((Thanks. ^_^ And yeah, I think that's a good idea about Genkai. I figured you'd like to play Yukina anyway so that's alright. Do you want me to play Kuwabara so you don't have to have a relationship with yourself or would you like to play him? Either way is fine with me.))

Some time later, Kurama exited his apartment and closed the door behind him. He nodded in greeting to the woman down the hall before turning to go the in the opposite direction. He wasn't in the mood for idle chatter today. Taking the steps two at a time he reached the bottom floor in no time and stepped out into the bright morning. He turned right and began to walk the short distance to work. Normally he would stop to buy a sweet roll for breakfast but this morning he passed the stand by without so much as a glance and arrived at the lab a few minutes early because of it.

He greeted the lab assistant with a simple "good morning" and took up the lab coat that he had left beside the door the evening prior. In the mornings, his assistant would come early to set up the tests to be run that day and usually left before Shuichi in the evenings. Sometimes the redhead would even stay later if he became too absorbed in what he was doing. The work pleased him and he often had nothing better to do so he didn't mind.

Picking up the clipboard that had been left neatly at his workstation, Kurama quickly ran his eyes down the list of things he would be doing that day. He could already guess what the results of most of the tests would yield but the procedures would need to be done anyway just to confirm his suspicions. Setting the clipboard down where he'd found it, he moved over to where the assistant had prepared the first test.

OOC: That would be great. ^_^ Arguing with myself and dating myself is not very fun. lol. Hope you don't mind me pulling him in this way....

Hiei slowly relaxed but he was still a bit relieved when Yukina began to calm down. He reluctantly released her as she pulled back.

"Sorry." She said with a weak smile. "I had begun to think you wouldn't come."

He had no response to that, he almost had managed to talk himself out of it several times. He looked away from her.

Yukina seemed to read his discomfort. She wiped her eyes and smiled nervously. "Will you come in and have some tea? I...I'm expecting Kazuma to arrive any minute. He stops by on his way to work."

Hiei frowned. He had been hoping to put off dealing with the oaf right away, but on the plus side, he would most likely very much enjoy the look on the idiot's face when he learned of the relationship between his future bride and his long time antagonist. He smirked, warming to the idea. "Hn." He said in lieu of yes. Yukina would understand. Other than Kurama, she understood him better than anyone. He felt a twinge of that strange emotion that always accompanied thoughts of the fox and pushed it away quickly. He needed to deal with the immediate situation first. Kurama was a problem to be dealt with later.

((I can't guarantee how well I'll play him but I don't mind giving it a shot. ^///^))

Kurama pushed a pair of goggles over his bright green eyes and raised the dropper steadily over the petri dish in front of him. Carefully squeezing a precise number of droplets on the the plant sample that lay in the center of the dish, he watched patiently for any discolorations or other change. As the plant began to transform below him, he noted the minute changes that it had undergone before slipping a cover over the dish and setting it on a tray nearby. He would check on the sample again in an hour or so to see if it had made any further progression.

Kazuma Kuwabara sat bolt upright as soon as his alarm rang, upsetting Eiikichi in the process. The cat hissed at him angrily, much to Kuwabara's dismay, "I'm sorry Eiikichi!" he called out, running after the cat that had fled his room at the disruption, "Hey, come back here so I can apologize properly!" Kuwabara chased after the feline out into the hallway just in time to see her squirm her way under the couch, "Oh come on Eiikichi, don't be like that..." he coaxed, but the cat didn't seem to be listening. "Listen, I'll make it up to you tonight!" he said before dashing back to his room to get dressed.

Kazuma loved getting up in the morning. He'd dress and go up to Genkai's before work to eat breakfast with his beloved Yukina. It only took him a few moments to put on his clothes and slip on his shoes before he was out the door and racing through the streets. He waved a friendly greeting at any passerby that looked familiar until he reached the outskirts of town. His pace slowed only slightly as he walked through the forest, careful not to trip over any tree roots or dirty his attire. He had to look his very best for Yukina!

OOC: Lol. I think you are doing great with him. ^_^ Sorry for the delay. I was exercising and then I made supper. ^_^


Hiei was careful to mask his energy from the approaching oaf. He wanted his presence to take the fool off guard. It would make it much more entertaining.

