Keiko groaned as she reached for the bottle of painkillers, 'Is it that time already?' she thought grudgingly to herself as she popped a pill in her mouth and washed it down with some water. She allowed herself a moment to sit down but quickly realized it was a mistake. The young woman had excused herself from the restaurant for a moment, telling Yusuke that she only had to use the restroom and it would only be acceptable for her to be missing for a few minutes but now that she had sat down to rest she found herself rather unwilling to get up. Keiko had been feeling rather tired and cross all day but she didn't want Yusuke to worry so she said nothing.

She could hear the noise of the crowd downstairs filtering up from the floor below and knew that she should go back down to help her husband through the dinnertime rush. Sighing, she willed her body back into action and made her way back downstairs. The noise of the main room of the restaurant seemed almost deafening to her already pounding head but she did her best to look unaffected. A bright streak of red across the room caught her attention and she realized it was Kurama. The one named Hiei was standing with him and Yusuke as well. Donning the apron she had left on the edge of the counter, she joined them but remained silent to refrain from interrupting their conversation.

Kurama watched Yusuke gracefully serve his customers. He was always amazed by how well he had made the transition from spirit detective to respectable restaurant owner. The enterprise kept him busy nearly all day long and it was quite fascinating to watch the agile man's movements as he singlehandedly cooked and served a room full of customers whenever his wife took a break. Yusuke's customary grin was on his face when he approached after doing a round on the restaurant floor and Kurama found himself smiling back, "For the same reason as everyone else," he said coyly, "We'll take two bowls of the chef's special." Noticing Keiko's appear behind Yusuke, Kurama gave a nod in her direction, "Good evening Keiko." Green eyes studied the woman's features for a moment before adding, "Are you feeling well? You look tired..."

Keiko blushed slightly when Kurama addressed her, "I'm alright," she said simply, embarrassed to reveal the reason for her under-the-weather appearance, "It's just a headache." Keiko forced a smile and politely excused herself to go greet a group of businessmen who had just entered, glad for the excuse to escape further questioning.

Hiei nodded a greeting to Yusuke, but his attention followed Keiko as she returned to the restaurant and he eyed her thoughtfully as she approached. 'She looks exhausted. Are all human females affected so strongly this early in gestation?' He asked Kurama silently, wondering if the fetus' demon heritage was causing excessive drain on the human's body. From what he could tell, the embryo was healthy enough for the time being but, if Keiko didn't keep her strength up, it could cause severe complications later.

Yusuke eyed the pair of demons suspiciously but shrugged it off, trusting that they'd spill whatever they were hiding soon enough. "Alright. Coming right up." He turned to get started cooking the simple order and almost bumped into his wife. He put a hand out to steady her because she looked like she needed it. He'd been worrying about her all day. The half demon was about to ask if she was okay, for the umpteenth time since breakfast, when Kurama beat him to it. By the time Keiko had politely answered the fox, she was already slipping away from them to deal with customers. The ex tantei shook his head at her denial, a fond but concerned look settling onto his face as he watched her cross the room. Turning back to his old friends, he sighed. "She's been acting tired like that all day. Do you think she could be coming down with something?"

Kurama didn't respond to Hiei's question right away but rather pondered the question. He had learned a bit about pregnancy in high school biology classes but couldn't pretend to be an expert on the matter. 'Fatigue is normal,' he conveyed at last, 'It's hard to tell though, it's different for every woman.' Some amount of doubt entered his mind however. Keiko did look more than mildly fatigued and though the human female might think her headache was the cause, Hiei and Kurama both knew better. Yusuke seemed concerned for her as well, which was a good sign as Kekio would likely need more care during the upcoming weeks than most females required. As he sat down at the counter, Kurama contemplated an appropriate response to Yusuke's question. "She should rest," he said ambiguously at first before adding, "Make sure she doesn't overdo it Yusuke."

