Disclaimer: I don't own YYH

Cover drawn by: Teh Fez

Crack a Smile

X -x-x-x-x- X

It was a quiet peaceful day at the temple. Wait-scratch that. It was a quiet peaceful day, that is, until they showed up.

"I'm tellin' ya, Kuwabara, that shirt is green!" Genkai winced.

"It's blue!" She blew on her tea.

"Green!"

"BLUE!"

"GREEN!"

"IT'S TEAL YOU IDIOTS!" Genkai snapped when the fight had lead itself into her home.

Both boys looked at the taller one's shirt and blinked. "Oh," they both chimed.

Genkai sighed and shook her head. "I wish I was in a coma."

"You do know I have a cure for that?" Kurama asked as he strolled in.

Genkai glared, probably the first time, at the kitsune. He giggled nervously and sweat-dropped, rubbing the back of his head. Such an innocent act for someone who's name drips with murder and terror. Genkai rolled her eyes. "Well, come on in. I haven't had a full house in, what, two minutes?"

Everyone looked at Kurama, assuming that's who she was talking to, but then Hiei appeared out of nowhere.

"Darn it, Hiei. You always gotta do that!" Kuwabara said jumping back a bit.

"Hn. Funny that your excellent senses can't even feel my presence."

Kuwabara went to respond when Yukina walked in with more tea. "YUKINA!"

"Oh, hi, Kazuma." She smiled sweetly and he ran to her.

"Lemme help you with that!" He grabbed the tray and sat it on the floor.

"Thank you, Kazuma. You're so kind." She giggled and he laughed shyly.

Hiei felt the need to vomit so he went outside.

The air was fresh and the birds were chirping. Revolting. Where was the sound of screams with the smell of death on the wind? He shook his head and sighed. Kurama soon joined him and tilted his head.

"If you hate it here so much, then why do you visit? Yukina is well protected."

Hiei was about to say something, most likely something sarcastic and smart-ass, when they felt a familiar energy.

A portal appeared in the sky just a few feet from the door of the temple. Botan emerged from it and the portal disappeared. A moan was heard from behind her and Hiei groaned.

"Jeez, Botan! Could that portal be more puke inducing?!" The red-head behind the deity whined.

"Well, excuse me! If you didn't live in America and refused to move here to Japan, I wouldn't have to use portals! Unless you just wanna spend a fortune in air travel!"

The girl sighed and jumped off the oar when Botan touched ground. "Ow, my lasagna..."

"Hello, Vhee." Kurama smiled politely.

"Hi!" Immediately her whining stopped and her emerald green eyes sparkled at the sight of the other red-head...with emerald green eyes. Huh. Weird.

"What brings you here?" He asked.

"Oh, just thought I'd stop in," she replied.

"Like yesterday, and every other day this week?"

"...Yes."

"I see." Kurama raised his eyebrows and looked at Hiei.

Hiei shook his head. "How did we get stuck with this worthless girl?"

Vhee didn't even bat an eyelash. "Oh, that would take at least a full chapter fic to explain, maybe even a sequel..."

Yusuke and Kuwabara made their way outside and didn't seem surprised to see her. "'Sup?" Yusuke asked.

"Nothin'." She shrugged.

"Yeah, me neither. Boring as hell." He strolled down the steps to her and she sighed.

"Tell me about it. I can't find something to do to save my life!"

"Except torture us," Hiei retorted.

Vhee huffed and went to yell when Yukina stepped out.

"Vhee! Oh, you're back!" She ran down the steps happily and gave her friend a hug. Vhee laughed a bit nervously. Yukina always acted like she was surprised to see her, like it was an event or something. She inwardly shrugged. It would wear off eventually. Vhee patted the shorter girls' back and smiled.

"So...nothing is going on?"

"You seem disappointed." Kurama said.

"Well, it's just that you guys usually have something to do. A group of rouge demons terrorizing the city, an S class bent on world wide destruction, a robber taking an old lady's purse! Hell, I'd take a kitten stuck in a tree for us to rescue!"

"A kitten? Where?!" Kuwabara looked around and everyone sweat-dropped.

"It's in that tree over there!" Yusuke pointed nowhere and Kuwabara went running.