Yukina had led him into the temple's small kitchen area and quickly brought him some tea. She then set to making a simple breakfast of rice, grilled fish, pickled daikon, and miso soup. "Have you eaten yet, Aniki?" She asked him sweetly.

Hiei shook his head no, silently astounded at how easily she accepted his role in her family. How naturally the title of brother rolled off her tongue. She had had a while to think it over but he would have thought she'd have more questions for him, more accusations. He felt Kuwabara nearing the temple and remembered they weren't going to be alone for long. Perhaps she was merely saving the discussion for a more private moment.

Yukina hummed happily as she stirred the soup and set the table for three. She finally had her brother back and her love was on his way. All was right with her world. Sure she was still curious why Hiei had not told her the truth, but she would wait until he was ready to tell her. Much like the glaciers she had once called home, Yukina was content to move slowly through life.

((Having him be an oaf isn't the difficult part, the hard part is going to be dealing with Hiei I think. ^///^ What do you do for exercise if you don't mind me asking?))

Stepping away from the work bench, Kurama made his way into a different section of the lab which housed tables upon which rows and rows of plants had been meticulously arranged. With clipboard in hand, he walked among these tables making notes on each of the test subjects. This was one of his favorite parts of the day. It would take at least an hour to examine each of the plants and make notations but it fascinated Kurama to see how certain chemical compounds could effect the color, growth rate, or even medicinal properties of certain plants. This particular sample had been growing for about a week now and he hoped to get some positive results from some of them.

As he converged on the large staircase, Kazuma's speed increased significantly. He was only minutes away from his true love! Taking the steps four at a time, the orange-haired boy made it to the top in no time. Only pausing a moment to kick off his shoes and arrange them nicely at the threshold, Kuwabara slid back the sliding door with a snap and announcing his presence, "YuukIIna! I'm here my darling!" Then, stepping over the threshold he made his way through the various rooms and into the kitchen. Catching sight of his beloved he started to say something else but the words fell silent as his jaw nearly fell to the floor. After only a moment he regained his ability to speak and said, "Shrimp? What are you doing here?"

OOC: I was playing My Shape Fitness on the Kinect. I just got it. It made me die. lol. I'm so out of shape. :P But hopefully it won't be so hard for too long. I figure if I can get an hour or so of exercise a day and cut back on junk food I should be able to lose some weight and maybe not be so easily winded. For right now I played for twenty-thirty minutes and I'm exhausted. O_o'

Hiei had no trouble arranging his face into a fierce scowl at the sight of the orange haired human. He blurred from his place at the table, coming to a stop inches from the taller man. "I'm here to kill you for tarnishing Yukina's honor." He said in a perfectly serious tone of voice.

Yukina gasped in shock as she turned around to face the pair of them. As her elder brother, even if he was only older by a few minutes, Hiei had the right to kill a suitor he deemed unworthy. She hadn't considered it when she asked him to come. The little demoness stood transfixed, not believing Hiei would actually do as he claimed. It had to be a joke....yes, her Aniki was playing with Kazuma the way he used to. He had to be. The idea gave her the calm to wait out the confrontation in silence.

((Ah, I try to do about an hour a day with the Wii Fit but this last week that I had to work so early I didn't really get a chance to. Do you think My Shape Fitness is a good game? My fiance's got a Kinect and is looking to lose some weight, maybe I could recommend it to him if you think it's good.))

Kurama pushed fallen strands of red hair out of his face as he studied the tiny plant in front of him with the aid of a magnifying glass. When all of the plants had grown to maturity he would cut off samples and look at them under a microscope but for now he would focus on the more visible effects of the various chemical solutions he had added to the water supply of each specimen.

Kuwabara's jaw dropped even lower if possible when Hiei calmly explained his reason for coming. "We haven't done anything yet!" he exclaimed, his voice squeaking in the middle. He couldn't believe the Hiei would possibly doubt his code of honor aft all the time they'd spent together but more importantly than that, he couldn't believe the shrimp was seriously going to try to kill him! Who would be there to feed Eiikichi when he was gone? And who would come visit Yukina for breakfast? Kuwabara looked from Hiei's serious face over to Yukina's. She was unusually silent. Didn't she care that the spiky-haired man seriously intended to kill him? Or maybe she was confident in his skills to defend himself. Yeah, that definitely had to be it.