Keiko saw the men to their seats and took their order before approaching the counter to hand the slip to Yusuke. Not pausing for a minute, she grabbed two glasses and a pitcher of water and returned to the two suited men seated nearby. She poured a full glass for both men before setting off to top off the glasses of the other customers. The painkillers were beginning to dull the painful sensation in her abdomen but unfortunately the pills could do nothing for her tired body. Was it normal to feel so tired? Keiko couldn't remember feeling so tired before except when she had stayed up too late studying for exams. Those days were long over however and try as she might to pass her exhaustion off as a side effect of a certain monthly occurrence something about that excuse didn't seem quite right.

Hiei kept silent and let Kurama field Yusuke's question. He wasn't about to lie about what he knew and he couldn't think of a way to answer truthfully without giving it away. Instead he let his attention continue to follow Keiko, assessing her condition and her surface thoughts. The telepathic demon had no qualms about invading her privacy, surface thoughts were barely a step away from being said out loud so he didn't really consider it intrusive for him to read them. Besides, she needed someone keeping an eye on her, and he had an extra.

He registered her thoughts about medicine and was slightly alarmed. Chemicals exposure could cause damage to the developing infant. Frustrated, the small demon considered giving her a subliminal push towards discovering her condition. If he was careful, she would never know the thought wasn't her own. He began forming the idea in his mind, flavoring it with Keiko's own mental signature and shaping it to be a small mental nudge, just to get her thinking in the right direction. Thoughts were ethereal once you got past the surface, you didn't need words to convey a concept subliminally or even images....it was complex. However, he wasn't considered a jagan master for nothing. The abstract thought was soon nestled gently in Keiko's head, just waiting for her to stumble across it as her mind wandered in trying to explain the way she was feeling. Hiei wasn't sure how much she knew about his powers, she might not even realize he was capable of telepathy, in which case she would never suspect that the thought had come from him. He withdrew most of his presence from her mind, leaving only the surface connection he was in the habit of maintaining on his friends when they were in close proximity to him. He hoped she wouldn't notice the small intrusion, but it was really for her own good...and for the fetus as well.

Yusuke nodded, his brow creasing in concern as his eyes drifted to his wife again. Forcing a small grin, he turned back to cooking and serving the remaining orders he had queued up. He was efficient enough that no one complained that the redhead and his dark haired companion got their food first, even though others had ordered before they arrived.

Kurama carefully studied Yusuke's emotional response to his instructions. The ex-spirit detective was obviously concerned as he watched Keiko in the distance. In a moment however a ghost of his habitual smile returned to the half-human's face as he turned back to the stack of meal requests yet to be fulfilled. Leaving Yusuke to focus on his work, the fox turned to spare a furtive glance at Keiko but instead found himself looking at Hiei. 'He's up to something...' Years of experience with the jagan master cued him to the unseen work taking place in the depths of Hiei's mind. It was clear that Hiei was trying to help in his own way so despite his own misgivings Kurama chose not to interfere. When their meal arrived a few minutes later, Kurama turned his attention to the steaming bowl of noodles before him, a plan of his own formulating in the recesses of his mind.

As she finished refilling water glasses, Keiko found her thoughts wandering, no doubt a side effect of her weakened condition. She felt the tiniest of twinges in her temple but quickly dismissed it as the work of her fading headache. Making her way through the labyrinth of tables and chairs, Keiko set the water pitcher back down on the counter before allowing herself to sink down into the chair she had pulled behind the counter earlier that morning. Her gaze turned quickly away from the Yusuke's friends, afraid of more questions, and came to rest on her husband. He was in the middle of cooking a handful of meals at once and his ability to multitask beyond the human norm made her smile. He was so strong, she couldn't help but admire him, especially given her own state of exhaustion.

Hiei refused to meet Kurama's eyes when he felt the redhead's attention on him and he was grateful when the fox turned away. He was doing the right thing and he was being subtle about it. He didn't see what the fox would have to complain about, but he didn't want to see those green eyes exasperated with him at the moment either. It was easier just to keep his actions to himself for now. At least until after Keiko discovered her condition.