"Wow. I can't believe he really fell for that." Yusuke said flatly.

"Buffoon." Hiei scoffed.

"That was so mean." Vhee crossed her arms.

"I didn't see you stopping him," Yusuke responded.

"I hope the kitten's okay," Yukina said with worry in her voice.

Everyone fell silent and Hiei glared. "You better pray that a kitten falls out of the sky and lands in a tree for the idiot to find, or else you're dead, Detective."

"Stop!" The boy cried.

The older boys laughed cruelly at the younger boy. "We just wanna test out our catapult! And what better way to test a catapult than with a cat?!" They put the kitten in the strap and pulled it back. They released it and the kitten flew up into the sky away from them.

"WHISKERS!"

"Hey, kitty! Kitty? I don't sense anything. Damn you, Urameshi, I'm gonna kill - "

"REEEEOW!"

"Oh, there it is."

"So, what do you want to do today?" Vhee asked the group.

"Hey, you know what? I heard that the carnival is in town today. It's only for the week then they pack it up and move to the next town," Yusuke said leaning back against the wall.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Kurama said.

"It sounds like fun!" Botan sang. Kurama smiled at her. Then he stopped when he saw another red-head looking at him.

Vhee chuckled inwardly and scratched her head. "Hmm...a carnival? I've never been to one..." She thought aloud.

"Really? Not even in America?" Botan asked.

"Nope."

"Well, that settles it. You're going! Any other takers?" Botan turned to the rest.

"I'll go," Yukina said shyly. "But I've never been to one either."

"Oh, it's loads of fun! There's rides and games and cotton candy!" Botan chirped.

"Cotton candy?" Yukina blinked and tilted her head total anime style.

"I tell ya, you are too adorable," Vhee said putting an arm around the ice maiden. "We'll get you some."

"Okay." Yukina smiled and Yusuke sighed.

"What the hell, count me in."

"Me too," Kurama joined.

"All right, now we're talking!" Botan squealed in victory. Hiei went to walk away when her grating voice stopped him. "What about you, Hiei?"

"Like I would have anything to do with a human gathering with games and rides and...cotton."

"Cotton candy, Hiei. And it might be fun!"

Hiei turned around and gave her that "I'm gonna kill you" glare.

"You going uphill with a boulder, Botan," Yusuke chuckled.

"I'm surprised you pulled that one out properly, Yusuke," she said sarcastically.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He said coming towards her.

"Oh, get away from me!" She said running away.

"Add on top of that, you would all be there," Hiei finished.

"But...Yukina's going," Vhee said walking up the stairs to the door.

"So?"

"So, you don't wanna protect her?" She said a little quieter.

"I have no need. If you all screw up and something happens to her, you die. Simple as that."

"Ugh. C'mon, Hiei. Haven't you just once let go and had fun?"

Hiei gave her a blank stare. -.- Kinda like that.

"So that's why you're such a sour egg?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"And a jerk and a jackass and a sarcastic creep?"

He blinked.

"Are you gonna respond to anything I say?"

No response.

"Kuwabara has pictures of Yukina in her bathing suit."

"What?"

"Fail."

"Go choke on a swizzle stick."

"Go stick your head in a gopher hole."

"Moron."

"Jerk."

"You wish you could."

"Oh! You asshole!"

"Now you're thinking of that? How perverted of you."

"You - "

"I knew you liked it."

"OH, THAT'S IT! I CHALLENGE YOU, HIEI JAGANSHI!"

By now everyone had sat down with some popcorn to watch the show.

"Challenge me? How so? I can't wait to hear this," he said crossing his arms.

"I challenge you to go to the carnival and not have fun," she said triumphantly.

Everyone had a dumbfounded look on their face and Hiei laughed.

"Oh, and here I was thinking that you were stupid. I apologize, that was genius. Honestly, whatever shall I do?" He said with a roll of the eyes.

"You don't get it. You can't have any fun. None. At all. You so much as crack a smile and you lose."

"It's a good thing I never smile," he said with a smirk.

"Fine, you can't even crack that cocky smirk, like the one you have right now!"

Said cocky smirk promptly disappeared. "Is that so?"

"Do you deny the challenge, Jaganshi?" She said swishing her hips to the sides.