OOC: *dies laughing at Kuwa's thoughts* Umm...yeah it seems like a really good game. It controls beautifully and I definitely felt the effects of my little workout. I'll have to let you know if I actually lose any weight though. It's too soon to say. ^_^

Hiei flared his youki and despite his small stature managed to loom before the taller man, a handy trick of the jagan. "Fool!" He snapped. "You asked her to marry you without asking her family first or providing a bride price." He explained the lapse of Makai etiquette in a condescending tone, as if it should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell. He did not mention that only certain types of demons followed those rules. Many did not marry or choose permanent mates at all, and Koorime did not even have males so there was no precedent. Still, some fire demons did mate for life or so he'd read, and among the more powerful families of all species in Makai a bride price was customary.

Yukina could breathe again. 'Aniki really IS toying with him.' She was extremely relieved, though she did wish her brother and her future husband wouldn't fight. Some things even she would not dare ask of Hiei. Her expression smoothed and became peaceful. Hiei wouldn't kill her fiancee. This was just his way of breaking the news of their kinship to Kazuma. She fought off a giggle, not wanting to spoil her brother's fun. He had come a long way for her sake after all. The least she could do was allow him to broach the subject with Kazuma on his own terms.

((LOL! I'm glad you liked it. ^_^ I'll post with Kurama sporadically until he comes into play again. That game's probably better than the Wii Fit. I feel like I could get a better workout with something like the Kinect but there's no sense in me getting one for myself since he already has one. I'll just have to wait until we're together for good to use it. >.<))

Kuwabara took a step backward as Hiei seemed to loom over him all of a sudden. He grimaced as the black-haired male explained some weird rules that demons apparently had to follow before getting married. Man! He really should have asked Kurama about some of this crap. What the hell was this "bride price"? Kuwabara didn't have the slightest idea but he reeeally hoped that he could afford it. He didn't have the best paying job but he did have a bit of money tucked away. Even if he couldn't afford it though, he'd take on another job and work doubly hard if he had to just to have Yukina's hand in marriage. But what about that family bit? "You've got to be kidding!" he hollered, comprehension dawning on him that they never had located Yukina's long lost brother, "It might be years before we find that guy!" He spared a moment's glance over at his betrothed but didn't notice anything amiss, "I haven't stopped looking you know," he added quickly, "but I haven't found anything yet."

Hiei smirked smugly, "Yukina has found her brother already." He waited to see if the oaf would catch on but highly doubted that he would.

OOC: Short and to the point. Just like Hiei. lol.

OOC: I have both. Haven't played Wii Fit yet. I'll let you know how they compare. ^_^

Hiei rolled his eyes. "He's standing right in front of you, Fool." It was as he expected. The idiot was incapable of putting two and two together on his own. What Yukina saw in the big oaf, he would never understand. He would have to spell it out to be sure Kuwabara understood what he was saying. "I am Yukina's elder brother and it is my right to either approve or kill any suitor who wishes to take her as his mate."

Yukina smiled brightly. Hiei wasn't ashamed of her. She had worried that the reason he never admitted to being her brother was because he was disgusted by her weakness in allowing herself to be captured and used by Tarukane. But that couldn't be the case. She even thought she heard a hint of pride in his voice as he told her fiancee the news. She only hoped Kazuma's sense of honor would overcome Hiei's snide attitude. Intentionally or not, Kazuma had broken tradition. If he blew up it would be a good excuse for her brother to contest the marriage. She shot her love a pleading look and urgently mouthed, "Be polite!"

Hiei crossed his arms and glared, of course the idiot would ask the question Yukina had refrained from voicing. "None of your business, Oaf." He snapped harshly before taking on an air of indifference. "Besides, there are more important questions you should be asking me if you want to live." He added dryly. He was actually having a fairly good time verbally sparring with the large moron. He wouldn't admit it even to himself but he'd almost...missed the orange-haired human.