Satisfied with his work and with his logic, Hiei focused on his own food. The bowl was empty in less than two minutes, though he had been careful not to eat so fast that it would appear suspicious to the humans around them.

Yusuke spotted Hiei's empty bowl and scooped it up in passing. He prepared another serving without being asked and deposited it in front of the shorter demon. Swinging by his wife's seat as he continued to take care of the other customers; he laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently to show his concern.

Kurama took much longer to square away his meal than his dark-haired companion. It would take a while for the flow of customers to dwindle and fade, giving them the chance to speak more privately. He ate his meal slowly, carefully chewing every bite and was rewarded with the flavor of the meal Yusuke had prepared. Hiei seemed to enjoy his own bowl as he nearly devoured what was set in front of him and was rewarded with a second bowl. Kurama's gaze took in Yusuke's comforting gesture and Keiko's tired face. Would Yusuke be able to singlehandedly run the restaurant when Keiko was no longer able? Surely she was only a few weeks along but already her body was beginning to show signs of stress.

Keiko watched as Yusuke ladled noodle and broth into bowls and was about to stand to take them when her husband snatched them up and dashed off to deliver the meals but not without giving her shoulder a squeeze in passing. Everyone seemed so worried, did she really look that bad? Pouring herself a glass of water from the pitcher, she took a sip of the cool liquid before taking Yusuke's place. It was tiring to run the meals back and forth and she wondered if she might not be better suited to standing stationary at the grill. Tossing another package of noodles into the boiling water, she gave it a stir before turning her attention to the other things Yusuke had left to cook in his momentary absence.

Hiei demolished his second bowl with equal enthusiasm before pushing it away to indicate he didn't want anymore. He surreptitiously watched Keiko as she did her best to keep working even though it was obvious she wasn't up to it. Thoughtfully, he shifted his attention to the crowd of customers. It looked like they would be there all night at the rate people were pouring in. 'Unless....they decide to go elsewhere...' He thought, crimson eyes lighting up at the idea.

Carefully trying not to attract his friends' attention, he sent out a mental suggestion to people who hadn't yet entered the small shop. Gradually the flow of people entering the restaurant trickled to almost nothing, with only a few strong minded individuals managing to defeat his mild suggestion. The rest had the sudden urge to be elsewhere; perhaps hit with a craving for some other type of food or a feeling that they had forgotten something important turned them away. Hiei was quite pleased and estimated that the restaurant would be empty within the hour. He rationalized that the slow night would not only allow he and Kurama to deliver their news so they could be on their way sooner; it would also be good for Keiko.

Yusuke narrowed his eyes as the customers suddenly started thinning out. Making a leap of intuition, he looked towards the only telepath in the room, noting the far away look in Hiei's eyes that often meant he was using his jagan. The ex-tantei was about to say something when he saw those red eyes flicker to focus on Keiko for a moment before they resumed the slightly off look. Yusuke turned and watched his wife struggle to keep up with the orders they already had queued up for a moment before shrugging and hurrying to get the prepared food out to the remaining customers. One slow night wasn't going to bankrupt them.

Yusuke spared only a moment to consider how odd it was that Hiei seemed so concerned about Keiko before a particularly difficult customer captured his attention.

((I couldn't help myself from one more reply. >.<))

Kurama finished his first helping some time after Hiei pushed away his second and lay his chopsticks neatly across the top of the ceramic bowl to indicate that he was finished. Sparing a glance around the room he suddenly realized that there were less customers seated at the tables behind them than he had expected. His gaze fell upon Yusuke who seemed to be staring in his direction, 'No... Hiei's...' Following Yusuke's line of sight to the demon beside him, the focused expression on Hiei's face gave him away. Looking back at Yusuke it was clear that the ex-spirit detective knew what was going on and with a glance at his wife decided against changing Hiei's course of action. Kurama too, turned to look at Keiko who was struggling to keep up with the incoming orders and decided to help in his own way.