He narrowed his eyes. "And what are the stakes?"

"Huh?" Her dominate demeanor vanished and was replaced with the usual ding-bat.

"Moron, there have to be stakes, otherwise the challenge has no point."

"Oh...You mean what do we get as a prize?" She said as the air whistled through her head.

"Uh huh."

"Okay, me first. What do I get if I win?"

"Why are you asking me?! You idiot..." Hiei uncrossed his arms in exasperation.

"Oh, uh...What do I get...The knowledge of knowing I was right and lording it over you forever."

"And what do I get when I win?"

The fact that he said "when" did not go unnoticed and she huffed. "I don't know."

"Let me think." He said looking poetic. "What do you value to lose?"

"How about that precious PSP she always carries around?" Yusuke interjected.

Vhee's pupils got smaller.

"Or her laptop," Kurama said emotionlessly.

And smaller.

"Or how about those Fall Out Boy CD's she always listens to? She seems to like those a lot," Botan added, completely unaware of what she was doing.

And smaller.

And that's when the foam came out of her mouth.

"No, not my Fall Out Boys! I need my daily dose of Stump or else I KILL SOMETHING!"

"I think we have a winner!" Yusuke laughed.

"Heh, it seems so. When I win this ridiculous challenge I shall slice your Fall Out Boys into shreds and then set them ablaze with the flames of the underworld," Hiei said with evil dripping his tone.

"Uh, you do mean the CD's, right, Hiei?" Kurama asked.

"...Damn. Yeah, whatever."

Vhee sniffed and stepped back. "B-but I may not get some of those back!"

"Too bad." Hiei chuckled.

"Maybe this isn't - "

"Oh, no, you don't. You're not backing out now. You made the challenge and you're stuck with it now. Suffer." Hiei said pointing a finger at the trembling girl.

"Uh - uh - "

"I hate to say it but, Sugar, you're goin' down," Yusuke joked the horrible pun.

"Oh, my God, that was stupid." Vhee scolded.

"Yeah." Yusuke shrugged. "So, we going now?"

"Fine with me." Hiei said with a dry laugh.

Vhee caught it and spun around. "Uh uh, you! No smirking, laughing, or chuckles, even dark evil ones! Nada! Starting now!"

"We're not at the carnival, you misfit."

"Oh, just - !"

"Hey, guys, I found that kitten! Boy, was it hard to get him outta that tree!"

Everyone turned and looked blankly at Kuwabara, who was holding a rather frayed brown kitten.

"Whoa, I didn't even pray."

The carnival was bustling with people everywhere. Lights, food, sounds, and pretty much anything Hiei could ever possibly hate. She knew it. She was screwed. She puffed out some air and shuffled her feet as she walked. She was behind the group as they walked and she found herself lagging behind. Until Yusuke spun around. "Come now, sweetheart. We wouldn't want you to miss out." He laughed at her misfortune and her cheeks turned red.

"I hate him," she said aloud.

Hiei was with the group and had the most depressing, solid, hateful glare you have ever seen plastered on his face. Vhee ran up to him and stopped him on the arm. "Don't think that you can just skulk around with a glare on your face. You have to do things like rides and games or else you forfeit."

His glare intensified, if possible. "You never mentioned that in the rules. Besides that makes no sense."

"So? I am now. And yes, it does. If you don't do anything fun then you technically didn't participate at the carnival festivities. Automatic forfeit. Don't argue. You refuse, you lose."

Hiei growled and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I will get you for this."

Botan giggled and looked at the Tilt 'O Whirl. "Well, since we have to get Hiei to do fun things, let's go on that! It's my favorite!"

"Well, all right," Kurama said hesitantly.

"I love those," Keiko, who had joined them, said.

"What is it?" Yukina asked.

"The best way to puke," Yusuke answered. Keiko whacked him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"Don't worry, Yukina. You'll have fun," she assured.

"Okay..." The maiden looked less than convinced.

"How about it, Hiei?" Botan asked with an eyebrow raised.

He closed his eyes for a second, probably to compose himself and not kill her. "Fine."

"All right!" Yusuke cheered. "Let's all go throw up!"