Yukina held her breath in anticipation. If Hiei approved of the marriage, it would make her incredibly happy. She knew he didn't like Kazuma much, but the human was a good man and her brother knew it.

OOC: Hiei's relationship with Kuwa is so disfunctional. lol. But it works for them. ^_^'

Hiei's face gave no hint of a reaction, but he was impressed the boy had the guts to meet his glare straight on. Then again, the oaf had often shown such a lack of self-preservation in the past. Instead of addressing his old teammate, Hiei shifted his gaze to his sister, his expression softening ever so slightly at the sight of her anxious expression.

"Imouto, are you sure? Will being stuck with this moron make you happy?" He asked her flatly.

Yukina nodded without hesitation. "Yes, Aniki. It will." She answered formally.

Hiei grimaced but nodded stiffly. "Then my blessing is given." He said simply. For the second time that morning he found himself tackled by the little ice demoness. 'At least she isn't crying this time.' He thought with just a hint of a smile as he self-consciously wrapped his arms around her. He didn't like showing such affection in front of the Oaf.

Yukina sensed his discomfort and released him with an apologetic smile. "Thank you, Aniki." She said, radiant in her joy. Then she turned and launched herself into her fiancee's arms.

Hiei turned away from the disgusting sight of his sister embracing Kuwabara. "As I have no need for human currency, the bride price can be waved." He gestured dismissively.

Hiei eyed the proffered hand warily, and did not reach for it. Once it had been withdrawn and Yukina began to bustle around getting breakfast finished, he sent a quick telepathic message to his future brother-in-law. 'See that you remember that promise.' He told the human menacingly, and it was obvious he wasn't referring to being called shrimp. 'If you ever betray her, I will personally take care of your funeral arrangements.' He paused to let that sink in, 'However I can't promise I'll wait til you're dead before I cremate your remains.'

He moved back to his seat at the table without sparing the oaf another glance.

Yukina was happily oblivious to the threatening exchange as she filled the soup bowls and brought the food to the table.

Kuwabara was not offended when Hiei didn't shake his hand but the telepathic message that Hiei sent him did offend the honorable human. He knew it was just Hiei's nature to distrust humans but Kuwabara wanted to believe that he had proven his worth and demonstrated his loyalty many times over during the years that the two males had worked together as a team, even if it had been a somewhat dysfunctional one. Still, he wouldn't allow Hiei's distrust to ruin his good mood. He had received two pieces of good news that morning, no three. Not only had he formally been given permission to marry his beloved but Yukina had also been reunited with her brother and it seemed Hiei was still in good health. The little demon had crossed his thoughts more than once in the past ten years. As much as he hated to admit it, he almost missed their arguments. Kuwabara sat down in his usual spot at the table and eyed the food that Yukina brought to the table.

((Just to let you know I have to leave for work in a half hour and then I'll be gone for the night but I'm off tomorrow and Tuesday.))

OOC: No problem. Thanks for letting me know. ^_^

Hiei nodded his thanks for the food and ate most his meal in silence.

Yukina broke into his thoughts with a simple question. "So, Aniki, how long will you be staying?" She asked sweetly.

Her unwitting echo of the question Kurama had posed the night before, brought back everything Hiei had been working hard not to think about. It took him a moment to compose himself but he hoped no one noticed. "I'll be here until the wedding, as you requested in your letter." He managed not to sound as distracted as he suddenly was.

Yukina smiled brightly. "Wonderful! So will you be staying here? It would be my honor to have you."

Hiei blinked. 'Didn't she say earlier that the oaf comes by every day for breakfast?' He thought, sickened at the idea of waking up every morning and having to deal with that. Giving his blessing was one thing, having to watch them make googly eyes at each other every morning....

"No," He answered hastily. "I have already made other arrangements." It wasn't entirely untrue, sleeping in the park was an arrangement of sorts.

Yukina frowned but nodded her understanding. "Oh, alright."