Standing, Kurama moved behind the counter and donned an extra apron he found hanging on a nearby hook. Approaching the cooking station, Kurama gently removed the large cooking chopsticks from Keiko's hands and guided her back to her chair, "You need to rest Keiko, sit," he said in a matter-of-fact tone that would hopefully discourage any argument. "Yusuke will cook, I'll serve," he explained before gliding off to summon Yusuke back to his post before anything could burn. Slipping in behind Yusuke he whispered into his ear, "Back to cooking Yusuke, I'll take care of this." Giving Yusuke a gentle push in that direction, Kurama cheerfully greeted the impatient customer and took his order before moving on to the next table.

The next hour passed quickly as he glided from table to table with intermittent trips to the counter to retrieve the orders. As he winded his way among the maze of chairs clearing dirty dishes he heard someone comment on the "new waitress" but merely smiled, not bothering to pause in his work. He was often mistaken for the opposite sex. His build was thin and fragile like that of a human woman and his choice of haircut only served to increase that image. When he was a young boy his mother had taken him often to have his hair cut but as soon as he was given the choice, Shuichi had chosen to grow it long as if in imitation of his Yoko half. Since then he had never given thought to cutting it shorter as it was both pleasing to him and a practical solution to hiding his never-ending supply of mysterious seeds.

Keiko rushed to fulfill the orders that were coming in. Despite her best efforts she was so backed up on orders that she didn't even notice when less customers started showing up. Her movements were becoming slopping and she had nearly missed burning herself at least once by the time Kurama came to her rescue. Surprised by the light touch of the redhead's hand against hers as he pulled the large chopsticks from her grasp, all she managed to utter was, "Oh!" as he steered her in the direction of her chair. Taken aback by the tone in Kurama's voice her complaints stopped as they were forming in her mouth and she watched as he went off to fetch Yusuke.

As the two boys took over running the restaurant, Keiko looked over at Hiei only to find him looking back at her. Blushing, the human female averted her gaze and leaned back into her chair. The restaurant seemed a bit quieter than usual but she didn't think anything of it and instead closed her eyes and allowed her subconscious to roll about, aimlessly searching for a more concrete explanation for her current condition. She didn't notice as the less-than-normal noise level began to lessen and her head began to droop and within minutes she was asleep.

Hiei watched Kurama take over Keiko's work with a mildly amused look on his face. It wasn't a course of action the anti-social fire demon would have ever considered but the fox took to it with the grace he brought to pretty much everything he did. The crimson eyed demon then turned his attention back to Keiko only to suddenly find her looking back at him. He kept his expression blank and she soon looked away. Hiei wasn't sure whether to be pleased or disappointed that she couldn't meet his gaze, and he wasn't certain why she seemed embarrassed by it. 'Humans. feh.' He mentally snorted, as he resigned himself to never really understanding the way their minds worked.

He was a bit distracted, turning customers away, but he distinctly heard a few comments and even more thoughts about the hot new redheaded waitress. It would have been amusing if some of those thoughts hadn't brought out the urge to pull out his sword to ensure the fools never thought such things about his fox again. He restrained himself with the knowledge that Kurama wouldn't want anything to do with any of them and shifted his attention back to Keiko as a distraction. He wasn't overly surprised to see she had fallen asleep. Keeping part of his attention on the barrier he had up around the restaurant and part on his surroundings, he turned the majority of his mind towards the human female. Sleeping minds were more pliable and he was able to nudge her towards the knowledge he had planted earlier, formatting it as a searching dream. Unless she resisted his manipulation, Keiko would dream about looking for something important and the dream would lead her to the realization of her pregnancy.

Yusuke grinned gratefully at Kurama and the two soon had the operation of the restaurant going as smoothly as a dance...or a fight. With Hiei's barrier and Kurama's assistance, the restaurant was soon empty and Yusuke stretched tiredly before going to close the doors. It was early but Keiko was asleep and all the customers were gone. They were taking the rest of the night off.

