Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi; This Fanfiction plot, title, events, and time put into creation/writing are © Zelia Theb.

Hiei's Textbook Dates

By Zelia Theb

Kurama came back into his room carrying more than one his size should really carry. Hiei barely moved from his stance; he was too busy trying to come up with a response to Yusuke. Despite the unease that settled in the room, Kurama set up the two futons on the floor. He took care to make sure there was barely an inch of floor that could be seen between them, as well.

Hiei sneered when Kurama finished, "Does he have to be here?"

"I live here, Hiei," the fox frowned in return.

"Hrrr…" the demon growled, "Fine. Then I don't want to be here." Before Hiei could even glare in the other direction, Kurama gave birth to an idea that was sure-fire and foolproof to get him to stay.

And that was to tell him to go away.

"All right, Hiei," the redhead smirked, "If you feel that you must leave, then do so." He cast a signal glance over to Yusuke, who immediately caught on although he didn't believe the notion was too bright. Returning his eyes to the angry rubies in front of him, Kurama added, "You may leave me all alone here with Yusuke if you'd like. Then we can share the bed."

The shorter of the two demons struggled to hide his shock and jealousy, and scoffed, "Tch. Fine. You two can have all the fun in the world. See if I care."

Yusuke broke the plan before it even had a chance to begin, and jumped in with, "But don't you?"

"Don't I what, Detective?"

"Don't you care about me?"

Kurama's forehead fell into his hands; hair tumbling from between his fingers. Yusuke truly was a hopelessly blunt person. Didn't he know that Hiei never took kindly to blunt questions about himself? Didn't he know that-?

"Yes."

Okay. Perhaps Yusuke knew Hiei better than Kurama had expected.

Yusuke was shaking; trembling inside and out. There was a difference between actions and words when it came to romance. At times, one could say that they loved someone but not show it through what they did, and other times, it was the other way around. There are even instances where a person is intimate with another, but does not, indeed, love them. But Hiei…Hiei was not the type to lie. Avoid? Yes. He would avoid; because he would not lie.

But he did not avoid the question. Hiei had answered it.

"Shuichi?" Shiori called from the other side of the door, "I have the VCR if you boys would still like it." Kurama quickly open the door of his bedroom, took the electronics from his loving mother's hands, then thanked her. She smiled and informed them that she wouldn't mind if they slept in; but that they would have to make their own breakfast because she had forgotten about an early morning appointment.

After setting it up and placing a random movie into the deck, Kurama eyed his two friends with disapproval. It was time to take charge; time to smack them silly.

"Get off of my bed, Yusuke," he demanded harshly.

"Whoa…" Yusuke said, hopping off, "Yes, sir." The teen watched as the host obtained sleepwear for himself, and offered some to both Yusuke and Hiei. They declined; Yusuke because he didn't want to bug anyone, and Hiei because he didn't need to wear clothes too big for him.

"Lay down," Kurama commanded, as if they were puppies, "There's a reason I set up the beds that way."

"Pushy, aren't we?" Yusuke retorted.

"Yes," Kurama laughed, "It is because I'd like you both to be happy."

Kurama was sound asleep. He grew weary of listening for any conversation between his guests, and could no longer hold off the inevitable. This was precisely the moment that Yusuke was waiting for.

He looked to his left to find Hiei still awake; staring wide-eyed at the ceiling like it was the best thing he'd ever seen in his life. He was busy listening to the hard pitter-patter of the rain. The demon finally glanced to his side when the intruding presence of Yusuke's softly lit eyes began to annoy him.

"Hn, what is it?" he said quietly, inexplicably respecting the fact that Kurama was asleep and that they had to keep their volume down. He was growing fonder of humans by the day.

The boy sighed. He really had no idea. He looked the other way with an expression of sadness. Why was he so sad? It was a question that Hiei wished he knew the answer to. How was it that someone so youthful, someone so lucky, someone so blessed with such incredible power and circumstances could be so upset?

Hiei brushed a slender and curious finger against a smooth cheek of Yusuke's face, being careful not to cut him with his sharpened nails. Yusuke ignored him, paying attention to the quickening decay within his ribs; as if they would buckle under from their weakness and kill him at any moment.

"Don't." The pleading tone of Hiei's voice was foreign to the detective; it was enough to make him listen.

"I won't," he assured him, pulling Hiei in closer and bringing them both into a quiet and delicate kiss. When it ended, Hiei was beneath the borrowed blankets of Yusuke's futon, cradled within the security of the teen's warmth.

"Why?" Hiei questioned, a question barely audible to any who might have been eavesdropping. It would have been barely understood in the context, as it was not a question of why Yusuke was embracing him.

"You know why," Yusuke whispered, stroking the hairs on the back of Hiei's neck. Serene…peaceful. Like the way one would stroke their lover after a fit of passionate confessions in the moonlight.

"Hn," Hiei chuckled, "Maybe you'll outlive them anyway."

Yusuke, knowing full well that he was a human and most likely wouldn't, came up with another question; a deep and rather meddlesome query. (1)

"You'll still feel this way then?"

Hiei pulled away enough to see Yusuke's eyes. He wanted to give an honest answer, and quite frankly, beating around the bush and not being straightforward is how they got into this mess in the first place.

"Yes," said Hiei, nose to nose with the boy, "I will, Yusuke."

The End

(1) Yes. At least one of you will argue with me over the end of the series. This line is there as a clue; an allusion to where in the series the story takes place. Not all fan-fiction occurs at the end of the series, and it isn't until after the Sensui arc that Yusuke even knows what he is.

Author's Note

The ending is done that way on purpose. That's about all I have to say other than thank you for all the reviews and support for the work!

Zelia