The threat of entertaining Kuwabara for breakfast was not the only reason he refused. It wasn't common knowledge but he was actually quite a bit claustrophobic. Walls had never meant safety to him, they made him feel trapped. It was why he spent so much of his time sitting in windows or outdoors. Only Kurama had ever been able to coax him indoors for long....He cut off the thought of the redhead's warm room on cold, rainy nights, his focus snapping back to the situation at hand.

The longer he sat there in the warm and cozy kitchen with his sister and her fiancee, the more he wanted out. It was time to make his excuses. "I have to go." He announced, a bit too suddenly. "I have some things to do." He fought the urge to grimace, that excuse was terrible. He didn't even specify what he had to do. "I'll....I'll stop by tomorrow around midday." With that he was gone faster than you could blink.

"Aniki..." Yukina stood there blinking in confusion for a moment before shaking her head and giving up on understanding her brother's emotions or actions. She highly doubted he even understood himself sometimes. "Be safe, Aniki." She whispered before turning back to Kazuma with a smile.

A few minutes into his analysis of the sample sets, Kurama's assistant finished up what she had been doing and came in to help. This sped the process along faster than Kurama would have liked. At this rate he would finish many of the tests before his morning break. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem for the plant enthusiast however today he wanted more than anything to keep busy, to keep his mind focused on anything but Hiei's sudden appearance and their strained exchange the evening prior. Kurama knew he would have to take time to confront his emotions but for now he preferred to push them aside to be examined at a later time. The fox realized that he was acting almost like Hiei in dealing with the matter. The fire demon never seemed to confront his emotions until forced to, and sometimes even then continued to live in a state of ignorance about them. It seemed the jagan user was just beginning to accept his role as Yukina's brother.

Kurama's mind unwillingly slipped further into thought as he began to ponder what emotions the fire demon might hold for him. Their relationship had progressed in a rather odd fashion. They had met for the first time as thieves. To Kurama and Hiei alike, the other had been just a means to a common goal. Shortly thereafter however the dissolved into enemies and were surprisingly reunited again by Spirit World as mercenaries of a sort in payment for their previous crime. Somewhere along the way the two had turned into a team and eventually fast friends. The question was however, what had different life choices and ten years apart done to their relationship?

From somewhere nearby, Kurama heard a light cough and looked up from the plant he had been staring at for a few minutes too long. His assistant handed him her half of the evaluations and exited the room. Kurama watched her back as she left. She was a great help in the lab and helped to make his work move smoothly through the day. The young woman was a hard worker, meticulous, but shy and they never exchanged more words than necessary, not out of animosity but rather out of professionalism. He could tell that the human girl liked him but Kurama kept quiet on the matter and so did she. In all his time spent living among humans, the redhead had never shown any interest in dating, to the annoyance of many a girl. He had never questioned this fact before as it would have been painful for him to live a double life with a human girl but now that he had devoted himself to a relatively normal ningen life, it would not be out of the question for him to consider the possibility. No doubt it would please his mother but he felt himself shying away from that idea. He had more important things to deal with before he considered adding any more complications to his life.

Kuwabara likewise nodded in thanks to the wonderful meal that Yukina had prepared for them before digging in. Everything was so good that he tried to eat a bite of everything almost at once and in the end had to force himself to slow down. He stopped in mid-bite however as Yukina directed her question at Hiei. He listened for Hiei's respond before cramming in another mouthful. It seemed like the shrimp would be hanging around for a while. At one time this fact probably would have dismayed him but now however, the orange-haired man accepted it. Heck, it would be just like old times! He wasn't too surprised when Hiei rejected Yukina's offer of boarding either. It seemed the guy hadn't lost his loner ways. To each his own Kuwabara supposed.

He wasn't quite through with his breakfast when Hiei announced his departure and dashed off to take care of some errands apparently. Kuwabara had a hard time imagining what sort of business the little demon could possibly have to take care of but didn't question that fact as he realized that he too should be leaving shortly. Kuwabara noticed Yukina smiling at him and gave a big toothy grin back before diving into the remains of his breakfast. Once finished he wiped his mouth on a napkin and disentangled his long legs from underneath the table. He hated to leave but it wouldn't do for him to be late to work, "Well it's been quite the morning!" he said stretching.

