"You still owe me a date." Kuwabara reminded Yusuke once they were finally putting on clothes. They had agreed that they were both hungry and Atsuko had little to no food in the house.

"Seriously?" Yusuke asked and Kuwabara nodded, standing fully clothed. He was leaving his jacket and was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Yusuke was still digging through his drawers for some socks. He was wearing Jeans and a long green shirt that would cover most of his tattoos.

"Yeah seriously." Kuwabara leaned against the door frame, waiting for Yusuke to finish dressing.

"I figured you'd at least give me a few days before bringing that up." Yusuke said with a grimace. Excluding the time at the beach, Yusuke did not have the best experiences with dating. Keiko liked to spring them on him and they'd go get her a new outfit and drag him to the park, talking about her social life. It made Yusuke uncomfortable.

"Well we're gonna go get food anyway," Kuwabara said, "we could walk around down and catch a movie." Yusuke was still cautious. Sure he loved Kuwabara but dating was a completely different ball game.

"I guess..." He said slowly.

Fully dressed at last, they headed outside. He mused a little on the other day. It felt so long ago. It wasn't so bad hanging out and being in contact with other people around his mate. They'd even had fun beating up some assholes that called them out. It HAD been a highlight of his miserable rut. No idiots called them fags from an alley this time though, which made Yusuke equally happy.

The duo grabbed sandwiched for lunch from a corner shop and Kuwabara go the bill; willingly this time. Yusuke wandered outside and observed the people walking around. They were avoiding him again since he's slicked his hair back the way he liked it. This date was going to be a little more risky to his reputation than the other day, especially if Kuwabara insisted on holding hands or something. (Never mind the other day Yusuke had been the one to insist on hand holding.) Now that his rut was dissipating he was a bit more embarrassed about holding on to Kuwabara's like that in public and more aware of of everyone's eyes that had been on them. Geeze, he had been as giddy as a school girl. How embarrassing.

"Ready, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked when he came out of the shop. Yusuke nodded curtly.

"Yeah." He answered and they started eating and chatting as they walked down the street. They fell back on old subjects, such as the dark tournament. Back when they didn't know if they were going to survive the next day.

"Remember Jin and Touya?" Yusuke asked as they reminisced. Kuwabara nodded, it was hard not to remember Yusuke's twin and the ice master, "They're mates."

"Really?" Kuwabara asked and scratched his chin, "I can see it, they always were next to each other out of the ring."

"Yeah, I can see it in retrospect too." Yusuke tossed his sandwich wrappings into a public garbage can. He stretched his arms above his head and sighed. He wanted to skip the movie and go back to bed with Kuwabara. It wasn't a need like before, but it was still on his mind.

"So... mates," Kuwabara brought up the subject more clearly, "Is that what we are?"

"Uh..." Yusuke paused. Well he certainly did call Kuwabara that in his head. He'd never muttered it out loud. It sounded too corny to call Kuwabara 'my mate' like he did so many times in his mind.

"Is it like a life long lover or a temporary thing to a rutting demon?" Kuwabara elaborated.

"Well..." Yusuke scratched his head, avoiding eye contact, "A mate..." This felt like it should be in a more intimate or private conversation, "A mate is..." He looked around quickly, "Hey look, it's Kurama!" Yusuke suddenly said, glad for the distraction from the subject. It would either be Kurama or the movie poster they just passed by, and the red head was more obvious than the poster. Kurama looked up at his name as he came out of a corner store and smiled when Yusuke trotted over to him with Kuwabara in toe.

"Ah, hello you two." Kurama greeted, "You look chipper and alive, Yusuke."

"Uh, yeah." Yusuke stopped in front of the fox demon, "When is this supposed to go completely away?"

"Oh, only a couple days after the first mating." Kurama informed him. He'd long ago became used to being the wealth of information for the team. "So perhaps by tomorrow for you." Yusuke flushed, he wasn't sure how he felt about Kurama knowing he had sex, "And how are you Kuwabara?" Kuwabara smiled.

