Guns and Roses [AU: Yusuke X Kurama]

[EDDE]

[Imported from Yaoidreams- Format: 10 posts at a time until caught up to continue]

Fox:
Their first fight would be a difficult one. Though he supposed that shouldn't be a surprise, they were guests here after all, and guests were always treated to the best fights. Kurama picked up his coffee once more after the table had been cleared. It bothered him immensely that he hadn't been able to sense Rinku, nor Zeru as they entered their room. "And yet he doesn't bat an eye," the fox stated with an amused chuckle, looking over at their leader still passed out on the couch.

"Yeah, hey! Wake up Urameshi." Kuwabara poked at the slumbering boy's cheek before grabbing it and pulling it hard enough to snap back painfully. "You should let him sleep Kuwabara, we will need him in peek condition for tomorrow's fight."

EDDE:
Hiei looked over the lot of them, considering their situation to himself as he looked to each. Despite the nerve touching scene they'd made, the fools that had stolen into the hotel room really shouldn't be too much trouble to deal with, if things went properly. Obviously Kurama can protect himself. The masked one has proven himself competent enough, for now... His eyes landed on Kuwabara as he contemplated him for a moment as well, unable to help but think he would probably be dead by the end of the first match.

And then his attention landed on Yusuke. In the state he was in, he wasn't completely useless, but it wasn't as if they could simply throw him into the ring while he was still fully unconscious-- no matter how good his reflexes were while he was like that. A smirk crossed his face as he mumbled to himself, "Heh. Well, maybe." Maybe if they somehow became desperate enough to do so. But if that were to happen in the very first match up in this damnable tournament they'd been so graciously invited to, they honestly wouldn't have a chance through the rest of it.

He blinked a bit as he felt eyes on him after he'd commented to himself, large crimson orbs sliding over to the masked fighter. A soft jerk rolled through him as he recognized that the guy was staring. "Ch." The smirk, a bit sour now, rolled back over his face as his head turned to look out the window of the crowded room. His right hand sifted into his pocket as he shared his thoughts on the matter. "In any case, every one of us will need to be at their best tomorrow as well. So I suggest each of us does whatever it is he needs tonight to make that happen. I really don't feel like having to carry even more pathetic fools already."

His attention flew to the raven haired teen as he broke into a sudden, loud, clipped off laughter before rolling onto his side and curling into himself. Yusuke managed to slap Kuwabara right back in his teasing face as he did so, and pulled into a heavy mumble in his sleep. "C'mon, that's nothin'--Lousy showoff... I don't like coffee..."

Allowing the quiet, amused chuckle to pass over him, Hiei turned; moving to the door and opening it. And waved lazily over his shoulder with his free hand as he passed through it. He didnt care if he were being payed attention to. His addition wasn't added as a pleasantry. "As for me, this room is stifling. I'm going to have a look around."

So Yusuke honestly wasn't worried about those two. Or at the very least that was how it seemed, given his outburst, as he sounded far more conscious of the situation than he looked. He wasn't sure if that should be comforting or not given the idiot's bullheadedness in the past. And the fact that even he, with the incredibly sensitive appendage he possessed, hadn't detected their presence until a fraction of a second before he'd seen them wasn't enthralling. Asleep or not, it was proving impressive how well the detective was keeping up.

He paused as he moved to close the door, preening as the masked guy seemed to have suddenly landed on his heels in mimic. He didn't like this guy. They knew almost nothing about him. And there was something off about him that was grating on his nerves. Glaring him down for a moment, his head snapped to the side in that way of his that often came off as snooty. "Hn."

Anger flickered through a faltered smirk toward his notice of this guy creeping up on him forming just as poorly as for the other two. He walked past him, leaving quickly without closing the door. The chore was left to the masked fighter as he also left silently.

Fox:
"Hey!" Hiei seemed to be ignored by Kuwabara in favor of grabbing Yusuke by the collar of his shirt and shaking him back and forth roughly. "You're not really asleep are you, this is just some ploy to piss me off."

"Kuwabara." The human stopped mid slap to look at Kurama. The fox shook his head slightly and eventually Kuwabara mumbled a 'he started it,' before dropping the team leader back onto the couch. He continued to glare at the slumbering boy, irritation building on his features until he jumped off the couch. "I can't just sit around like this!" He declared.

The carrot top stalked towards the door with his hands thrown into his pockets. "I'm gonna check this place out," he continued with a mumbled 'this place should have better entertainment then the boat.' "You gonna be alright on your own Kurama?"

"Naturally," Kurama answered, sipping at his coffee until he and Yusuke were left alone. The door shut and green eyes focused on the slumbering detective and thought back to recent events. Was he truly asleep? If so, how deeply? Surly Genkai's training had been severe, and yet Yusuke seemed more aware of his surroundings then those of the group who were awake. He set the coffee cup down and stood to switch couches. Now sitting in Kuwabara's spot right beside him.

"Yusuke?" He questioned, curiosity fueling him. It killed cats after all, not foxes. With a thoughtful hum he reached forward and pinched Yusuke's nose between his thumb and forefinger.

EDDE:
Yusuke was rattled about like a rag doll as Kuwabara shook the Hell out of him, lacking an reaction to it at all. He landed back partially on his side as he was dropped, a light hum and the slightest chuckle on his lips as his fingers curled into his hair, perhaps seeming less of a reaction to the assault than to whatever was playing through his mind in his dreams.

He settled into himself immensely when Kuwabara's presence was gone, the only reaction to Kurama sitting next to him being a soft shift of his head, as if he were getting more comfortable. For a long moment Kurama was left pinching his nose as it held the teens breath, unaffected until the catch in his lungs finally caught up to him.

First he made a face, scrunching against the hold on his nose through a shift in his lips. Then, quite suddenly, he threw his arms in the air, legs straightening sharply through a fit that landed him on his back as he groaned, "Cut it OUT!" The outburst was short lived as he fell limp all over again, left arm flopping over the side of the couch as his foot landed on the ground through the relaxed state. His breath took back up into his chest in deep breath via his mouth. Returning to a mumble trailing off at the end, he added, "Give a guy a break K'rama. Hnn. Got rocks to break over here..."

Fox:
Kurama quickly pulled his hand at the out burst, but didn't move from his spot. He was smiling, amusement and mischief gleaming in his eyes. "If you do not stop me Yusuke, this will be your fault," he stated while popping off the cap to a marker that seemed to come from no where. Now, what to do... The fox let out a soft hum, a soft palm carefully hold Yusuke's cheek to keep his face still. Prank or not, he was a perfectionist.

The dark maker curved over Yusuke's forehead to create the image of an eye that was very close to Hiei's. However the pupil was left as a big heart, and large, curly lashes were added in. "Hmm." Kurama tapped the cap of the marker against his chin, thoughtful. On the right cheek, quickly and messily scrawled to match another team members hand writing Kurama wrote 'Jerk face.' Not his first choice, but it would certainly be Kuwabara's.

The other cheek started with whiskers that curved up into little spirals, and he colored in the left eyelid. "You've become far too vulnerable in this state Yusuke. Forgive me, I couldn't help myself."

EDDE:
Yusuke's face scrunched a bit again as Kurama's hand landed on his cheek. There was a light tug of his chin against the hold, but in no way did he wake up, the rest of him remaining relaxed.

As the redhead spoke to him again, he seemed to choose that as his time to respond lazily. "Oh ha-freakin-ha. Just you wait, buddy...." He moved to roll once more, only the wrong way and he slipped of the couch with a loud thud. "Stupid cats..."

Fox:
Biting on his knuckle the fox resisted his laughter, allowing it to escape in only a quiet chuckle. "Perhaps I have gone too far?" he questioned, looking at his leader face down in the carpet. His lips curled and he couldn't hide the devious expression on his face. Leaning down Kurama pressed the marker to the back of his neck. A winking cat was left behind. "I believe that now I have gone too far."

The marker was closed and left on the coffee table before he gently lifted Yusuke back up onto the couch. "I apologize for my cruelty," he said in a tone that clearly said he didn't really.

Kurama had just returned to his previous spot on the couch and took a sip of the still warm coffee when the door to the hotel room opened and Kuwabara walked in. "Man Kurama, were you just sitting in the quiet? Urameshi can't be much company... eh?!" A shit eating grin split the boy's face before laughter spewed forth. "Oh man, who did that? It was Hiei, it'd have to be that little punk."

In an instant Kuwabara was at Yusuke's side with the marker in hand. He started on his neck, doodling a big, steaming pile of shit just under his chin.

EDDE:
He groaned as the back of his neck was colored on, curling into himself a bit, though he didn't say anything toward it this time. And he seemed to relax just as comfortably on the couch as he'd been willing to nestle into the floor after the fall.

While the overt reaction to Kuwabara's drawing was partially due to the pressure at his throat, it would have to be obvious to Kurama that it was also partially due to him. His fists flailed lightly, easily catching Kuwabara as he was so close, and angry tone in his sharp mumble. "Knock that pretty head right of your shoulders..." Of course, a moment later he was lax all over again since he'd made a connection.

The door opened, and the mask fighter froze in 'his' spot as he entered the scene. There was a smirk hidden within the shroud, a silent chuckle on his chest over the small calamity.

Fox:
Kuwabara reeled back, his arms pulling to the side. "Don't call me pretty Urameshi! I still have nightmares from those creepy kissing dreams you sent me."

"Oh?" The fox internalized his hysterics and settled Kuwabara with a purely curious look. "This is an interesting development, it would certainly explain your couple like bickering." He couldn't stop himself from laughing, however, when Kuwabara balked. "You take that back Kurama!" His voice was shrill and the fox hand to bite down on his knuckle to keep himself somewhat quiet.

EDDE:
"Some help that was..." was all he managed and he curled up again.

The masked fighter walked over to the screaming teen, plucking the marker from his hand and turning to lean over Yusuke. When he pulled away, capping the marker and retaking his seat near the spirit detective's feet, he'd added quite a bit more.

The word 'idiot' was scrawled across his chest as largely as the tank top he was wearing allowed. He'd pulled the jacket away from his left shoulder, a face with it's tongue poking out and eyelid pulled down, 'dumb ass' scrawled down his arm below it. He twirled the pen between his fingers, chuckling silently.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"I mean it, stop laughing Kurama. It's not like that at all! It was just to transfer energy into Urameshi's dead body. Keiko actually did it not me!"

"And you have this dream often Kuwabara?"

"It's a nightmare!" His scream went high-pitched and Kurama stood. The fox brushed off his pants and took a calming breath. For a moment he stood over Yusuke and watched the masked fighter add to the canvas that had become Yusuke Urameshi. "The ink will need to be removed before our first opponents. You will take care of it, won't you Kuwabara? He does roam your dreams at night."

"Would you stop that already?!"

EDDE:
It was already late when they'd gotten there. Having given the island a bit of a roaming, Hiei was now headed back to the room. From down the hall he could hear the commotion going on in there, an annoyed tick traveled through his features. If left alone, it was certain to go on for hours. Yusuke must have woken up for Kuwabara to be making that kind of racket, after all, and those two did tend to carry on.

He didn't look over the scene as he opened and closed the door, the shrill voice of the buffoon enough to make him want to leave again. However, it was Kurama's comment that had him looking over, despite the bit of flinch the following holler brought to his features.

Hearing Yusuke laugh at their bickering, his eyes fell on him. He froze, not entirely sure how to react to the scribble covered human for a moment as he took in the sight. A twitch took to his lips that it took a bit more effort than he'd like to admit to push away, a sharply clipped breath managing to escape his nose, his eyes having to shoot from the vision to help the issue. He nearly choked on the sharp need to offer such a jovial noise, but he still managed to squelch it out for the most part.

It was a bit easier to do once he remembered he'd come back due to the time, and the fact that they had a match in the morning. A soft huff of air left his chest as he walked closer, landing a sharp look on the only person he really expected it to effect properly, hand in pocket as he looked the fox over. However, all he managed, for a lack of how to deal with the situation properly, was a disgruntled sounding, "Idiots."

Fox:
Clearing his throat the fox nodded his head. "It is getting late, and we can not afford to be tired tomorrow. We should sleep." He nodded at the smaller demon, understanding the single insult just fine. "Do remember to wash his face Kuwabara," he added with a chuckle he couldn't repress.

----

Using the death plant so early hadn't been a part of his plan and he feared it would come around on him later, but it was his best option. The only option to keep his mother safe and win the round. "What irony," he sighed. "Such beauty, sprung from such an ugly soil." Blood trickled from the cross cuts on his cheek as he hopped down from the ring.

Even in slumber Yusuke knew, and he shared the relief. "Yes." Kuwabara and Botan were shot down, what had passed had passed. It had no importance now.

After the final round the team and Botan stood strong beside their leader as he called out the crowd and taunted Toguro. It wasn't until after their rival team turned and left that Kurama spoke. "The match is over. We should take our leave."

EDDE:
He was in a fan-fucking-tastic mood. That fight had been just what he needed after waking up from such a gruelingly long forced slumber. And having hushed that stupid crowd so perfectly had only added to it. Yusuke turned his attention to the redhead as he spoke. "Oh yea."

Smiling, he plopped a hand on his shoulder. "I meant to ask when I woke up, but uh... I got kinda distracted." He let off a flippant chuckle at his own short coming before gaining a bit of calm. "Anyway, how's your mom?" He didn't really remember all of what had been going on while he was sleeping, but his concern over the redhead's fight had rung through to his waking.

Fox:
"Are you sure you were asleep?" he questioned. The masked fighter had started their leave, leading the way into the hallway and forcing the rest to follow or be left behind. But Yusuke's concern for his human mother brought forth a thankful smile. "My Mother is doing well," he assured.

As they followed through the tunnel, the fox took notice of Yusuke's spirit energy. Or rather, lack there of. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself in the ring, Yusuke," he commented. "It suits you."

EDDE:
He laughed lightly at the question, offering a bit of a shrug as he honestly wasn't sure if he really was fully asleep with everything that had happened. He smiled at the answer he got. "I'm glad." Taking in deep breath, he moved along with the rest of them on his own.

Yusuke had been watching Kuwabara try to squabble over something Hiei had commented on as they walked, though he wasn't so much paying attention. Every inch of his body was screaming at him, and somehow it seemed like it was bringing him to life rather than weighing him down.

His attention was drawn over to Kurama again, an exuberant grin crossed his face. "Oho yea! Definitely the best way to wake up." He chuckled heavily. "And man, after lying around like a dead guy for a while..." He laughed out the word, "again," before he continued. "I dunno, I guess it was kinda like just about every second of it reminded me how alive I am, ya know?"

Pulling his hands behind his head as they walked, he thought on it for a moment. "And anyway. That was nothin' compared to the Hell I went through training with that hag that whole time. Lousy old lady..." The last part was mumbled, though it didn't look as though it bothered his mood in the least.

Fox:
"Yes," he agreed. "In a way, I believe I do." Even in years passed fighting didn't mean the same for him as it did Yusuke. However, the thrill of the chase was one he remembered well. The rush of adrenaline and endorphins that picked up your breath and dilated pupils. His life as a thief once provided that rush, but now he found it elsewhere. In a much simpler, human life that brought forth regrets and showed him love.

His complaint about Genkai brought forth a chuckle. "Yes, you've been fighting her and speaking in your sleep." He looked up and away, innocent. "You called Kuwabara 'pretty,' strangely enough. I had no idea your relationship went so far, Yusuke."

EDDE:
He blinked a bit before easily overlooking the last part of the comment sputtering and letting out a heavy laugh as his hands dropped from behind his head. "Kuwabara pretty! AHAHA! That's rich!"

He paused, cupping his chin he looked up in thought. "Although I guess I can't deny trying to get a kiss from him before..." Realizing almost instantly how that sounded, he raised his hands up to his shoulders, as if in surrender. "But that's a long, long story, and really not something I like thinking about. It wasn't a great experience."

Finally he landed on a stance in response, crossing his arms and staring Kurama down with a semi-sour look on his face. "Look, the point is, Kuwabara is in no way cute to me, got it? That musta been one screwed up dream I was havin'. Maybe even a nightmare." He decided, nodding to himself.

Fox:
"Of course I'm not pretty!" Kuwabara screeched. "I'm a man, men aren't pretty Urameshi!" Something was muttered by Hiei and the tallest member returned to bickering with the shortest.

"A long story Kuwabara still dreams about."

"Don't listen to him Urameshi, I said Nightmares. That had to be the single most horrifying thing I've ever had to witness." The big guy visibly shuddered and grew pale. "I would much rather kiss Yukina~!" His sour mood turned into a near prance at the sound of her name. Even in his own voice.

The fox lifted his hands in surrender at the look he was given. "Yes, of course Yusuke," he offered before lowering his hands and resting them in his pockets. "Hm?" He chuckled again, a little louder this time as Yusuke walked past him just enough to see. The winking cat had been left behind, and he wondered how many beings noticed it during the fight.

EDDE:
Chuckling broadly, Yusuke continued toward the others as they all rounded a corner. "Man, I didn't know you had it so bad for me Kuwabara." His hands moved behind his head again as he walked. "I mean, I guess I could at lest offer you a date or something to help you out, but I'd rather not have things get too weird between us, cause I really just don't like you like that," he teased cruelly.

He stopped as his legs suddenly got a bit noodly, pressing his hand against the wall for support as he misstepped. "Wah~" He sighed lightly. "Well okay. That sucks." He leaned against the wall further for support, chuckling lightly against the loss of adrenaline he'd been running on quite smoothly.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
Kuwabara made a cacophony of amusing noises at Yusuke's accusation, as if he was so pissed he couldn't get words out. "Go to hell Urameshi!" He turned around and reared back for a punch, but stopped short of throwing it when the detective wavered. "Hey... you okay?"

The fox stopped, his presence offered for support should the wall fail to be enough. "You've used a lot of energy today, and so soon after recovering from your training." Though he wasn't sure Yusuke had fully recovered. "You should rest," and they shouldn't do it here.

Kurama's eyes were sharp and while Kuwabara teased him about being unable stand on his own two feet, the fox paid close attention to their surrounding. The demons attending the tournament as onlookers were rarely, if ever strong enough to pose a threat. It was usually only the fighting teams that needed to be worried about and yet... Someone was watching them.

Yusuke was a target, and now a target that looked vulnerable. "Kuwabara, Yusuke, we should be going."

EDDE:
He offered a smile to Kurama that easily said he felt bit pathetic at the moment, but his attention drew to Kuwabara instead. "Oh yea?! Com'ere and say that to my fist, Mutt Face! I can walk just fine!" Determined to show this, he made the attempt to move forward, only to misstep all over again and fall back onto the wall.

As he was inevitably laughed at, he glowered back "Just wait till I can swing my arms again!" Though he paused and settled instantly at Kurama's suggestion, looking around a moment before turning a snide smile on Kurama that said he still wanted to start things. "Okay, but would you mind giving me a hand, Kurama?" He thumbed at Kuwabara. "I don't want that guy too close to me right now with all those confusing feelings he has for me. He might try to feel me up." He couldn't sense a thing. Hell, he couldn't even sense his companions, and that was definitely not a good state to be in.


Fox:
With a nod the fox lifted Yusuke's arm and ducked his head under it to steady him as he stood. Careful to keep an even pace he lead the way out of the stadium. After a look from Kurama Kuwabara followed a few steps behind.

He didn't have a clear picture, but as they were leaving he felt an icy chill run down his spine. Whatever was watching them, its intention was worse than murderous and Kurama had a nagging desire to leave as quickly as possible. He kept his steps even and his expression neutral even after the energy left.

"Hey Kurama, what was that about?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems to have gone for now."

"Good." Kuwabara stopped and took in a deep breath, then grabbed Yusuke by the neck of his shirt. "I'm gonna break your face so bad kittens won't look at you." With an amused chuckle Kurama dropped and shifted away to be free of the impending brawl. "Do be quick about your lovers quarrel."

EDDE:
This wasn't good. Even though he had used up all his spirit energy, he should still be able to feel their life forces. He felt like he'd been hurled right back into himself when he'd first started out with all this demon fighting crap a year ago.

He was pulled out of his thoughts instantly as he was grabbed by big, dumb, and angry. He couldn't help but laugh at the delayed reaction. "Aw, come on, you wouldn't hurt a guy who can't even defend himself," he reminded the big idiot.

He was easily less exuberant at this point, as those weighing thoughts didn't want to go away, and within a moment his smile turned utterly sour against himself. "I mean it's stupid, really. You're practically the only thing holding me up right now, I can barely even keep my head on straight, and I can't even tell how far away Hiei and that masked guy have gotten from us because I can't sense a damned thing."

Fox:
Kuwbara blinked then grumbled. "Yeah fine. You're probably just exhausted I mean it's not like you slept for an entire day!"

"Kuwabara." His tone was calm but warning, and their tallest team member lowered Yusuke back onto the kitsune's shoulder. "There is no need to fret Yusuke, your spirit energy just needs time to recover. We'll meet the others in the hotel room," he offered, starting them off.

It wasn't long before the fox was helping Yusuke down onto the couch.

EDDE:
"Heh." Was really the only thing he offered to the entire exchange, having to focus too hard on walking to really stir things up any more after that. As he was set down, his sigh was warm as he allowed himself to plop onto the soft cushion, seated upright but leaning heavily against the couch back. "Oh yea, that's much better."

Smiling a bit too brightly for the condition he was obviously in, he said, "Thanks Kurama." And then added, "Who knows what woulda happened to me if you'd left me to that guy." He didn't bother to motion toward Kuwabara, as he knew the guy would know who he was talking to. The chuckle that fell on his chest petered out as his head lolled to the side and his eyes closed, again asleep, only looking far more vulnerable in his current state than the last.

The masked fighter looked over the exhausted boy and turned 'his' attention to Kurama, thinking to say something, but being beaten to the punch by the second shortest person in the room.

"Couldn't you have set him down in a bed, Kurama? It's going to be twice as much work lugging his limp body there now." He was sitting on the window sill, staring outside. Though he'd looked through the reflection of the glass on their entry. He wasn't honestly berating the fox, more giving the suggestion, in his own odd way, to move Yusuke somewhere he could get better rest.

Fox:
"Ah..." Kurama scratched over his cheek and looked down at his now sleeping team leader. "I suppose I should have expected that," he admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Let's draw on his face again." Kuwabara had already pulled out the marker and was grinning madly at Yusuke's sleeping form. "He'll have to clean it off himself this time."

Kurama shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "If you obsess over Yusuke's sleeping form, then I see what has him so worried." The tallest member balked and pointed the marker at Kurama accusingly. "Stop saying things!"

EDDE:
Tisking sharply, Hiei stood carefully, pausing for a moment through a light shaking of his limbs before moving for the door. "I don't have the patience to deal with more squabbling today."

Sighing, the masked fighter hopped off the couch and followed in tow of Hiei silently. He was given a sharp glare from the fire demon before the other headed down the hall to the right. He turned to the left and walked out, pulling the door closed loosely behind him.

Fox:
Kuwabara was quick to follow after the masked fighter, leaving the room before Kurama had a chance to say a word. He sat down on the couch beside the detective with one leg delicately draped over the other. "Have you really fallen asleep again?" the fox questioned, looking over the slacked face. He looked much softer when he slept...

Reaching out, the fox once more pinched his nose shut. Purely out of curiosity.

EDDE:
Though he lacked the ability to be nearly as responsive as he had been in his earlier state of sleep, his face did still scrunch a bit against the pinch to his nose. And he did attempt to tug his face away a bit sharply. The movement displaced his leaning form, having him slide toward Kurama and land flush against the redhead.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
Amusement pulled a soft hum from the fox as Yusuke fell over onto him. Shaking his head Kurama turned and lifted the detective up into his arms. He carried Yusuke to his shared room with Kuwabara and laid him down on one of the beds. In a show of what Hiei would call 'human softness' Kurama pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Sleep well, Yusuke."

---

The fox was gone by dawn. He stalked the forest in the shadows, guiding through the trees with a practiced ease. But who was following them yesterday? The questioned burned in his mind and had him pausing in branches to contemplate it. The intent had been focused squarely on him, he was sure of it. Murderous desire was easy to detect but this was... more. It disgusted him.

Kurama jumped free of the branches by the time day had fully broken, and held out his hand to search through the few seeds he'd collected. Glancing up he gauged the time, he could gather for a little while longer at least before the next fight began.

EDDE:
Shifting in his sleep woke him up instantly, the ache in just about every part of his body easily louder than the snoring teen in the bed on the other side of the room. Sitting up, he rubbed at his face and ran his fingers through his hair. Looking around a bit, he only vaguely wondered how he'd managed to get into bed the night before.

His attention had fallen more on the fact that something just didn't seem right. Eventually he shifted from the bed, redressing and making his way out of the hotel for a nice, leisurely walk.

As if.

As the fresh morning air hit him, he managed to wake a bit better, and recognized what seemed so off about himself. And he wanted to find out if he was right. Once he'd gotten deeper into the forest that crawled across the island, he lifted his hand and formed his fingers into position for his signature attack. Closing his eyes, he focused sharply on collecting his energy into his finger, shaking a bit with the effort it was taking.

Fox:
Making his way towards the stadium a familiar scent hit the fox's nose, but it lacked the usual energy attached to it. He paused, curious, and decided to change his direction. Had Yusuke's spirit energy not returned? Kurama made quick travel through the trees and paused in a branch within sight of him; waiting, watching.

"It is unwise to strain yourself, Yusuke," he offered after some time. With a graceful leap the fox touched his feet to the ground and rested his left hand in his pocket while the right hung by his side.

EDDE:
The noise that the surprise over Kurama's voice sent through him was rather humorous as it rolled from his chest as he did a little two step dance to the side, falling off balance from the sharp uptake his heart did in his chest. "Djeee!" The tone of it rising and falling in a pitch that stated he might have wanted to scream if it weren't for for the fact that he it was pulled straight through clenched teeth.

He twirled on his heel instantly with a stamp of his foot, fists balled at his sides and shoulders tense as he shot a bubbled up glare at the fox. "Eesh, Kurama! Give a guy a heart attack!"

Despite the over exuberant reaction, he calmed down, a light smile touching his lips as he recognized that, even though he couldn't seem to focus his energy, he could still sense Kurama now that he was there. "Oh, come on." He boasted lightly, raising his hands up and squeezing his fingers closed in a mock of spooky claws as he gave a lilt to his voice. "It's nothing the boogeyman of the demon realm can't handle, anyway."

Relaxing a bit, his words rolled into a chuckle through his comment and a goofy grin. "Besides, it's not like there's much I can do to other than try to work on it, you know."

Fox:
The amusing display did nothing to the fox's expression. His knowing gaze settled on Yusuke, contemplating his words, studying his movements. He knew more than he should, just as he always did. Yusuke was afraid he could smell it on him as well as he could see it, as he should be. "Even the boogeyman has fears."

Kurama was quiet for a few moments. "Come," he offered, turning away. "A new round will be starting soon. After looking over the combatants I'm certain there will be a brawl or two for you to enjoy."

EDDE:
He chuckled lightly, figuring he'd have been found out despite his attempt. Kurama honestly seemed to know just about everything, so he wasn't expecting any different. Mostly, it was just something done out of habit.

He blinked a bit at the offer to go with him, easily ready to pass up on the offer in lieu of working on bringing out his energy, but the last bit of it caught him up quite perfectly. Smiling broadly, he stalked right on over, chuckling heartily at the thought. "Oh yea~. I hadn't even thought about that. Maybe I just need to get in some ass kicking to get my blood pumping. That sounds like a good start, anyway."

He offered a smirk in Kurama's direction" Oh, and by the way. I'm not scared of anything." He was boasting again, but more purposefully this time around.

Fox:
A chuckled rocked the kitsune's shoulders. "Of course not." His tone and smile portrayed his playful patronizing, and while the smile stayed it returned to the usual calm. With both hands in his pockets Kurama kept a steady pace towards the stadium. "It isn't something I would like to admit, but fear has me its grasp as well. However, it is a strength, not a weakness if it is used correctly."

EDDE:
His chuckling persisted through his agreement. "No kidding. Just about everything about this situation is stupid scary."

He calmed down, looking down at his dominant hand as he walked. "I mean, the only good news there is to be had right now is that some of my senses have come back. Other than that, on top of everything else, my freakin' spirit energy has decided to all but go dormant, and I can't seem to call it up no matter how hard I try. Hell, I haven't felt this weak for at least a year. I mean, even when I've used up all my energy before, during training or whatever, it was never this bad. And even when it was bad, it's always recovered for the most part by the next day, even if it wasn't back to full strength."