Yukina nodded, beaming. "Yes. I hope you aren't too upset that I didn't tell you sooner, Kazuma-kun." She said with a hint of shame. "He just arrived this morning without warning. I wasn't sure Aniki would come at all when I sent the letter, and I didn't want you to think badly of him if he didn't." She fidgeted with her empty plate as she blurted out her explanation and refused to meet his gaze. "I'm sure he has his reasons for keeping it a secret for so long, ne?" She wasn't sure if the question was really directed at her fiancee, or merely an attempt to reassure herself.

Hiei blurred through the forest at top speed and was soon back in the city proper. He then found himself at a loss for what to do. He didn't really have any set errands to run, though he was certain there were things he could do so it wasn't really a lie. He yawned, his restless night catching up with him after the emotional morning encounter. Mind made up, he decided to take a nap. That was something to do at least and it didn't require interacting with any humans. He found himself drawn to the large oak where he'd met Kurama the night before. He rationalized the choice of perches easily, 'It isn't like he'll be there in the middle of the day. He probably has a stupid human job to go to.' The fire demon scowled in disgust at the idea of the redhead cooped up in an office, probably with an idiotic human woman for a secretary....flirting with him like those annoying girls from his school always had....

Hiei growled and shoved the mental picture away. It wasn't his business what Kurama did for a living nor who the fox spent his time with. He purposefully ignored the way it hurt to admit that as he settled into the oak's branches and pretended to sleep. He was far too keyed up to actually do so, but his pride would not allow him to admit it even to himself.

Kurama pulled his thoughts laboriously back to botany and finished the rest of his notations quickly enough. Then, returning to the main area of the lab, he set the clipboard on the work bench for his assistant to input into their database and later file. The girl was not around at the moment however and he realized that she must be on break. Deciding that he too needed some fresh air, Kurama slipped out of his lab coat and exited the lab. Instead of making his way downstairs however, he took the stairway marked "up".

It wasn't long before the kitsune found himself on the rooftop of the laboratory complex. A brisk breeze tugged at the fabric of his clothing as he made his way over to the edge. The breeze felt nice in his hair and the air felt almost purifying despite the traces of smog. He stood at the edge looking down at the human city before him. People small as ants went about their daily lives in the streets below, not sensing the demon lurking above them. After a moment however his gaze turned from the people to the landscape and his eyes unwittingly came to rest on the park.

"Hiei..." He voiced the name softly; it was barely audible above the howl of the wind. "I've truly missed you," he said, confessing the words he hadn't the courage to say before. A longing rose up in his chest that he found he had never felt before. It twinged and twisted like writing agony, a pain far deeper than any physical wounds he could imagine. Kurama reached out with his spirit energy, searching for a particular signature but was not surprised when he couldn't touch upon it. It seemed Hiei was masking his energy using a technique that Kurama hardly bothered with anymore.

Kuwabara blinked as Yukina blurted out the reason for her silence on the matter up until that morning. Noticing her hand fidgeting at the edge of her plate, he realized that she must have felt uncomfortable keeping the secret from him. Reaching over her, he took her delicate hand in his own and held it reassuringly, "It's alright," he said, wanting nothing more than to comfort her, "I'm sure he does." He smiled warmly as he studied her delicate features but most of all her scarlet eyes. Realization dawned on him that they were the same as Hiei's and Kuwabara admitted to himself that he had been thick not to notice the resemblance sooner.

Yukina smiled and then a thought struck her. "Kazuma, aren't you going to be late?"

Bored out of his mind and unable to sleep, Hiei fell into an old habit of tracking the minds of people he knew. It had been a good way to keep his skills from getting rusty during his time trapped in the human city. Yukina and Kuwabara were too easy despite the distance to the temple. He already knew where they were, so he turned his attention towards finding others.

Yusuke was easy to recognize, his half demon heritage giving his mind a unique signature. He was working with his wife at her parents' ramen shop. No real surprise there.

Without thinking about it, he reached for Kurama's mind. He'd spent many dull days spying on history classes and English lessons through the fox's surface thoughts. Near the end, he'd taken to keeping a near constant touch on the redhead's mind, just enough to monitor for danger. Kurama was too valuable an ally to lose, at least that's what he told himself.