The line took forever. At least forty five minutes. "Am I having fun yet?" Hiei asked sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up," Vhee huffed.

They all finally got on the thing after paying their tickets. Yusuke was first followed by Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina, Botan, Kurama, Vhee and last, of course, Hiei.

They were all strapped in and waited for everyone to be on board. It took a while before the machine was ready to go. The pulse pounding minutes of total un-movement were enough to make anybody piss themselves from excitement.

"I'm going to scream," Hiei said with no emotion.

"That counts," Vhee said.

"No, it doesn't!" Hiei snapped.

"Yes, it does! People scream when they have fun!"

"You said smile or laugh, not scream, you louse! It doesn't count!"

"Yes, it does!"

"No, it doesn't!"

"DOES!"

"DOESN'T!"

"Guys, the ride is in motion!" Yusuke interrupted.

Indeed it was, and in a matter of seconds the Whirl was at full force, spinning round and round so fast, outsiders watching could no longer see people. Just screaming blobs of color.

Botan was laughing along with Keiko and Kurama. Yusuke and Kuwabara were laughing as well, along with a few whoops and shouts.

Hiei was silent and looked around. It was no different than when he would travel at fast speeds through the forest or city. He looked at all the people losing their minds and scoffed. "Idiots."

Vhee was trying her best to have some fun but the thought of losing kept her pretty silent too.

Yukina, did not seem like she was having fun so much, and started to moan. "Kazuma...I - I...don't f-f-feel so g-g-good..."

"It's...o-okay...m-m-m-m-m-y love! Just g-g-go with it!" Kuwabara shouted.

"Oh - oh - b-b-but - Kazuma - I-I-I-I...think I'm g-g-oing t-t-to - " Her face now matched her hair.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, YUKINA!" Kuwabara screamed.

Take some juice and put it in a salad mixer. Yeah, that's pretty much what happened.

Everyone that came out was complaining and cursing. Yukina started to tear up at the incident and Botan comforted her. "It's alright, sweetie. You didn't mean it."

"I said it would happen, but did anyone listen to me? No." Yusuke said swishing puke off his arm.

"I think we should stay off the rides," Keiko said wiping her pant leg.

"Maybe we should go home, I mean what if Yukina's hurt?" Kuwabara fawned over the girl that vomited in his face.

"No, I'm okay, Kazuma. Really. I feel much better now! I wouldn't want to ruin anybody's evening."

Hiei scoffed and shook his head. "It made her sick." He glared at Vhee.

"Motion sickness, Hiei. She's fine."

"Whatever." He walked off and she chased after him.

"Hey! Come back! GUYS, HIEI'S MAKING A BREAK FOR IT!" She waved her arms and yelled like a lunatic.

"Shut up, moron. I am not."

"How about some games? Nice, safe, feet on the ground games. Does that sound good, Yukina?" Botan asked.

"Okay!" Yukina seemed perfectly cured and was ready to go.

After everyone was...clean they went in search of some fun games to try.

They first went for the Strength Tester. You know, hit the thing and ring the bell. Kurama was first. Using his mind to calculate and a little energy, he hit it without a problem. Botan cheered and clapped, while Kuwabara stepped up. He hit the bell as well and Yukina giggled when he showed off his muscles.

Yusuke went next and the bell seemed to be getting a little weak as the weight slammed into it. "Yeah!" He cheered as he jumped off the platform and Keiko rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I never saw that coming." She sighed.

"You're up, Hiei." Vhee pushed him up to the Tester and he growled in irritation.

He stepped up and grabbed the club. He swung it down and hit the machine so hard it cracked. The weight hit the bell, only as it crashed through it, and sailed into the air.

"The people getting their hot dogs at the concession stand sure ended up with a story to tell the grandkids!" Yusuke joked as they ran away.

When they stopped running, they got to another booth. There stood some bottles and people were throwing baseballs at them. Most were missing. "C'mon, Yusuke!" Keiko pulled him to the booth and everyone else followed. "Win me a teddy bear!" She giggled. Yusuke groaned in disgust and threw his money down.

"Alright. Here we go." He threw a few rounds and missed most of them. Finally he hit the bottles and won a prize. A white teddy bear with a blue bow. "Here, Keiko. Enjoy the fruit of my labor." He said aloof.