He paused in thought for a moment, realizing he'd opened up to the redhead without even noticing. He offered a warm smile. "Heh. Sorry, Kurama. I'm sure you've got things of your own to worry about. I probably shouldn't be adding to them." He couldn't help but wonder how the Hell it had been so easy to do so, though, considering he'd been pretty intent on sparing him the heavy thoughts not too long before.

Fox:
A slight furrow creased his eyebrows as Yusuke spoke. That did sound worrisome, and he couldn't think of a clear cause so quickly. However, when Yusuke looked at him the fox had a comforting smile on his lips. "Do not fret Yusuke." Kurama lifted a hand and placed it over the detective's shoulder. "Your energy will return when you require it most."

A light laugh came to him, his hand returning to his pocket. "Have no worries about that either Yusuke. I am honored you would confide in me."

EDDE:
His smile broadened some toward the support. "Well that's a good point." After all, he did have a good history of tapping into unknown power when things tended to get a bit hairy for him.

There was a bit of a blush on his cheeks at the last of it. "Uh huh," he pouted out lightly. His attention changed though, figuring since he'd shared, maybe he could get Kurama to do that same. Despite everything they'd been through, the guy was still a pretty big mystery on most fronts after all. "Hey, so Kurama. You said you're scared of stuff too, right? Just curious; What puts you on edge?"

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
With a sigh he scratched the back of his head, looking up and away with an innocent expression. He contemplated his answer, there were so many lies and truths that could fit. "I suppose it is only fair," he admitted, hand dropping back to his side.

His eyes turned solemn as they turned ahead. "There was a time when I could have joined this tournament with great confidence," he started "But that time is not now. My energy is comparatively weak and childish, and I cannot survive on wits alone. Not here." The fox glanced at Yusuke. "I fear I will fail you."

EDDE:
"Eh?" His head tilted a bit as he blinked through the end of his confession. Why the heck would Kurama be afraid of failing him? Of course, he could honestly understand what he was saying, and couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was his own biggest worry due to the loss of his energy. "Listen Kurama..." He was looking ahead himself, gathering his thoughts on the matter for a moment in attempt of finding words.

It clicked pretty quickly though, and he really didn't have to think at all once he'd started talking, although it probably would have been better to think about what he was saying instead of just blurting out whatever came to mind. "It isn't all that easy to think of things this way even after everything else, but we're in this together. I don't wanna be the one to fail either. And if we don't work together on this, yea. I can see how that could get pretty bad. Especially if we were to start putting blame on who did what to screw things up. There shouldn't be any 'you' or 'me' in the situation, though. The way I see it, we're a team, and as a team any single one of us failing can't determine the outcome since we've got each other to fall back on. I mean, the whole point of things is having each other's backs, right? So if we were to fail, it'd have to be together."

He stopped fully, turning on the redhead with that grin of his. "Although now that I said that out loud it sounds pretty stupid. So if that doesn't help, just think of it like this; If we do fail, it really won't matter who fucked up. Because we probably won't live long enough for it to matter afterward anyway!"

Fox:
"We'll have it etched into our tombstones." His tone was sly, playful. Yusuke's grin was contagious in a way, pulling amusement and relaxed contentment from the fox. "Thank you Yusuke," he added before turning to lead the way into the stadium.

---

"Only an amateur relies on arms and legs for victory."

Those words had been followed quickly by the death of one, and the entrapment of his own energy. Followed worse by Touya and his shards of winter. Each crystal sliced through cloth and flesh as easily as his rose petals could. "I admit. You've caught me with my hands red."

But this desire for light, the hunger in Touya's eyes forced the fox up onto his feet. "Let me do what I must, Yusuke."

Left with no choice, Kurama buried the seed of the death plant into the open wound on his arm. It grew in his body, feeding on blood and energy until it burst forth and he could use it against his foe. He stood, hardly awake enough to converse. "I just wanted to know if... You could make your life better. Nobler, than mine has been."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't take out the first three of them as I'd planned."

He needed support getting back to the hotel, very nearly needing to be carried but the fox was stubborn. He was alone in the room it seemed, resting his his back against the head board of a bed, and hovering his hand over the wound in his arm. "Ah!" Kurama let out the quiet exclamation and it was followed by air being sucked through his teeth.

The roots of the death plant squirmed under his skin and pulled more bit back cries of pain. Little by little the plant was working free, dripping blood onto the bed that hadn't been used once anyway. Hiei didn't usually sleep in beds as far as he could tell.

EDDE:
It was getting late, and Yusuke was standing outside of the closed door to the hotel room. He could only hope no one was in the actual room. Setting down the tray he'd been holding, he tensed as claws twitched atop his head. "Go AWAY you stupid little fuzzball!" Growling, he swiped at the stupid little beast that just wouldn't take a freakin' hint, only getting more angry as it hopped out of the way of his grasp only to land back on his head. "AGH!"

Simmering down, he sighed, opening the door and taking the tray in. He had to be glad no one was in the room right now, as he really didn't want to be seen with the girly looking runt perched atop his head like a crappy fashion statement. He set the tray down again on the table next to Kurama and Hiei's room, knocking on the door as he tilted his head up to look at the thing despite the fact that he couldn't see him. "Look, couldn't you just disappear for a while or something?..." He waited; it did nothing.

Growling lightly, he opened the door slowly, grabbing the tray and pushing his way through the frame. His tone was a bit heavy, almost dull as the words were nearly sighed out, easily not wanting anyone to see the stupid thing after what he'd gone through with Koenma and Botan. "Hey Kurama, I brought some food cause it's getting late and I'm sure you could use it."

He hadn't had a chance to check on Kurama again since he'd brought him back to the hotel room earlier, what with all the bullshit that had gone on afterward, and all. Wanting to know if he'd healed up any, he'd gotten hungry on his way up, and had decided it would be a good idea to grab something for Kurama as well, in case he hadn't eaten. He pulled the door shut loosely with his foot as he made his way into the room, looking over the fox's condition as he did so.

Fox:
Kurama sat at the side of the bed, facing the door way. He'd lost the ruined top earlier in the day for better access to his wounds. His left arm was bloody, but clear of any foliage, and a bandage had been wrapped around the slice in his forearm. The other injuries were superficial and could be tended to after he finished removing the death plant from his body.

The fox paused, his face relaxing and the glow of his energy holding steady. He could hear Yusuke yelling, but at what he wasn't sure. He heard no one else, and did Yusuke say 'fuzz ball?' With a shake of his head Kurama returned to the duty at hand. Once more his expression tensed in concentration. The door opened to Kurama's 'Ngh!' and sharp breath as the fox tugged with his energy to pull the plant free. It slid out slowly, the flesh around the opening squirming with roots that shot out and frantically searched for the body it escaped.

A high pitched 'Scree!' came from he weapon, tiny mouths with razor sharp teeth at the end of each root. It splattered blood in all directions before Kurama's energy willed it back into a seed. "That was kind of you Yusuke, thank you," the fox started, setting the seed along three others on the bedside table. That explained the many tiny blood spatters over the bed.

Kurama sighed, grateful to have the final seed removed. When he looked up to properly greet his friend the fox was met with a rather... peculiar site to say the least. Hadn't Botan mentioned an egg to Yusuke before? And the blue beast did have his hair. He quickly lifted a hand to his mouth. "You know Yusuke it really... Suits... You," he tried to speak smoothly but it fell into an easy laughter. His shoulders jumped and his eyes sparkled despite the ordeal he'd only just finished.

"Does it have a name?"

EDDE:
Yusuke made a face as he watched Kurama remove the last of the plant, jumping a bit at the creepy noise it made. And the way that moved... "Geez, Kurama!" It was all he said toward it, though he was staring at the table. Honestly, he was still having trouble processing what Kurama had done to himself during the last fight he'd been forced to participate while still conscious for.

He blinked a bit as his attention turned to Kurama again. Bubbling up and tensing, he growled all over again. "Yea, ha-freakin-ha. I SWEAR, if I have to hear that one more time! The next person who says it, I'm gonna squeeze em so hard their head pops off!" He strangled at the air, gripping his hands into fists as he said as much. When the small creature cooed at him, his anger turned on it. "No, it doesn't... C'mere you freakin runt!" He swiped at it sharply, but blinked a bit as it actually flew away from him this time, moving over to hide behind Kurama by perching on his shoulder, and cooed sharply at Yusuke.

He couldn't help but calm down as he saw how lively Kurama was acting though, smiling as he brought over the tray and plopped onto the bed, tray in lap. "Well you're looking way better than you were when I brought you up here, at least." Despite saying so, he was looking over Kurama curiously, checking on his condition. "So are you hungry at all? I figured since I was hungry I'd grab you something too, in case you still couldn't move much." He grinned, pointing at the fuzzy creature that had perched on Kurama's shoulder. "Heh heh. Ya know, I think he likes you. You can keep him, you know. He looks like he belongs with you more than he does with me."

Fox:
They're quite sweet, once you get to know them," he joked while motioning towards the bloody seeds.

His laughter slowed until his amusement was made known only by the smile on his face. "Hm?" Without thinking the fox lifted a hand and gently pet the top of the creature's head. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself Yusuke," he offered. It was a curious little thing, it wasn't the first thought that came to mind when picturing Yusuke's spirit beast; and yet... It made sense.

"With the Death Plant removed from my body I can regain my energy. I will be fine." And he would be, the remaining injuries would be irrelevant soon enough. The mention of food reminded him just how hungry he was and the fox nodded his head. "I am. It is much appreciated."

"And why is that?" the fox questioned, tugging lightly on one of the big floppy ears.

EDDE:
His attention shifted to the food, picking up a dinner roll off of one of the plates. "I guess 'cause you match so well." He commented off hand before biting in half. He watched as Kurama messed with Puu, noticing the thing didn't seem to mind it too much. All he'd seen so far from the damned thing was stark nothingness, or panicked chaos, but it seemed to be enjoying the attention from the redhead.

Fox:
Once more he was reminded of his hunger, and Kurama too began to eat in his ever polite manner. "How so?" The fox seemed determined, green eyes not wavering from brown, even as his fingers pet along the blue beast. Dexterous fingers seemed to know just where to scratch, rubbing an ear between his thumb and pointer finger.

EDDE:
He glared at the little beast as it emitted an odd purring noise and leaned into each and every one of Kurama's pets, annoyed to Hell and back over it's cute behavior. As he swallowed his bite, he gave a bit of a shrug. "Well because cute things tend to go together, right? And I am not cute." He smiled at Kurama, finally turning his attention away from the stupid thing. "But you're totally cute enough to pull it off, Kurama." He shoved the rest of the roll into his mouth after saying as much.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
Swallowing his mouthful Kurama chuckled. "Is that so?" The blue creature was plucked from his shoulder and held out in front of him. "I suppose that would mean you consider me 'cute,' as well?" It was set in his lap and patted. "I didn't know you had such feelings for me Yusuke, I'm flattered."

EDDE:
He gave the redhead an odd look for the question. "Well, yea." He told him lightly. He was pretty sure that just about everyone thought Kurama was cute, although now that he thought about it, he couldn't necessarily point out anyone ever having said as much. He had to guess it was kinda weird for him to feel flattered though, wasn't it? He couldn't really imagine it was something the fox hadn't heard plenty of.

The little animal was easily reveling in all of the attention it was getting from Kurama, nuzzling happily into his touches, purring and nibbling at the affection it was being shown. He chuckled lightly as he watched them. "It really does look better with you, you know."

Fox:
That answer... It hadn't been expected, and Kurama was lost for a second. Unsure of what else to say. So he turned his attention to the little furry penguin in his lap, pinching its cheeks with both hands. Yusuke's words were trying to pull color into his cheeks. He sighed, the tables had been turned. "I find you cute in your own way as well, Yusuke," he offered.

EDDE:
He had turned his attention back down on the food, debating on what he wanted to eat next, but his attention drew back up onto the fox at his comment. "Oh yea?" He looked just as skeptical as he sounded at the question. "How's that?" After all, he'd literally just been protesting as much to the fox, and had probably spent at least a half hour doing so for the two who'd been with him when that stupid egg had hatched.

The small creature hopped off Kurama's lap, a few happy coos of 'puu', as it ran it's mouth. Landing back on Kurama's shoulder, it nuzzled at his face.

Fox:
"Mmm? Oh!" He laughed softly, closing his eye to keep it safe from the snuggling creature. Kurama left a hand near it as he looked up and away, pondering the question and the many ways to answer it. "An example then," the fox agreed. "Your match against Jin," he offered. "Despite dire circumstances and surroundings," Kurama looked back at the detective now, smile warm. "You were enjoying yourself immensely. I find such a thing to be 'cute.'"

EDDE:
He gave the redhead an odd look, an eyebrow raising, as the other did the opposite as he thought that over. Chuckling, he could only give a shake of his head. "What a weird example... But your face is a great example." Smiling lightly, he added, "Cause you make some pretty cute faces when you aren't paying attention."

The little creature gave off a few more of those noises as it noticed Kurama's hand, reaching up with it's large ears and tugging his hand in for nuzzles while wrapping his stunted arms around his thumb.

Fox:
"I do no such thing," he denied, feeling color come to his cheeks against his will. Such a simple compliment, one he'd been given on many occasions and by many different people, and yet hearing it from Yusuke was able to pull such a... human reaction. "You, however..." He was pulled from his rebuttal by the assault on his hand.

Kurama pulled the creature off his shoulder once more. "Puu, what on earth are you doing?" Another laugh came from the fox. "It seems your inner beast is starved for attention."

EDDE:
"Huh?" What about me? He blinked a bit as the stupid little fuzz ball was brought to his attention again, tilting his head. The laugh was infectious, and he couldn't help but join in. "Yea, I guess so!" His laughter petered down to a chuckle, and then died down. "Puu, huh?" It seemed the agitatingly adorable thing had a name now.

He reached over to pet it, smiling lightly as it allowed him to. That stupid thing was pretty cute, wasn't it? "But you know, Kurama..." That goofy, teasing grin cracked over his face as he lifted the finger he was using to scratch under it's beak to point directly at his cheeks. "You're only proving my point. And changing the subject!" He chuckled meanly all over again.

But he seemed to get serious suddenly, leaning quite close. Lifting his left hand, he tucked his fingers around the redhead's jaw line. "Hey, Kurama?" His right hand shifted between them, a light clipping noise following the movement before he pulled that up as well... And pressed the marker to his face and dragged it across each cheek three times, effectively drawing whiskers on him.

Pulling back he turned boisterous all over again, recapping the marker, and twirling it between his fingers with that same large grin having pulled over his features. "I don't really remember a lot of what went on while I was sleeping, but I do remember you messing with me, and I know what you did. Some of the ink from that cat got on my hand while I was rubbing my neck, by the way." He wagged his finger a bit as he added, "You have no idea how hard it was to get a good look at that thing. I had to get a second mirror, you know," before returning to his gloat.

"So I thought to myself a little while ago, 'if Kurama's still stuck in bed, it'll be the perfect time to get him back'. But then I thought 'actually, he's probably had enough of being drawn on after that fight', so I tucked it into my pocket and I wasn't gonna mess with you. But ma-han, what can I say? The opportunity to pull one over on you was just too good to pass up."

He looked him over again before breaking into laughter. "And that look really isn't helping with the cute thing!"

Pausing sharply in his laughter, the teen considered him all over again, bringing up the fight having reminded him of something he'd wanted to ask. This time it was a real attempt at being serious. Although looking at him all over again made a snigger catch in his teeth, and he had to turn his attention away to be able to ask the rather serious question. "By the way, can I ask you something?" He didn't wait for an answer before doing so. "When you were fighting Touya earlier. That thing you said about a 'better, nobler' life? What did you mean by that?"

Fox:
"I am most certainly not," he answered, turning his head away to hide the deeper flush. How could this boy take his words away so easily? All he could manage were denials, and bad ones at that. A curious sound was pulled from his lips as Yusuke drew closer, and when calloused fingers cradled his jaw Kurama found himself leaning in too; With wide, pretty eyes... That narrowed into a displeased glare.

The fox knew he deserved the marker, but he did not deserved to be tempted so cruelly with something he didn't even know he wanted. The marker was snatched with quick thief's fingers. "What, may I ask, have you drawn on my face?"

"Your powers of perception while unconscious leave little to be desired." Perhaps it was sarcasm that curled his tone, perhaps irritation, but as Yusuke continued on the fox could not remain sour. "The cat was Kuwabara," he lied smoothly. "The Jagan eye however, was me." He joined Yusuke in his laugh, though his own was much more contained.

The sudden change in his leader's tone pulled a curious hum from the fox, and the question left him silent for a long moment. The joy that had just been painting the fox's face faded into heavy thought, and a deeply hidden sorrow. "Now is not the time for such thoughts, Yusuke."

Kurama shook his head with another laugh, touching the sword wound bandaged on his arm. "I have to admit. I believe you are wearing off on me. Despite my better judgement, I began to enjoy my match with Touya. I only wish my energy had been at my disposal."

EDDE:
He couldn't help but wonder when a good time for a question like that was. Despite how sharp his worry had been for the redhead's condition during the battle, he'd managed to latch on to quite a bit of what he'd been saying. And he'd been talking about regrets. Yusuke didn't usually take the time to think as hard as he had been in the little time he'd had for himself since the end of the match.

But it sounded like Kurama really didn't want to talk about it, and he could respect that. He smiled as the redhead talked about enjoying his fight. "Yea? I tend to rub people the wrong way pretty often, so that's not really surprising." He chuckled, teasing himself mostly as he changed the meaning of his words a bit.

It was his fault things had gotten so heavy all of a sudden, so he decided to fix that. "So. You drew a jagan on me, huh? Well, I didn't know that." He chuckled lightly as he next thought stuck him. "I bet Hiei just loved that." Sarcasm. Smirking, he snatched at the marker, really not expecting to get it, but he knew what he'd do with it if he did. "If that's what happened, I ain't gonna let you get away with whiskers as your only punishment."

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"Whiskers? Now Yusuke, you couldn't have come up with something a little more creative?" Kurama lifted up both hands, palms out to show a distinct lack of the marker the detective had been going for. The fox smiled, charming, disarming, and pointed behind Yusuke.

A group of thin vines had grown along the foot board of the bed and coiled around the capless marker. The plant moved quickly, just as fast if not faster than its master, shooting forward and dragging the tip across the detective's face with ease. A large flower was doodled over his nose and cheek, shaky lines and messily scrawled and yet somehow perfectly done.

"He did, believe it or not. It was the heart shaped pupil I am certain."

EDDE:
He blinked a bit at his hands, easily slighted to turn to look at whatever was behind him. Preening as he was attacked by the marker, he snatched it back quickly and turned on Kurama. If that was how it was going to be, he wasn't going to lose so easily. Of course, if creativity was what Kurama was looking for, he was definitely talking to the wrong person, as Yusuke quickly scribbled on a villainous mustache over Kurama's lip.

Only after he finished did he give himself time to react to the news of the heart, a snicker rolling from him as he kinda wished he'd seen the reaction himself. He burst into laughter as he looked over his work. "Don't ever grow facial hair, Kurama. It doesn't suit you."

Fox:
The marker was snatched once again and Kurama leaned over to scribble between Yusuke's eyebrows to connect them. The detective's laughter was met with his own, and for the moment Kurama forgot where they were. He forgot about their lives on the line, the lives of their friends and family and just... Enjoyed himself. "Here, Puu." The fox plucked up the spirit beast and scribbled a line between its eyebrows as well.

Kurama placed Puu back on Yusuke's head and found himself laughing all over again. "You are wrong Yusuke, he is much more suited to you." His eyes were warm as they took in the sight of his team leader, and he found himself leaning closer once more. Even with the black ink he still found him... cute. "Yusuke," he started, reaching out to mimic the others actions from before.

Thin fingers grasped Yusuke's jaw line and tilted his head a little. "You are still," he leaned in closer. "Very cute..." and their lips touched, soft and warm. Lips too soft to belong to a man, and yet...

EDDE:
He lifted his hands, looking at the emptiness of them and gripping at the air as Kurama drew on him again. He was pretty good at grabbing what he wanted, wasn't he? He watched him draw on Puu, realizing what he'd just drawn between his own eyebrows and giving the fox a disgruntled look.

Of course, Yusuke didn't realize what he had denied the redhead earlier by taking the same movement against him, as he'd only been steadying the fox's face so he wouldn't pull away and ruin his whiskers. But here, Kurama had to go off making a cute face at him again as he drew closer and it built a surge of panic through him.

Lifted hands landed gracelessly on Kurama's shoulders, attempting to ground him through the touch. "H-hey..." Only it didn't stop him, and a second later their lips were touching, and it burned his face and stabbed into his chest.

It seemed like there had been plenty of time for surprise as the redhead drew in, but he hadn't been able to manage it. The grip on his shoulders loosened a bit, but he caught up to himself quickly. And he pulled away with a sharp turn to his head. Covering his mouth, the flush over his face was immense as he mumbled, "Geez Kurama, what'd you have to go and do that for?"

Fox:
Kurama allowed his eyes to go half lidded, but refused to close them fully. He took in the flushed expression and relished the hold Yusuke took on his shoulders. It didn't last long, but the fox sighed blissfully into it regardless, molding his lips to the other pair for as long as it was allowed. He chuckled.

Yusuke pulled back and the warm smile remained, made humorous by the drawn on mustache but comforting all the same. "Did you dislike it, Yusuke?" he questioned back. "Your flushed expression speaks volumes."

EDDE:
He preened all over again, offering a bubbled pout of lax anger toward the redhead. Comforting or not, it still felt like he was being teased for a reason beyond him. "Yea, well how would you react?" He knew it was a dumb question, seeing as Kurama was the one who'd done it, but he didn't care. His attention turned away all over again as he added through a bit of a mumble, "Besides, I haven't kissed anyone before, so you don't gotta tease me about it."

Fox:
The fox reached out again, this time to lightly touched the reddened cheek with a few gentle fingertips. "I am not teasing you," he assured. "However, if you would like to know how I would react. You are welcome to kiss me back."

EDDE:
His eyes drew down to the touch to his cheek, unable to help but notice some of the lines of the marker because of it, even though he coudn't make out what was there. Looking back at Kurama, he realized that he didn't look nearly silly enough not to be able to take seriously anymore.

He shook his head lightly, sliding the food tray off his lap and onto the bed beside them. Smiling, the color on his cheeks fading just a bit, he explained his denial. "If I did, you'd know it was coming, so it's not the same," He informed him stubbornly.

Fox:
"Then I eagerly await your attempt. Though I wish you luck in catching me off guard." It wasn't something that happened often. With a quiet sigh he reluctantly stood. He had to end their games for the time being. "You may wait here if you wish, however I need to wash, and clean my wounds," he admitted. He would probably need to rest soon as well, the semi-finals were near, and he would be ready for them.

However, the fox let out a soft hum and once more plucked up Puu. This time he pulled the creature close and placed a light kiss to its cheek, perhaps this time it was a tease to the spirit detective.

EDDE:
He tilted his head lightly, though it was obvious through his attempt to hide it that he was easily thinking of taking the fox up on that challenge. He didn't stand himself at first, trying to think of when he could possibly catch Kurama off guard, cause he really couldn't think of how often that might be.

He blinked a bit as Kurama kissed Puu's cheek, the slightest of pinks painting over his own again despite a valiant attemptnto keep it away. But seeing both their faces reminded him of the marker all over his own. He plucked Puu from the redhead's hands, tucking it under his arm. "Alright, but I'm gonna wash my face. I look stupid enough with this girly toy-thing hanging all over me. I don't need to add to it."

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
His ear twitched. "Girly?" He asked, his voice low, almost a growl. When he turned to look at Yusuke his eyebrow twitched and soft green eyes had narrowed in disdain. "Is that why you feel Puu belongs with me?" One of the four seeds on the bedside table was lifted between two fingers. "They are still quite hungry you know," he stated coldly, a sprout already growing from the seed.

EDDE:
His eyes widened a bit, the look alone forcing a two step retreat. "Okay, that look is not so much a cute one," he chuckled out nervously. He jumped a bit as the plant was presented to him. Note to self. Never again.

"C'mon Kurama, you wouldn't really do that would you? I swear I didn't mean it like that at all. I wasn't calling you girly, I promise."

Fox:
"As you've seen, I can remove them; and, I'm quite certain you would survive the ordeal." The fox stared Yusuke down for several more seconds, the plant slipping further out of the seed. Once he was satisfied in the fact his threat was taken seriously Kurama retreated the stem to it's seed and tucked it into his hair. "I'm happy to hear that," he offered, the terrifying gaze returning to it's normal calm.

With no other word on the matter Kurama left for the bathroom and closing the door to the shower area. He chuckled softly to himself, wondering briefly if he'd gone a little too far as he undressed. The shower was turned on and left to heat up while Kurama unwrapped his bandages.

Stepping into the spray pulled a soft hiss from the fox. The water ran red for several moments before it spiraled into the drain. His face was the first to be washed and was thankful to see the ink fading into the suds and water. Next his neck, long, swan like in grace as his head turned and his hands his hands ran lower. Over his shoulders and chest, his sides and hips and further still. The soap was spread over his stomach, abdominals toned but far less pronounced then the rest of the team.

A soft patch of burgundy fur surrounded his limp shaft, long despite its flaccid state.

Red locks were darkened into a bloody red as water was soaked into the strands. The usual puff in his hair flattened until the pointed edge on his hair clung tightly to the small of his back. Bangs framed his face and brought out the sparkle in emerald eyes and the plush pink of his lips, while the forelocks painted rain streaks of red ink over his neck and collar bone.

EDDE:
He stepped out of Kurama's way as he walked by, sputtering a bit at how he went from hot to cool so quickly. He looked down at Puu. "Scaary~" Despute the fact that the reaction to thoughtless words could have been downright horrifying if he really dwelt on it, instead his mind changed gears on him and pulled a warm chuckle from his chest. Anyway, in its own way it was kinda cool too.

He followed the redhead at a slight distance into the bathroom, turning on the water in the sink as the door to the shower room closed. Upon washing his face, he looked down at Puu contemplating leave the marker on his face since it made him significantly less cute. Sighing, he took the rag to the stupid doll, not liking the thought of his inner beast having a uni-brow any more than it being some adorable, cuddly little.. THING.

Hearing the water in the shower start, Yusuke looked at the closed door. A frown and a bit of color hit his cheeks as the thought of the fox stealing his first real kiss marched it's way right back across his mind. He couldn't necessarily count Keiko in that category, if only for the fact that he wasn't in his body, and it was basically just a life saving measure.

He blinked a bit, a devious smirk crossing over his face. Of course! People were vulnerable in the shower, right? It honestly might be his only chance. Containing the snicker that wanted to form, he slipped the door open silently. He could see Kurama's silhouette through the curtain. Perfect. He reached in, grabbing the redhead by the wrist as he tugged the curtain aside and leaned in, and pulled their lips together a bit clumsily.

Fox:
The fox was just running his fingers through his hair when his wrist was grabbed and the curtain flew open. "Mm!" Well now this was a surprise. His eyes went wide for a moment before they relaxed. Wet fingers brushed against Yusuke's cheek as he pulled back. "I admit, I was caught off guard," he assured. "I hope you are ready to accept the consequences of your actions," the fox purred before pressing their lips together once more.

Kurama's skill exceeded Yusuke's, so he gently guided the detective's lips with his own. A soft sigh through his nose, and Kurama decided to test the waters just a little more by touching the tip of his tongue to Yusuke's lower lip.

EDDE:
He grinned quite easily as he was told he'd surprised him. "Hehhe--Eh?" And it was his turned to be surprised as Kurama regrouped. His own eyes widened a bit, and a heat hit his face all over again. But it was a lot nicer when Kurama was doing the kissing, and it softened him.

He didn't stop himself as he leaned into it this time. The one hand still having Kurma's wrist captured, the other one found it's way to his hip. It was sleek from the water, and naked; and also, Kurama's tongue was poking at him. And his face lit on fire because, even though he'd known Kurama would be naked in the shower, the skin under his hold was a very strong reminder of that. Despite that, he really didn't want to pull away, well he did, but he didn't. He groaned lightly at how incredibly confusing his thought process had become, or maybe it was feeling that derived from the raise in his pulse.