"Pretty damn good." He said with pride and put his arm around Yusuke, resting it on his lover's shoulder. It said a lot for how he'd been nervous the day before. Yusuke glanced at the hand that circled his shoulders, having mixed reaction to it. Kuwabara was indeed his mate and Yusuke was finally getting the attention he seeked the day before, but Yusuke's pride for his own image flared slightly. Luckily the conversation didn't stay on them forever, "Are you shopping for your mom?" Kurama looked at the bag he had and shook his head.

"Actually it's something for Hiei." He said, "I'm trying to broaden his pallet from a pure carnivore diet."

"Good luck with that." Kuwabara scoffed.

"You just need a little patience with him, that's all," Kurama said and smiled with a hint of deviousness. "and the right motivation." Yusuke figured he knew what kind of motivation Kurama was going to use, and Kuwabara didn't put too much thought into it, even though he got the jist of it. They exchanged a little more local information and then said their good byes, all with Kuwabara's arm around Yusuke, who hadn't recoiled from the touch once. Apparently he didn't mind it too much as they wandered towards the theater. And he was thankful that Kuwabara's earlier question from before momentarily forgotten.

They agreed on a ninja action movie and settled into the back of the theater with popcorn and a drink. Once the previews ended and the popcorn was decently devoured, Yusuke relaxed in his seat, his arm taking over the arm rest. Kuwabara had possession of the popcorn box and Yusuke was glad to be watching something with a little more blood than romance.

Once the movie was starting, Yusuke felt a warm hand on his. He looked over, seeing Kuwabara glancing at him with a smile and Yusuke smiled back a little shyly. He was getting that giddy feeling again and he felt the temperature in his cheeks rise. They were holding hands during a ninja movie, how dorky was that?

Halfway though the movie Yusuke smiled and leaned his cheek against Kuwabara's shoulder so he could be heard clearly, "Wanna make out?" Kuwabara scoffed, rolling his eyes half way.

"Only you'd suggest that after watching some guy get his head sliced off."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Yusuke asked and Kuwabara smiled.

"Sure." He responded and the popcorn box was put to the side. There weren't too many people in the theater so it wasn't like they'd disturb the movie goers too bad. Yusuke turned in his seat eagerly. He'd always wanted to try this. Of course Keiko never agreed to this sort of thing, she thought it wasn't proper movie etiquette or some junk like that. Kuwabara slipped his arm around Yusuke's back and pulled them both closer. Their lips met and Yusuke kissed back excitedly while Kuwabara was slower, more experimental. It was clear that they were both inexperienced at this activity, but that didn't mean they didn't have fun or enjoyed it any less.

It took them a few minutes to find a happy rhythm to their kissing, but once they had it they sank into the kissing getting as close as the could with the seats separating them. Yusuke got annoyed fairly quickly with the arm rest and lifted it up so that they could be closer to his mate. One of Yusuke's hands dug into Kuwabara's thick hair as their lips were locked and his other arm rested contently on Kuwabara's shoulder. Kuwabara's free hand rested on Yusuke's thigh by his knee, which made Yusuke jump with excitement, though really neither of them were trying to be too frisky. Moaning loudly in a movie theater could very well get them kicked out.

Neither man paid any mind to the ending of the movie, though they both figured it ended like most ninja movies. The only thing that even pried them apart was the lights coming on after the credits were rolling and Kuwabara pulled back first and they smiled at each other.

"This dating thing isn't so bad if I get to make out in a movie theater." Yusuke said and Kuwabara chuckled.

"Good, because I want to do this more often." Kuwabara said and they stood, heading out before the theater people kicked them out.

"You're obsessed with dating." Yusuke commented, his hands going into his pockets.

