaps they had met up and decided to go together. Or may be it was just coincidence.

Either way the Urameshis had missed the train and would now be late. Nothing new there.

"Since we're waiting, I'm gonna go grab drink. Want anything?" He was instantly both glad he had asked and regretful. The way her eyes lit up at the prospect was so freaking adorable and yet he dreaded the order that was to come. It was one thing for a visibly pregnant to order an odd concoction from a vendor but they all gave him a mix of confused and repulsed looks when he did so. That was until he explained exactly whom it was for. The look on her face when he brought back her harrowing potion of non-caffeinated doom would be worth it. Even so, was it so much to ask that she stick to something on the menu, just this once...

"Oh, a green smoothie with whipped cream, caramel, and a few crushed potato chips sprinkled on top. And a pickle if they have one."

Nothing new there either, he thought with a grimace.

In the end they had walked up to the temple slowly but surely, and he had to say that Keiko was holding up admirably under the circumstances. A part of him wanted to just pick her up and rush through the trees, but his wife was a stubborn and independent woman. If she wanted to walk they would walk and take their sweet time about it. He had been getting better about not complaining.

Still when the temple came into view he could not have been more relieved. Almost as soon as he caught sight of it he heard the trickle of a conversation that immediately got his blood pumping. As he suspected they were the last to arrive. Kuwabara's complaining, which reached out to him over the trees, stated as much. And it seemed he was not the only one invigorated by the impending arrival. Keiko's pace picked up as much as it could until they broke through the trees.

All eyes turned in their direction. "Hey guys! You started without us," he called with an exaggerated wave.

Kuwabara stuffed his hands in his brightly colored swim trunks. Of the bunch he was the only one slightly annoyed, but they saw each other regularly since the tall man had returned from America, and slight annoyance with each other had always been one of their preferred manners of greeting "It's about time Urameshi. We were wondering where you were."

The half pout was cut off by a poke to the spine that instantly sent a shiver down his spine and brought his mini sulk to a halt. "Can it bro. It takes her little longer to get around these days." Shizuru turned her head to let out a puff of smoke as far away from Keiko as she could manage, promptly snuffing out the cigarette into a near by ash tray. With that done, she approached the pregnant woman. She had been by just a few days before to help with some things around the apartment, so she let Botan and Yukina rush in for their hugs while she hung back.

When the two brightly colored woman pulled back Genkai's voice floated to them from the door. "You look like you're about to burst kiddo." The observation brought a moment of silence to the group as an short inspection was suddenly in order.

"It almost looks like your having twins," Botan speculated loftily, examining Keiko's protruding belly carefully. The young woman was on the petite side and while she was due to be showing, this was a bit much. The term 'heavily pregnant' certainly applied to the brown haired woman but she was only six months along. By the looks of her stomach any of them would have guessed she was closer to eight or nine. An excited smile lifted Keiko's cheeks and Botan quickly put the pieces together. Long fingers clasped before shinning eyes and then she began to fret over her old friend. "You are! Oh that's wonderful news! You should have told us. We would have moved the meet up closer to you."

Keiko took the arm Botan was extending and began to walk over to an open chair that Genkai had pulled onto the veranda, which looked sturdy and had plenty of cushion. She lowered herself into the seat and seemed relieved to be off her feet even if only for a moment or two. "It's alright. To be honest I'm just happy to get out of the house."

A cascade of blue swung about as she prepped to take a pose and make a declaration. "Well, you let me know if you need anything. Aunty Botan will be happy to help," the ferry girl chirped with a hand held up confidently.

Yukina nodded enthusiastically with a bright but small smile. "And you can call me too Keiko. Genkai and I would love to assist you."

When she heard no complaint from the psychic Keiko giggled. "Thanks girls. I'm going to need it with two Urameshis." No one could deny hearing the resignation or the teasing in Keiko's tone. No matter what happened, they were sure to be a handful.

"Hey! I was a cute kid." Yusuke's grumbled protestations fell on deaf ears, or rather unsympathetic ones, because no one truly believed that he was not a miniature version of himself as a child.

Keiko shook her head thinking back on all the hell the boy had raised. He had been cute and that was part of why he had always gotten away with his shenanigans. "And a lot more trouble than you remember."