Fox:
This was escalating quite quickly, and perhaps he shouldn't allow it but Yusuke's taste was intoxicating. The hand on his hip was warm even over the spray of hot water and the detective was so perfectly responding to his lips. Kurama ran his tongue over the others lips once more, peeking the tip inside for just a taste.

With a hot breath he broke the kiss once more, and with a tone low and seductive. "Would you like to join me, Yusuke." His name was purred oh so sweetly.

EDDE:
He felt hot, and he doubted it had anything to do with the steaming bathroom. His lips kinda pulled apart on their own at the second insistence from the redhead's tongue, shuddering lightly at the shallow entrance.

But Kurama pulled away just as he was about to reciprocate, his breath was a bit ragged. The question; The tone. It hitched his breath, forcing his eyes to fully take in the redhead. And the sight of him caused the pooling in his groin to throb heavily. The surprise of it caught his attention sharply.

He stepped back quickly, releasing his hold on Kurama and turning his face fully away from his, burning through his cheeks and chest. "Y-yea. So there." He stated awkwardly as if his point for the surprise kiss were made, and quickly, just as quickly as he'd stepped away, he hurried out of the bathroom, closing the door loosely behind him with a bit of a groan for the loss.

Fox:
He didn't have to see it to know how his words affected Yusuke. The scent of his growing arousal was sweet and musky, he found himself liking it quite a bit. He was honestly disappointed when his offer wasn't taken up, but he had expected it at the same time. Kurama let the boy go, but chuckled softly as he scurried away then began the long task of washing his hair.

----

With fresh bandages on his face and hands Kurama strolled down one of the many hallways in the stadium. The team that won this next match would be who team Urameshi must fight and prevail over to get to their ultimate goal. The fox clenched his fists together in his pockets, the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Once more he felt eyes boring into his back, and once more the intent of that gaze made him shiver in revulsion. Desire and a filthy one at that.

The redhead picked up the pace, but only slightly. He would not look panicked, he would not show fear and he would remain confident.

EDDE:
Yusuke was walking the halls of the stupid stadium, hands shoved in his pockets and slouched through the effects of a crappy mood. He hadn't thought about the fact that he'd mostly been with the others when roaming the halls, and hadn't ever really payed attention to where they were going when they walked them.

So yea, he'd gotten lost, and if this crap kept up he was gonna miss the freakin match. He paused as he rounded a corner. Kurama was coming his way down the hall. He perked up instantly, but he paused. A bit of color tried to touch his cheeks as he wondered if he really wanted to be alone with the redhead right now, but he pushed it away. Standing there as the other moved closer, he resolved himself.

And with that grin of his, he offered a wave. When he got close however, he grabbed his wrist and pulled him back around that corner and a ways down the hall from which he'd come, saying, "C'mere. I wanna talk to you."

After he felt they'd walked enough, having been using it as an excuse to come up with what the Hell he wanted to say, he stopped. And he turned on Kurama, a bit of a misplaced glare on the redhead as he searched a blank mind for words. Nothing, nothing at all. The glare bubbled up into puffed out anger more pointed toward himself as his face slowly shaded itself dark in a tinge of red. Nothing, absolutely nothing at all. And now he probably looked like as much of an idiot as he felt.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"Yusuke," he greeted with a slight nod. "Oh!" The fox stumbled only once before he fell in step with the detective, a curious expression on his face. He had to hide the amused smile, however at the rushed words. Kurama gave no complaint as he was pulled around and came to a stop when the other did.

The silence was met with wide eyes, making yet another cute face without his consent or knowledge. "Yes?" Red tinted his friend's cheek and Kurama relaxed into a soft chuckle. "Cute," he murmured, leaning in slowly. "You wished to talk about this?" Kurama pressed their lips together again, his hands resting in his pockets and giving Yusuke his freedom. And yet the fox licked at Yusuke's lower lip once more.

EDDE:
"Uh, well..." His eyes lowered. It was incredibly inconvenient that his brain didn't seem to want to kick start. He preened a bit as he was called cute, not feeling that this was cute at all, and moving to level a glare on the fox for saying so. The closeness surprised him though, and it made his eyes round.

They softened as their lips touched, the tinge on his cheeks fading a bit. This wasn't talking at all, but he couldn't exactly complain. His eyes lidding, he took a small step forward, bringing them closer together as he slipped his hand between Kurama's arm and side and wrapped his arm around the small of his back; The other moving to rest on his shoulder as he pressed into the kiss. His head tilted and he fitted their lips together better as his tongue met Kurama's and rolled over it, before delving deeper into his mouth.

Fox:
The fox sighed softly, a light flush of his own starting to form on his cheeks as Yusuke pulled him closer. His hand fit perfectly on the small of his back, and in return draped an arm over the others shoulder. "Mnn." The soft sound was made with his parting lips, allowing the exploring tongue inside. Once more he became a guide, curling his tongue with Yusuke's and leading it in a slow and playful dance.

His warm palm cupped Yusuke's cheek to pull him just a little closer while his teeth lightly nipped at the thin skin of the others lips. A soft suckle on the lower lip, a nibble at the tongue before he delved his own tongue into the detective's mouth. The tip tickled the roof of his mouth and ran along the length of his tongue.

EDDE:
He took cues from the fox incredibly well, a soft, warm noise rattling through him as the hand at his shoulder reached out and found the wall behind him, and he leaned against the redhead until his back was resting against it, pressing himself closer all over again, bodily. The roaming hand found a hand full of hair at the back of his head, the other rubbing at the small of his back a bit, as a shiver rolled through him that generated from that heat that was starting to pool in his groin and spread through him as it had the night before.

Another soft sound was pulled through his nose as Kurama took more obvious control of the kiss, easily playing back. And that thing he did with his tongue... it drew such a shiver through his body; straight from the core.

He allowed this to go on until he realized that he was gaining a rather heavy problem from the gesture. Groaning for what he knew would be a heavy loss, he tugged his lips away from the fox's just barely. He breathed a bit heavily as he rested his forehead against Kurama's, heated brown eyes boring into the redhead's. "I don't think this counts as talking, Kurama."

Fox:
A chill ran up his spine as it was pressed into the wall, and a disappointed sound left his lips when Yusuke did. The hot little tongue that had been playing with his not a moment before licked his lower lip. The scent in the air fogged his eyes as their foreheads touched. With half lidded eyes Kurama tilted his head, touching their noses and bringing their lips close again.

"Perhaps not," he agreed in a soft puff of humid air. "And yet," Kurama shifted a knee to press it against the detective's growing erection. "We are saying so much." Thin fingers found their way into gel slicked and pulled him back into their kiss. He wasted no time in taking it over, tongue battling, inciting Yusuke to take up the challenge.

EDDE:
"Ngh..." The flush returned over his cheeks, touching his chest and somehow seeming to radiate through him as that simple pressure brought a heavy throb against it. Even as he fell back into the kiss, he noticed a great lack of being able to get over the feeling. A warm hum was posed into the fox's mouth as he took up the challenge, his own tongue pressing heavily for dominance as the hand that had been supporting his back slid down and gripped the fox's lower cheek, managing to pull him into the same pressure as he was being assaulted with as he tugged him closer through that hold.

And yet, all of the heat in his body escaped him as he heard footsteps come to a stop beside them, mostly after he heard the girl's voice. "If you two are interested in having a gawking gaggle of horny demons bare down on you at some point soon, then by all means continue to explore your voyeuristic curiosities."

Reluctantly, he pulled his lips from Kurama's, turning his eyes down on the masked fighter. She just had the best timing, didn't she? What little heat remained in his body traveled straight to his face as she thumbed toward a close door over her shoulder. "Of course, there are always other options."

Fox:
A soft sound of his own was lost into their embracing lips, his tongue retreating happily into his own mouth to lure Yusuke's into following. Kurama jumped a little as his backside was grasped by a strong, sturdy hand. His hips moved with the hold and he let out a soft, muffled moan. The masked fighter's words pulled them apart and the fox cursed his own impudence, dropping his guard so much while in hostile territory. He contemplated leaving completely, but the woman's offered alternative was far too tempting.

Leaning in once more the fox placed his lips against the shell of the detective's ear, and in a deep sensual tone he purred "come." Just loud enough to be heard and keep his attention. Kurama took the others wrist in a strong grip and gave the woman a small nod. "Thank you," he offered her before tugging the Spirit Detective along into that closed room.

Thankfully the room truly was empty, and Kurama shut the door behind them and with a flick of the wrist locked it. Emerald eyes were hot as they gazed at the boy before him. He raised a hand to run his fingers through the red strands in a pretty display of vanity. "You aren't finished yet, are you?" His voice was low, husky, playful.

EDDE:
Yusuke was ready to bolt, horrible hardness and all, just to get away. He paused as Kurama drew close to his ear, a shudder rolling through him at the single word. It was his turn to miss a step as he was pulled away, eying the woman oddly as they went. His face flushed over further as they got into the room, turning toward the redhead to complain about the interruption.

The sight he had to offer though, had him straining a bit harder in his pants. He had to ask himself what the Hell they were doing, but even while he was, he was stepping back up to the fox with a low groan, and circling his arms back around him, "Not even." His left dipped under Kurama's and back up to rest against his shoulder blades, and his right moved back across the small of his back. He pulled him closer through the hold, having learned from the other teen quite quickly as he pressed his thigh against him in the same way that had been done to him. And of course, he took his lips again, his head tilted lightly so they'd fit together right away, and his own tongue being the one to glide over the other's lip for entrance.

Fox:
"Good," he purred, wrapping his left arm around the detective's neck to aid in closing the distance between them. His right arm circled around the younger boy's waist, his fingers grasping at his shirt tightly. Kurama eagerly granted his leader entrance and softly suckled the hot tongue between his lips.

A quiet moan and Kurama rolled his hips, pressing his quickly growing erection against the offered thigh. Fingers once more buried themselves in gelled hair, pulling Yusuke closer to him still while his right hand decided to play. A bold move perhaps, however this whole encounter was a bold move. His thin fingers pulled at the belt, undoing it in swift movements before sliding his hand inside and cupping the straining length in his palm. "Yusuke," he groaned into the kiss.

EDDE:
A deep set shudder pooled through him as he played his tongue in the redhead's mouth all over again, testing, tasting. And the redhead tasted so good. Hold on... They really shouldn't be doing this, right? And it wasn't just about going to fast, either.

Kurama was pressing up against his thigh, and the excitement crackling between them was so heavy it was fraying his nerves. And the noise that came from the fox's lips burned into his ears. Hold on, dammit. He heard the weak argument, but he was being pulled in further, and it was so hard not to just let himself fall.

His hips pulled away just a bit to allow the tugs to his pants, his pulse quickening and a heavy jump taking place from the confines before he ever fully loosed the belt. And he didn't stop. He didn't stop kissing, or loosen his hold on the redhead.

Stop! A sharp breath, clipped off by the jerk in his neck that pulled him just away from the fox's lips as he took hold of him, had that color rolling back through his cheeks just barely. The touch, the warm hand circling him was easily making that throb sharper, and had caused him to slide down the redhead's body slightly; Making him look up through heavily lidded eyes to reach the fox's gaze. The question was soft, timid as his eyebrows etched together lightly, and really didn't cover what he was trying to convey. "Kurama?..."

But... But he didn't want to stop, and the small movement against pulsing flesh that hand offered him as he'd lowered himself was threatening to ignite into something he wasn't completely familiar with. A heavy groan rolled through him over the weight of his thoughts. Now really wasn't the best time to suddenly have higher brain function.

Instead, he decided to take the earlier advice. His grasp on Kurama changed, fingers coiling into the fabric of his gi, wanting a better grip, needing it to 'hold on'. He didn't want to stop, so unless Kurama decided he did, he wasn't going to. Pulling himself closer all over again, he pressed his thigh a bit sharper against the redhead's affliction.

His move against the fox had shifted slightly, having grown a bit more timid as his lips found the underside of Kurama's jaw, pressing a light kiss, then suckle, and even a nip against his pulse. And his hips pressed for more from his hand as his voice did the same, chin lifting to moan the redhead's name right up at him, so close that hot breath cuffed against his ear through the sound.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
This version of Yusuke was... The predator inside him was pleasantly stroked as he watched, felt, and heard his stubborn leader fall to pieces to perfectly in his arms. The flesh was hot in his hand, pulsing in need and with a hitched breath he remembered with a thrill of excitement: Yusuke had never felt this before. The thought had his kiss turning deeper, delving his tongue further into Yusuke's mouth to gather his taste and savor it with a low groan.

Breaking the kiss pulled a soft sigh from his lips. He hadn't been ready to break it just yet, but he watched with half lidded eyes as Yusuke came undone against him. "Trust in me, Yusuke," he soothed at the hesitant question. In an effort to calm the boy his grip grew stronger, satisfying as he began a slow pace of stroking. No more than this, he decided. This was neither the time nor place to test Yusuke's limits, no matter how badly he wanted to drop to his knees and offer the detective something much more satisfying than his hand. He licked his lower lip at the thought.

Pressure was put on his own trapped shaft and the fox continued to rock against it. He had fantasies, but no expectations of Yusuke returning this favor. Yet, and was grateful for the pressure that eased the burn in his belly. Kurama's head tilted, exposing his jaw line and throat for curious lips. His moan was soft as Yusuke moaned his name. "Your scent is... Intoxicating," he groaned, nose twitching to take in the tantalizing smell. As if in gratitude for the lovely aroma his stroking grew faster, wrist flicking as his palm moved over the head with a far too experienced hand.

EDDE:
"Hnn~" The hum was warm, easily placated as his chin dipped and he nosed past the collar of Kurama's gi, pushing it out of the way through a fold of the fabric and latching suckling lips and nibbling teeth to the pulse he found there. The grip he had taken against the small of his back pulled back, wrapping around as shaky fingers searched for an way to an opening Kurama's clothing. He wanted to reciprocate the feeling, but the outfit he was wearing was incredibly confusing without being able to look at it. He did manage to sift his hand under the long folds of the shirt and figure out he had at least one layer more to go.

"Hnngh." His grip sharpened and a tremble took to his hold as his face found sanctuary against Kurama's chest, his forehead pressed firmly against his shoulder when the stroking picked up. The hand that had been making it's attempt at Kurama's clothing had stopped short, also taking a heavy hold through the sudden intensity building inside him. Short, frantic gasps wracked him, only cut off by the sharp, involuntary whines the heightening feeling wrought through him. He was a bit panic stricken by the feeling, and unable to pull the arch into his back that so wanted to be there through the sharp grasp he had on Kurama.

Everything else was gone. Even as the panic for the sudden madness that coursed through him picked up, all he could focus on was the all consuming power of thay stroking hand and the heavy as lead feeling it coursed through him. And then all at once the sharp tightening that had taken to his entire being exploded into a sensational reprieve causing his chin to lift and a sharp, pleasant cry to erupt from his chest in the same way the release that radiated through him bodily did.

Fox:
His head tilted and the soft breath he released into the room was accompanied by a light flush that colored his cheeks. Lips over his pulse made it jump, and he visible swallowed as the suction sent a tingle down to his groin. Kurama continued his rocking, and quietly moaned as the detective tried valiantly to get through his clothes. It was a failure, but the attempt was appreciated nonetheless.

Yusuke rested against him and the fox cradled his head to his chest without skipping a beat in his stroking fingers. "Relax," he cooed, feeling the panic and smelling fear. Kurama held him tightly and the moment Yusuke's head tilted back the fox captured the cry in a kiss. He didn't want anyone to hear such a sweet sound, especially not here, where their safety was questionable.

Petting fingers milked the rest of the orgasm from his young leader, and only pulled away when he was sure Yusuke was spent. His own need was ignored, pleasing the detective was enough to satisfy him for the time being and his gi was easily able to hide his very pressing matter. Kurama took a step back and lifted his hand. Closing his eyes he licked it clean and felt a shiver run through his body and pool deeper in his groin. He didn't mind. "We should not stay much longer," he warned. "The match will begin soon."

EDDE:
His was surprised as lips covered his noise, but it brought a warm shudder through him and brought a bit of comfort through the frantic feeling. And he melted into it, gladly pressing back and keeping it close all the way through that feeling starting to ebb away.

Stuttered breath was just barely correcting itself by the time Kurama took a step away. The heavy grasp against him remained for a long moment even as shaking arms stretched to keep the support against quaking legs. He'd completely lost track of the situation at some point. He'd been close to losing it when that sudden dipping change occured but there had still been some semblance of thought there at that point. Somewhere between growing frantic and now he'd lost himself for a nice, long moment. Although he noticed that he hadn't lost the redhead nearly as easily. Sharp color stabbed at his cheeks suddenly as he moved to pull his belt tighter.

What the Hell-- The thought was forced to stop short because he couldnt even begin to contemplate this enough to come up with a proper complaint, or worry, or whatever had just been about to form. Besides. Seeing Kurama pull that soiled hand to his lips was enough to end his thought process all by itself. And there was a stammer on his own as he stared. Plus the fox was changing the subject again. Why was he so good at that?

He looked over the redhead, frowning at the thought of leaving him the way he was, the concerned look easily readable over his features. Was he supposed to just leave him like that? "Yea but..." A soft noised signified the hitch in his breath he had to take in order to stop himself. He really couldn't argue and he knew it.

So instead, an odd pout crossed his face as he was finally able to manage, a bit accusatory as the red curtain across his face darkened a bit further, "You licked it!"

Fox:
That look had his shaft twitching in his pants, and oh how badly he wanted to push aside cloth and expose himself to Yusuke's exploring fingers. They didn't have time for the detective's inexperienced fingers and Kurama promised himself that they would have time later. He would let Yusuke explore him later.

"Mmm, I did," he agreed with a purr, flicking his tongue over the last of the salty substance before closing the distance between them once more. He leaned in, their lips nearly touching and with great amusement in his eyes he added in a husky tone. "Your taste is divine, Yusuke." Kurama pulled away once more before heading to the door. "Do not take long, the match will begin shortly," he offered in advice before leaving the room and heading towards the stadium.

EDDE:
He tensed so sharply he felt like he might turn to stone as Kurama leaned back in, thoughtlessly wetting his lips at how close he'd gotten. It was stupid how vulnerable Kurama had managed to make him feel all of a sudden, but he really couldn't complain. In fact, he kinda liked it more than he was willing to admit. Breath he didn't realize he'd been holding was forced from his lungs along with a soft, wanting noise when he spoke to him like that.

He stared after him for a few moments after he'd left, slowly allowing the flush to drain from his cheeks. Sighing, he tied off the belt he'd still been holding in his hands and hurried out of the room. He was staring at the ground, contemplating how to get to the stage, and considering that he really should have asked Kurama to wait for him. Suddenly he felt claws on his head, and the weight of Puu landing. Blinking he looked up, and upon seeing the others, hurried over. "Hey! Perfect timing! We gotta hurry!"

----

The agony he'd suffered starting later that day after the mask fighter revealed herself to be Genkai was beyond compare... And he was stupid enough to think that once he'd absorbed the old hags energy, the suffering was over...

"...I'm here now. You're gonna be fine. Trust me, Genkai. Let's get out of here...... Come on we'll get Botan or Kurama to heal you; Or Yukina. Hell we got a whole ER unit now."

"It's okay, Yusuke."

But it wasn't okay....

----

Standing stark still in the clearing as the wind whistled through the trees and grass, Yusuke stared down at his hands, the energy flowing through him so prominently he could practically see it squirming under his skin. It didn't matter what anyone had said. Not even that stupid old hag, herself. No matter what, none of it could help lift the crushing despair he was feeling over losing her.

Sighing to himself, he moved back toward the site he'd been frequenting since her death. He paused as he stepped into a looming shadow, looking up at it curiously. It was a huge boulder, even bigger than the one Genkai had destroyed before he'd taken away her power. 'There was a time when that blast would have gone on for miles.' A noise quite resembling a growl rolled through him as the desolate look turned angry all over again as he jumped back a few steps. Glowering at it, he positioned himself for his signature move, pointing directly at the boulder. Intense waves of energy build up and swirled around him strongly enough that it combated the natural wind of the area, and within a moment, he let loose what felt like such a small amount of energy.

His eyes went wide as the blast he shot was strong enough to make him stumble back several steps, only able to stare at the destruction it wrought. The boulder disintegrated nearly before it was hit with the full force of the blast, trees wiped away, and even the ground caving as the blast pushed on. And further than he could see, his ears picked up the thunderous roar of a sea that had been split so violently, it's coming together boomed through the air and drew further into the distance.

His knees were shaking, but not due to weakness from the attack. Not even close. Yes, he'd spent way more energy than he'd meant to, and he'd really have to try and keep a lid on it, but more so, he was awestruck. This new power... Her power.

He dropped to his knees, slamming his fists into the ground meekly and gripping at the tall grass sharply. "If... Dammit! Dammit, Dammit!" Tears poured down his face all over again as he beat at the ground angrily, no real power behind the tantrum. He was sick of 'if's, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking. If I hadn't taken her power.... He'd thought it so many times before, he couldn't even begin to count them.

Stiffening, and forming a calm over himself, he pulled up and plopped onto his ass. Wiping at his cheeks, he leaned back on his hands and turned his face just slightly to show his recognition of the presence once he had collected himself. "So how long have you been there, Kurama?" He asked quietly.

Fox:
In his search for a suitable weapon the fox looked up from his palm filled with seeds. The sudden burst of power forced his eyes open wide in surprise... and fear. That was Toguro's power, it had to be; and it was horrifying. He was still, feeling two strong energies clash... Until one flickered out. "Oh, Genkai," Kurama breathed softly, an ache weaseling its way into his heart, and not just from loss. Yusuke.

Kurama left the boy to grieve. No matter how close they may become Yusuke was not one for consoling words, and he wouldn't appreciate being seen in such an emotionally vulnerable state. Besides, Genkai's sacrifice would be in vain if he couldn't aid in getting Yusuke to that fight with Toguro. Later that day he came across Suzuka along side Kuwabara and the answer to his issue came in the form of a fruit surrounded by demonic nectar.

Never would the fox walk into the ring with a weapon he hadn't yet tested on his own. It took time for the transformation, and it only lasted fifteen minutes. That was more than enough. The form he lost 16 years ago was enough to take out Karasu, and was perhaps enough to give Toguro a challenge even if it wasn't enough to win.

As night fell Kurama found himself walking towards Yusuke's energy. It was stronger now, but such a thought was an understatement. He stood at the treeline and watched with poorly concealed aw. The spirit gun that was fired was... incredible! But he didn't need to say it, Yusuke knew, and it wouldn't help him now. "Not long," Kurama lied smoothly. It seemed sneaking up on Yusuke the way he had so much fun with before, would now be much more difficult.

The fox left the cover of the trees to crouch comfortably at Yusuke's side. There were no words. Nothing could be said to ease the pain in the detective's heart, even from someone as articulated as he. So he didn't speak, he smiled. It was warm and calm, but a sadness filled his eyes that he made no attempt at hiding. Kurama reached out, and with a bent pointer finger, he rubbed the knuckle over Yusuke's cheek to wipe away the moisture the boy had missed in his frantic scrubbing. And his heart ached, and he couldn't stop a few words from passing his lips. "It's okay, Yusuke. I will not judge," he offered. Not an attempt to sooth, but a gentle encouragement. He would not think less of this boy, no matter how many tears he may shed.

EDDE:
He chuckled lightly at the answer he was given. He doubted it. And he didn't look at the redhead as he moved over beside him, a bit of a lean taking to his form in the opposite direction without notice. It was far too quiet as he stared up at the stars, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He even had to search for something snarky to say for the first time.

And even then, it still didn't come. A tensity tore through him as Kurama touched his face, and he could feel the liquid drawing across his skin. It brought a stark flatness to his expression. He was supposed to be the leader, right? That meant that he was supposed to be the strongest. And while he very well might be the strongest physically now, he still needed to...

A shake took to his arms as they held him up, the fox's words shattering his thoughts as he simply went blank all over again. But at the encouragement, without his permission, his eyes started leaking just as wildly as they'd been tending to for far too long already. He sat up, crossing his legs, only to hunch back down and lower his chin. Turning his face away from the fox, his entire body was shaking with the effort of held in sobs.

"Dammit," he complained lightly, failing to hide the full waver in his voice. "This is so stupid. I feel like such a kid." The last bit had a chuckle in there somewhere that was lost to a heaved breath. Still, his attempt to lighten the mood was second nature, and even though he couldn't face Kurama as he spoke, he teased, meaning nothing sour by it. "Geez, thanks a lot Kurama. I bet you just wanted to see me bawl like a baby for fun."

Fox:
He didn't offer a comforting touch, not yet. He watched as the detective went through the motions of grief until he hunched forward. Yusuke's shoulders were shaking and Kurama allowed himself to sit fully on the grass and look up at the stars. Was it worth it, Genkai? But he knew it was. Yusuke needed this power, without it he would lose much more than one old woman. His friends and family would be torn apart by Toguro, and the fox feared for his mother as well. It was no consolation for the grieving boy left behind.

"Pain does not make you a child," he assured. His tone was sure on this, strong and purposeful to get the point across. You are a child. It was a thought he couldn't keep out of his mind. Yusuke was barely 16, he was a child. They all were, except for himself perhaps. Thousands of years old and stuck in a body of 16.

The teasing made him smile. Yusuke was still here, even if he was bogged down by grief. "Ah, you have caught me with my hands red," he admitted with a playful tone in his voice. Who was he to reject the detective's way of copeing? "Perhaps I'll need to draw tear drops the next time I find you sleeping."

EDDE:
In all honestly, what he'd meant was that he hated how much of a kid he still was. Even after everything that had happened, but at the same time he felt like he was little more than some stupid, stuck up, snot nosed little brat, in better words. He kinda wanted to explain that it wasn't so much the pain that made him feel that way to the redhead, but he'd meant it when he said it was stupid... And he felt selfish, too.

A bit of a chuckle from the play back pooled through him. Sniffing, and wiping at his cheek in vain, as the liquid was only replaced, he broke into a small fit of laughter. "Only if it's coming from a jagan. And I get to see Hiei's face this time!"

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
His laughter was contagious and Kurama followed the example with his own little laugh. "That is an acceptable compromise," he agreed, smiling a little brighter at the detective. His eyes were still melancholy, but the curl of his lips was genuine. He couldn't stop himself from cupping his cheek in a warm palm and wiping the falling tears with his thumb.

"I cannot tell if this is the perfect time, or the worst time," he started, gazing at his mourning leader before beginning to lean in. "May I kiss you again, Yusuke?" he asked gently.

EDDE:
His legs had gone lax in their crossing through his own laughter as it petered off quickly. He blinked a bit as Kurama's hand touched his face again, lacking a flinch against it this time. Brows etched together lightly for just a moment as a heavy wave washed over him, but a light smile touched his lips at the question he couldn't help but find, well cute, of course.

"Yea." He wasn't sure why he felt the need to answer really, as his own hand reached out as he leaned forward himself, lacing in a gentle grip at the base of the redhead's skull and neck. Kurama was definitely better at kissing than he was. Hell, he was better at a lot of things than he was. A bit of a blush tempted to brush against his cheeks that he was able to hold back at the thought, as he took the rest of the lead and closed the distance between their lips.

Fox:
"I'm glad," he murmured softly. The hand over his hair, cupping his neck, it was comforting and his eyes slowly shut. A warm sigh left his nose as their lips met, and his head tilted just a little to mold them closer together. The kiss was soft, gentle, perhaps even innocent, the fox's tongue staying idol while his lips captured Yusuke's one at a time. Let the detective decide the pace.

Kurama shifted a little closer and wrapped an arm around the others midsection and resting his hand over the small of his back. Deadly, delicate fingers spread and the fox pulled the detective closer, hugging him loosely. Yusuke wouldn't appreciate a comforting hug, but if he disguised it as his own desire he knew it would be accepted.

EDDE:
A warm shiver rolled through him that was vastly different from the ones he'd gotten the last time they were this close. He felt like blubbering all over again, but even in his state he could tell he wasn't the only one in need of the feeling the fox was providing him with so well.

His arm reached under the redhead's, wrapping around the small of his back in the same way. Only he pulled away from his lips and used the grasp he had to tug Kurama's head under his chin, resting gently on him, and pet at his back lightly as he tightened to him still. "We'll be okay," he promised lightly, whether or not either of them felt that way at the moment, because it was something he knew they both needed to hear. Even though his friend was really good at putting on a brave face, Yusuke could see the turmoil in his eyes. He'd always had a knack for being the comforting figure, even when he didn't mean to be.