Blinking slowly, Hiei allowed the wall of suggestion to drop away once Yusuke had finished bringing in the sign and locking the doors. He pulled his attention from Keiko as well, feeling the strain of prolonged use of the jagan combined with the weariness that came from using it for precision work. The jagan wasn't designed for subtlety. It was intended to overwhelm and control those with weaker minds and it took willpower and concentration to keep it from getting away from him when he wanted to do something else.

Yusuke reached for Keiko, intending to wake her so she could move to somewhere more comfortable.

"Let her sleep." Hiei said quickly, not wanting the dream he had started to be interrupted.

Casting a look at his peaceful wife, Yusuke shrugged and sat down next to the shorter demon. He didn't really want to take the pair upstairs anyway. Keiko's parents were up there and he wasn't sure what the two demons might want to discuss.

Keiko's waking search for a more concrete explanation of her weariness became a subconscious desire in her dreams as well and as her tired body slipped into a deeper sleep she began to dream. As in the stranger manner of dreams she saw herself in the third person as if floating along somewhere behind and just above her body. The dream Keiko was searching for something. The sense of urgency in her own mind told Keiko that whatever she was looking for was something very important but oddly enough she couldn't seem to pinpoint what that thing might be. She continued to aimlessly search for what seemed like hours to no avail. Becoming increasingly frustrated, Keiko hit her fists against a rather nondescript wall. As she stood angrily before the wall, the plain plaster shimmered and transformed into a looking glass large enough to reflect her entire body. Looking at herself in the mirror, Keiko watched as her body too began to transform, her belly gently swelling larger and larger...

After clearing the last stack of dirty bowls to the kitchen to be washed, Kurama removed his apron and leaned against the counter close to Hiei as Yusuke went to lock up. Pouring a glass of water from the pitcher he gulped it slowly down. The work hadn't been strenuous for his trained body but the restaurant was warm and he had begun to sweat. The ice water was just the thing he needed to cool his internal temperature and replenish the water he had lost. Kurama watched Yusuke reach for his wife only to be stopped by a reproach from Hiei and nodded absentmindedly; it would be best to let her sleep. Yusuke didn't argue and instead took a seat on Hiei's other side. Uncertain as to how he wanted to approach the subject, Kurama kept silent, allowing Yusuke a moment to begin the conversation if he so desired.

Yusuke stretched and popped his knuckles before settling more firmly onto his stool and turning his attention on his two old friends. "Thanks for the help...both of you." He said with a knowing look at Hiei. "But I'm guessing that, since you didn't leave when you finished eating, you have something you want to talk to me about?"

"Hn." Hiei looked away, embarrassed to have been caught in his meddling. 'Hmph, Yusuke doesn't know the half of it....' He thought, his eyes drifting back to Keiko's sleeping form.

Kurama merely bowed his head, acknowledging Yusuke's thanks in as little words as Hiei. The spirit detective then cut straight to the chase; he had never been one for a mystery. Kurama pushed himself off of the counter and stood close behind Hiei, an uncharacteristically sheepish grin spreading across his face. As he was about to speak however he heard Keiko begin to stir and turned to look back at the waking female with the other two.

Feeling herself falling forward, Keiko's body jolted upright in her chair. Opening her eyes, she blinked at the unexpected brightness. Where was she? It took her sleepy mind a moment to realize that she was in the restaurant rather than in bed and even longer to remember what she was doing there. Suddenly realizing she had an audience, Keiko stammered, "Sorry... I must have dozed off..." she apologized groggily.

Hiei eyed the human female for any sign that she may have realized her condition. He grimaced internally when he saw none. 'She's still half asleep...maybe she just hasn't processed it yet.' He decided after a few moments.

Yusuke hurried over to his wife, concerned that she would fall. "You okay?" He asked, reaching out to steady her gently.

Though she felt a bit better after the short nap, Keiko was glad when Yusuke came to her side. His presence comforted her in a way she couldn't explain. Smiling back at her husband's concerned expression she reassured him, "Yes, I'm alright." Looking beyond him she eyed the two other men. In Keiko's mind the only excuse for the vacant restaurant was that she must have slept until closing. What had the three of them been talking about all this time? She hoped it didn't involve something...dangerous. "Did I miss anything?" she asked curiously, coming more fully awake now.