Yusuke gave up and took the couple of steps needed to make his way over to the easiest of his ex-teammates to get along with. He set his bag down near Kurama who was standing over a small duffle bag of his own. His friend greeted him with a smile, leaning casually against the wall. As always the kitsune was listening intently to the conversation, but made it seem as if he was not. Botan's blue mane swished about close to his chest and a few times it looked as though the strands might swipe him across the face. They did not and Yusuke could not tell if it was just luck or well timed movements that kept such an event from occurring. Either way the fox could have easily moved further away from the shinigami but had chosen not to. Had it been Yusuke he would have swatted the energized ponytail ages before, but he was not Kurama. Still he was grateful for the cunning mans patience. He could be close to Keiko and see his friend this way. "Hey buddy, haven't seen you in a while. Busy at work?" It was a safe question. Kurama was almost always at work or training.

Red hair dipped down and let loose a secretive and knowing grin. Yusuke took a second to examine the tall red head. At first glance nothing appeared out of place, but when he took a longer look her realized something was different. The half demon had his arms crossed over his chest, but more loosely than in the past. The boredom and weariness that had weighted down broad shoulders were not there this time. He would not say Kurama looked carefree but it was as close to carefree as the detective had ever seen him. "Yes, but less so these last few weeks than usual. I've decided to relax a little more."

Working less explained a great deal and Yusuke clapped the taller mans shoulder soundly, pleased to finally hear he had stopped running himself in the ground over piles of mostly meaningless paperwork. "You should. You work too hard."

Kuwabara flipped his phone open with one hand, holding a cooler full of drinks with the other. "So should we walk down to the beach? I checked the wether forecast and it's supposed to be sunny all afternoon," he was excited and impatient. If the timber of his voice was not enough to go by, then the swim trunks he sported coupled with his sunglasses, fishing cap, and sandals were all screaming that he had been itching to go to the beach for an afternoon.

Everyone nodded in excitement expect for Keiko who met their enthusiasm with apprehension. "Well, I..." she trailed off, not sure how to go about explaining that the trip over had been more moving than she wanted to do for a while. Her ankles were swollen and if she could avoid the long trek down to the beach she would. She had thought that at least Genkai would remain at the shrine, but even the elderly woman appeared to be ready to go. A long pipe was in one hand while the other clutched a small blanket that still had sand on it from the last time she had sat on the beach contemplating life.

Botan snapped her fingers. With a swift practiced motion her oar appeared before them. "Hop on Keiko. I'll fly us to save your feet, if you like."

Keiko had seen Botan fly in the past. She had even been on the oar when they were teenagers once or twice, but it had been a while. From what she recalled Botan liked to move quickly, preforming the odd aerial acrobatic here and there. Still she did not with to be left behind nor did she want to walk. Yusuke could carry her but he would whine the whole way down the mountain and quite a bit more on the way back up it. This was arguably the best option she could have asked for. Therefore in her best mom voice, one she had been practicing for when the boys got out of hand, she rose and began to waddle over. "Not too fast or high."

With her hand on her heart Botan waited for Keiko to get settled before lifting them off of the ground. "I will hover at walking speed," she swore with a chuckle at the death grip that Keiko had on her waist. It was an impressive feat. The belly made it difficult to get such a vice grip on anything, but she managed somehow.

Yusuke nodded his thanks to the reaper as the two ladies joined Genkai, Shizuru, and Yukina who were already starting the journey. Kurama was not far behind the girls and so the other men moved to join. Yusuke picked up a bag of blankets and towels and noticed Hiei, who let out asharp exhale.

"You ok Hiei?" He stepped up to the swordsman's side. He followed the red stare to Botan's cheerful face. He was staring so hard that anyone other than Botan would have noticed. As it stood she had not, or if she had she was not letting it get to her. Typically when Hiei stared at someone it was out of distain, but this was different. He almost seemed curious, which struck Yusuke as odd. So he did his best to play it off and tease the prickly man whilst he did so. "I know it's been a while but you know Botan. Ferry guide, death incarnate, too happy for her own good-"

His description was cut off sharply by a glare filled with such distain that only Hiei could have managed it. "I haven't forgotten her you cretin," he said disappearing into the trees. Someone had to scout out the path. It was unlikely, but there was the odd fiend floating about and none of them had forgotten their many run ins and close shaves over the years. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Jeez, what's wrong with him?" Kuwabara asked, somewhat rhetorically, eyes squinting at the diminutive set of black clad shoulders.

"Way too many things to list," Yusuke said with a frown. He shifted the bag on his shoulder and decided to let whatever it was go for now. His time would be much better spent beating on and teasing Kuwabara.

Botan was the first through the temple doors upon their return, the red and gold hues of the sunset lighting up the hall from behind her. "I'm so glad we went down to the shore," she said, looking around for the bag that had been left on the porch, but was now waiting for her, open on a near by chair. It truly had been a blast and she knew she probably should have been exhausted but if anything she was reenergized. She fumbled with the strap for a moment which had gotten twisted but was soon right as rain. The rest of the group shuffled in after her each finding their way into the abode.