Fox:
A soft little ah left him as Yusuke pulled away from their kiss. It was followed soon after by a curious sound made in the back of his throat. He found himself tucked under Yusuke's chin, and held so sweetly. How could the detective catch him so off guard? It wasn't a common occurrence by any means, and yet he did it with such ease.

The gentle words let his eyes slide shut and he realized something. Yusuke was a protector; his spirit energy reacted to the danger of other far more than danger to himself. The detective even willing to lose everything just to protect him from more abuse from Bakken. Yusuke didn't need to be coddled, he needed to protect.

Kurama tucked his arms against Yusuke's chest and rested calmly. It felt... safe. He knew that wasn't a good thing on this island, but with a soft sigh he relaxed. "Yes, we will be," he assured right back.

EDDE:
He felt better holding Kurama against him like that. His eyes had stopped running like a freakin faucet, and he was content to just sit there, holding Kurama and just basking in the feeling. The chaos and torrential whirlwind of happenings that had gone on in such a small amount of time were nowhere near the back of his mind, but being here like this almost felt like they'd managed to build a cocoon of calm that would last just long enough to matter.

Sighing softly after a minute or so, he pulled his hand from the back of Kurama's head, sliding his it around and over his cheek, cupping his chin with his thumb and forefinger. He lifted the fox's chin, already leaning down to meet him as he tilted his head lightly and pressed their lips together securely.

Fox:
He turned his cheek into the touch, but allowed himself to be guided by Yusuke's hand. Kurama's face was soft as their eyes met once more. The sadness in his own had dulled, and had been replaced with an affectionate warmth. One more sigh and another kiss began. It started slow as before, comforting and calm, but it wasn't too long before Kurama trailed his tongue tentatively over the detective's lips.

Long legs curled and Kurama would avidly deny the feminine curve of his body. A hand lifted, cupping the back of Yusuke's neck while fingers coiled around the soft, gel free strands of hair. The fox nibbled oh so softly at Yusuke's bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue and a soft suction.

EDDE:
A shudder took to him as Kurama played at his lips with his tongue, the warm feeling he'd been experiencing not dampening in the least, though it did grow a bit bolder. As did he.

His own tongue moved out and licked gingerly over the one offered through the tease. He managed to capture it between his lips and suckle at it lightly, before drawing it in in similar fashion as he'd been shown the last time they'd done this. Laving over the redhead's tongue smoothly in the confines of his own mouth, the hand at the small of Kurama's back slid down to cup his cheek for a moment, only to draw down further and settle in a warm grasp around his upper thigh.

Fox:
He shivered, only slightly, in Yusuke's arms. A soft sigh and the fox returned the attention with a curling tongue, the tip running ticklishly along the roof of his mouth. He pulled his tongue back into his own mouth, teasing Yusuke's tongue to copy his actions. "Mnn," he moaned softly, his cheeks flushing at the terribly pathetic sound. But Yusuke's hand was warm on his thigh, and his legs spread just a little.

Kurama paused their kiss, pulling back just to catch his breath and murmur the detective's name before returning to it. He wrapped both arms now around Yusuke's neck, tugging him closer.

EDDE:
He shifted as Kurama pulled away for breath, taking the chance to gulp in a few breaths of his own, the movement placing his legs over Kurama's thighs under bent knees, pulling him closer in wrapping around him through them as his free hand moved to his other thigh, and tugged it to the side lightly to give a better opening. Said hand quickly moved between them, landing on and cupping the hidden encompassment he'd effectively given himself better access to and offering a tentative rubbing against it.

As he did so, he delved his tongue back into the fox's mouth, tasting him in a manner that held more hunger as he repeated the tease against the roof of his mouth before moving to explore his depths further with an unyielding tongue. And he didn't stop there. His eyes lidded, an insatiable need to see what cute faces the fox could make when they were like this rolling through him. The hand at his thigh drew up the lithe figure and found the sash of his gi, his mind far less fogged than the last time they'd been doing this. He tugged it loose with relative ease, the assailing hand sifting to dig under the cloth and run up over his skin below, and back down to rest warm hand against the bare of his waist.

He knew he was probably moving way too quickly, and honestly he didn't really know what he was doing in the best sense, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying everything his body was telling him to do. For the first time in a few days, he felt like he was in control, and he wasn't willing to let go of that unless Kurama showed him signs of wanting it to change, or that he didn't like it.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
The change in position caused an excited shiver to run down his spine. His arms tightened and another soft moan was muffled by the kiss. He twitched under the curious petting and rolled his hips into it to encourage a more firm pressure. "Mph," it tickled oh so pleasantly when Yusuke's tongue ran across the small ridges on the roof of his mouth, making his shoulders tense up before relaxing even deeper. His breath hitched when the sash pulled away.

Warm fingers ran across the flat of his stomach and he felt goose bumps form on his arms. The palm rested on his waist and Kurama pulled back from their kiss for quiet, but heavy pants. "You do not have to do this, Yusuke," he started while leaning in to press little sucking kisses along his jaw line. When he spoke again it was shaky. "But I would be grateful," a soft breath billowed over Yusuke's neck. "If you continued."

EDDE:
He knew he didn't have to. What a weird thing to say. Still, he kinda liked hearing it. It made him feel better in a way he couldn't quite grasp.

His cheeks were heating again. He chuckled lightly as he let his lungs fill properly, his answer being to give the pressure of that petting hand the fox had been pushing for. Of course, he couldn't help but comment as well. "Yea? Guess it's a good thing I want to, hm?"

Pulling away from the pressure, his hand slid up to his waist, and then back down, stealing under the cloth that had been in his way. Sliding his way past the surprisingly soft tuft that almost had him pausing for it's oddity, he pulled the organ into his grip. Squeezing lightly and offering a tentative stroking, he chuckled through the entirety of his next comment. "You do realize I have no idea what I'm doing, right?"

Despite saying as much, the hand that had landed on Kurama's waist trailed upward all over again, a curious want to touch and test every bit of skin he could get at having rolled through him, pausing to thumb over a nipple as he went. "Kurama." Slowly he pulled the exploring hand away, sliding his hand to the back of Kurama's neck once again, and tugging a lift in his chin to lick over his lips. He'd learned a little from the fox already of course, mimicking quite well what he was being shown as they went. While he had tested out a few things of his own... Leveling a heated look into the fox's eyes in the close state, a light smirk crossed his lips as his tone gained a sultry inflection. "You should teach me more."

Fox:
The fox could only nod his head with a soft exhale as pressure was placed where he wanted it most. It was followed by an unconscious pout that lightly tugged his lower lip when he was left needy again. He truly hadn't expected it, but the fox was oh so glad Yusuke's hand worked passed his waist band and over fur like hair. "Ah," he gasped quietly.

When he looked up at the detective he smiled. "Yes," his hips once more rocked into the offered relief. "But you learn quickly." The gentle rub to his nipple hardened it into a tight pebble and pulled a deeper blush over the bridge of his nose. Kurama's head tilted with the aiding hand and he glanced away for just a moment before fixing his eyes on Yusuke once more.

The tightly holding arms fell away to rest on Yusuke's chest while Kurama parted his lips to let their tongues meet in a quick swipe. It was incredible to think he'd only recently had his first kiss. The fox smiled again with burning cheeks and slightly baited breath. "You learn best by trial and error." Kurama's thumbs found his leader's nipples through his shirt and rubbed over them in small circles. "Ask any questions you may have, but otherwise," he leaned up to brush their lips together, just a graze that didn't last nearly long enough. "I am yours to explore, Yusuke."

EDDE:
The vote of confidence didn't do much to help the thought of how little he could think of knowing. So he thought about what he wanted instead, looking over the fox as he did so. After a few moments, a smirk rolled right back over his features.

"Hn~ Explore huh? Sounds fun." His hand tugged away from it's play, up and out of his pants. Pulling his feet back in a further bend of his knees, he leaned forward, pushing his weight into Kurama to land him on the ground under him, cupping his head for the landing in case he misjudged the movement. He scooted down, now looming over him on his knees, and leaned down through a bend in his back at his waist.

Kurama had made a jolting comment about his taste before, and his own curiosity was getting the better of him. He had been pleased with the taste of his neck, and more than happy with the taste of his mouth. His want didn't fall purely to the taste the redhead had so cutely brought his attention to. His hands took to the task of slowly tugging up the oversized shirt. Gentle lips, testing teeth, and curious tongue followed the fabric up in a hot trail along his skin. He stopped at a nipple, finding even the little nub cute. He sucked it up between his teeth, rolling his tongue over the pebbled node and tickling at it with the tip of his tongue as he peeked up at Kurama, again hoping to gain a cute face, pulling the shirt up over his head and keeping hold of it there at the fox's elbows, too focused on his reaction to push further up as he moved to repeat the treatment against the more lonely bud beside the one he was currently teasing.

Fox:
"Oh!" The fox jumped a little as he was pushed to the grass. He should have expected such a bold move from the detective, and while he was disappointed when his need was suddenly left very alone, he could not complain. His cheeks near matched his hair in color as the shirt was lifted up over his head and caught under his arms. The light kisses and nips caused little twitches and the hot mouth around the hard pink bud had Kurama sucking in a short, sharp breath.

Yusuke got his cute expression; wet lips that were slightly parted, a pretty flush and dewy eyes. His arms lifted high to allow the shirt over his head. A tingling feeling in the back of his mind was screaming danger. This was not a safe place to be, even if it was Yusuke above him; and yet, when the other boy's lips wrapped around the neglected nipple he couldn't even suggest stopping. "Ah, Yusuke," he breathed softly while his knees slightly lifted and pressing together in an attempt at some relief. "Are you sure you have never done this?"

EDDE:
He chuckled lightly, making his way the rest of the way up, kissing and teasing at his neck as he pressed the shirt up further and let Kurama decide what to do with it at that point, not really taking into account that he'd already basically removed it. He caught the fox's lobe between his teeth, suckling at it lightly. He was having quite a bit of fun with his exploring. "Yea. And I'm feeling adventurous," Spoken heatedly against into his ear as he tugged down the waistband of Kurama's pants, lifting his hips to aid in the process.

And then he pulled back down, having to reposition himself for the next part of his exploration, blinking a bit as he caught sight of the curious patch of hair he'd run his fingers over earlier. Grinning as he peeked up at him, and chuckling as he ran his fingers through the hair in a near petting way, he asked, "So pretty much everything about you is cute, eh?"

Fox:
A blissful hum was the response to Yusuke kissing and nibbling and the attention to his ear was rewarded with a sigh. However an amused huff left his lips and green eyes were rolled at the terrible attempt at clever banter. Though, any words were taken away in a little yip. Kurama lifted his hips and sighed in relief as his shaft bounced free. It rested long and thin and perfectly pretty against his belly and over the too soft pubic hair.

Yusuke's petting was met with a heavy twitch and an encouraging rock of his hips. "You have jumped atop me as a puppy might." Kurama's eyes gleamed with mischief and a chuckle left his lips. "I would propose you are the cute one here, Yusuke."

EDDE:
He pouted a bit at the comment. Like a puppy? He honestly wasn't sure what he meant by that. "Who's more canine, here?"

Smirking, he added, "And anyway, you can't see your own face. So who's the cute one?" He leaned down, giving a tentative licking over the obviously sensitive organ, the same curious note in his eyes as he watched him.

Fox:
Any desire to retort to Yusuke's teasing was casually tossed out the window. As long as he was doing that, Kurama didn't mind being the cute one. The fox pursed his lips together to keep himself quiet. Such a thing was common place in another time, but this was... Everything about this with Yusuke was purely innocent. It was cute, exploratory, adventurous as Yusuke had called it. "Ah~" It was a human experience, and it was frighteningly new.

Kurama pushed himself up onto his hands to look down at the detective with the same dewy eyed expression. "If you wouldn't mind," he started with a hot puff of air. "Please do that again, Yusuke."

EDDE:
That same heat hit his face as before as he watched Kurama's reaction, and hit his groin too, pooling there through the request. Eyes having turned a bit large through the curious movement of the fox, only to have that rather natural deviousness roll right back through them as he took a grip on it. "Only cause you asked so nicely." It was a tease, and through that grip, he repeated the movement of his tongue, shuddering a bit on his own at the remembrance of Kurama's hand down his own pants.

The thought reminded him of what he'd been doing not too long ago with it, and through that grip he began massaging. The thing Kurama had done with his hand before, things had gotten heavier each time he'd passed his hand over the top. He didn't know how to do that though, and with his hand busy with the shallow stroking he was giving him... His cheeks burned a bit more as he substituted, rolling his tongue over the tip in lieu of a busy hand at the base. "You know..." Another lick laving over the head. "If you tell me what you want, and then ask nice again..." Another, his confidence easily having blossomed through the request. "I'll do it."

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
The fox sucked in another sharp breath of air and flinched as the tongue moved over the head once again. His fingers gripped into the grass, the amateur hands only tightening the knot in his belly. When Kurama opened his eyes again to look down at the detective between his legs he groaned with the remembrance that Yusuke had no idea what he was doing.

The tip of his tongue dragged along his bottom lip as a strange shock ran through him at the simple demand. Again this was something he knew, seduction of the voice was something of a specialty; But, when he thought about saying those words in Shuichi's voice it suddenly caught in his throat. For just a second his mouth was left open, his mind racing. Then he returned to that dewy eyed vulpine that licked his lips in a predatory fashion.

Kurama leaned forward and curved his finger under Yusuke's chin. "Would you let me show you?" He purred.

EDDE:
An edge had hit Yusuke's eyes as he watched Kurama react to the touch of his tongue, loving that his attempts seemed perfectly appreciated. And in such a cute way. If he hadn't been so focused on talking, he might have made a far less stoic noise toward his reaction given the heavy jump and tightening it caused in him. There was no helping the thought that he'd keep the treatment up until the fox couldn't stand it anymore just to see more of how he effected him. The somewhat lost look that crossed him wasn't missed either. That smirk managed to stay planted across his lips even through each action of his tongue.

It was wiped from his face just as easily as anything else had been while they were like this, even being thrown off by the sudden change was thrilling. A soft huff of air that belted over him in that position was followed by a small smile through the heated glance that seemed to be glued to the fox. "That sure was a nice way to ask." He chuckled softly. "So I guess I can't say no, right?" He was teasing again.

Fox:
The fox shifted, pulling his pants up and tucking his legs under him. Then the guiding finger brought Yusuke up for a kiss, soft at first. "Then pay attention Yusuke," he purred, rolling and guiding the detective onto his back, then straddled his thighs with long legs. Kurama's lips pulled into a sweet smile and those bright green eyes gazed down at him. A hunger was hidden in the forest depths, a joy and excitement. I'm going to devour you. "This is a class you do not want to fail," he teased, a low chuckle following his words.

"Let us begin..." The fox leaned forward, hands sliding up the detective's stomach. Warm breath wafted over Yusuke's ear. "Here." Then warm lips circled the spot under the boy's ear. Kurama suckled softly and brushed his teeth over it gently, breaking the blood vessels and pulling back to admire the tiny love bite he'd left behind. Just as his thumbs brushed over his nipples in quick flicks followed by petting circles.

EDDE:
As he moved to sit up, he followed the guidance to the redhead's lips easily, a light hum on his breath as they moved. When he went down, he propped himself on his elbows instead of following through, that curious look rolling over him again as he looked Kurama over. The look the fox gave him was comforting at first, though his cheeks started to burn a bit again as his attention moved purely to his eyes.

Honestly, he wasn't completely sure why he was growing nervous after everything else. Maybe for the bit of avarice in that look that he didn't recognize he could see that drew somewhat of a vulnerable feeling through him, or the loss of control he'd never really had much grasp on as their roles reversed. Or maybe it was something else entirely, something that sometimes made him somewhat nervous around the fox even under normal circumstances. He wasn't dwelling on what it might be, though, the bulk of his attention having drawn to his words.

As Kurama chuckled over his tease, he had quite a visible light bulb moment over it before offering a giddy little cackle of his own, his face practically speaking for itself, as if saying 'I see what you did there'. Although it could probably be put up to debate whether or not he really did, considering how the raven haired boy's thought process tended to work out. The chuckles clipped off after a moment as he blinked through the next words, and movement of his hands. A heavy shudder had him dismissing any thought over the matter to focus on what suddenly became a rather annoying sensitivity to the opposite teen's attention to his neck, and lack of mobility in the way he'd set himself up.

He flinched lightly against the touch of his mouth, not for the redhead's action, but for the small twitch it set in his pants, another warm hum passing over him without his permission. Though by the time he got to his nipples, Yusuke was looking up and away, a harsh flush across his cheeks, amazingly managing to portray the annoyance with himself he didn't fully understand, as well as the nervousness that seemed to take form in pressed lips.

The look softened as he realized what had actually had him annoyed, his eyes turning back toward the fox before the rest of his face followed through in the slight tilt it took to be facing him properly again. It wasn't the fact that he was practically quivering under the light treatment, even though it kind of seemed like it was a lot easier when he was the one doing this kind of thing. His chin tilted down, large eyes peeking at him as if hiding behind the heavy shroud of red on his cheeks.

There was a bit of a pout on his lips, though he was shining a complete lack of any real upset as he told him, "If you say somethin' about me being cute now, I might get mad. And then I'll have to do something to change your mind." Yes, that had to be what it was. He knew how he was acting, the idle threat simply being his way of acknowledging that fact. Now that he knew what had been bugging him, it seemed to pass in the distance, though the somewhat hidden pout he had offered up didn't fall away.

Fox:
He hummed, happy as his lips brushed along the detective's pulse. He captured in in a careful kiss, no longer intent on leaving behind visible marks. The one under his ears was enough, the fox would look for it in their final match ups and find comfort in their closeness. Kurama pulled back a bit, pushing Yusuke's shirt up and bunching it under his arms. "Do not worry Yusuke," he purred, sliding down and dipping his hot tongue into the hollow above his collar bone and bellow the throat. "I have yet to make you cute."

With a low chuckle he placed soft kisses and kitten licks over the detective's chest. Teeth grazed over taunt skin, and a long lave with the flat of his tongue was run over the left nipple. The right was twisted and pinched between his thumb and pointer finger. Gazing up it was difficult to see Yusuke's face, but he wrapped too soft lips around the little bud and offered it a few pleasant sucks. Then the fox nipped, a sharp pain followed by a soothing tongue, gauging Yusuke's reactions. Kurama could assume his friend preferred rough and biting, just due to his crass nature. However, assumptions are dangerous, and testing the waters was much more fun than asking.

Free fingers pet down Yusuke's stomach, fingertips tracing over the curve of his belly button and lower still. They fumbled blindly with the belt but it was unfastened soon enough and the fox pulled it free of Yusuke's pants.

EDDE:
He found himself leaning back a bit as Kurama pushed up his shirt, loving the shiver the contrast of his tongue against the air made roll through him, and the way his voice made his ears burn so nicely. "Hnn. Yet?" He highly doubted that, but embraced the small thrill the word had to offer.

He was still watching the fox's movements even as a squirm wanted to roll through him at the treatment. His eyes pinched shut at the sudden shock, the jolt that rolled through him generating directly from his hips, from that rapidly pooling sensation, as a soft noise caught the back of his throat.

When he opened them to look down on the redhead again, he was absolutely certain that if his face hadn't already been flush, it would now; a timidness having set in them again as his belt was removed. A lightly huffed groan rolled from his chest through an anticipation of what it's loss would garner as he thought to move for the discomfort of setting on his elbows like he was, but really not wanting to risk losing his vantage point over it.

Fox:
Cute. He rushed a little in deciding not to wrap his lips around the neglected bud. Instead the fox was creeping down. The shift in his shoulders was animal as his knees slid back and he could settle between the detective's legs. Teeth nibbled at Yusuke's navel while slim fingers curled in the waist band of his pants. With a playful hum Kurama nuzzled his nose down his stomach while the fabric pulled away.

It was almost cat-like, the way Kurama was laying between the detective's legs. With a twitching nose he cradled the length in his right hand, pointer and middle fingers rubbing over the head oh so sweetly. "Pay attention," he purred before running the flat of his tongue up the underside and gracing the head with a kiss before returning to repeat the action.

EDDE:
The heat on his face was easier to ignore thanks to the rest of his body seeming to have caught up to him. He wanted to have a comment. Something to make him feel less vulnerable even as he offered a grateful groan upon being freed, both cock and hips giving a soft jump of anticipation as Kurama's mouth drew nearer.

A sharp, shuddered gasp pattered through his chest as he recoiled reflexively against the acute jump his insides took to prodding fingers, knees bending and pressing inward as a flinch took his vision from him. When he gained his breath back from the loss, it was hot and a bit short. It took way too much to be able to open an eye just enough to peek back down at what the redhead was doing. "How can I no-ah-t." And even more, as he was licked at again, some of his breath seemed to get lost along the way.

Fox:
The fox licked his lips before placing teasing kisses along the shaft. His tongue pressed to the sensitive spot just below the head and rubbed over the frenulum with quick flicks. A trick learned long ago to make his partner shiver. Kurama pulled back just a little, moving his hand down to hold the base and keep the shaft standing straight up. "Now you are cute."

With a mischievous smile Kurama lowered his crown of red once more and wrapped his pink, kiss swollen lips around the head and sucked. His cheeks hollowed as he gradually took in more and more, his tongue curling expertly around it. The fox looked up at Yusuke with lust laden eyes, burgundy hair clinging defiantly to his cheeks and he looked so god damn pretty with a cock in his mouth.

EDDE:
A shiver rolled through him that might have knocked his knees if they weren't barred by the redhead between them, so heavily pressed against him, the play of his tongue giving way for a wonderful dipping tingle to shoot through him bodily. He managed, through a bit of reprieve of the paralyzing feeling as the redhead pulled away from the tease, to shoot back meekly at the comment through a chuckle. "Jerk."

Though a moment later he bawled out a shuddered moan, eyebrows knitting, a somewhat frantic sensation burning through him as the redhead quaffed him down, the addition to the suction running his lungs ragged with tone. But that look. "Ungh..." God, it was almost too much.

He shifted slightly, the support of his elbows a managing to grow more awkward for him, moving to cover his mouth for the suddenly embarrassing noises that seemed to want to come out with just about every other breath through a ridiculous over sensitivity. He couldn't pull his attention from the captivating look that was landed on him as he moved. And as he watched what was usually such an elegant mouth slowly devouring him, he missed in covering his own, tongue laving over his middle and forefinger before his lips closed loosely around them as they curled and he bit at the knuckle. He certainly was paying attention, whether he meant to be or not, as his tongue made a rather pretty show of following the actions of Kurama's. There weren't many flaws in his own mimicry either, aside from the catches in his action the intense pleasure being wrecked on his body were forcing. Either way, his attempt to cover his mouth in this way produced the same effect as he'd been looking for, reduced down to the light noise his puffing breaths brought about, muffled by the hold. And, though he wasn't sure how, it managed to calm him down just that tiniest needed bit too, as free fingers clutched at his still bunched shirt.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
Free hand brushing hair behind his cheek Kurama sucked in more until a familiar yet nearly forgotten reflex forced him to stop. The fox gagged in an uncharacteristically uncouth display, but he was quick to recover himself. A quick note was made to work on such an unimportant thing on his own before focusing once more on his task. Unable to take it all, the hand holding it steady now wrapped around the shaft to cover what couldn't fit in his mouth.

Emerald eyes never left Yusuke's face, his own neglected cock throbbing in his pants and yet he was happy to neglect it. The expressions he was getting were more than worth a little frustration. Besides, his free hand had a better use than satisfying himself. Instead the fox cupped the detective's sack in his palm and massaged it expertly. "Mmnn~" Kurama moaned around the blockage in his mouth, sucking harder and coiling his tongue a little faster with each bob of his head, while he watched Yusuke lick and suck his fingers that Kurama could only imagine elsewhere.

Finding himself to be more impatient than he usually would Kurama picked up the pace and doubled his efforts to please his leader, if not to see Yusuke expression then to hopefully gain his own pleasure sooner rather than later. The affliction between his legs was beginning to become painful.

EDDE:
His eyes went wide, and slammed shut in an instant, a sputtered gasp beating into his lungs in cadence with the sporadic pressure Kurama's gagging formed against him, a light lurch pulling through his back to straighten and curve it.

His mouth opening around his fingers for the heavy breath had loosed them, forcing his hand to frantically search new hold through the desperate rising the fox's vocal chords vibrated through his core. The spot it found, as Kurama suddenly drew the feeling closer exponentially, was atop the fox's head. For a moment it just sat there, then curled into his hair as he lost all hold on his voice, only growing quiet for sharp intake of breath.

Just as he was nearing the highest tip of that peak, the fingers still curled in the folded shirt headed for the same destination as his other hand, taking the fabric with it. Suddenly his hand pitched through it's movement, a split quickly dissecting the unyielding tautness of the gathered fabric just before it stilled. The grip on his legs loosened and his hips lurched upward, no longer able to contain the explosion of satisfaction that amplified his voice through an outcry that took his breath entirely.

Fox:
A loud, but muffled exclamation was let out, and the fox's eyes flew open wide as his face was suddenly held while Yusuke thrust up into his throat. He tugged at the detective's thighs for several seconds while he sputtered and choked, swallowing over and over not just to take in the offered seed but to keep himself from retching. What a horrible turn off that would be.

Kurama yanked his head back the moment he could, swallowed once more, then began to violently cough into his hand. While it was ungraceful and a little painful, he found himself amused by Yusuke's loss of control. "Was that really necessary," he hacked again, once more covering his mouth to hide it. "Yusuke?" The glare he sent was watery and playful.

Clearing his throat the fox looked up to the sky. "We should go, I can imagine the others will be waiting," he offered, already beginning to stand.

EDDE:
Fingers slid from Kurama's hair as he pulled away, Yusuke fighting for breath as a sharp color took to his cheeks at the question. It was much harder to get over this sensation this time around, and he wasn't really sure why. He honestly didn't know what to say to it. Sitting up, he fixed the ripped shirt and pulled his pants back on, as he was suddenly quite aware how chilly it was in the night air. All he could come up with with an apology, and it sounded stupid to him, but he still offered it a bit oddly almost as a question through a nervous sounding chuckle.

He caught Kurama's wrist before he could stand fully, his eyes full of intent as he landed them on the fox. "So let 'em wait," he told him easily, tugging the redhead back down and piling on that smile of his as he shifted to sit on his legs and looked him over. "You don't really think I can let you get away from showing me the cute faces you make for this twice, do you?"

Fox:
"I can assure you, I make no such expressions," he said defiantly, yet conceded in lowering back down to the ground. The promise of Yusuke's words had his already tortured length throbbing for attention. It pressed hard against the loose pants of his gi, a wet spot of precum forming around the head. Kurama rested his hands on the ground between his legs, using them as cover in a sudden unwanted modesty.

He cleared his throat and looked up and away in his usual show of feigned innocence, the expression highlighted by a pretty blush. "We have preparations to make for tomorrow's match."

EDDE:
The detective watched him, his head inclining a bit as he looked him over. He didn't believe him, especially with how cute he was already behaving. He chuckled lightly at his own thought on the stance the fox took.

"We do." He agreed lightly, looking up thoughtfully himself. Smirking, he drew toward the redhead. "Guess I better hurry and get started then, hm?" He took the other teen's wrists and pulled them out of the way, eyes full of heated intent landing sharply on what was hidden behind them. He wanted the chance to give Kurama that feeling right back more than he knew.

Leaning down as he moved, there was no hesitation as he drew his teeth and tongue over Kurama's pulse, taking just a moment to notice the mark he'd previously left just near it. It brought a warm shudder through him as he cupped the fox's head all over again, pressing him back down to the ground.

But he didn't linger as he loomed over him, drawing straight down to the still exposed nipples and drawing the one he'd abused a bit more back between his lips, fingers trailing down his chest and past his naval, hooking the waist of his pants and tugging them away in the same manner he had before.

Fox:
The longer Yusuke stared at him the darker his flush became. Embarrassment, it was a fairly new emotion and usually it was an unpleasant one. However, under Yusuke's chocolate gaze... it was thrilling. "Ah, wait a moment Yus--" and yet his arms moved willingly with very little encouragement, and without his say so his legs spread, just a little. He looked away again with a small huff through his nose. He visibly twitched under the gaze.

Leaning back Kurama rested his arms at his sides and turned his head as his back touched the grass. The teeth and lips caused a jump in his pulse and through pursed lips was a quiet noise. Yusuke's touches cause slight arches and quiet exhales through his nose, then a little gasp that was far too sweet. With the pants pulled down his cock bounced free, catching on the waist band before slapping back against his belly. It was terribly hard, the head swollen and colored a pretty purple and absolutely soaked. Don't look.