Keiko was slow to wake. Hiei seemed quite intent on the young woman and Kurama wondered at the fire demon's keen interest. Was he more concerned with Keiko's well-being or Yusuke's kin forming in her abdomen? He seemed more than mildly curious, almost protective even, and Kurama found it difficult to place his motives. Shrugging his own curiosity off for the moment however, he focused on Keiko as she spoke. The pregnant woman was coming more awake now and he could see the short rest had done her at least a bit of good.

Hiei stayed silent, surreptitiously watching Keiko. He felt Kurama's attention on him and got an impression of the redhead's thoughts about his interest in the human woman. Honestly, Hiei was just as confused by his own actions as the fox was, possibly more so. Yusuke was an ally...maybe even a friend, so by extension his wife and child mattered to Hiei to a certain extent.

However, the little fire demon felt it was more than that...maybe it was because she was nice enough to answer his questions about love; perhaps he felt guilty for almost turning her into a low class demon so long ago....or maybe he just thought every infant should have the opportunity to grow up with a mother that cared for them. He gave up that train of thought quickly. It was salt in an old wound. Regardless of his reasons, he found himself almost compelled to ensure Keiko's health and that of her unborn child. He just wasn't going to let her know anything about it. He had protected Yukina from a distance for years without her ever suspecting a thing. He could certainly keep one human safe for the few days it might take her to figure out the nature of her condition.

Yusuke smiled, relieved that the short nap seemed to have done his beloved wife some good. He caught the suspicion in her tone and waved his hands to ward off her displeasure. "Nope. Nothing. Kurama took over for you and we just worked until the customers ran out." He glanced sideways at Hiei but didn't mention that the short demon most likely had a lot to do with clearing out said customers. He trusted that the jagan master hadn't done any of them permanent harm. "Actually, they were just about to tell me why they were here when you woke up, right Kurama?" He said, looking to the redhead to distract his wife lest she figure out they had closed the shop over two hours early.

Recollection of the dream slowly crept inter her mind as she awoke fully. Distracted by it, she took the explanation Yusuke offered without question and bowed her head in Kurama's direction, "Thank you Kurama-san." Yusuke saved her from having to say anything else to say by directing the conversation back to the redhead. Focusing on the taller man of the three, she let the dream slip into the background of her mind for contemplation when her attention wasn't required elsewhere.

Kurama inwardly cringed when Yusuke swung the conversation back to where it had been interrupted but forced himself to nod. Unfortunately Keiko's awakening had only provided the a short distraction and Kurama was still left wondering how to break the news. He was usually at least two moves ahead of his opponents but in this battle he could think of no appropriate strategy and Kuwabara's response left him feeling doubtful. Would Yusuke react in the same way? Surreptitiously intertwining his fingers in Hiei's for support he quickly formulated a response and executed it before the others could notice his hesitation, "Hiei and I just thought you might like to know that we're a couple now." Though he spoke the line confidently Kurama mentally grimaced at the slightly awkward phrasing and gave Hiei's hand a light squeeze as they awaited their friends' reaction.

Yusuke's grin practically split his face. "That's great guys!" He hurried over and clapped both of his friends on their shoulders. "So, who finally snapped? I thought you two were going to dance around each other forever." He chuckled.

Yusuke was not one to tell anyone how to live their life. He didn't want to know all the details but, as long as his friends were happy, he was happy for them. Plus, he wanted to know if he would have won the bet he'd tried to make with Keiko. His money was on Kurama speaking up first....but Hiei had been the one asking all those awkward questions. It could definitely have gone either way.

Hiei blushed and looked away from the ex-tantei. For some reason Yusuke's jovial acceptance was more disconcerting to him than Kuwabara's dubious blessing. He didn't understand why Yusuke was so happy....and being unable to read the half demon's motivation, even in his surface thoughts, made the fire demon unaccountably nervous. He tried to shrug it off as simply Yusuke being Yusuke but a small, deeply scarred part of him remained suspicious.