"Thanks, Yusuke!" She smiled and hugged her bear.

Kuwabara wanted to win a prize for his maiden so he put some money down too. "Watch this, Yukina!" He missed the bottles with every throw and frowned.

"It's okay, Kazu - "

"One more!" He put more money down and tried again. He missed his first two throws and on the last one, hit all the bottles but one. "Aw..." He moaned.

He managed to win a small purple hippo for Yukina and she smiled at her gift. "Thank you, Kazuma!"

"Wanna try, Hiei?" Kurama asked. Hiei shook his head and stepped up. No way was he going to be accused of not trying. He missed two times and wondered if the game was rigged. He looked at the bottles with his Jagan and saw that an optical illusion was causing people to miss. He sighed and took his last try. He threw the ball, faster than anyone could see. The bottles exploded and the booth caught on fire. People ran and screamed as the booth went up in flames.

"You just had to do that didn't you, Hiei?!" Kurama yelled as he helped put out the flames. Hiei shrugged and put out the fire with his mind. Vhee sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Are you gonna destroy everything here or what?" Hiei put his hands in his pockets and walked away.

After a while they came to those things where you shoot the clown in the mouth with water to fill up the balloon. What are those called? Oh, well.

"These are so fun!" Botan laughed as she grabbed her gun. "Eat water!"

"Actually, you seem more like a paste eater." Yusuke said and received a slap from behind...again.

Hiei inspected a gun and looked at the clown in front of him. Never in his life of killing mutated demons and monsters had he seen something so fucking ugly. "And what is the point of these games?"

"To win prizes. You get those tickets and if you get enough you trade them in for stuff." Vhee answered.

"But you pay money for the games," Hiei stated.

"So?"

"Then why not just pay for the stuff and be done with it?"

"Because that's no fun! You have fun while you try to win the stuff!" Her hands moved to her hips.

Hiei sighed. "You humans all the more prove how stupid you are."

"Just do it." She pointed to the clown.

"No." He scowled and put the gun down. "I refuse to degrade myself any further. This whole thing is pointless. I am not having any fun, and I certainly won't be doing any of the activities here."

Vhee glared at him. "Then you lose."

"No, I don't. According to you I had to participate in the festivities here. And I did. I went on a ride and I played some games. That's enough to qualify. I have not smiled, laughed or anything of the such. I believe that is a victory."

"But, the carnival isn't over! Not until we all go home!" She squealed as her CD's flashed in her mind.

He shook his head. "Fine. Keep telling yourself that and delay the inevitable." She didn't see a smirk but the cocky tone was there. "I may not have fun right now but I will later." She was sure that if he was allowed to, he would have chuckled darkly.

She glared and took in a deep breath. "You know what? FINE! Be a killjoy! You never do anything that's enjoyable. Not really, Hiei. You never allow yourself to let loose and have fun or...anything! You always try to make yourself miserable, and why, I don't know. You wanna be mad and grumpy and depressed, fine! But it's your own fault!" She stomped off and Hiei blinked a few times.

"Quite obvious I have won. She'll see that soon. I can't wait." He walked off away from the group and everyone looked at each other.

Yusuke sighed. "It's so cute when they quarrel."

Hiei had been by himself for a while. It was so noisy and distracting. He knew he had won, so he should just leave. "Hn." He grunted and went to disappear when he heard a child wail. He turned to see a little girl standing in the middle of the road, sobbing. She was so loud and nobody seemed to be paying her any attention. She was screaming now and the sound grated on his ears. He sighed gruffly and approached her. "What are you screaming for?" He asked the child with no compassion.

"I lost my Mommy!" She wailed.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Calm down. Where did you see her last?"

The girl stopped crying and sniffled. "The cotton candy...I think..."

"Do you have a picture of her?" He asked.

"No."

He walked up to her and touched her hair. He opened his Jagan and connected to find someone who matched her DNA. He saw a frantic woman calling for someone and stopped. "I know where she is. Follow me." The girl did as she was told and followed Hiei down the streets of the carnival. After a few minutes he came to the woman. She turned around and gasped as she saw her daughter behind a young man.

"Mimori!" She cried.