The thought was jarring. Such modesty did not belong in a fox, and yet he couldn't look at Yusuke any more than through the corner of his eyes with his head turned to press his cheek into the grass. He was so... lewd. He could only imagine this body, Shuichi's body lost in pleasure he used to indulge in regularly. Desperate and lanky, flushed and so very hard. Cock drooling from performing the simple act of fellatio. Suddenly he felt very... open, and a low moan left his lips. "Yusuke."

EDDE:
The detective certainly did look, pulling away from the teasing of the nipple, and quite openly taking the sight in fully. A warm puff of air passed his lips as he smiled, taking a steady hold of it with his right hand just as Kurama had done. A short attention span that got the better of him in forgetting what his mouth had just been busy with, those eyes rolled back over to Kurama's face as, just as openly, he questioned through that smile, "Man, you're pretty bad off, aren't you? And here you were trying to run away when you obviously want it so bad." He'd never really learned to filter very well, and it would be silly to think that might change over something like this.

Still looming over the redhead in the position he'd taken, dark orbs bore at him as thumb and forefinger of his left hand teased and squeezed lightly over the crying head, meticulously following the example he'd been given the best he'd been able to pay attention to through the horribly distracting feeling it had given him. Something told him the sweet treatment might be a little more cruel for Kurama's affliction than it had been for his own. "You know Kurama," he started as he toyed with him, that smile falling back into it's devious, more natural position.

"I went ahead and let you show me, but you never actually told me what you wanted." There really was no 'let' about it, but that wasn't really the point, was it? After all, he had certainly agreed to let him show him, but he'd never said that meant he didn't still want to hear it.

Fox:
Relief eased his features and Kurama rocked his hips up into the hand holding him firmly. Just a simple touch that wasn't his own hand, it felt new again, and he rolled his hips once more. "Nnn." He looked away completely this time. He had no words for Yusuke's 'torment,' no comeback or turn around because all he wanted was for Yusuke to move that damned hand! He would be more than happy with mutual masturbation, in fact he was already so desperate he would have even preferred it.

"Ah!" His eyes went wide for only a moment before he shut them tight and pursed his lips together. He wanted more and this wasn't fair in the least bit. "Yusuke," he hissed as the detective pulled back rather than lean down to pay some dearly needed attention to his hard on. When his eyes met Yusuke's this time they were not wet and needy, though they had a very clear haze in them, instead they were quite insistent, perhaps nerve wracking. "I do not have the patience for these games," he stated through a heavy breath and a clearly displeased expression of said impatience. The heavy throb in Yusuke's hold agreed.

EDDE:
Through a good natured chuckle, he relented through a soft huff of air. "Okay, okay." Smirking as he looked the fox over for a moment, he lowered himself without a second thought and began running the flat of his tongue up the underside slowly, only he didn't repeat Kurama in placing a kiss, simply moving on to fit his mouth down a little further than just over the head as he reached it. Kurama's tongue had nearly driven him mad a few minutes before, and his attention was placed on that. He swirled his tongue lengthily over the tip as he offered a light suckling, switching between using the tip, and flattening it to lap over it smoothly.

The taste was... different. Not bad though, and as he tried to think of how he could place it, and subsequently came up empty, his treatment continued. Repeating the process a few times through the suckling, he added in that lovely little action that had pushed such a force through him in the beginning. Pressing his tongue just below the head and running it across that spot, he offered the treatement with quick flicks, but curiously slowed the movement, naturally adding a bit of pressure behind it through the more gradual passing.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"That is... much appreciated," he offered in a soft puff of air. The long lap was met with a relieved groan as the fox relaxed into the grass below him. Under his energy the blades became soft against him, more like moss and so very comfortable. Green was clutched loosely in Kurama's hands and his head arched back just a bit as the long awaited heat wrapped around him. It was amateur and sloppy, and it was wonderful. "Ah! Hah~!" Yusuke's tongue pressed against just the right spot and pulled such a sound! It was sweet and high pitched, feminine with a deep enough undertone to still be distinctly male. He'd never heard such a thing from his own lips and it burned his face with such humiliation he could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks.

It came again, a little louder and it repeated one too many times for his liking. Grass was released and his right hand lifted up to his mouth, covering it with the palm of his hand with his thumb framing the side of his nose. Each quick flick was met with a little jerk of his hips, and the long slow lap arched his back and forced a groan through his nose. Kurama's left hand released its hold as well to rest on Yusuke's head. It was gently guiding, or rather silently pleading for Yusuke to take in more. Just a little. Already he was getting close and his toes curled in his shoes in an attempt to hold himself back for a little bit longer.

EDDE:
As he watched him through experimental play of his tongue, he was a bit disappointed at his vantage point. Even as Kurama lifted his chin just a bit, it took away enough for him to be a bit dejected. But he could see his reaction bodily, and those noises...

While it was a little upsetting to watch him cover his mouth and lose the lovely sound that had been egging him on, he couldn't exactly complain having done basically the same thing himself. And besides that, there were still sounds getting through.

As the fox's hand landed on his head, the light suckling he provided intensified as he lowered himself and took in more, continuing to play his tongue over the shaft as best he could. As stated before, Yusuke was quite determined to return the favor from Kurama, but moreso, he wanted to see if he could make him make even more noises like the ones he'd just heard.

In doing so, he didn't stop, until it was short purely for the tip hitting the back of his throat, forcing a sharp swallow against the horrible feeling that rose up due to it. And despite that, the gag reflex kicked in heavy enough to bring a bit of moisture to his eyes anyway, forcing him to pull back after a moment, just far enough that it no longer afflicted him, in an attempt to breath through the feeling. Even though it had been something Kurama had shown him, he had neither been wanting, or expecting it to happen to him.

Fox:
He was twisting under his leader, hips rolling but held under control enough to keep from bucking into the oh so inviting mouth... and he looked forward to the day Yusuke could take him in fully. Should this strange thing they had continue after the tournament. Should they survive this tournament. Kurama's back arched and a sob was muffled by his hand, the increased suction was waning his resolve and his hips jerked just a little more.

There was a sudden tightening around the sensitive head in the form of a gag and he just couldn't any more. Kurama grasped Yusuke's hair for purchase but didn't hold him down. His toes curled so hard they hurt and his back arched up off the ground. "Unng! Yusuke!" The hand hiding his sounds fell away to grasp the grass because he was cumming, and he was cumming so hard. Kurama felt his hips jump as he spilled his seed into the waiting mouth. Quiet sounds continued to spill from his lips as he eased down from his high.

The fox went limp with relief, panting and red faced and a wetness clinging to his eye lashes.

EDDE:
He'd gotten in a small breath through his nose before he was assaulted by the somewhat less unexpected surprise of the fox's finish. He managed to resolve himself far more quickly against this particular happening than he'd been able to against shocking hit to the back of his throat.. Although it really wasn't too much different in that sense. Still, he managed to keep up the somewhat paratrophic action through the redhead's orgasm. The only place for the release to go as he sucked at him being where it went as he took it down quite well despite himself, only pulling away once Kurama settled down.

Wiping at his chin with a knuckle as he licked his lips, he smiled down at him as he sat up some, a tilt to his head. His own face was flush from the awkwardness he'd felt at some point in there, that he'd been having a bit too much difficulty with the entire task. He was also a bit at a loss for something to say. But God he loved the noises Kurama was making over it. If they ever did this again, he'd have to remember not to let him cover them up, somehow.

Fox:
Yusuke pulled back to see the fox resting back against the grass, his knees resting together and half hiding his softening shaft. His face was lightly flushed, the color dropping down to his chest but quickly fading away into the usual pale. A light sheen of sweat caught the light of the moon to give him a tiny bit of a shine.

It took him only a moment to catch his breath before he pushed himself up onto his hands and looked at Yusuke with his dewy green eyes. Kurama chuckled softly, finding his own coming words to be a horrible joke but he simply couldn't help himself. "You pass."

EDDE:
Yusuke was quite preoccupied taking in the sight of the redhead. Forget cute. He looked really fucking pretty laying there like that. The scene in itself made him completely forget about having felt like he'd been coming up short during, the flush drawing away from his cheeks, chuckling lightly as Kurama sat up.

He blinked a bit at what he had to say, tilting his head a moment before bursting into a heavy bout of laughter. "Yea? Well for once I actually had a good teacher, so I'm not surprised."

Fox:
Yusuke's laughter put a warmth in his chest, and he echoed it; though, it was much quieter the the boisterous teen before him. While he laughed the fox pulled up his pants again to make himself decent. "I'm glad I could meet your standards," he chuckled, looking around for a moment before finding his shirt.

Kurama stood with surprising grace after their exertion in order to redress. A hand ran through his hair to comb it out and check his hidden weaponry before it was held out for the detective to take should he choose. "We really should be on our way," he offered, hiding his reluctance remarkably well. Their little bubble of paradise needed to be popped, no matter how wonderful it had become.

EDDE:
He had bubbled down to chuckling by the time Kurama made the following comment, managing to calm himself down by the time Kurama found his shirt. It felt really good to laugh like that. And even though nothing outside of what they'd just done had changed, his heart felt a bit lighter already.

He took the offered help, hopping up and offering an over dramatic sigh that was not nearly as downtrodden as he thought it should be. "Riiiight. Time to get back to the reality of fighting demons and saving the world, screwed up reality as it may be." He chuckled lightly, thinking on the fact that the reality they faced would usually be someone else's escape from it.

"Hey, Kurama?" He added, looking him over curiously. "Are you still afraid?"

Fox:
He smiled. Yusuke enjoyed that reality. The detective found joy in fighting, and while the looming fights and threats dampened things considerably Kurama could see just how well the boy fit in, and how much fun he'd had throughout the tournament. He could hardly imagine him back in school, living the normal life he himself craved so dearly.

Kurama began to lead the way back towards the hotel. "I would be a fool not to be," he answered, looking at his companion. "And you?"

EDDE:
"I dunno." He thought about it a moment, and shrugged lightly as he followed. "Well I do get called that enough, I suppose." He'd honestly thought it was weird, that he wasn't really afraid, and while Kurama's response supported the thought, it didn't really do anything to change it.

--

That wasn't the end of it. He found himself there, in front of the cave again, later. The bubble had been nice while it lasted, but once it burst it was all but gone. "I should have woken up right when she left the hotel..."

"Genkai left us a message that you miight want to hear... She said the last year of her life sucked because as a student you were such a pain in the ass. And she asks you to stay alive for a really long time so she can have some piece and quiet for once..."

He hadn't been able to bring himself to tell Kuwabara about Genkai. He couldn't bring himself to say it. Hell, he'd even lied about it. And even as he did, that childish feeling he hadn't been able to explain better to Kurama earlier on reared it's head all over again... But he didn't care anymore by then.

Kurama had the first fight, and that Karasu guy sure as Hell was some piece of work. 'Weak and lacking in substance' really weren't traits he could think to use to describe Kurama. Even if that jerk was just talking shit, he was pretty sure he thought he could back it up. And when the petals scattering about started exploding, he could kinda see why. "Be careful, Kurama."

And damn this guy really liked to hear himself talk. Either that, or he was just trying way too hard to psych the redhead out. Don't listen to him... Despite thinking as much, as the guy droned on and on, Yusuke was growing more annoyed with what he had to say. Just what the Hell kind of fucked up did you have to be to think that about someone you liked, anyway? The thought in itself made the guy seem a lot more dangerous quite suddenly, especially with how much more he started putting into his attacks.

His fist clenched sharply as he watched the small explosion go off against Kurama's arm. "Like I said, it isn't necessary for me to touch you. It's just one of the perks." The look on the fox's face didn't help the small rage that was building in him.

Kuwabara made a comment about him changing that sounded a lot more stupid than usual, given how little sense it made to him. What the Hell was he going on about now? He didn't have time to pay much attention to it as both the fighters in the ring were moving again. And then Kurama's leg...

Dammit. What the Hell was Kurama doing? He couldn't really be having this much difficulty could he? That freak was talking out his ass again, but part of what he said drew a little more sense into the equation. If Kurama couldn't see the attacks coming at him... Well, he knew that feeling perfectly well, after all.

The resulting explosion from his next attack was ridiculous, and Karasu waltzed out of it like a freaking cockroach, and he couldn't see what happened to Kurama through the smoke that resonated from the explosion site. But then... That energy. It was insane.

When the silver haired demon stepped out, Yusuke was more than lost for a moment. Kuwabara seemed to be making a lot more sense now. "You're telling me that's Kurama?" Just what the Hell else had he missed lately? It was obviously more than anyone else in the stadium judging by the uproar.

Cute wasn't exactly a word you'd use to describe the new look. Although it wasn't like he could disagree with the announcer chick's stance. Talk about a growth spurt. That's gotta be the fastest anyone's gone through puberty, like, ever. The changed fox was strong; Real strong, and just like that, the fight was turned ass up. The plant that sprung up from under Kurama's feet was nothing like anything he'd seen him use before. It was awesome! "Kick his ass, Kurama!"

But it wasn't to last. The previous explosion had been nothing compared to the monstrous one Karasu let loose on Youko. So much so that it knocked most of the onlooking team on it's ass. "Where's Kurama?"

The worst of it wasn't that Kurama had reappeared as the redheaded teen they knew him as. It was the fact that it seemed like that reappearance came with a distinct lack of energy. His fists balled once again, instantly on edge as he realized what he meant.

He'd never seen Kurama move like that, and couldn't help but wonder if that sort of hand to hand combat was just a last ditch effort to give it his best shot, especially since he wasn't landing any of those punches or kicks. When Hiei chimed in though, he was happy to think differently, mainly because it was a much better thought.

Not that that lasted any longer than anything else this stupid fight had to offer. Everything in him clenched sharply and took a tight hold for the sight, and sound of the horrible trap he'd stepped into. As the redhead got up, he couldn't stop himself, realizing that with even less energy than before, Kurama might not be able to see. "Don't move another inch, Kurama! You're surrounded by bombs!"

His breath was sharp, shuddered as that rage from earlier began seeping through a tensity that had him frozen as he watched the senseless onslaught against the redhead. He couldn't just stand there and watch him suffer and die, even though that seemed like exactly what he was doing. Even as he debated stepping in, what it would mean for them all, Kurama got back up. Judging by the response he'd garnered the last time he'd tried to stop the fox, he couldn't even think what Kurama might do to him for doing it now... If he survived his own fight, that was.

He couldn't butt in, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, considering the final attack the redhead threw at Karasu. The creepy bastard was dead, and Kurama even managed to get back up. After he'd hurried to the redhead's side, he couldn't believe the decision that had ruled Kurama the loser.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"I'm sorry Yusuke. If I could only have lifted myself a fraction of a second sooner."

His loss ensured the fight between Yusuke and Toguro, and though he knew that such a battle was inevitable he had still made his own fears a reality. He'd failed, and that was worse than the pain radiating from every nerve in his body. He could smell his own flesh burning and the blood that saturated his clothing. It took great will power to stand up again, even with Yusuke's help.

The pain continued, but centered around his left arm and leg. He held his upper arm carefully, cradling the wound as if it would somehow make it feel better. Watching on as Yusuke stepped onto the stone platform. Be careful. Already he felt a familiar chill traveling down his spine. Fear, from all spectrums. For the life of his friends, of the family he left at home, and for the teenager standing in the ring right now.

Yusuke's power had increased, but he'd already known that. What he hadn't expected was the finesse of his technique. While the street brawler background was still clear, his style as a martial artist was greatly improving. But his moment of being impressed was cut short when Yusuke did, bracing for an impact he could not withstand. He caught the boy's glance and realized why instantly. Kieko. Yusuke would always be a protector.

"Why would Yusuke fight Toguro with such a handy cap? I hardly understand." He did understand though. The moment the words left his mouth he realized how easy the answer was. Because it's Yusuke. Cocky, stubborn Yusuke.

The phoenix of energy was... Beautiful. The fox still had an entrancement for beautiful things and watched with widened eyes as it flew around the stadium before returning to its master.

"I am afraid, that a ferocious wolf is laying in wait under that placid sheep's facade."

And fear he should. The structure of Toguro's transformed musculature was genius, tapering around the joints for better movement and building just right to put significant force behind each blow; and, the souls of the demon crowd were devoured bit by bit.

"Genkai's come back to life and she looks exactly like Puu!" He had no words... But the old temple master's advice to Toguro filled his veins with ice. Yusuke was a protector, she knew that. Is it worth it, Genkai? But she was right. The life of one to save the life of many... It was a call he would have made easily years ago. It was a call that churned his stomach now, and one he would fight against.

Or he would... Had Kuwabara decided to make the sacrifice himself. With it no longer being his decision the fox could only watch on with great sorrow as the mulberry tree of a man ran to his death... And blood poured from his chest around piercing fingers.

"Hold on now Kuwabara, just stay with us. Kuwabara just... stay with us..."

The relief he felt when Kuwabara looked at him was bittered but pure. He would follow this facade, but he would do so with a heavy heart. Yusuke's energy changed, it grew more powerful but it was also soaked with anguish and every part of him wanted to call out the knowledge that would ease his suffering. He knew better. "You got what you wanted Toguro."

"The energy in Yusuke's body is changing dramatically."

It was warm. The spirit energy Yusuke was releasing was warm and protective... He could almost feel the detective's arms around him as they had been last night. A hand touched his own shoulder, as if to return the touch that wasn't physically there. It explained the coinciding grief, and misery.

The threat of the attempted death of another friend he was on his feet again in an instant, Kuwabara left to lay on the ground. The following punch delivered by Yusuke sent Toguro flying, and gave the fox a small sense of retribution. The following spirit gun even more so. "Even his strategies have improved."

But the surprises continued. Once more the human turned demon transformed, muscles morphing and bones cracking, and Yusuke was taking his trademark pose. The pure power was incredible. "They'll put their full powers against each other." The energy built stronger, boiling from the detective's finger until he was screaming his battle cry. "Good luck." It was all he could offer. All a failure could offer.

The energy clash left Toguro in tatters and ashes and Yusuke standing. They were named the winners of the tournament and the crowd cheered but none of the victorious team cared. They ran to Yusuke's side as the fell, and Kurama was the first to reach him, picking him up. "Easy does it, no sleeping just yet." Yusuke's eyes were lost. "Yusuke snap out of it, you have your victory!"

"You're a moving public speaker, by the way."

EDDE:
They made it to the boat that was to take them home. All of them. The elation over the old crone coming back hadn't left him. A soft smile graced his lips as he looked down over his friends from the upper deck.

The look traveled over toward Keiko and Genkai and a hearty sigh barreled from his chest as he pushed himself away from the railing he'd been leaning on. Everyone seemed to be off in their own little worlds, and it made him kinda curious what they were thinking. Well, Kuwabara was being loud enough for his thoughts to be broadcast across the whole sea, not that it was anything he could mind.

Turning, he moved over and pet at Puu as the girl held him in her arms. "Hey Keiko. Watch the little guy for me, huh?" His smile broadened as he walked off, waving lightly over his shoulder. "I'm gonna have a look around. I can only handle standing around quietly for so long, you know." He felt like hed kust said something pretty close to that a little bit ago. But it was true so what the Hell. His chuckle was filled with a natural cheekiness as he made for the stairs to do just what he'd said he was going to.

About half way down the stairs, the far too energetic way in which he was bouncing down them caught up with him. He pulled his right hand up to his chest under his jacket, just above and to the side of his stomach, and winced sharply as just the touch brought a sharp shock of pain. After a few moments he managed to calm the look, keeping the light pressure there for the help it gave in that pain after the initial touch.

His left arm was killing him too, but he managed just as well to keep that look off his face, taking the stairs at a much easier pace as he thought about maybe finding his room while he was doing his looking around. Resting wasn't necessarily a bad thing. And he could bet it would be a lot easier now that all the bullshit was over with.

Fox:
Relief. Standing on the deck and watching hanging neck island made him weak with it. For the first time in days that felt like weeks he could breathe. He could return to his human life and, more importantly, his human mother. Though, the events of the tournament left seeds of doubt in his psyche and for a moment he let himself dwell on them. Youko's power was slowly returning to him, perhaps if he learned more about its biology he could grow a longer lasting version. In that form, as his former self he would not fail again.

He shook his head slightly, blinking himself free from the movie of his mind; but, he didn't have to think about anything right this moment. They had all earned the right to a small amount of peace. The others around them were laughing now, though he'd missed the joke. He chuckled anyway and offered a quick farewell before turning away to leave. His lingering wounds would need to be tended to, but his destination wasn't for his room to do so.

The thought of a moments peace had him remembering the night before the finals. That soft little bubble of calm safety that came from being in Yusuke's arms. I'm looking forward to growing old with her. A strange thud in his heart made hitched his step, hardly enough to be noticed.

"Yusuke?"

Kurama reached the base of the stairs and looked up at him. He'd seen the short display of pain and let out a small sigh and an amused smile. "You were never treated, were you?" The rhetorical question was followed with the fox meeting Yusuke and offering support against him. The sound of crunching bones Toguro had created with Yusuke's arm echoed in his mind and he kept away a worried frown.

"Come, I will tend to you." It was kindly spoken but it was a command that left little room for argument. "There is no need to be in such pain." While his own was forgotten.

EDDE:
He blinked a bit as the redhead drew his attention. Damn. Chuckling lightly as he finished walking the stairs, his hand moving away from his ribs purely out of natural habit as he plastered on the smile of his, it moved to slick through his hair.

"Well Hell, you caught me, so I guess there's not much use in denying it, or anything." It was a mumble, his eyes having turned away in avoidance the moment he'd been caught despite it.

Though they did draw back over him as they met, his head giving a bit of a tilt as he looked him over. "But I bet you're not any better off than I am." The few small bandages he'd slapped on his face and such were little consolation for a needed skill he didn't have. He wasn't arguing, but his own concern was easily noted as the smile he shined on him was a light one. He didn't take the offered help though, not really wanting to worry anyone else who might see over his condition.

Fox:
The concern for him was warming, and he didn't feel like trying to deny it either. "You are welcome to tend to me as well Yusuke," he answered with a hint of teasing while leading the way to his assigned room. His left leg was throbbing painfully under a pant leg, and he could just catch the whiff of blood. An expected complication with such fragile scabbing.

It wasn't long before they reached the room and Kurama dutifully unlocked the door to let them in. It looked much like their bedrooms in the hotel suite. Kurama set his bag down on the chair in the corner and pulled off the trench coat. "Allow me to examine your arm," he suggested.

EDDE:
He chuckled lightly again, careful not to use too much breath for it as he shrugged the comment off lightly. "I'm sure you could show me how." He offered, not recognizing himself what he could be referencing with the simple sentence.

Sighing lightly as they walked in, Yusuke sat on the bed carefully. He did amazingly well at not flinching through the removal of his coat sleeve from his right arm but needed a bit of a break from the simple action just after having completed it. So he decided to take a moment and, jokingly, he flexed the unclad arm with no problem at all. "My arm's fine. Seeee?" It wasn't meant to sound as jeering or cheeky as it did, but then again it was second nature while screwing around.

Fox:
The fox came around the bed to stand before the detective with a smile. "Ah, I'm glad," he started, reaching out to take Yusuke's left wrist in hand and tugging his arm straight and out. Perhaps it was a bit cruel, but if they were going to play games then he could most certainly play games. "But please allow me to check regardless."

With his free hand Kurama grasped the jacket and pulled it the rest of the way off in a far gentler fashion in order to get a good look at the injury.

EDDE:
He preened sharply in a piloerect fashion as Kurama grabbed and moved his arm, his teeth nearly chattering and proper tears stinging at his eyes through the sharp pain the sudden, surprising movement shot through him. Unable to stifle the reaction in the least as he growled out through clenched teeth, "Fuck, Kurama!"

His fingers twitched lightly as he flinched through the further movement that had the coat pulling away from it. The tensity it pulled through him even had his ribs aching. The bruising around the joint of his elbow was even more prominent than it had been during its infliction. It was pretty nicely swollen, too. Other than that, he didn't really know what was up with it. As long as he'd been pretty careful with it, the pain had been bearable enough that he could deal with it for the most part.

Fox:
"Mm?" Kurama looked at Yusuke with a purely innocent expression. "I thought you said it was just fine." However, his lips pursed together as the sleeve was removed and the extent of the injury was made clear.

The fox was gentle, fingers light as they caressed the blemished skin. A light push, thumb running over the elbow, then his hand pulled back. Still holding the arm straight he looked into brown eyes once more. "You have dislocated your elbow Yusuke," he informed. "I can realign it of course, but it will not be a pleasant experience I'm afraid."

EDDE:
He did manage to stifle the sharp take to his facial features as Kurama continued to check him over, though it was through a bit of a pout as his joke had severely backfired on him. He really needed to remember not to piss Kurama off, because he could be pretty cruel even when he wasn't mad... Unless he'd made him mad and had missed it somehow.

His thoughts on the matter were cut short as the redhead informed him of the injury, his attention drawing back to him through it. Heaving a heavy breath that barely made it through his chest from the pain it caused in his ribs, he nodded shortly. "Gonna have to do it sometime, right? Guess I should just get it over with, then." This particular type of injury, he knew wouldn't exactly heal itself.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
With a silent nod he took Yusuke's hand in his left hand, palm up and the right ran carefully along his forearm. Giving him an apologetic glance, the fox prodded along the elbow to find the dislocation and press his fingers against it. Kurama offered a short count down in courtesy. "One, two," But he never hit three. Instead, the fox leaned in to press an eager kiss to Yusuke's lips.

Kurama sighed softly, it was an effort to distract Yusuke, but he found himself relaxing into it as well. Their lips molded together, and he waited for the detective to respond, then pulled his head back. A twisting jerk was performed at the same moment, popping the joints into their proper position, and a teasing gleam filled his eyes.

EDDE:
He tensed a bit sharply as Kurama's hands moved over his arm. He already knew it was really gonna suck, the prodding already no picnic. His eyes shut tight in a preparatory flinch as the redhead started counting.

And they flew back open as he was treated to a kiss instead of a gut-wrenching pain. Blinking a bit as the fox relaxed against his lips, he couldn't help but be drawn into the far more welcome feeling. Left a bit cold as Kurama pulled away, a sharp breath barred his chest through a pain he could barely comprehend past the one in his chest for the breath itself.

His eyes pinched shut and his teeth clamped together through a sharp jump the feeling pulled through him, a light shiver following through. But they shot right back open into a glare at the redhead. "What the Hell, Kurama?!" He was forced to pause, his free arm pulling up to his chest that the heavy breath, sharp tensity, and exuberant holler snapped through him even sharper than the horrible feeling that had rolled through his arm.

The rest of the breath left him in a light groan, a bit of bubbled anger crossing his face for the look Kurama was giving him. Tease. Even though he was annoyed at the tricky nursing tactic, already he could feel a good majority of that radiating pain he'd been feeling ebbing away from the joint in his arm. Of course, the bruising, and the swelling would leave a good deal of the pain there. A light smile curled his lips as a bit of playfulness warped into pain stricken brown eyes. "Jerk." It was easily a lighthearted tease.

Fox:
He only laughed at the insult, releasing the detective's arm and reaching for the hem of his shirt. "There's no need to be impolite," he scolded, frowning lightly at the bruising he found on his side as well. Once more his fingers pet and prodded. "Nothing is out of place," he assured. "But there is not much that I can do for a broken rib, aside from wrapping it."

Excusing himself for a moment the fox disappeared into the bathroom to return a moment later with the one of the many supply boxes from the closet there. "Unfortunately, this won't be pleasant either," he offered in condolence.

EDDE:
He helped keep the shirt out of the way through a grasp of his good arm. The reaction to the prodding against his chest was even sharper than that of his arm, short, stuttered breaths taken to avoid movement in his ribs as much as possible as that tensity rolled through him all over again. He all but whined at the news of how his ribs were doing. "Seriously?"

He tilted his head a bit as he watched Kurama walk off, sitting up a bit too straight as he returned. He wasn't looking forward to putting any extra pressure on this particular wound. A bit of a nervous chuckle rolled through him as the redhead warned him all over again of how much it was going to suck. "Why don't we just leave it like it is? I think it'll be just fine on it's own." Despite saying as much, he wasn't pulling away or trying to hide his ribs away back under his shirt, or anything. Kurama knew a lot more than he did, he figured the redhead would know what was better for him whatever his answer was, and he pretty easily trusted the fox's judgement.