Yukina was next to her in an instant, looking to help in any way she could. Yukina had always enjoyed being around the bright guide. There was something about being near Botan and Shizuru that made her feel looked after, though they went about it in two very different ways. "Yes, the coast is beautiful this time of year." She watched the reaper curiously as the duffle bag, which was now half empty, was lifted up. "Botan-chan, will you be staying here tonight?" Yukina asked, already thinking over which rooms should be allocated to whom.

The question brought a pause to the taller woman's movements toward the hall. "I wasn't planning on it," she admitted jovially, a bit curious as to what had brought about the question. It would not have been the first time Botan had slept over after a meet up but she had not mentioned the potential for that to anyone on this occasion.

The young apparition peaked around Botan's shoulders to get a look at the bag's contents. There were clothes; lots of black and white clothes and a pair of pristine dressy shoes right on top of it all. Yukina had been sure that the bag had actually arrived with Kurama, but since they had arrived together that would not have aroused anyones suspicions. Carrying a lady's bag was something that Kurama did under normal circumstances, no matter the lady with him. He had excellent manners that were a little old fashioned to some but greatly appreciated by most. "It's just that you brought a bag with you."

"Oh this, well-" Her bubbly expression went flat at the sight of spiky black hair appearing in her line of sight. Red eyes stared her down, calculating and curious. Botan blinked, not quite sure what he was doing but positive that he was looking for something. "Can I help you Hiei?" she asked, stepping around the man who was currently blocking her entrance to the restroom.

His brow scrunched together before he did his best to peer down the bridge of his nose at her only to find himself tilting his head back. A small curse ran through his mind. All these infuriating people were so damned tall. It made it hard to intimidate them, particularly when they already knew he was unlikely to actually cause them any harm. "Hn." He had been curious to see what it was that Kurama fun so intriguing but this woman and had been watching her all day. She was Botan, something he was having a hard time seeing past. He supposed he liked her as much as he could which was to say that she was useful at times and not always a huge pain in the ass, but nothing about her aide from the fact that she was objectively very pretty made her stand out to him. He saw glimpses of it here and there, but he now supposed it did not matter what he thought of her. All that mattered was that she was clearly good for the kitsune and that the fox was happy, a fact that was painfully apparent to any that wished to see it. With that his eyes softened the tiniest bit and he stepped aside to let her into the hall.

Yusuke stretched his arms over his head and pulled Keiko's napping form in close. He did not know how he was going to get her home but he would have to figure something out. It seemed an odd thing to carry his wife all the way home, but it was actually not such a hard thing for him. Even now she was not terribly heavy, only slightly awkward to hold. The hard part was enduing the embarrassment of being fawned over by every woman he passed, telling him what a wonderful husband he was and how they wished someone would carry them home like that. It was never meant as anything but a compliment, but then again he never had been good at accepting those. "Well, it's been fun guys. We should do this again real soon."

"Agreed," Kurama said, slipping into the hall as well for a quick retreat.

"Next time we'll come to you," Shizuru swore from her spot near the window where her cigaret glowed brightly in contrast to the darkening sky.

A gravely voice sounded off from her perch in the corner. Wrinkled lips remained steady as she spoke from the rim of her tea cup. "Or maybe it's time for you two to move out of that tiny apartment." Yusuke waited for the snide comment that typically followed but none came. She was serious. He looked around the room of the temple. The place was big but it was already sort of full. Yukina and Genkai were there all the time and, while they did not take up much space on their own, the temple grounds were sort of haven for their group and other apparitions they had come to see as friends and allies. Touya, Jin, Chu, Shishi, Rinku, and Suzuka were often found milling about and had their own spaces within the grounds. Hiei also found himself there quite a bit.

Yusuke dug his finger into his ear, a sign he was about to say something rude. "I don't know hag. I mean, we lived together for a while and it was fun but-"

Brown eyes sharpened, causing a chill to run down Yusuke's spine. The correction was followed up by a grunt and a frown, a sign that she was of the same mind as he was. He also knew that her point has yet to be made. "There are other buildings on the land you know."

Yusuke smiled. He had forgotten about that. There were a few other buildings, many they had never even been to. Perhaps they could check out some of those the next day and see what Keiko thought. It would be nice to be so close to those they knew and trusted. Besides, Keiko was right. They would need all the help they could get. The mountain was a great place and the thought of staying gave him an idea as to what needed to be done in regards to their sleeping arrangements. "Let me check with the boss when she's not quite so tired. Can we stay here tonight?"