"Well..." Kuwabara waited until they were outside to speak again, habitually opening the door for Yusuke as they left; Yusuke didn't comment on it, "I kinda want to go steady. With you." Yusuke looked up at his mate, seeing Kuwabara'a face was flushed pink with embarrassment. They were stopped outside the movie theater. Yusuke scratched the back of his neck and looked away. His own face was flushed and his heart was beating fast. He sort of forgot that they weren't official or anything. Just because they had sex didn't mean anything steady. Yusuke wanted that fixed.

"Let's go back to your place." He said, not answering Kuwabara's statement with anything right now. Not until they were in a private place. Kuwabara didn't want to wait for an answer but he nodded and they headed back to Kuwabara's; without holding hands or arms around shoulders.

Once up in Kuwabara's room, Yusuke plopped onto the bed and looked up at Kuwabara, who was shutting the door.

"You... asked me earlier what a mate was." Yusuke said and Kuwabara walked over to him, sitting next to the Spirit Detective.

"You never did answer me." Kuwabara said and Yusuke took a deep breath, looking at his hands, trying to find the best words for the situation.

"You... You're my mate." Yusuke said tentatively, pushing his two index fingers together. He wasn't even really sure what the technical terms or definitions were. Maybe he should have asked Kurama when they saw him, "I... I want to be around you all the time. I don't want to share you. I didn't think of anyone else like this. Only that it had to be you." Yusuke took a deep breath, this was getting way too mushy for his liking, and he didn't think what he was saying was making any sense. He sat up a bit straighter, but still didn't look at Kuwabara. He stopped fiddling with his hands, "It means, I think of you as MY mate and I don't want anyone else to have you." He glanced up Kuwabara, who blinked at him slowly, but smiled warmly.

"Sounds a bit like this morning." Kuwabara commented and Yusuke frowned from confusion, trying to remember if they talked about mates that morning, but nothing rang a bell.

Kuwabara turned towards Yusuke and took the demon's hands in his, holding them together and near their hearts. Yusuke blinked, confused in a more present manner. Kuwabara smiled at him and their foreheads bumped lightly as he looked into those wide, wondering brown eyes.

"I love you too, Yusuke." Kuwabara said meaningfully and it took Yusuke a minute to react and Kuwabara watched the transition. First Yusuke's eyes widened, his large brown irises shrinking into small pupils. His face turned a bright red, before he looked down and to the left. He then tugged his hands away, obviously embarrassed.

"S-shut up, I didn't want it to sound all mushy like that." Yusuke said defensively and Kuwabara sighed. He was going to have to get used to Yusuke and his pride again. There was a definite difference between normal Yusuke and Yusuke in rut. Yusuke glanced at Kuwabara a couple times before leaning in and kissing the other man on the lips, showing he wasn't completely shunning the action or the words. He leaned against Kuwabara and spoke quietly.

"I wanna go steady too, with you." Yusuke admitted, then quickly added, "But I'm no girl, got it. If you treat me like a friggen girl I'll kick your ass." Kuwabara just smiled again and wrapped his arm around Yusuke's waist.

"You got it, Urameshi." He replied and Yusuke leaned into the touch. He couldn't admit yet that Kuwabara gave him butterflies in his stomach when he said that he loved him and it was worse when it was so close and intimate. And saying his given name was unusual, but it meant a lot at that moment. This would take some time to get used to, Yusuke decided.

But he also decided that any serious relationship talk could wait until after his rut was finished.

Last chapter. Mm, it's going to be weird not waking up and posting new chapters. Oh well, back to the writing board.

I wanted to thank everyone for their support and reviews every day. I do have a few things branched from this story, but they are stand-alones and will be posted as their own stories. Heh, I'm watching the series again so new ideas are springing and reminders of things passed are popping up. Almost done with the Sensui arc. I'm not sure what I'll post next, I guess it depends on what I work on more. It may be a few weeks, but I'll probably post continuously again. It helps keep me focused.

Any questions, feel free to ask me, I love to answer questions in case I didn't explain anything far enough.

^_^ I enjoyed writing this and I'm happy that so many other people enjoyed it too. Thank you again everyone.