Fox:
"Left as it is the bone may slip and puncture your lung." Kurama supplied before he began the arduous task, trying to be as gentle as he could, but needing to use proper force to stabilize his rib cage. A few touches were soft, apologetic pets to break up the pain until he was able to tie off the bandage. Once done he sat beside the detective on the bed with a tad less grace than usual. Ignoring his own injuries once more.

"You know," the fox started, that innocent but not expression on his face. "I really must draw tears on you. It has become a habit of yours." To tease, to distract, and because joking like this with Yusuke was soothing in a strange way.

EDDE:
By the look on his face, the news of a punctured lung easily didn't sound too good to him, though his comment was flippant as ever. "Yeah, yeah." Of course, he couldn't hold up that attitude as the redhead went to work on him, not that he was really trying.

The task easily hurt way worse than just letting the stupid rib be, and it didn't take long for his stance on a punctured lung to change at least a little through the pain that naturally brought those tears to his eyes. It wasn't like he was sobbing, the short, stiff breaths taken through most of it being the only small relief from the mind numbing pain that deeper, shuddered ones he was forced to take through a need for more air than he was allowing himself.

As Kurama sat down, he used the butt of his palm to wipe at his face. Offering a bit of a cheeky grin as he calmed down a bit, the pain of his ribs ebbing just slightly with a proper pressure applied to them, he chuckled after a sharp sniff ended the small bout of waterworks. "Don't forget, we have a deal for that," he told him lightly.

Concern washed over his face almost instantly a moment later, as he easily wasn't willing to let Kurama pass much longer on his own wounds. "You know, what really sucks is that now it's your turn," He added lightly, looking over the redhead through the loose clothing he was wearing. "So hurry and tell me how to do this so we can get it over with." He teased a bit. "Unlike some people, I'm not sadistic enough to wanna make your pain last any longer than it has to." He was referring to him of course, though it was the fullest extent of a tease considering he knew full well that the reason Kurama had helped him out already was to help with the pain, not make it worse.

The cheeky look vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, the teen having trouble keeping the nonchalance purely for the worry he had over the pain changing his bandages would most likely cause with the type of wounds Kurama had. He was trying, but his worry over his friend easily outweighed that devious nature he tended to erect like a barrier. "Just be as good a teacher as you were before, and I'll do what I can to make it hurt as little as possible." He seemed to get an idea after a moment.

"Oh, hey! You think we'd be able to find some pain killers in this place?I bet that'd help. I mean, it's not like we have to worry too much about keeping your head clear, right? And besides, if it came down to it, I could always stick around to protect you." He was smiling again, though not in that devious way. It wasn't necessarily a joke, though, as he was quite seriously thinking on how he would be able to help what he was sure could be a worse pain than he could even think of if Kurama was still as bad off as he thought he might be.

Fox:
"Of course," he assured with a smile, lifting a hand to poke the center of Yusuke's forehead with a good-natured chuckle. "Only from a Jagan eye." The mention of his own wounds faltered the smile but didn't wipe it clean. "Yes," he agreed with a little sigh as he stood, stepping around the bed to reach his bag. It didn't take long to find the container he was looking for. Small and cylindrical, it fit over the palm of his hand.

As he returned the fox he hummed thoughtfully. The comment about being a teacher brought with it a little tingle that was just strong enough to be enjoyed. "It will not be difficult; I will do my best to guide you through it." The container was popped open to reveal a thick, slick substance that had an interesting smell to it. Not good, not bad, just... interesting. "It's an herbal salve, it will help the burns heal." And reduce the scaring to near nothing, sacrificing the speed of healing abilities to do so. Such scars could not be explained to his mother.

"No," he answered with a shake of his head. "Unfortunately, those who stocked this ship are sadists. They wouldn't offer anything to sooth pain when they enjoy the suffering of others so greatly. Besides, I always keep my head clear." Someone had to, the impulse control his team had was severely lacking. Still, they were going home, and Yusuke's offer of protection truly made him feel safe. "Although," a casual brush through his hair and the fox pulled out a tiny black seed between his fingers. "I do carry my own." Kurama was thoughtful for several second before the poppy seed grew in the palm of his hand. Under his demonic energy the tiny seeds grew much more potent, and they would indeed fog his mind over time.

"I suppose I could make an exception," he concluded, plucking several seeds from the pod inside the bright red flower that quickly returned to its original state and its spot in crimson locks. The others were set on his tongue and snapped between his teeth to release the natural pain reliever. "And accept your offer."

With a bit of reluctance Kurama rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. "My arms will be difficult to wrap on my own, you need not worry about the rest. I can handle that myself. Now," The bandage wrapped around his upper arm was spotted with blood, the fragile skin cracking under the slightest movements. But the healing flesh would grow stronger quickly. He began to pluck at the once crisp white covering until he could carefully pull the end from his skin. "The bandages will cling to the wounds in various areas, so you must remove them carefully." He demonstrated by unraveling it, pausing when he met resistance. "Nnh," he flinched and began to peel the fabric away, scabbing clinging as he'd said and leaving behind bleeding tears. The amount of blood wasn't worry some, but the tightly clenched jaw of the fox hinted towards the sharp, drawn-out pain. "Patience is a virtue here, do try to remember that," he offered through a soft breath as more of the wound was exposed in this way.

The flesh revealed was a bright and angry red, the edges around the wound from the blast was charred and blistered, and the opening wound itself was newly scabbed and peeling. His fingers were shaking halfway through unveiling it.

EDDE:
He gave his own little chuckle as he was poked in the head. Watching him as he moved, his head tilted a bit as Kurama explained the salve to him, taking it from the fox's hands as he looked it over and made a bit of a face at the odd smell it gave off.

He was all eyes and ears once Kurama had pulled the seed from his hair and bitten into the weird form of medicine. He hadn't really had much mind to think about the kinds of plants Kurama kept in his hair, and didn't really have the knowledge of any of their advantages. It made him curious though, and he noticed he was staring at his hair and wondering how many seeds the fox had hidden in there. Though he smiled lightly as Kurama took him up on his offer.

He sat forward, better facing the redhead as he started rolling up his sleeves, listening intently to what he had to say. He honestly hadn't been kidding about not wanting to cause him any more pain than necessary as he helped him out. The redhead said that he didn't need to help with the rest, but he still planned on it, not that he made mention of the fact.

The look in his eye sharpened immensely against the sight as the wound was slowly revealed. Not one to be grossed out very easily, it wasn't so much the gore factor that bothered him as he watched Kurama move. It was the pain it represented, and that he could see taking over his form as he moved and tugged at the bandaging so slowly. I wasn't long before he couldn't stand watching him remove it on his own anymore, the taken shake being the last straw. Strong hands reached forward tenderly. His left supported Kurama's arm in a spot clear of bandages as his right lifted and took light hold of the partially removed spool. "That's enough," he said lightly, his own look having softened to match his touch. "I think I got it now. Just let me know if it's too much, okay?" He waited until the redhead pulled his hand away from the wrap to continue the slow movement, managing to focus heavily on both how he was pulling the bandage as well as the redhead's reactions to it.

Fox:
He looked up curiously, then gave a soft sound of agreement while nodding his head. His hand fell away with Yusuke's gentle hold. The change in the detective's voice was soothing, and the fox couldn't help but feel warmed. "There is no need to worry about me, Yusuke," he assured through a curve of his lips. A curve that faltered once more as the arduous task began again. "I will be alright," but he looked away, tilting his head just enough to cover the tensity in his jaw.

Kurama's fingers continued to twitch, forming a fist or spreading out. Pained noises left his lips despite his best efforts to keep them at bay, and when the bandages finally fell away from his arm he let out a soft puff of air. He took a moment, catching his breath and resigning himself to the fact that this was going to be a long day. "I'm sorry Yusuke, to be such a bother," he offered with a strained smile.

"The salve will spread easily, you won't need much." As an example, the fox scooped just a bit onto his fingers. He started at the top, touching his fingers oh so gently across the burned skin. Kurama hissed quietly as it sizzled in the way hydrogen peroxide would, cleaning the injury. Though, once it stopped the fox relaxed a bit as the pain turned into a soothing coolant.

EDDE:
It wasn't easy. In fact, watching the pain Kurama was in was really freaking difficult, but it wasn't like it was going to stop him. He was being as gentle as he possibly could, after all, so there wasn't much more he could do about it.

At first he didn't say anything toward the apology, hard pressed to find words the gentle tone he'd taken on matched with. He watched as the fox showed him how to apply the weird smelling stuff and, very carefully, repeated the process. He dipped his fingers a bit more when he felt too much for comfort was coming off his own hand.

As he worked, his attention drew to the redhead's face variously. "You know..." His tone didn't shift too much at all as he finally found words. "You really need to cut that out." As he reached for one of the clean rolls Kurama had brought out, he realized he would probably have to get more at some point, and he added, "The only thing that's really any bother is how much you keep saying sorry for stupid shit. Hell, you took a bigger beating than anyone and still came out on top." He began circling the wrapping around the wound just as carefully, going slow just in case Kurama needed to tell him if it were too loose or too tight.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
More sizzling and Kurama shoulders tensed until the burning sensation faded away. He was surprised by Yusuke's reaction to his apology, and continued to look away until the detective finished and began to wrap the wound. Covering it with new bandages was much easier than the removal, and Kurama's shoulders relaxed in the small reprieve before attention was moved to the next injury on his fore arm. "If I could have remained Youko just a few minutes longer," he replied.

This form was weak, the state of his body was proof enough of that. And it was because of that weakness that he lost the match, even if he had survived. "Shall we continue?" He wouldn't need to speak if he were in pain.

EDDE:
As he finished, his left hand changed it's hold, taking hold of Kurama's and scooting a bit closer so the redhead could relax his arm a bit as he looked over the closer wound. Before he could move to touch it, he broke into a small bout of laughter for his thought on what the fox had to say. "You know, you're pretty dumb for a smart guy." The tone wasn't as soft due to the uncontrolled bout of laughter, but he was able to calm down pretty quickly.

"Think about it, Kurama," he added as he judged at the wound once more before carefully tugging at the end of the bandage to loose it. As he worked, slowly, meticulously, he let him in on his own thought process as lightly as he had been speaking previously. "So what if you'd stayed in that other form any longer? So what if that crappy decision wasn't made? And so what if you'd won the fight? Come on. Toguro wanted a fight with me, and I'd say he sure as Hell proved that he was gonna get what he wanted no matter what he had to do to get it. There isn't anything that would have changed even if you had won, is there? I doubt he would have allowed himself to get cheated out of what he was looking forward to." He didn't know what his talking might be doing for Kurama, but it was making him feel a little better to have a distraction from the horrible tensity he was pulling through the other as he tugged that bandage off.

"That's what you're wound so tight over, right?" He looked Kurama over, easily remembering the conversation they'd had in the forest when he'd been having trouble with his spirit energy. His attention turned back to the task at hand, glad for the fact that the removal of this bandage wasn't taking as long, and figuring it was probably because the wound was somewhat smaller.

He continued quickly after the question. "You know what I think?" Despite his disdain for the pain in the fox's features, he smiled lightly. "I think you're worried because you think you failed by losing your match, cause that's what you said you were afraid of happening before." He was now removing the last of the binding. "But I don't think you failed at all."

He paused in his talking as he finished pulling it off and rubbed the salve over it carefully. And then his attention turned back to the redhead's face, his own quite serious. "You came out of it alive. Mangled, but alive. And I can tell you right now that's a win I'm willing to take over the other kind. Who cares about anything else?"

He went back to work re-wrapping his arm after the short pause, a light tone washing over him all over again. "By the way. Are you excited you're gonna see your mom again, soon?" His being alive reminded him of how sharp his own worry had been over the possibility of having to bring Kurama back to her in a body bag during his fight. After all this time, his stance still hadn't changed, and he easily knew it never would, not being able to stand the thought of having to see the woman mourn the loss of her son.

Fox:
His arm did relax, hand lightly holding Yusuke's to do so while he waited for the unpleasant necessity to begin again. The fox jerked and let out a harsh breath. He was thankful for the gradually dulling pain as the poppies took effect, but it wouldn't ease the tearing and he was grateful for Yusuke's words. Silence would have been maddening.

Yusuke was right, he knew he was right and yet he still felt obligated to apologize. His transformation could have made all the difference, but that was terribly unlikely. The only thing to change would be the current condition of his body; though, that sounded quite nice at the moment. Kurama opened his mouth to speak but all that came was a surprised cry at a particularly large portion was pulled off.

The loosely holding hand clenched around Yusuke's reflexively until the sharp agony passed, and when he came back to himself from the bright white bursts in his eyes the detective's hand was holding his back. Kurama lost a bit of the monologue in those few seconds, and returned to 'I don't think you failed.' It pulled free an airy laugh. "Thank you, Yusuke."

Mention of his mother visibly cheered him up, letting him sit a little straighter. "Yes, I have missed her dearly," he answered. When he looked at Yusuke his eyes were becoming a little glassy. "She has been asking about you," he informed. "She continues to suggest I invite 'that nice young man from the hospital,' to diner. I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth." It was followed by a playful smile.

EDDE:
He chuckled lightly, shaking his head and offering a tease. "That guy? Well don't worry cause he's just a no good little punk no one would be comfortable bringin' home to mom, you know." His grasp on Kurama's hand still held a firm comfort even after he was done wrapping the burn. Although he wondered what exactly Kurama meant by the truth, his mind not quite wrapping around it.

Still, his tease continued as he chided at him playfully. "So Kurama, why haven't you invited the 'nice young man from the hospital' over for dinner yet?"

Fox:
The grip he had on Yusuke's hand relaxed from the white knuckled grasp against pain; though, he didn't pull his hand away. Instead, long fingers curled over the back of Yusuke's hand in a clear reluctance to lose the contact. The fox was happy to take a break, the cleaned and wrapped arm throbbing in a dull but constant pain and the rest of his body was itching, knowing there would be more to come.

Kurama laughed again, lighter than before. "Because that nice young man is a delinquent who starts fights and skips class," he answered before chuckling again. Though in truth, he didn't have a real answer for that question. So he hummed in thought, the very tip of his tongue poking from between his lips in a cute display only allowed due to the helpful drugs in his system. "Would you like to join Mother and me for dinner, Yusuke?"

EDDE:
"Well, I did just warn you about him," he chuckled out lightly, his smile brightening at the change in Kurama's mood. He knew it wouldn't last since he'd have to get back to the task at hand soon, but he didn't let that knowledge bother him in the moment.

His eyes traveled down to their hands, noticing the hold for the first time. He chuckled a bit at it before his attention drew to the cute face the fox was making. How the Hell did he pull off such a kissable look all the time? Thinking on it, Yusuke leaned forward and pecked his lips lightly, a simple little peck. "Sure, why not? Could be fun."

Fox:
The short peck pulled a light flush over the bridge of his nose that was quickly forced away. His tongue retreated back behind plush lips and the fox leaned in to follow after the detective. Yusuke was able to give his answer, but his mouth was soon covered by Kurama's once more. Knowing the kiss shouldn't last he suckled softly on Yusuke's lower lip before reluctantly moving back. "She will be happy to see you."

"I suppose we should return to the task at hand." He sighed. "It will be a long one. I doubt you will leave once my arms have been cared for." Kurama removed his hand with great reluctance and smiled deprecatingly as he began the task of unbuttoning his shirt. His torso was mostly covered in red splotched gauze, the dressing coming up and over his shoulders. His legs weren't much better off either. He'd pulled the detective into an arduous duty and though he once more felt he should, the fox didn't apologize.

EDDE:
Yusuke accepted the kiss happily, a light hum passing through him at it. Though he didn't much liking that it ended. "Oh yea?" He didn't sound too sure of that.

Cringing lightly with a bit of a hiss through his teeth as he looked over the redhead as he removed his shirt, the raven haired teen stood up. He repositioned himself on the other side of Kurama, planning on finishing the other arm first. "I already said I wouldn't, didn't I," he asked lightly.

Wait. Had he? Maybe not. Oh well.

He took his arm in the same manner as he had the other, looking over it with a bit of a pout. "Just as bad as watching it happen." Sighing, he moved to unwrap it.

He figured maybe talking might help the situation, but he wasn't sure what to talk about, so instead he asked a question. "So, what's she like?" He didn't expect him to be able to talk back all that well with how badly it would hurt as he continued, but he was hoping to take his mind off it at least a little.

Fox:
A dull, but quick and loud noise was trapped and muffled by tongue and teeth. The injuries on the right side were just as bad as the left, perhaps a bit worse. "I don't bring many friends to see her, and she worries," he offered before another grunt. "Also, do try not to forget that she knows me as Shuichi." Once more his fingers gripped Yusuke hand and a harsh laugh followed. "Not as bad as feeling it happen."

The question went unanswered for several seconds as a particularly painful movement forced a full body cringe. His left hand lifted as if to grab the offending appendage, but paused in the air. He caught his breath and let it fall to his lap once more. "She's a gentle woman; soft spoken and," another pause, another exclamation of pain and he continued as if it hadn't happened at all. "Kindhearted."

Emerald eyes fell on Yusuke and despite the clear agony his smile was warm as he spoke of her. He loved that woman dearly. "I have only seen her angry once," the next rip was met with a sharp laugh and dragging gasp. "That was a mistake I will never make again."

EDDE:
He wanted so badly to stop every time the redhead showed off all that pain he was putting him through, but he didn't. It would just drag things out, and the whole point of having Kurama talk to him was so things would go a little quicker, even though he was taking just as much time and care in pulling it away as he had been before.

"It'll be weird calling you another name... Guess I could practice though. The only question would be when to start." He only paused when Kurama stopped talking, and only for the moment it took for him to find his next question, moving on as he asked. "So what did you do that pissed her off? Was she scary?" The last part was a tease, not so oddly as with most of the things he'd noticed about him lately, finding it kinda cute how much affection and care the redhead was displaying toward his mother, as foreign as the concept might be to the spirit detective.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"Perhaps after this has finished," he offered. The poppy seed was easing the pain more and more as time went on; turning his full body flinches into tiny jerks, and his muffled cries into anguished moans. "That information will follow me to my grave." His huffing laugh caved his stomach as blood soaked into the bandages and began to drip off his elbow onto the bed below. "Terrifying," he admitted, his smile never faltering. "Invoking her hidden wrath is something I would advise against."

Kurama's arm was slowly going limp in Yusuke's hold, though his hand never lost its grip. "And you? What is your mother like?"

EDDE:
"Sounds good to me." He pouted a bit as Kurama refused to answer his question, though he chuckled lightly at the warning, not really taking the advice to heart. "Yea, yea. I'll be on my best behavior," he offered flippantly.

Okay, so he needed to pause again as he stared at the redhead for the question. It really shouldn't have been such a surprising one given where the conversation had been sat, but he still wasn't expecting it. And it wasn't as if he didn't have words for it. Oh, he had words.

His attention drew back to the fox's arm, again not having noticed that his hand had cupped the redhead's all over again through the earlier hold he'd taken on him, and remained there as the fox continued to grasp it. And while his own grip grew a bit tighter as a sour smirk crossed his face, the sudden change in attitude thinking about his own mother gained didn't stop the gentle nature of finishing off that wrapping.

His tone was quite sardonic as he moved to spreading the salve over the wound. "Oh yea, she's just the sweetest, most caring person I know. It's not like you'd think she was a spoiled freakin' child or anything if you met her. Hell, everyone else seems to get along with her just fine." It moved quickly to chastising as he continued. "I mean, if she's not off on a binger with her drinking pals, you can usually find her sleeping the day away because she's either sleeping one off or getting ready for the next one."

A stark frown covered his features as he grabbed the bandages and started rewrapping, his rant taking on a bitter emphasis. "She can barely take care of herself when I'm not around, not that she has enough of a head half the time to realize I even help her out." He laughed shortly. "You know what she had to say when I told her I was leaving for a few months? She asked me to pick up some coffee on the way home." A sharp tisk passed through his teeth in the form of a 'ch' sound.

Using a bit of clean bandaging left over from the most wound cleaning, he dabbed away the excess blood from his arm as he noticed it. He threw on an amused air as he finished the wrapping, his attention standing firmly on the next closest wound. "And, you know, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she did nothing but complain the second I walk in the stupid door, if she even has the mind to remember I was gone for so long or can actually manage to recognize that I'm there again."

Fox:
The fox listened with varying noises unrelated to the small rant sent his way. His grip became a little tighter, and he could excuse it as a reaction to pain. He worried for his friend both in and out of battle, but commenting on it wasn't the best idea. Just as it had been with Genkai's passing, there were no words to offer in condolence.

Before Yusuke could start on the next injury, Kurama tugged him a little closer. "Allow me a short break, to catch my breath," he murmured before their lips met. This time he didn't pull away so quickly, instead brushing the tip of his tongue over the others lower lip. Words would do little good, but he could offer this comfort. Kurama had his own selfish reasons of course; the contact eased the tension in his shoulders and gave the poppy seeds a chance to work without the unpleasant distraction.

EDDE:
Yusuke blinked a bit as the redhead pulled his attention away from his arm, and his own thoughts, through the form of a kiss. It managed to pull him straight from the mood he'd fallen into as his free hand lifted to cup the fox's cheek through an affectionate gesture that easily came more naturally under the guise of helping him to feel a little better. His own tongue slipped out to brush over the licking one, and then past Kurama's lips to roll over the roof his his mouth.

And it seemed just as he was falling into the nice distraction, there came a harsh knock to the door. The raspy voice behind it gave him pause enough for him to pull both his tongue and lips away through an annoyed huff if air, the sardonic drawn in Genkai's tone serving to annoying him as she spoke through the door. "You two better get decent quick. I didn't walk all the way down here to witness your little tryst for the second time in twice as many days." Oh yea, the old bag really had the best timing.

Still, his mood had lightened immensely, and despite his annoyance at the interruption, the woman's presence had just a bit to do with it. That devious look fell over his features as he commented back nearly without skipping a beat, the mocking tone rolling through his own voice in return a hard one to match. "You didn't? Well gee, Grandma, you just picked the worst time to come around, if that's the case."

He could practically feel her mood sour through the door as she growled out, "Hurry up and open the door before I bust it in, Dumbass. I don't have nearly as much patience in this life as I did in the last one." Despite it, he could tell she wasn't really as bad off as she was making it sound... And that kind of made him want to push her.

His chuckle was perfectly cheeky as he stood from the bed, his fingers slowly sliding out of the redhead's grasp as he walked in the opposite direction of the door she was waiting at. "Make up your damn mind, you battered old hag. Your memory might not be as sharp, what with the rapid aging and all, so I'll remind you of the options you gave us. You want us decent or you want me to hurry?" He moved into the bathroom as he chided at her, finding his tease a perfect excuse to grab another two boxes the supply the room had been stocked with. At least the jackasses that had set up this stupid little vacation had had enough sense to realize they'd probably be in need of them. And while he didn't need them quite yet, he could tell he'd run out before he finished wrapping all of Kurama's wounds, as he'd planned to do from the start despite the offer of only working on his arms.

While Yusuke's might be hard to match, her own tone easily had a note of it's own as she grew snide right back. "I realize it's difficult with that tiny brain of yours to multitask, Dimwit, so I'll help you out. Stop making out and show your idiot face before I get a mind to knock it in right along with the door."

Chuckling lightly as he finally made his way to the door with the boxes in hand, he offered right back. "You know, it's definitely healthy that you're willing to admit that your mind isn't all there. Admitting it is the first step." His tone took on a boisterous mock of caring and concern. "Now, when you're ready, we can work on the issue together." The look on both their faces over the exchange was quite similar as he pulled the door open fully and stared down on her. They were both smirking, despite how annoyed the woman had sounded not a few moments before.

The tone in her eyes changed a bit for a moment as she looked over Kurama, however. Throwing on a nonchalant exterior, she waved them off a bit flippantly as she switched to acting as though the task she'd been sent on was perfectly bothersome. "Look, everyone decided we're going to sit down like a happy little family and have a nice lunch together. Somehow I drew the short straw and managed to get the privilege of informing you two morons." Her tone was decidedly less sharp as she said as much. "Come or don't. I've done what I came here to do."

His eyes rolled over both the boxes in his hand and Kurama's form. The invitation actually sounded pretty nice. A smile crossed his features as he moved back to the redhead and sat back on the bed, the salve returning to his lap as he recoiled his fingers around Kurama's hand and turned his attention back down to the wound he'd abandoned previously, though didn't touch it yet, and matched the flippant attitude. "Well you know, that sounds great and all, but me and Kurama just got so much making out to catch up on."

She shrugged lightly, easily having decided tending to the no doubt angry wounds under those bandages was more important than a 'family get-together'. And despite her earlier eagerness to get in, she changed her mind rather easily the moment she'd seen them. "That's fine. I'll just let them know you two are too busy screwing around in bed to have lunch with us." Chuckling a bit cruelly toward her own comment as she shut the door, she added, "You might want to make sure this locks properly. The next person to come around to get you might not be smart enough to wait outside for your slow ass to skip on over and open it for them." And it was shut, the woman turning and walking her happy ass back down the hall as not to bother them further, knowing Yusuke wouldn't get back to work with her standing there watching. The pain just the look of the bandages represented was enough to tell her the dumb ass wouldn't be willing to expose the kind of vulnerability it might give off to anyone else.

While he wouldn't have been able to help the better attitude Kurama's kiss alone would have put him into, it could be a bit hard to compare to his elation over the verbally abusive visit from the old woman. He doubted he'd get over his relief of her coming back any time soon, and honestly the odd relationship he held with the woman was easily the closest one he had with any adult. Despite how horrible she could be, she was actually a lot closer to being a parent than any other example he'd had in his life. Yusuke's attention drew to the door for a moment as it closed. She probably would do exactly what she said. The woman had a need for stirring up trouble sometimes, especially when she was in such a snarky mood. Then again, maybe she wouldn't... Although she probably would.

The short thought process played over his face like a one note recorder before his attention turned back on the redhead, a light smile having encompassed him as he decided he honestly didn't care whether she did or not. "You did say you wanted a break, " he offered lightly. "We could go if you want, but I wanna at least finish your arm first if we do." He wasn't sure if Kurama would want to go considering the medicine he'd taken, and he didn't even begin to contemplate going on his own given his promise of protection because of those odd little seeds he'd convinced him to eat.

Fox:
He sighed softly, blissfully into the returned kiss. He rested a hand over the one on his cheek, holding it lightly for a little more contact as his lips parted for the offered tongue. With the drug in his system lowering his inhibitions Kurama moaned oh so softly as Yusuke tickled the roof of his mouth. It made him shiver. It was followed by an exasperated grunt as he pulled away for the sake of the woman behind the door. Kurama couldn't bring himself to be as irritated as he might have been, he too was simply far too delighted in her return to hold such feelings against the old woman. Besides, she seemed to do what he'd been trying for just by showing up. Yusuke seemed happy once more, and for that he was grateful.

In fact, as he watched the teen move around the room and listened to the playful banter he couldn't help but laugh, just a little. Kurama rested an arm around his belly at the unpleasant tug to the healing wounds from the continued laughter that was growing steadily louder. It was a reaction he'd usually control, but his eyes were getting glassier and his movements more sluggish. The fox lifted his hand in a lazy greeting towards the old master when the door was opened, but he remained quiet. His own banter would have been enjoyable, however it almost felt intrusive. As if interrupting a family moment.

The door shut and his hand curled with Yusuke once more, and this time he let his fingers lace together with the others. He could blame it on the hazy feeling he was getting. "Life would have been far too dull without her," he commented before twitching under the continued dressings. The question was met with a slow shake of his head. "You may go if you wish." It was an offer made only to be polite, he knew the answer already. "If we were to break for that long, I may fall asleep at the table. Perhaps we can join them for dinner."

While the detective worked Kurama leaned in again to place a slow kiss to his lips. "However, catching up on making out," he started, paraphrasing Yusuke's words to Genkai. "Does sound quite lovely, does it not?"

EDDE:
His smile remained as he noticed Kurama's hand, glad for the fact that he wasn't reacting nearly as badly as he had been before. And he wanted to get this done as quickly as possible to continue to avoid the harsher reaction toward it. He didn't respond to the offer of going out there other than a small shake of his head as he worked.

He was a bit dejected however, as the kiss he received, and the words on Kurama's lips forced him to pause to pay a lot more attention to those things. That sounded really good too, and it had him groaning lightly as he pulled back and redoubled his efforts of focusing on the bandage. "It does," he started lightly in a tone that strongly hinted at the 'but' that followed. "But we'll have more to catch up on if I finish this first."