Yukina clapped her hands together under her chin. "I'll set up a room for you two," she said scurrying off to find some clean linens.

For a few quite minutes they all sat waiting for their counterparts to return. Yusuke stretched his arms over his head and stifled yawn. They would be here for the night so he might as well get comfortable and grab a beer form Genkais hidden fridge. He did not get far. Kurama reentered the makeshift living room, sliding his arms into an expensive looking black suit jacket. "What's with the monkey suit? You going-" His words were cut off at the sound of heels rounding the corner. For a second the rom was very quiet until two words flew from Yusuke's mouth uninhibited. "Damn Botan."

Shizuru hummed, sucking in on her cigarette whilst giving Botan the once over. She let out a billow of smoke that dissipated through the open window. The deity was positively radiant, her blue hair let down, with some accentuating but minimal make up that complimented her form fitting black silk dress. The material contrasted her pale skin beautifully and brought out the lighter colors in her eyes. It was a new style for Botan but it suited her and she was bound to turn heads in it. "That's one hell of a dress kid. You going out tonight?"

What was possibly the brightest grin Yusuke had ever seen from the ferry girl settled onto her cheeks. "Bingo! I've been promised a date night," she said sinking onto one hip and posing, the long expanse of her legs further lengthened by the thin black heels she sported.

The tall brunette grinned saucily, coupling her encouraging words with a wink and a flick of her ashes into a near by tray. "Well you're sure as hell dressed to knock someones socks off." Yusuke could hardly disagree. The dress fit Botan like a glove. Whoever she was meeting was one lucky asshole.

An arm slid around the black silk encased waist with a familiar intimacy that could not be ignored. "Indeed." Kurama's deep baritone in her ear caused an immediate reaction. She melted into his side, smiling up at him. Pure adoration and love passed between them in the steady gaze.

Yusuke had no idea what to say, but he was absolutely certain of one thing. It must have been Kurama he had seen with Botan on the train. This explained why the flash of red hair had been so close to her face. For a moment he put the pieces and small clues together from the afternoon. Looking back they had been closer than usual, never more than a few feet apart at most. Yusuke knew he was not the most observant and that the others had probably picked up on it before he did.

Kuwabara wasted no time and squinted at the cozy scene before him. "Wait..." It took him a minute but the signs were hard to misread. He soon jumped back with a shocked but joyful smile. "No way! Since when?"

Yukina poked her head around the corner curious to see what all the commotion was about. Much quicker on the take than her devoted human, she saw the embrace and her face instantly brightened up. "Oh, this is so exciting!"

Botan blushed at the attention from her friends but she agreed with the assessment. It was exciting and wonderful and everything she had ever hoped it might be. "A few weeks ago," she said tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. She was itching to tell the girls all about it but now was not the time. She would have to plan something. Possibly a brunch or, better yet, a baby shower. A small clock in the hall announced the time with the start of a chime. The had at her waist shifted a sign that he had heard it too. "We should get going. The reservation is for 7." Botan reached out to hug the girls respectively, leaving Kurama's side for a brief moment.

"You serious about this?" Yusuke asked, his voice dropping down a register to stress the magnitude of the situation. Botan was his close friend. She had been there with him from day one on this crazy journey, guiding him through death, back into life, and all the crazy things that had happened since then. She was a bit like a sibling in many ways and he was suddenly feeling a little protective.

Bottle green held his eyes in a steadfast gaze, allowing Yusuke to see just how serious he was. "Absolutely," he said, as his girlfriend reentered his personal space.

Yusuke let out a sign of relief, relaxing his shoulders and allowing a genuine boyish smile to grace them. Kurama and Botan were some of his closest friends. In all honesty there was nothing he liked more than to see his friends happy, and to have them be happy together was just a bonus. "Then I guess all I can say is congratulations you two. I'm happy for you," Yusuke said, waving as they exited hand in hand.

It was not until the door was firmly shut behind them and their steps faded did anyone have anything to say. "Hn, pathetic." The fire koorime sneered, though even he had to admit that it lacked his usual bite.

Yusuke was about to open his mouth to make a snide comment but halted at the soft tone that took precedence over his own words. "Hiei-san, can you help me with these sheets?" Yukina called from a room beyond. Hiei did not hesitate to rush over and ignored the teasing cackle that haunted his footsteps.

Botan materialized her oar. She felt his form settle behind her and she leaned back onto his chest. "So where are we heading?" She was genuinely curious. The proud look on his face when he had presented the dress to her days before had been matched by her surprise. Then again she was not really sure why she had been so surprised. He was always doing things like that. He said he liked to see the joy in her eyes, whether it was from a gift or making her a cup of coffee in the morning. It was hard to keep up but she was doing her best to make sure he felt as appreciated and loved as she did.