Keiko's face softened into a smile at the news. Yusuke seemed very happy for them and she nodded to show her agreement. She was not entirely surprised by the news after the conversation she'd had with Yusuke the previous evening. Although Keiko didn't really understand the reasons behind another's love for the same sex, she didn't pass judgment on Yusuke's friends. They were mysterious individuals and she couldn't even pretend to understand the culture of their world.

Kurama blinked at the over-enthusiastic response. Although he was certain it was genuine, the excited outburst had surprised him, though pleasantly in comparison to Kuwabara's reaction. It almost seemed as if the spirit detective knew it was coming however, and Kurama wondered how their fondness for each other could have been so transparent to Yusuke but not to each other.

Kurama just smiled knowingly in response to Yusuke's question in an attempt to save Hiei any possible embarrassment at being revealed. "Kuwabara didn't take the news so well..." he confessed, not wanting to darken the atmosphere but rather defer the conversation away from the more intimate details of their decision to date.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well he's an idiot." He said waving a hand dismissively. "He'll come around. You should've seen his reaction to the dream I sent him when I was trying to get someone to kiss me so I could come back to life all those years ago." The half demon chuckled. "Man, I thought he'd never get over that but he did eventually....of course he only found out that was me talking to him a couple of years ago." Yusuke admitted sheepishly. "He wouldn't look at me for weeks." Shaking off the memories, Yusuke shrugged. "Don't worry about it....and don't think I don't know a distraction when I hear one." He finished with a wry smile.

Hiei blinked and paled at the mental image of Kuwabara kissing Yusuke, barely catching the rest of the half demon's rambling spiel. It was truly a disturbing idea. Desperate to change the subject, Hiei decided to answer Yusuke's previous question. "I did." He said with a small shrug.

Kurama listened to Yusuke's rambled memories, mildly confused but relieved that his diversion had worked. Kurama knew only bits and pieces of the spirit detective's career. He'd talked about it some with the delinquent boy but this particular fragment had previously been left out of Yusuke's accounts. It was rather amusing really though Kurama wondered if perhaps the dream had traumatized Kuwabara and caused his homophobia. In any case, Shuichi hoped that Kuwabara would come to terms with their relationship like Yusuke optimistically predicted. Finding himself revealed, Kurama merely offered a rather innocent-looking smile. The fox looked down at Hiei fondly when he admitted to being the one to make the first move. To tell the truth he was a bit ashamed that he hadn't been first to approach the topic but it was in accordance with his style--ever cautious and slow to make a move.

Keiko lowered her gaze when Yusuke mentioned the homo-erotic dream he had sent Kuwabara in an attempt to get the orange-haired man to revive him when she herself had been too distracted to do so. It was a story she'd heard many a time from Yusuke and it still made her feel guilty for not having given her own dream enough credit. Hiei's confession however distracted her from her own guilt. She wasn't exactly surprised by his declaration given the questions he had been asking yesterday and the way he's reacted to Kurama's dizzy spell.

Yusuke scratched his head. "Really?" He asked in slight disbelief. "Well crap....good thing Keiko didn't take me up on that bet. Still, I guess I should've seen that coming...with all those questions you were asking the other day...." He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he mumbled.

Hiei blushed and glared at the half demon for mentioning the discussion that had preceded his decision to speak to Kurama about his affection. He hadn't wanted the redhead to know about that. The little fire demon felt inexperienced and out of his depth around the much older demon as it was. The fox certainly didn't need to know he'd had to seek out advice just to identify the burgeoning love he was feeling. 'Too late now...' He scowled, waiting for the redhead's inevitable questions.