"Mommy!" The little girl ran to her mother, who's arms were open wide. She scooped up the child and laughed and cried.

"My baby! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you!" She said to Hiei, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Hn. It's fine." The woman nodded and spun around.

"Come on, honey, let's go home..." He sighed and turned around to see a certain girl staring at him.

"What?" He asked the red-head.

"That was really cool," she said as she approached him.

"It was nothing." He shrugged.

She smiled and looked around. "Okay, you win."

"Excuse me?"

"You win, I lose. I know you haven't had any fun," she admitted.

"Why the sudden change?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Because I would gladly give up every CD I have to see that again. The look on your face may not have been a smile, but it was...something." She said with a sigh.

"I had no look." He stated.

"So you say."

"So, I really win?" He raised an eyebrow. "No tricks?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You win. Let's go home and destroy my property..." She walked away from him and he followed.

When they got to the rest of the group they found Kuwabara in a dunk tank. Yusuke was trying to hit the target to sink him, and failing. "Dammit!"

Kuwabara made a raspberry at him and na-na-na-na boo boo gestures. "Hiei, there you are! Sink this bastard!" Yusuke handed Hiei the ball and Hiei eyed the dunk tank.

"How did Kuwabara end up in there?" Vhee asked.

"Too long of a story, but let's just say, corn dogs were involved," Yusuke said waving his hand.

Vhee sweat-dropped and Hiei looked at the target. "Easy enough."

"Uh oh." Kuwabara whimpered. Hiei seemed to stand still while Kuwabara fell in. He threw it so fast the ball split in two and landed three hundred feet away.

Kuwabara spit and sputtered as he flailed in the water of the small, yet deep, tank.

Hiei smirked at his triumph and chuckled. Botan caught it. "Ha! He laughed! I heard it!" She pointed at the short youkai and everyone gasped and gawked at him.

"Aw, Hiei, you laughed?" Yusuke asked looking disappointed. Hiei said nothing.

"Are you sure it wasn't a chuckle?" Kurama asked the ferry girl.

"Well, it was something that made his mouth turn up! That means he loses!"

"Hiei, you lost! C'mon man..." Yusuke sighed.

"Um...actually...that's not - " Vhee started.

"He's right," Hiei interrupted.

"Oh, uh - huh...?" Vhee stuttered.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I lost myself for a moment. But I would gladly accept loss for the chance to do that again." He grabbed another ball and just as Kuwabara made his way back up on the seat, Hiei dunked him again. "That is fun." Everyone laughed and Hiei chuckled a bit.

Vhee stared at him and he turned to face her. "So, I suppose your property gets to remain in one piece."

He turned away and she continued to stare at him. That's when she realized. The shape of his profile, the way his bangs hit his face, the true color of his eyes, the way he breathed. Here he was...being nice to her. A perfect moment out of nowhere, and why? Because he wanted to?

"Wow," she breathed.

"Wow, what?" He turned and asked.

"Just...wow. That's all." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. When she pulled away, his eyes were slightly bigger. She giggled and he narrowed an eye at her.

He held up another ball and bounced it in his hand. "How would you like this lodged in your windpipe?"

She blinked.

"YOU BASTARD!"

~End

A/N: Holy monkey feet, my longest one-shot! Whoo hoo! Anyway, I worked hard on this, and I have a head-ache from typing so please tell me how I did! And I swear if I don't get reviews for this I'm gonna scream 'till Rome hears me.

Hiei: Review whore.

Vhee: What are you doing here?!

Hiei: This concerns me, does it not? I am the center of it.

Vhee: You are not!

Hiei: My name is the one listed.

Vhee: So?

Hiei: And it was requested by people who read my answers to their questions.

Vhee: But-uh...ok fine...

Hiei: I always win.

Vhee: You do not!

Hiei: Do too.

Vhee: Do not!

Hiei: Do too.

Vhee: Don't!

Hiei: Do.

Vhee: DON'T!

Hiei: DO!

Vhee: NO, YOU DON'T!

Hiei: YES, I DO!

Vhee: YOU -

-continuous yelling-

Yusuke: This is gonna take a while, guys. Just review or something.

Vhee: ...STUPID LITTLE FUZZY BALL!