When he suggested that she might need the dress for their upcoming date she was doubly surprised. They and been to a few nice places but nowhere that a good day dress would not suffice. So she knew he was up to something.

"The reservation is not too far from work," he watched as realization dawned on her and amethyst began to sparkle in that specific way that brought an almost pink hue to her deep orbs. He would not lie and say that his little surprises were not intended for these very moments where he could bask in the warmth of her joy. "I thought you might want to go dancing."

She shifted to get a good view of him. A bright grin grew at the sight of his soft smile. That sly fox. He had caught her looking at the jazz club on one of their lunch breaks together. It had been quiet at the time but the speak easy was packed at night, she had seen the line extend out the door more than once or twice on her midnight shift. She was amazed he had gotten a reservation.

"You are almost too observant, you know that?" Her teasing tone did not go unnoticed but he knew that she genuinely liked the fact that he paid so much attention to her and what she liked. It was not hard. They had known each other and worked closely for many years before taking the next step together.

A low rumble purred through is throat, happy to finally have her in his arms after such a long day. It was hardly over but now they could focus solely on each other. "No such thing."

"True." She beamed under his attentions, something she could not seem to help nor did she want to. His content countenance was highlighted in the setting sun and as much as she loved to see him as such she wanted to make him smile the way she was. She nuzzle this cheek with the tip of her nose, doing her best not to giggle at the tickle that ensued from his barely grown out 5 o'clock shadow. "With such a busy night we should take it easy tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" he parroted hopefully. He had been under the impression that she would need to be back at work first thing in the morning.

"I spoke to Koenma." It had not been hard to convince the godling to agree to her proposal. Hinageshi had been ready for a promotion for some time and would be the new assistant to the spirit detectives while the weekend shifts would be managed by Ayame. "We are working on a new schedule for me, one where I have weekends off completely." Her proud grin turned coy and a little bashful as she put herself out there. It was true that he had opened his home to her unconditionally but she never wanted to take advantage of that. "If you don't mind I-"

Her request was cut of by a pair of lips sealed against her own. He knew where that line of thought was going. Every time they took a step forward she made sure he was comfortable with it, which was considerate, but he was already fully onboard. It was a fact he was sure she knew based on the coy smile she sported whenever she asked, but did not wish to take for granted. "I'm thrilled," he said when they parted, taking away any doubts.

She took a moment to catch her breath, enjoying the way his arms wrapped around her and his firm chest pushed into her softer dimensions. "Good, because I thought I might pile a couple of my holiday dates up around a weekend once it's official and we can go for a long weekend somewhere." Every now and again she caught a slight raise in his brows when she said something. She had realized it was an extension of his smile, something that only happened if he was already showing his pearly whites. "My treat. Any thoughts?"

A lingering kiss on her lips left her wanting so much more. Her eyes peered at his through long black lashes. The heat of his fingers which rested on her hips burned through the material. She felt the hum of his consideration on her skin and almost whined when he pulled back to answer her. "Should we think on it? I'm sure the perfect place will occur to us in time."

"You're probably right." He was often right. In fact she had yet to discover an occasion where he had been wrong. There was no need to rush into a decision. With thoughts of jazz and vacation running through her mind she wiggled a little bit in an attempt to get closer to him, the summer breeze holding a slight chill as the sun set. "Let's get to that table. We're going to dance until I drop."

His chin lifted to rest on top of her head, making more room for her in his embrace. "And sleep in tomorrow?" he queried, more a suggestion than a question.

She lifted them off the ground and settled her from further into his. She had always loved flying, but there was something special about flying with Kurama. She felt free and secure all at once. His arm at her waist and the other on the oar next to her thigh were warm and tender. She tilted her head back to rest her neck on his collar bone. "We don't have to get out of bed until Monday morning if you don't want to."

Her promise floated back to him on the wind and he could not think of a single place he would rather be. "That sounds perfect."

End Comments: And so ends what is probably my favorite KuraBot fiction that I have written. I went back and re-read Experienced and it's pretty damn close but this one is longer so I'm going to make it the winner. I do have another fic for this couple which I have begun and intend to post in the near future but I absolutely have to catch up some of my Naruto fics before I do so. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did. I absolutely cannot wait to see the new YYH material coming out later this year. It may inspire me to write even more. I have no BETA so please forgive any mistakes you find. I do my best to fix them. Reviews are always welcome and appreciated but please, no flames. Until next time!