Fox:
He pouted. Pouted when Yusuke pulled away. His lower lip stuck out just a little in an expression he would never make in the right state of mind. Though, he still had enough sense to know the detective was right and he sighed in reluctant agreement. "I will hold you to that."

Kurama sat back again and allowed the detective to work on his arm. The sounds of discomfort came more often, but much softer as well and his hand held Yusuke's tighter than he really needed to. He waited patiently as new dressings were applied, but didn't release his hand when he was done. Instead, the fox shifted until their legs were touching and tilted his head down. A blissful sigh through his nose and the fox touched their lips together once more. They'd finished his arm, after all.

EDDE:
How fucking difficult could it possibly be to resist Kurama? That face sure as Hell gave him a good idea. He had to focus extra hard on working at the wound to avoid the look. And damn if Kurama didn't try again just as soon as he was finished with just the one he was working on.

That wasn't what he'd meant at all, but he found himself falling right back into it with that hand moving to support him all over again as his fingers curled around the back of his neck. A light hum rolled through him as his eyes closed against the warmth the previously pouting lips had to offer.

Fox:
Still holding their fingers together Kurama's free hand lifted to cup Yusuke's cheek. It was quickly becoming his favorite place to hold him close, his thumb brushing over soft skin. "Mnn." The sigh was soft and grateful, and the fox closed his eyes to melt into their kiss. Pain, both present and future, was forgotten as Kurama leaned a little more weight against the detective.

He felt heavy and a little floaty, and relaxed into the effects of the drug. Letting them whisk away agony along with his inhibitions.

EDDE:
He took plenty of time to appreciate the redhead's lips, moving to lick and suckle over the bottom lightly before his tongue wormed it way into his opposite's mouth smoothly. He'd tested at this quite a bit now, and found he very much liked the reaction he got from running his tongue over the roof of his mouth, which he did a few times this time before moving on to taste at him further. His fingers drew up under Kurama's hair as the support of the small hold changed when he was leaned against.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
The fox quivered, the tickling tongue raising the thin hairs on his arms and even twitched his nose against Yusuke's. More support was given and Kurama leaned into the touch, going so far as to wrap his left arm around the detective's shoulder. A little closer and his body twisted in an attempt to press them flush together. "Nnh!"

Kurama jumped back and covered his stomach again, hand holding his side. The turn was enough to tear the fragile skin and blood soaked into the bandage and coated his palm in a thin paint of crimson. The fox bent, face hidden by his hair as it twisted in a sudden agony.

EDDE:
He jumped sharply at the noise, easily letting his hold on the fox's head fall away as he jerked off in another direction. His hand tightened it's hold on the laced fingers and grabbed the other hand at the wrist carefully. Pulling it away, mainly to save the wrapping he'd already finished from becoming saturated itself, he leaned forward and pressed a heavy kiss to his forehead, allowing him to remain in the position he'd shifted to. "Don't touch it, Kurama. I'll be right back, so try not to move." There was a sharp waver in his voice, but he managed to keep it light somehow, even through the somewhat sharp command.

Loosing the holds, he set Kurama's arms down lightly in his lap and disappeared into the bathroom. He'd already been plenty aware that the redhead's skin was incredibly sensitive, but the change had him realizing quickly that it was probably even worse than he thought. The water was running a moment later, starting the heating of it as he looked around for what he needed.

Too focused on the task at hand, he couldn't really think of where the knowledge came from as he pulled located the towels and washcloths, flipping open and tossing a few towels on the floor to help with the rather large mess he was sure he was going to make with this. Moving to the door frame, he looked over the room quickly. He hurried over to the fancy decoration atop the dresser, dumping the stupid marbly pebble things from the large brass bowl that secured the fake looking plant sitting in the middle and hurrying back to the bathroom.

Upon rinsing it out thoroughly, he filled it, setting it on the counter as close to the toilet as he could. Something in the back of his mind had clicked and jumped forward about wounds like this, and he could only hope he could manage to do it right. He was kicking himself as he went, mostly for being dumb enough to allow himself to get distracted from what he'd been doing, but also because of what the thoughtless action had gotten Kurama. Dropping two washcloths into the bowl in his hurry for grabbing one, he moved back into the room.

He didn't sit down to check on the fox's condition despite how much he wanted to. Instead, he managed to catch his arms against unwounded skin and gave a gentle pull to them in leading, not pulling against him bodily so as not to make the seeping wound worse or add more. "C'mon, Kurama. I need to move you now, so work with me, alright?"

Fox:
Kurama didn't fight it as his hand was guided away from the bleeding wound. He leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees to avoid bending any further and risk another tear. Perhaps he should have asked Genkai to heal him, but the spirit wave took a lot of energy and she had been dead just a few hours ago. These wounds would terrify Botan, and he didn't want to worry Yukina. Though in truth, he didn't want any of them to know the extent of his injuries any way.

His head tilted at the kiss to his forehead, and green eyes blinked in surprise. Yusuke left and Kurama lifted himself enough to watch as the detective scurried around the bathroom. Again he blinked, watching the marbles bounce off the wood and scatter across the carpet.

He laughed as Yusuke helped him up but pulled himself free. He was hazy yes, loopy even, but he could still stand on his own. "I am in pain, Yusuke. Not an invalid." Still, he placed his clean hand on Yusuke's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. He'd let the teen guide him if it would help.

EDDE:
He pouted just a bit at the comment, though more so for feeling a bit dumb for getting so wrapped up in the care, having figured it'd be better not to have him move around too much given what had just happened. It only lasted a moment, as he could tell nothing was meant by it, and it was really just his own thoughts on it getting in the way. Despite pouting at himself for as much just a moment before, his own hand landed securely on the one that graced his shoulder as he walked them to the bathroom.

Even though the towels were clean, it still kind of looked like someone had trashed the bathroom and left it there for the help. "Okay, sit on the toilet," he told him lightly as his let his hand slide down and away from the fox's. He moved over to the makeshift basin, finishing the little bit of dunking left of the washcloth.

As the redhead sat down, he turned to him, pulling the up the washcloth and setting it on his chest, allowing the excess water to roll down onto the bandage as he pulled it away only until he reached the skin. He wasn't willing to rub the cloth along the burn, so he concentrated squeezing the water over each part of the bandage as he peeled it away, the wrapping pulling away from the skin and scabs far, far easier than they had been before. As he worked, he also kept his eye on the already bleeding split skin the earlier movement had caused as well. Doing things this way was much easier. It might take longer, but in the long run he could tell it would be a lot better, especially since it was leaving so much of him intact as compared to earlier.

Fox:
He sat with a silent sigh. His leg was throbbing, and his eyes were getting heavy. Maybe he should have accepted the offered help, but he didn't want to appear more fragile than he already did. "Mmn." The fox flinched, his chin lifting a bit to give Yusuke access to his wounded chest. The warm water pulled a soft hiss through grit teeth, the tender burns reacting strongly to the added heat; However, the pain began to die down quickly enough, allowing the fox to relax from the cringe.

Kurama's hands gripped his pants as the gauze was soaked bit by bit, the sharp burning returning and retreating each time; but the removal was much smoother. The occasional rip was met with a flinch or grunt. Blood from these holes soaked into the remaining bandages and actually aided in the task; but the closer Yusuke got to his stomach the harder it was to continue. Burns became deeper, open wounds. The warm water helped but still thick crust attached the gauze and refused to separate. "Ghn!" Kurama's head ducked down and his knuckles turned white in the fierce grip he had on his pants.

The crimson ooze soaked into his clothes and dribbled onto the toilet lid and he wondered how unbearable this would have been if he hadn't accepted Yusuke's help. A particularly painful tug had the fox lurching forward and crying out then clenching his teeth. "Wait. Stop for... a moment," he gasped, shoulders shaking and breath coming in pants.

EDDE:
It was going pretty smoothly for the most part. Sure, there were still some pretty stubborn parts across his back and chest that pulled away with the gauze, but it wasn't bad. That is until he got to his stomach. The shake that had taken to his limbs wasn't purely for the horrible reaction the redhead was giving toward the separation or the sudden heavy bleeding that started. Using his arms and moving about as much as he was in working at removing the bandages that required it much more had started to take a toll on him the moment, he'd made the first large movement in switching the washcloth to his back to work at that, and having to turn to re-wet the cloth hadn't helped in the least. Both his wounds were screaming at him so loudly that despite doing everything in his power to keep the look of it out of his stance entirely, it had set in his jaw, and through his work he managed to look somewhat tired.

There really wasn't any stopping the bleeding of the stomach, but that didn't make him feel any better about it. And he was willing to bare the pain for as long as it took to finish. "Okay," he said lightly, letting go of the gauze wrap completely as he reached over and grabbed a clean hand towel. He couldn't stop completely, and not just for Kurama's sake either. If he stopped, he doubted he'd be able to finish.

He landed his vision sharply on agonized emerald orbs, telling him squarely, "This is gonna suck so much." It was his warning before he pressed the plush, soft white towel only against the heavily bleeding wound to stem it with his good arm. There was no avoiding the need, and his jaw clenched sharply as he was forced to use the other arm for support against the counter for the position he was crouching in to do so as he didn't want to grab Kurama improperly, but also for the reaction he was expecting from the redhead.

Fox:
Taking advantage of the pause Kurama caught his breath and prepared for what was coming next. He managed to calm his breathing by the time Yusuke returned, and the warning was met with nervous smile. "Yes, I know." The fox held his knees and shut his eyes, bracing himself for the gentle pressure that would feel like a crushing impact; and the moment he felt it a scream echoed off the tiled walls. It mimicked the howls of agony in the ring.

Both hands left his knees to grip Yusuke's arm. Right around the wrist and left just above that; but he wasn't pushing it away. Another cry came when the first ended with a gasp for breath and his nails dug into the detective's arm, holding it steady and just needing something to grab a hold of. It wasn't long before the towel was stained, and the fox was shuddering on the toilet lid, choking on air.

EDDE:
It was something he wasn't prepared for. It jolted him hard enough that he was glad for the support on the counter, a sharp frown encompassing his look as he took a knee to balance himself. Wanting to flinch away himself for the agony the redhead displayed, the hands stabilizing him and allowing him to keep the pressure instead. Once he was balanced, he reached out, the scream on the teen's lips easily drowning out the one his arm and chest both gave off for the extended movement.

Strong hand that managed to lose its shake reached up and brushed through Kurama's bangs gingerly, moving back to repeat the process and running down to continue the movement against his cheek. Even as he said it, his tone a bit meek in reaction to the somewhat horrifying noise as his attention rolled over Kurama's features through a somewhat wounded expression of his own, he knew it wouldn't help. But he couldn't help himself, and it was all he could think to say. "I'm sorry, Kurama."

Fox:
His forehead was damp, sweat clinging to the hairline currently being brushed back. His head tilted to get a better look at his leader and smiled. It was strained, but it was comforting all the same. "Thank you," he replied, his breath slowing to somewhat normal even though he couldn't stop the shaking. "Performing this task alone would have truly been unbearable." The smile faltered and contorted into a tortured expression before he pulled it back.

Kurama pressed his cheek into the petting hand and lifted his own to hold it there, grip maddening. "You have no reason to apologize." The fox leaned in, finding a moment of solace from pain in another simple kiss. Soft lips were shaking, just a little.

EDDE:
Yusuke nodded quietly toward the gratitude, having too much trouble returning the look. He blinked a bit as Kurama started leaning in, meeting him quickly before he moved too much, not willing to risk making things worse for him with too much movement. He pressed his own lips firmly against the redhead's after taking a quick peek at the towel he had the pressure on. He would need to pull it away both to check on the wound, and be sure that the fabric didn't stick to the wound like the bandaging had.

But for the moment his full attention pressed against pained lips as his thumb played over his cheek gently since he couldn't move the rest of his hand under Kurama's grasp, though that touch too had become firm in support of him.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
Trembling slowed and breathing evened out, the caress of lips easing his muscles and allowing him to focus on something pleasant. An oasis in his desert of agony that he bathed in for several long seconds, then pulled back with clear reluctance. Kurama pressed into Yusuke's hand once more before nodding his head. "I would like to be done with this quickly," he started with an uneasy smile, releasing Yusuke's hand and returning both of his to his knees. "Try not to stop until the dressings have been removed completely." Even if I tell you to.

EDDE:
He observed the redhead as he pulled away, nodding lightly before leaning up and pressing another soft peck to his lips. He gave him an even look as he added, "If there's more like this, I'll have to stop to take care of it, though." And then he looked around suddenly, realizing that he'd left the dressings as well as the salve in the other room. While the gauze rolls weren't as important with the supply they had in here, he would be needing the salve. There were a couple other things he needed too. He lifted the towel, careful of any sticking the fabric might have taken, and not to start the bleeding again if possible as he looked over the wound. It had stemmed quite a bit, so he folded the fabric to a cleaner spot just in case what he wanted to do next made another mess, though he doubted it would.

"Just hang in there another minute," he offered lightly as he stood, making his way to the room. Kurama did need a bit of a break, and so did he, honestly. The small break he allowed them being the few moments it took to grab the salve and the rolls. Although as he brought those in, he also rummaged through the supply closet and came over with large gauze pads as well.

As he came back, he couldn't figure out where he'd put the washcloth he'd been using, so he was glad the second one was in the basin. Pulling it out, he'd already turned his attention back to Kurama. "Here goes something." There was a good deal more effort put into undressing the wounds from how they'd been wrapped. He'd been thinking about it a pretty good deal, when he wasn't full engrossed in working on them or kissing, and he was pretty sure this would help the next time around too.

When he'd been training with Genkai, he was hurt badly enough more than a few times to need this sort of attention. He wasn't for sure on the fact that these were burns, but she had used the much softer pads to cover the worst of things on several occasions. So after he'd very carefully dried him off, he set to work applying the salve, then packing the wounds. The moisture the stuff had to offer worked better than he'd hoped in keeping hold of the padding, and he wrapped the rolled gauze over the patch work as he went along setting it up. It was a lot more difficult to do this way, but he didn't mind that. If he were right, it would make the next time this had to happen a lot easier on the both of them.

Fox:
Kurama's exclamations and jerks dropped to groans and twitches, unfortunately not due to a numbing of pain. His vision went hazy and the fox shut his eyes and focused on his breath through the continued tearing. "Nnnh!" each press of the softer gauze pulled the sound from his lips and forced a tensity in his limbs that remained until his torso was redressed completely.

Blinking in rapid bursts he cleared his eyes sight. "It isn't like you," he paused for a soft pant. "To be so quiet, Yusuke. I was expecting your terrible puns." Kurama's laugh was raspy and uneven as he fumbled with the button of his jeans. He would at least manage that by himself.

It took more effort than it should have just to lift up enough to push his pants down off his hips and legs. His right shin was covered as well as his left thigh. The left calf was swathed down to the heel with gauze that was stained with far more blood than the rest; and, with a soft huff realized he couldn't pull off his own shoe.

EDDE:
He blinked up at the fox a bit as his silence was brought up. "Sorry. Never really done this before." A smile crossed his features through a light chuckle as he realized how quiet he really had been. "You're right. Maybe the old hag wasn't too far off about my multitasking skills, eh?" He was honestly only half teasing, since he'd showed off just as much.

Sighing lightly, he moved to the sink, rinsing out the basin and refilling it as Kurama pulled off his pants. "You know, if I have to sit and think of things to say while we're doing this, I bet you aren't gonna like half the things that come out of my mouth." He grabbed another washcloth and dunked it, somehow managing to lose a second one within the mess of bloody, wet towels on the floor. Shaking his head at himself lightly, the basin moved to the ground as he decided to sit for this part.

He didn't make comment toward the complications the redhead was having, simply pulling away his pants the rest of the way, along with the shoes, carefully of course. He started on the less damaged leg first, having a feeling he'd need to take a lot more care with the one that was worse off. A small shudder rolled through him as the image of the happening of the wound on his left leg passed through his mind again.

All of this sucked more than he could even bring to words. As he worked at the wound on Kurama's right leg, he asked a question, his point of having things to say that Kurama wouldn't really like probably being made in that moment as the thought of the fight was stuck in his mind. "So Kurama," he started lightly, thinking on the roses he usually used in battle. "How come you use such frilly attacks if you don't like being called girly?" He honestly didn't know what to expect from the question, but even the distraction of anger, if it happened, might help the fox gain back his head a bit, right?

Fox:
"Perhaps I should teach you how to do that as well?" he offered in a voice that was gradually retaining breath and strength. A temporary thing, he was sure. The worst was yet to come in his left calf, but for the moment he was happy to ignore it and focus on Yusuke's words. In all honesty, what ever words came from Yusuke's mouth was better than listening to his own screams and the peeling of skin.

It wasn't anger that met Yusuke, but a bark of laughter that quickly transformed into a sharp hiss as his care giver began to work once more. "That is what you come up wi-!" His hands formed fists on his knees again, nails digging into his own palms from the lack of fabric to grasp, as a particularly large scab was torn despite the warm, helpful water. With a heavy breath he continued, though there was amusement mingled in the strain of his voice. "Under normal circumstances such wording would be met with repercussions," but right now any form of dialog was a welcome distraction. "Because I doubt you would call them 'frilly' should they be turned on you."

Another flinch, another moment of silence as air caught in his throat. "However, if you're speaking of my roses it is because they were kind to me as a demon child." He decided to continue, even if he normally would have ended it with that vague answer. "Any animal spirit can learn to control plants, but to wield them in the way I do one must grow a connection with them. They are alive after all."

EDDE:
He talked over the pain that forced Kurama to pause, teasing in an attempt to help him through it. "Hey, I did warn you."

He listened to what he had to say about it, agreeing inwardly, that he most likely wouldn't think so. Then again, he'd mostly been talking about the ascetics of the attacks, like the one with the petals, despite having gotten a peek at their sharpness under his power.

Forcing the light smile to remain on his lips as he neared the end of tugging up the bandage, his eyes turned a bit curious. "Yea? Do you gotta have a connection with all of them?"

Fox:
As the last of the bandages on his right leg fell away Kurama let out a relieved sigh, accepting the reprieve of the salve before Yusuke attention turned to the left leg. "I do," he answered with a slight nod, hands relaxing until his palms rested on his knees. "It is a strange state I live in; my energy is always open even if it is not being used. My plants may feed on it if they so choose, it offers them a sense of sentience."

Once the dressing had been reapplied the fox lifted his leg a little to give Yusuke better access to his thigh. "It also offers protection in an unconscious state. They may grow from my open energy and act of their own will, and they tend to be quite possessive of me."

EDDE:
Yusuke moved closer; his own leg offered as a resting spot for the fox as he pulled the washcloth out of the basin all over again. The movements were repetitive now, and he'd even packed the wounds on the other leg in the same way he'd done his chest.

The pads were more terse than the gauze wrapping. There was less space for the scabbing to get caught in the stitching, and while he didn't necessarily know as much, he'd honestly made a good decision in adding them. They'd prove effective in the smaller areas he had to work with in the future, and while it was taking longer because of that, and would later as well, it should be decidedly less difficult on the fox.

Sighing softly, he began his work again, his eyes traveling momentarily to the far angrier would beneath it. That one was probably going to suck the most, aside from maybe what had happened with his stomach. He didn't know what he could say that could draw the fox's attention at that point, but he wanted to focus on what he was doing now. "You know, even after all this time, I don't know much about you. And I'm not even sure what I could ask right now. Why don't you tell me some more stuff about yourself? I mean, it's helping, right?" Hopefully, it would make Kurama have to think about what to tell him too, and that should be a good distraction too, right?

Fox:
"We haven't had much time to speak so casually." Funny how it was this situation that allowed it. It was getting a little more difficult to think straight, the mixture of the symptoms of shock and poppies was turning his vision hazy. Perhaps it would be best to allow darkness to envelop him, to slumber for the remaining treatment. Another sharp tug forced a full body twitch. "I am a bit of a Boogyman myself," he offered in a near random blurt.

Another weak laugh. "Tales of Youko Kurama still spread terror through the demon and spirit worlds." There was a time I could have entered this tournament with confidence. He supposed there would be more now. The spirit fox thief who can cheat even death.

EDDE:
"Yea, I guess so," he agreed lightly as he thought on it a bit. He supposed there could have been time, but he'd honestly never though to take the chance. He listened as he worked, ready with a comment of his own he didn't even have to think about. "Well I can see why. You were pretty bad ass when you changed."

He thought about that a moment. "Actually, you're pretty bad ass when you fight anyway. It was just different." The wound was being a bit more stubborn than the last one, making him glad for about the millionth time that he'd thought to use the water.

And then he got curious, because he honestly hadn't thought too much about it before. He knew full well what human horror stories entailed, seeing as he heard them enough about him, but he hadn't pieced together the whole boogeyman thing in the demon realm for himself. "So what kinds of stories scare demons?" He realized as soon as he said it how stupid it sounded like that, but figured Kurama could catch his meaning even with how thrown off he seemed to be getting through the treatment.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
He blamed the drug for the happy spark that came from Yusuke's praise. A pleasant stroke to his pride that helped to ease the burning shocks that sparked from his thigh and sharply radiated down his leg and up his hip. His toes curled in a towel and a shiver rolled through him. The fox was feeling weak, and he distracted himself from it with light words. "They are not much different from those that frighten humans. Fables of excessive cruelties and blood lusts, war lords and angry gods. Things of that nature."

Kurama sighed as the bandages fell away, not having the energy to hiss as the salve was applied. Instead, he waited for the words to sink in before he added. "Those are the common tales," and he was in no way 'common.'

EDDE:
"Yea?" He wasn't sure why he was surprised by the information, considering he probably should have been able to figure that out. And honestly that didn't sound all that interesting, specifically due to his thought on the matter. "Well then I've probably heard at least half the stories about me already," he muttered lightly.

As he went about re-bandaging in the same way as before, he thought about it again. Sure, he'd heard plenty of stupid stories about himself, but he couldn't help but wonder if they might any different when about someone else. "So how 'bout one about you?" He would be moving on to that calf soon, and as he finished wrapping, he moved to grab a couple more towels and set them on the lip of the tub. Judging by how his stomach was, he'd probably need at least one.

Fox:
"It won't be long before there are more myths than truths of your feats." Eventually demons would start making things up entirely, but it was reality that would become legend. One more time he took a few precious seconds to calm his breathing and attempt to prepare himself for what would likely be the most unpleasant portion. Beneath the bandages was a shallow divot running down his calf and over the heel. Soft gauze pads were used to pack the area. What wasn't open was covered in angry red skin and burst blister remains. It still smelled like burnt flesh.

Again, he stuck his tongue out a little bit and looked up, thoughtful. There were many stories, and many facts he didn't want Yusuke to know. "I was captured once, and only once," he started as the bandages were taken in hand once more. Kurama shivered in anticipation of the coming pain. "Taken to the lowest cell in the deepest dungeon." A heavy jerk came from the fox as the warm water was washed over the bloody bandages and soaked pink into the towel below. "I will spare you the details of my stay," they were frightening and agonizing days spent in a haze of dehydration, starvation and torture. And constant planning.

"Piecing together the conversations of the guards, I was able to form the layout of my prison. But without access to my plants, the problem of the shackles and bars remained." Kurama stopped and quivered, mouth open in a silent cry as the first of the padding was pulled away and followed by a steady flow of blood.

EDDE:
He chuckled lightly over the notion. Didn't he know that too well? His face drew straight as he went back to work, curious eyes turning up on the redhead variously as he spoke, though mostly when he paused, quiet as he listened. For some reason, he hadn't been fully expecting a true story. Maybe it was because they'd been more on the subject of myths and boogeymen, but he was actually a lot more interested in this, anyway.

He cringed a bit when he pulled the pad away and exposed just how bad off this one was, quickly grabbing one of the towels and pressing it against the wound more sharply than he really wanted to, but as heavily as was needed to sop up and stem the bleeding. As he did, he encouraged Kurama to continue as he reached up and took his hand all over again, forcing his palm up against the other teen's. It was really all he could do in offering the small bit of comfort. "So, what did you do?"

Fox:
Kurama's fingers clenched around the offered hand as he hunched over slightly. He was cautious of his newly bandaged stomach and placed a supporting hand over the area gently. When he realized he'd forgotten to breathe, air was sucked raggedly and let out in a long, shuddering sigh. "I befriended a rat," he continued with chortle. "And trained it to pick locks." It was far-fetched, but the fox said it so easily it was hard to tell if he was joking; even as he looked down at Yusuke with a mischievous glint muddled in with the gloss in his eyes and added. "So the stories say."

EDDE:
He kept the pressure as Kurama took his breath. His own fingers circled around Kurama's gently as he got ready to pull the towel away to check on it. He paused before removing it however, peeking up at the fox as he told him what he supposedly did.

He stared at him hard for quite a few moments, obviously debating the words before he finally decided. "Bullshit," he accused, his attention drawing back down to his leg. "What really happened?" He began pulling the wrapping away again as he'd stemmed the bleeding enough to satisfy the need for the moment and wanted to get the rest off as quickly as possible.

Fox:
The pressure was relieved and the grip on Yusuke's hand loosened to let him get back to work. "I believe the truth is much more entertaining than the fiction." Another breath. "It was a rat, however. And its last meal had been a cherry. The moment it scurried into the corner of my cell I grew the tree just enough to kill it, then all I had to do was wait."

Several more times blood oozed from the exposed wound, but not so much as to need pressure. That happening only once more near the ankle.

"It was easy to pick the locks after that. After acquiring a few... Artifacts, I was free in a matter of hours. With the exception of the rat, I didn't kill a single living creature. I suppose that is what makes it a notable feat." The end was said with a slight lilt, as if there were more to it than that.

EDDE:
The spirit detective pressed another clean towel against the oozing portion of the wound only when it became bad enough to need it again there toward the end of his undressing. And once that was taken care of again, he used a clean portion to lightly dab up the excess blood before moving to repack and wrap it carefully once again.

He smiled up at the redhead. "Well, I like the story, but what the Hell's supposed to be scary about that? Especially if the only thing that died is a rat. Just sounds cool to me."

Fox:
It was done. The cleaning and dressing of his wounds was finally done after what felt like a small eternity. "Ah, well," he smiled down at the detective, it was deceptively sweet. "So long as my garden castle has not been disturbed, they are all still praying for death," he answered simply enough. The surrounding area had become quite popular, the never-ending groans of pain were a delight to many demons. "The rat was an unfortunate, but necessary sacrifice."

The fox sat back a little and frowned. He pinched the side of his wet and bloody boxer briefs, pulled it, then let it go. "Well, this is unfortunate."

EDDE:
Yusuke blinked a bit at the answer, a smirk crossing over his face along with that cheeky little chuckle of his. "I guess that's what they get for fucking with you, huh? Man, and here I thought you were scary before." He was teasing some, because he honestly had seen a rather mean side of Kurama twice recently, though he hadn't really expected that answer. "Ah... Hang on. How long ago was this? You left them there this whole time?" Actually, that was a bit scarier to think of. It had to have at least been longer than he'd been human, since it was a story about him as a demon... As far as he'd gathered anyway. "How old are you?"

His attention drew to the fitted underwear, falling on it entirely. He doubted Kurama would be able to get them off the way he was now. Hell, he wasn't even sure he could get them off him without too much pain. There could be a way to do it though, right? If he just tried to pull them off, he'd have to pull them down over his legs, which wouldn't be a pleasant experience. Oh, and it wouldn't be good for the new bandages either, cause they'd probably get wet, or worse. But it had to be really uncomfortable, and if they didn't get them off, it'd probably only get worse. Otherwise, he coulda just thrown a towel around his waist and been done with it. As he puzzled it out, his arm crossed over his chest, the knuckles of bend thumb and forefinger encasing his chin while he stared at the issue.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
He hummed innocently at the first question and answered the second with an easy, "sixteen." But as Yusuke stared down at his underwear the fox began to feel a bit uncomfortable. It took a lot not to fidget under the gaze and he couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks. So pretty much everything about you is cute, eh?

"I'm sure there are gauze scissors. They are ruined anyway, cutting them off would be simpler," he offered.

EDDE:
He blinked a bit at the solution, the stare softening and turning up on the redhead, smiling lightly. "Ah. Good point." He did manage to find a pair. He hadn't used them because the small rolls hadn't really needed to be cut for the amount of coverage that was needed for each wrapping.