OOC: Sorry for the delay. I had a friend visit this weekend on short notice, and with some really important stuff she needed to talk about. I barely touched the computer the whole time she was here. All is okay and she has gone home now so I'm back. Sorry again. Somehow my weekends recently are conspiring to keep me offline. lol. ^_^'

Keiko shook her head at both his comment on their bet and for revealing Hiei's visit the previous day. Despite not knowing the shorter man very well, she had the distinct impression that Hiei would have preferred his visit be kept a secret. The death glare said friend offered Yusuke and the pink hue that spread across his pale features only seemed to solidify this impression and gave Keiko the urge to kick her insensitive husband. Had he been close enough she likely would have gone through with that desire but lucky for him he was not.

Kurama's eyebrow raised a fraction before falling back into place as what Yusuke said brought up a memory from the evening prior.

"So, Hiei, did you decide to ask Kurama after all? Weren't mine and Keiko's answers good enough?"

Hiei's response had been curt and Kurama had noted the somewhat awkward tension in the air directly following it but had been distracted at that moment and hadn't thought much on it. Yusuke's slip paired with Hiei's embarrassment gave him what he needed to mostly fill in the missing blank. Although he often made many necessary assumptions, Kurama liked concrete truths and would ask Hiei about it but wondered if it would be better to do so now or later. The fox decided that more was likely be revealed in the presence of Yusuke's loose tongue, and asked "Looking for advice on pickup lines?" Kurama followed the tease with a reassuring smile. He found it interesting that Hiei had turned to Yusuke for answers when he usually spent most of his time deriding him for his inferior intelligence.

((It's okay. I've been stressed to the max trying to decide if I should move down to be with my fiance or not. His dad said before that we could take over the master bedroom and he'd move into the spare bedroom but has changed his mind now and has yet to reveal how much rent he'd charge me. I'm afraid of quitting my job up here (that pays better) to go down there and if I end up getting annoyed with his family (like the last time I was down there), I'd have nothing to come back to here. T_T))

Hiei's cheeks flamed further and it suddenly grew palpably warmer in the empty restaurant, despite Kurama's teasing tone and smile. "No." He answered through gritted teeth, being honest without revealing more than he had to in order to answer the question. He crossed his arms across his chest and clammed up, unwilling to reveal more and be ridiculed for his inexperience. He seriously considered making a hasty exit but he hesitated.

Yusuke realized he had made a mistake but he couldn't just leave it the way it was. Hiei looked like he was going to get angry at Kurama when the redhead had no idea what dangerous ground he was treading on. The least the half demon could do would be to give the fox enough information to warn him to step carefully lest he hurt Hiei's rather surprisingly fragile self esteem. "Hey, sorry man. It's nothing to be ashamed of though. I mean, a lot of people wouldn't have been able to work up the courage to come ask anyone at all. It just shows that you are serious about this...uh...feeling." He finished, feeling inadequate and lame as he tried to reassure Hiei without giving too much away and making the shorter demon bolt.

OOC: That is a dilemma. What does your fiance have to say about all of it?

Though his question had been a lighthearted joke mostly directed towards Yusuke, it was clear that Hiei hadn't taken it as such. Kurama frowned at his misstep and had he been in Yoko form his ears would have likely drooped to reflect his feelings. Yusuke's attempted cover made him realize that he'd grown overly confident with their new status when just yesterday he had been treading on needles, afraid that saying one wrong things might scare his friend off forever. "I'm sorry Hiei," he replied softly, "That was inappropriate of me." He wanted to add something about how happy Hiei made him that it was hard not to be just a little bit more playful than usual but kept that bit to himself. Words like that could be saved until they were alone. "Whatever you discussed, I'm glad it gave you the courage to speak with me," he added, decidedly giving up on finding the answer he had been looking for. It wouldn't be worth it if his prying ended up pushing the shorter demon away again.

Keiko felt the normally humid temperature in the restaurant increase but without understanding the source, assumed that it was her own body temperature rising. Hoping that she wasn't getting sick, she brushed a stray hair from her face and allowed Yusuke to qualm the sudden tension that had arisen from his blunder.

((Basically that it's my decision and that it is really annoying that his dad is being suck a freaking flake. A.K.A. not being very helpful at all.))