He was still searching for the familiar mind when it called out to him. It took him a moment to register that the fox was merely thinking about him, not actually talking to him the way they once did. Still, he got a strange warm feeling in his stomach as he heard his long time ally's thought and unwittingly answered it with his own. 'I've missed you too, fox.' Startled by his own thought, he hastily cut off the contact.

"Fool!" He muttered to himself. "Mooning over him like one of those lovesick school...." Red eyes widened at the comparison. 'Love?' He thought with a sneer. 'Is that it? Am I....Do I....love Kurama?' He shook his head, he'd seen a few romantic movies on tvs in shop windows and he knew he would never be as disgustingly sappy and weak as those humans. 'But what if that isn't the only kind of love?' His mind interrupted, just as he'd nearly talked himself out of the idea. 'I need more information.' He decided after few minutes of arguing with himself. He didn't trust human publications and he was disgusted by the idea of asking his sister or the oaf. He couldn't ask Kurama for obvious reasons. That left him with only two choices: the idiot's frightening sister or Urameshi.

Hiei didn't even have to think twice, he took off in the direction of Yusuke's presence. Shizuru was disconcerting to deal with at best. He wasn't about to ask her such a difficult question. Besides, Yusuke was married, that meant he was in love with Keiko. In theory that would help him answer the question better.

The petite demon landed in the alley next to the shop and walked around the corner to enter he immediately spotted Keiko running around behind the counter, taking orders and serving food. Yusuke was facing the back, cooking. Hiei approached the counter and flared his youki to let the half-demon know he was there.



OOC: Oh my goodness, Hiei's figured it out!! lol. You want Yusuke or Keiko? Or both? *shrugs* I don't care much I just don't wanna be talking to myself. lol.

((LOL! I'll go with Keiko so that way I won't be talking to myself a lot during scenes with Yusuke and Kuwabara. ^_^))

Kurama stiffened as he heard Hiei's words in his mind. Shocked by the sudden unexpected intrusion he was unable to frame a response before he felt the demon's psyche separate from his own just as quickly as it had come. Kurama felt his heart beginning to race and realized that a new sensation had replaced the anguish of moments before. This one was more preferable by far. It was a warming sensation that expanded across his chest and spread throughout the length of his body. 'What is this sensation?' Kurama asked himself, bothered that he didn't already know. The fox reached a hand to his forehead and deduced that he was not running a fever. If he wasn't sick then, what could the sudden onset of this strange heat mean?

Turning away from the edge of the building, Kurama headed for the exit and descended the stairs until he reached the correct floor. The warm feeling continued to permeate his body as he entered the lab once again feeling even more distracted than before. His palms were beginning to sweat and he was almost beginning to feel unwell. His assistant caught sight of him before he seemed to register her presence and she looked him over for a moment before speaking, "You look unwell Shuichi-sama," she said with a tone of worry in her voice, "Perhaps you should go home and get some rest? I can take care of things here." Kurama considered her offer for a moment before nodding, "Thank you Hana-san, I think I will. I would be most grateful if you could finish today's tests for me."

The red-haired male bowed before turning to exit the lab. There really was no sense in him staying if he couldn't focus on even the simplest of tasks. Hana was a competent girl and he knew she would do a satisfactory job with the remaining tests. Out on the street he walked home slowly. The couple in front of him were holding hands and s strolling leisurely along talking about what restaurant they would like to go to for lunch. At the next corner Kurama parted ways with them but caught site of a pair of young teenagers making out on a bench nearby and further along saw an old couple exchange a warm embrace. All of these things were common scenes from every day life but Kurama noticed them as if for the first time. His heart began to pound again in his chest as his subconscious touched upon a possible explanation for what he was feeling.

Keiko scurried to and fro in the restaurant. She wore a white apron over her clothes and her long brown hair was pulled back in a simple braid. Her skirt bustled this way and that as she rushed from the counter to the customers with the appropriate dishes and greeted those that entered before taking their orders. She was so caught up in what she was doing however that she didn't notice a dark shadow enter the restaurant.