He didn't think about the fact that Kurama could probably do it himself, mainly because he'd resolved himself to figuring out how he could get them off for him during his puzzling, and his mindset was still there. Snipping up each leg of the ruined fabric at his outer thigh, he tugged out one of the last few clean towels and held it up. He was standing now, of course, and the offer was gentle and lacked judgement completely. "Want help?"

Fox:
Such a strange time to be embarrassed, and yet he was as Yusuke clipped the shorts off of him. It was short lived, thankfully, and as Yusuke gathered a clean towel the fox pulled the wet fabric free and tossed it to the floor with all of the ruined towels. He was starting to sag when the detective returned, and he was fighting to stay awake. He was almost to the bed and he could sleep there.

"Yes, thank you," he answered, smiling despite the fact he couldn't even lift an arm to help, effectively leaving him as dead weight. He didn't want to think about standing.

EDDE:
It would be a simple task to pick up the redhead, but first he had to figure out where he could put his arms where he wouldn't hurt him. There honestly weren't very good spots for that. He debated it for a moment, and realized he probably wouldn't have any luck wrapping that towel around him either. He set it on Kurama's lap and gathered him up into his arms in the least painful way he possibly could, glad he could manage a lot less pressure on those wounds than he thought he would as he moved them back into the room.

It wasn't as easy as he'd thought it would be though, but he kept the sharp cringe at the pain he suffered for the act off his face all the way through the movement. He set Kurama on the bed carefully, looking down on him as he lay there while he sat on the edge. Through a heavy huff, he managed another smile for him. "When's your birthday, Shuichi?" He was going to ask as much when he'd answered him about his age, despite the fact that that hadn't been what he'd meant, but had been too busy finishing his task to do so. But he'd kept the question, and despite everything else that had served to distract him through the cleaning, he'd managed to keep the practice in mind as well. The name was said a bit oddly, since he wasn't used to it, but was still quite fluid through the question.

Fox:
The fox curled in Yusuke's arms to make himself as easily carried as possible. "Forgive me Yusuke, this must be aggravating your injuries." His own were loudly protesting even as he was laid out on the bed. He must look a sight, bandaged nearly from head to toe, naked aside from a towel across the crotch. He didn't care, all he cared about in that moment was that he was laying down on something soft and his eyes were starting to close.

The use of his human name stunned him for a moment that kept him in silence. He'd forgotten Yusuke planned to practice using it, the fox had be a bit preoccupied after all. "The 29th of December; and yours?"

EDDE:
He hadn't said anything about his own injuries, having tossed them aside ages ago despite the horribly come back they were making. Standing, he pulled off his own bottoms entirely. He'd soaked himself through as well by sitting on that floor, as well as through various steps the treatment. Smirking, he stole Kurama's towel, tugging the blanket over the fox before securing it around his waist. "Mine's March 26th," he informed him lightly as he looked him over.

He crawled onto the bed, lying on his right side for the most part as he faced the redhead. A warm sigh managed to pass the shooting pain in his chest despite himself over the comfort the bed provided.

Fox:
"I will be sure to remember it." He was too tired to react to the removal of his towel or the blanket being tucked around him. However, the fox did look over as Yusuke joined him on the bed. Carefully oh so carefully Kurama turned and found a somewhat comfortable position on his side. Though no position was really comfortable at the moment.

Sighing softly Kurama pressed his forehead to the detective's chest, a hint of a blush on his cheeks. His hands curled to rest against Yusuke as well, cautious of his injuries. Once again he felt warm and safe, and the pain wasn't such a bother anymore. "Just this is alright, is it not?" he asked softly, already starting to fall into a drug induced sleep.

EDDE:
He blinked a bit as Kurama started moving, everything in him wanting to jump to his aid still. It was like he was stuck in it, not that he minded or anything. His smile widened a bit as Kurama pulled close to him. "Sure."

Looking him over, he realized there was really only one safe place he could put his own hand, and he had no trouble doing that at all. His hand landed on the fox's head, closing his own eyes. He was sure Kurama needed the rest more than he did, and as they lay there, his fingers idly pet through red tendrils, definitely seeming to be stuck in a rather overprotective state as the soft touches continued as he began dozing off.

Fox:
"Mmm." He hummed softly as Yusuke pet his head. It was soothing, and he was glad the detective couldn't see his face and the silly little smile pulling at his lips. Under the gentle caress the fox fell into an easy sleep.

When he woke it was in a blissful little haze that very quickly turned into a sharp, unpleasant pain that grit his teeth together. "Sorry to bother you, Kurama!" Botan's cheery voice came through the door and the fox sighed softly, poking his head up from Yusuke's chest to look at the closed door. "But we're having a bit of trouble finding Yusuke for dinner, Keiko's getting impatient~"

Kurama chuckled softly and looked down at the detective. "Shall I tell her where you are?" He teased lightly.

"Just a moment Botan," he called back to her while slowly sitting up. The pain was still very much there, but it was dulled enough for him to hide it with great ease. Already he was standing and gathering clothes from his bag. The way he moved it was as if the bandages weren't covering anything at all. The only indication on the injuries at all was the spotting of blood around his stomach, not enough to be worried about though.

EDDE:
That light noise that came from Kurama had been enough to allowed any tensity that had been left from the trial to flow away from him in a soft breath. His own sleepy attention rolled to the door as Botan called through it.

He returned the sound Kurama had to offer; a forced quiet in his voice in his tone for the waking state as he mumbled a return. "Should probably get dressed first." Not that he really cared. It wasn't as if they were doing anything other than lying in bed sleeping off injuries... Well, the did have a distinct lack of clothing, but Hell, even if they had been doing anything he doubted he'd care much.

He sat up quickly; too quickly and he'd used the wrong arm for support. The face look that landed across his face was a sharp annoyance over what wanted to be there for the painful act. "Ngh." The shortly clipped noise was followed by another chuckle. Way to go, dumb ass. He got over the fopaux quickly and moved to the foot of the bed, reaching down into the small bag he'd had with him when he'd been caught by the redhead.

Pulling out the spare pair of jeans and having to dig a bit for some boxers, he pulled them both on with ease. His attention traveled to the redhead, remembering the difficulties he'd been having earlier, as well as that other thing, he finally added. "Want some help, Shuichi?"

He thought about it a moment as he slid into his tennis shoes. "Hey, is it okay to call you that with everyone?" As far as he knew, everyone knew him as Kurama, and if they did know his human name, he'd never heard any of them use it.

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
He turned at the noise and gave Yusuke a sympathetic look before returning to the task at hand. The fox managed to get his pants on with little issue, as he'd chosen a looser pair for that very reason, but he paused at the shirt. Or rather, he stopped at the sound of his human name. It was so strange when he was used to being called Kurama on such 'trips.' Even stranger was the heat it pulled to his cheeks.

The fox pulled himself from his stupor with a slight shake of his head. A tee shirt would have been more comfortable, but exposing the many bandages would only cause the others to worry. "I am alright Yusuke, thank you." His rejection was much kinder this time as his arms oh so carefully slid into the sleeves before the shirt was buttoned up with quick fingers. "Do you?" The shirt in position Kurama lifted his hands to flip his hair out from under the neck of it.

"Kurama is fine with the others," he answered. He didn't want anyone to see how flustered it made him. Turning, he placed a quick little peck of a kiss to Yusuke's lips before moving to the door. After making sure Yusuke was decent the fox pulled open the door for the blue hair reaper. "I seem to have taken up his time," he offered apologetically.

Botan jumped back when the door was opened and pulled a kitty face to hide the fact her ear had been pressed to it. With a nervous laugh and a wave of a 'paw' she spoke. "I don't suppose you can spare him now, can you? We're all getting together for dinner. We even managed to wrangle Hiei in. Or rather, Yukina did... Oh listen to me ramble!" She'd been very energetic since Genkai's return. Kurama chuckled softly and looked over his shoulder at the detective. "Shall we join them, Yusuke?"

"Oh yes! Kieko's been looking for you." Botan chimed.

EDDE:
He shook his head as he sat on the bed and changed shirts, not having realized it had gotten stained during the treatment purely for the fact that the blood had dried before he'd gotten into the bed with Kurama. His movement for the act was a it more painstaking. They were dressed, and Kurama was opening the door.

He hadn't noticed the giddy little smile the kiss had planted on his lips, though it was gone by the time the girl was in view. Sighing at the mention of Keiko, he rolled his eyes, stood, and stretched his arms behind his head in that way he had about him... Not the best of ideas, but he took the pain for it in stride and lowered his arms with a chuckle, flaring despite it. "Yeah, yeah. She probably just wants to bitch about me leaving that stupid stuffed animal with her for so long." That devious smile crossed his face.

Fox:
"Well that's not very nice, she's been worried about you," the reaper scolded, but quickly returned to cheerful. They'd missed lunch, and it was really great to have everyone together to celebrate.

Kurama didn't feel much like celebrating. Their win was a great feat of course, but he would much rather return to the painless bliss of sleep until they reached the shore. He showed none of those thoughts on his face. "You shouldn't be so cruel to yourself," he teased at the mention of Puu. He shook his head slightly and forced his stride even as they left down the hall, the urge to limp for the sake of his left calf was ignored.

Botan bounced ahead to announce their arrival with her usual cheer and Kurama fell in step beside Yusuke. His hands rested easily in his pockets through the short walk. "Look who I found!" The reaper declared.

"There you are Yusuke," Keiko said with a frown on her face and Puu held in her arms. She pointed at him to nag in their strange form of flirting. "We've been waiting forever you know." The fox took this moment to get out of the line of fire and took a seat beside Genkai, hiding a flinch as he did so. He sat straight, avoiding the seat back to avoid putting pressure on his injuries.

EDDE:
He chuckled cheekily toward the scolding he got, already knowing as much full well. Keiko was just like that after all, not that he had much room to talk on the subject. Though he gave an odd look to the fox. That was the second time he'd said that to him lately, and it was weird then too, not quite having connected what he was saying.

As Botan went on ahead, Yusuke matches Kurama's stride just beside and behind him. Though he wasn't overly loud about it, his comment was still overly boisterous as he chided at him. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard, you know." His reasoning for it almost making up for the sympathetic words as he offered that cheeky grin of his while passing him up a little. "It'll just make things hard again next time." Of course, it wasn't as if he were trying to hide the fact that he was planning on helping him out again already before he'd even asked.

He matched the girl's look easily, shoving his hands into his pockets through the nag before a roll of his eyes had him looking in a different direction all together through a flippant flair of his personality. He was grinning out a teasing glee despite how pissy he managed to make his voice over the chiding he got. "Oh, well excuse me. Next time I decide to have some me time, I'll be sure and schedule it out."

He blinked a bit as Puu wiggled out of Keiko's grasp and flew toward, not him, but Kurama, landing on the fox's head and forcing a sharp snicker from the spirit detective. Mostly it was because he was glad the damned thing hadn't done the same to him again, but it seemed like the only time the thing didn't really bother him as much was when it was interacting with Kurama.

Genkai looked the redhead over as he sat next to her, huffing a sigh and keeping her mouth shut. She knew what was going on with him after all, she had seen plenty of those bandages for herself, but she wasn't willing to feed a stubborn horse. Well, at least until the little spirit beast decided to roost in his hair. Her tease was light, quiet, and purely for the fox. "Oh look. It likes you better than it likes Keiko..." That part obviously wasn't the tease, as it said quite a bit, but she added to it. "Or it just thinks that rat's nest of yours would make a great home." She couldn't leave her comment off on too sweet a note, after all.

Hiei was seated at the table next to his sister. His elbow was resting on the table, with his chin in his palm. And he was decidedly ignoring the buffoon sitting next to her keeping her entertained, easily not vested in this little get together.

And Shizuru sat on the opposite side of Kuwabara, screwing around with him in rather simply ways and throwing of his 'mojo' as he tried to act all suave with the young maiden. The easiest way being to spout off mean little tidbits of information the idiot found embarrassing to her over his shoulder quietly.

Fox:
The concern was nice, and he turned his head slightly to look at the detective. "I am painfully aware of my own limitations," he assured. It was true, though those same limitations were telling him to return to a soft place to sleep and heal. So, he added with a bit of a smile. "Besides, I mourned her as well." Spending time with their friends and attempting to sooth over any worries about him played a key role in his joining, but he'd missed Genkai as well.

The thought of repeating the early process pulled an unhappy sound from the fox, but he didn't argue.

"You should be more considerate of your friends Yusuke," she continued with that not quite glare. Even with this dreadful tournament over she was still scared for him... Her attention switched to the struggling beast held in her arms. "Ah, Puu?" Keiko reached for him but stopped when she saw where it landed... and tried not to giggle when Botan put words to her thoughts.

The reaper snickered. "Blue isn't really your color Kurama, it clashes with your hair."

Kurama looked up as if to see the creature now perched on his head. Your hair is a bit damaged Kurama, human bodies are so frail. A slight tick in a finger was the only indication to the memory of Karasu's hands around his neck. It was gone but a moment later. "Then it has made a poor decision," he started, reaching up to pluck the beast off of his head to set it on the table. "Though, knowing its origins, it should be expected." His tone was light, attention shifting between master and student. In the end his sights were on Puu as he gently pat the tuft of dark hair on the top of its head, but his words were directed at the spirit detective. "You should learn to control yourself Yusuke, you may give the wrong impressions."

"Hey c'mon sis! You can't go around telling stories like that!" The threat of the tale of his first day at school terrified Kuwabara. He turned quickly to Yukina. "Don't listen to anything she says, she's one of the evil humans," he made a scary face to accent the claim.

The ice maiden looked up at him curiously. "But Shizuru has been very kind to me Kazuma; and I'd like to hear her stories."

EDDE:
The small beast didn't cling to Kurama's hair as he did to his counterpart, as the landing it had made wasn't for the same kind of closeness. It's little feet kicked lightly as it was picked up, light coos in the likeness of it's name chirped out through the movement, though they weren't a complaint. And he seemed perfectly elated to get the touch to his head, standing tall as he closed his eyes happily through an attempt to gain better contact with the redhead's hand.

Yusuke had smiled a bit at the fox's words regarding the woman before they'd been interrupted by joining the gathering, his attention having easily been pulled away. At the tease from the fox, it fell right back on him. It was pulled away all over again before he could fully react however, through comments from the peanut gallery.

Genkai chuckled lightly, offering the small thing a look before her eyes rolled over her former student. "At least it hasn't died yet."

Even Hiei seemed to want to get in on the action of teasing the spirit detective, as it would be a good reprieve from the idiots who had decided to sit nearest to him. "Don't be a fool, Kurama. The notion of control and Yusuke sharing the same sentence is ridiculous, let alone being put to practice."

Yusuke looked over the lot of them, blinking a bit. It was a good thing he was in such high spirits or he might not have taken the onslaught quite as well. Still he managed to bubble up through an offense that wasn't fully feigned. "Hell, someone could have warned me the theme of this little party was 'Trash Yusuke', you know."

Shizuru smirked, circling her arm around her baby brother's head and offering in that ornery way of hers, "I'll show you evil." Though the attack on Yusuke caught her attention, and it gave her the perfect chance to do just what she'd said as she turned her eyes on the raven haired teen. "Hey, don't sweat it, Kid. You'll never be as pathetic as this lump. I was just about to tell Yukina about his first day of school." She smirked down on him as she told the whole group instead. Evil, he'd said. "He was so scared to go he actually pissed his pants, you know. And if I remember right, the little wuss bawled his eyes out most of the day, too."

"Heh." It seemed Hiei found some sort of enjoyment in the offered story.

Fox:
The fox pulled his hand away from Puu to rest his elbows on the arms of the chair, and turned his attention to Hiei and exaggerating a sigh. "I still cling to a false hope," he explained with an upward turn on his lips that wavered in its attempt to stay modest as Shizuru chimed in. He couldn't help but feel badly for it but he coughed to clear the laughter he was choking on.

Kuwabara's face turned red and he fought in a thrashing rage to get out of his sister's hold and stop the story... but it was no use. "Of course I cried all day, you didn't bring me new pants!"

A sound that would have been called a snort if made by anyone else jerked Kurama's shoulders.

Botan swung around to place her hands on Shizuru's shoulders. "I guess that explains why he doesn't do so well in school. Post traumatic stress disorder."

"I'm sorry you had such a bad time Kazuma." The young maiden's voice gave him the strength to rip from Shizuru's grip and take Yukina's hand. "Thank you Yukina, you have better heart than any of these guys!" His head popped up to look at the table before returning to her.

Kazuma's always so funny. Big clown.

EDDE:
Puu looked perfectly dejected as the attention was pulled away from him. The pouting that it was doing up at Kurama had no effect. So finally, through a heavy flapping, he covered the small distance from the table to the fox's face, stunted arms landing against his cheek to draw his attention, before it leaned forward and nuzzled at that cheek in the same way that had gotten the redhead's attention when they'd first met.

Yusuke could only manage some cruel laughter, unable to make his own comment toward the 'story' before he was interrupted by the old woman. "What are you laughing at, Dimwit? Don't forget there are people here who have stories about you too. I have a few myself..." A cruel little smirk crossed her lips. "And I bet Keiko has even more."

Yusuke's glee over the scene drained away quite quickly at the thought, his attention turning to the girl curiously. "You wouldn't tell people stupid crap about me, would you Keiko?" He didn't need to ask the old woman. He already knew she would.

"So what?" Hiei was chiming in again. His eyes landed on the fox as he hinted toward his own knowledge of the redheaded demon that sat on the other side of the table, his attention drawn that way mainly due to the blue growth on his face. "I'm sure you've all got at least one person who could tell a story about you. Even Kurama." He smirked a bit, thinking on the idiotic story that had been told about the buffoon. "Although the stories I know are decidedly different."

Shizuru lifted an eyebrow, curious at the lead in. "Yea? How do you mean different?"

Fox:
"Well, I don't know Yusuke, maybe if you promised to come to school more often, I'd keep our childhood secrets secret," she answered with a sweet smile, crossing her arms over her chest to rest them, now that Puu had found someone else to nuzzle. In fact, she pouted a little when she looked over at Kurama and the nuzzling beast... He'd never cuddled her quite like that.

Botan popped her head up with an excited bounce. "Oh! I'd like to hear stories about Kurama. What sort of embarrassing stories could he have?" she asked turning her attention close to Hiei, then backing up juuuust a bit.

Slim fingers grasped Puu by the scruff of his neck to carefully pull the beast from his cheek and hold it midair for the time being. "Unless you would like them to be reenacted, Hiei; I suggest that you keep those stories to yourself." The green eyes settled on the fire demon across the table had a tiny hint of cruelty that could promise so much...

Yukina seemed perfectly delighted at the aspect of so many stories. "I would like to hear them all. It would be a great way to get to know everyone better."

"Yeah!" Kuwabara agreed instantly, but quickly shrunk. "Just no more about me, okay sis?"

EDDE:
Hiei blinked a bit, chuckling and turning his attention away. It wasn't as if he'd said he was going to tell any of them.

Puu was squirming through the hold, pouting quite heavily.

Yusuke rolled his eyes, turning his attention away from the girl through it shortly. "Chea, like I care that much about stupid shit that happened when I was a kid." He noticed that Genkai had sat back a bit, watching the conversation she'd put into action, but his attention fell on the redhead. "He means from before, right? Like the one you told me?"

"My Kurama, everyone seems so interested in your stories." The old woman teased lightly.

Shizuru offered her little brother a manipulative pout. "What? But Yukina is so interested. Are you saying you don't want to get to know her better, Little Bro?"

 

[EDDE]

Fox:
"I must be quite popular," he agreed with the old woman. "However I'm far more interested in the stories you have to tell Genkai, care to share?" His eyes rolled over to Yusuke. "Of course not, Hiei is intimately aware of my childhood embarrassments," he answered with an amused droll.

Keiko opened her arms towrads the squirming spirit beast. "Why don't you come back here Puu, I'll cuddle with you."

Botan pouted quite clearly and drew closer to Hiei. "I'm sure Yukina would be really happy if you told some stories~~"

"That's not what I meant at all!" Kuwabara turned back to Yukina, but the ice maiden had already turned away to face Hiei and Kurama. "Oh please do share."

The fox turned his stare once more at the little fire demon.

EDDE:
Yusuke blinked a bit, not catching the note in Kurama's tone. His eyes turned up in thought as he scratched at his cheek through an odd sort of smile. "Oh yea. You and Hiei have been together longer than you've known any of us, huh?" Why did the thought of that seem to bug him as much as it did all of a sudden?

Hiei landed a bored tone on the redhead as he spoke to the spirit detective. "Those aren't nearly as interesting." He honestly didn't think he had any of 'those' through their experience together. Then again, they really weren't things that interested him, so it was possibly he did just a little... But he certainly hadn't experienced anything like the buffoon's sister spoke of. Yusuke's reaction to the news had simply been to hard to resist further jostling at. His attention shifted to the blue haired imp as she drew closer, narrowing on her in that dangerous way he often had about him that easily told her to shut up. Though he didn't say anything to her, and his attention shifted quickly when the doughy eyed girl next to him pleaded toward them.

Shizuru chuckled lightly to herself as her teasing made perfect impact on Kuwabara, but her attention shifted and her eyes landed on Kurama, who was actually a bit more entertaining to her than the others at the moment.

Puu's squirming picked up into a bit of a struggle, little arms and legs flailing a bit.

Genkai chuckled to herself, looking up at the fox. "Maybe later. There's enough entertainment to go around right now." She resumed her casual stance, admiring the chaos she had set the table into, that was sure to break out further at any moment. The smirk that played across her lips was a bit softer than usual. Idiots.

Fox:
A soft sigh; not surprised the sarcasm went over the detective's head. "Well, yes but..." Hiei spoke and green eyes turned to him before a silent chuckle shook his shoulders and he decided not to correct Yusuke. Genkai's comment was met with an audible chuckle. "Then please, enjoy."

Shizuru's stare caught his attention, a look he knew well, a look that said the woman knew more than the others. He returned it with a placid smile, because if she knew enough than the look, she'd be giving him would be much different.

The longer he looked at her the more he contemplated her real reaction. He couldn't imagine her showing fear or disgust. Curiosity perhaps. The staring eyes softened with his own curiosity, and he looked away from Shizuru with a thoughtful look upward. Puu's squirming was met with his absent release.

Yukina hid her frown well, but her eyebrows pinched together in her disappointment as she sat straight again.

"What'd you do that for shorty! Get over here so I can kick your ass!"

The looks she was given had Botan nervously laughing and slowly backing away with a strange look stuck on her face. I don't wanna die.

EDDE:
The look on Hiei's face grew sharp, easily showing an annoyance he kept to himself as the maiden's disappointment radiated off of her, even though he wasn't looking in her direction anymore. Of course, a distraction presented itself and he scoffed though a light 'heh' purely for the moron's attempt at intimidation.

When the small beast was let go, not having been flapping hard enough to keep itself aloft, it flopped straight down onto the table, landing on it's head. Standing, and taking a bit of a misstep through a sway, his attention landed right back on Kurama. And he hurried back to return to his nuzzling attempt at attention. Though it misjudged the distance and ended up smacking into him instead.

Hiei's addition to Kurama's comment didn't help in the least, forcing a bit of a frown over his face as he looked over the short demon across the table. His attention was quickly diverted by the stupid little beast as it hit the table with a heavy thunk, only able to stare through the next action that had it bashing into the redhead.

Shizuru's eyebrow lifted a bit as the fox's attention drifted away, curious about what had drawn away his attention after she'd landed that same smile right back on him flawlessly. The sudden actions taken by the little blue guy managed to catch up her own attention, and as a smirk crossed Hiei's face through the clumsy display, she filled his silence with her own laughter.

And there it was. Genkai chuckled warmly to herself. It seemed just about everyone was being pulled in this time around.

Fox:
"Hm?" The fox gave an exasperated sigh as he looked down at the thump. When Puu flew upwards and back towards him, he could have dodged the 'attack' with ease; but, the wounds on his lower back burned with a screaming throb. He decided it would be better to take the smack to the face. "I didn't realize you were this clumsy Yusuke," Kurama stated simply after plucking up Puu once more.

Reaching up, the redhead placed the spirit beast atop Yusuke's head. "Stay," he commanded before sitting straight again.

Once more Keiko reached or for him. "Come here Puu," she called again.

EDDE:
Yusuke, finally realizing that Kurama was comparing the beast to himself, at least this time, bubbled up heavily as the it was put on his head. "Hey! Don't lump me in with this thing," he pouted out sharply. "I already told you it's nothing like me!"

And despite his denial, the small beast had a very similar little angry pout across its face for being pushed away and told to sit there. The look turning on Keiko when she called to him. When Yusuke noticed it didn't move, he added to his little rant. "And why the Hell is it listening to you?" It sure as fuck didn't listen to the spirit detective when he told it to do things.

Shizuru's laughter had died down into chuckles quickly as she watched the scene unfold.

Genkai had her own two cents to put in on that one. "The only difference I see is that it knows when to shut the Hell up and listen to what it's told."

While the look Hiei allowed to cross the table was a bored one, the scene was still somewhat entertaining in its idiocy.

Fox:
"Dang Urameshi, looks like Kurama's got you whipped." Kuwabara snickered. Kurama wasn't sure if he appreciated the pun. However, it did bring about another curiosity. Looking back at Puu the fox pointed at him, then to the girl calling him over. "Puu, go to Keiko."

Botan piped up from her chair now very far away from Hiei. "Maybe he just really likes you Kurama. Spirit beast and fox spirit after all."

"The two are hardly related Botan," Kurama replied flippantly.

Yukina added with a smile. "I think it's very sweet."

EDDE:
Yusuke's attention landed sharply on Kuwabara, perfectly ready to tear him a new one over the teasing, as it had seemed to get to him pretty sharply even before now. However the small creature rather instantly jumping into the girl's arms. "Dammit, Kurama. How the Hell did you do that?"

Genkai chuckled all over again. "Maybe Kurama just knows animals."

Shizuru smiled too pleasantly at Yusuke as the small creature curled up to Keiko. "Aww. Yusuke I didn't know you could be so affectionate."

Hiei had relearned his lesson on piping up through the last attempt he'd made. All though the slight jump in his shoulders and small curl in cruel lips noted his entertainment. Despite the utter idiocy it seemed he didn't have the mood to find it frivolous or annoying at the moment.

Yusuke sighed sharply at the teasing, turning in his chair as he watched a server walk by with a tray and set it at a table. Still, his mood seemed to stay good enough through the taunting to offer his quirky attitude. "Hey! What the Hell is taking so long? There are hungry, annoying people over here who need to stuff their freakin' faces."

The server nearly jumped out of his skin, shoving the tray further on to the table and stammering as he hurried over. "O-of course! What can I get for you?" He chuckled nervously, standing at what seemed to be the safest spot in the table further away from the fighters and behind Botan and he wrung at his hands heavily.

Fox:
Ordering went by smoothly enough, the poor waiter shaking as he wrote them down before scurrying away. Their food and drinks came out in record time, though they had to switch around the platters on their own. The teasing came to a stop in favor of eating, Kurama politely dining as usual. He was half way through his meal when an unnoticeable tick twitched a finger.

The orange chicken in front of him turned fuzzy and the fox was aware of the weakness growing in his limbs that he casually held back, as he had no desire to worry the gentler occupants of the table. Instead, Kurama set down the silverware and wiped his mouth clean on a napkin.

EDDE:
Despite everything there had been to order on the menu, probably most things he wouldn't even get a chance to try again, Yusuke ordered himself a burger and fries. He wasn't entirely pleased with the fancy outcome of that order, either. It certainly wasn't what he'd been expecting. Still, he was practically starving, and he ate it up quickly.

Most of them were still eating by the time he finished, not that he looked around to see who was. His eyes did land on the fox, and he paused in looking over him. His food wasn't finished, but it looked like he was. After a moment of frowning, Yusuke stretched in a boisterous way, hiding the sharp flinch his body took for the tole it put on his injuries. "Well, I'm gonna go."

He stood, pushing out his chair behind him and replacing it as he looked over everyone. "Been fun, but I'm tired as Hell." It wasn't a lie. He was pretty tired, though he had been even as he'd woken up, not having felt he'd gotten nearly enough sleep with redhead earlier. He paused, looking over Kurama as if he were gauging him all over again flawlessly, which actually he was in checking on his condition, and adding, "Hey Kurama, I wanted to talk to you. You done?" While it wasn't the best excuse, it was enough of one to get him out of the area.