Kurama blinked when Hiei bent over hesitantly to bow before him. To anyone else, the bow might have seemed unrefined or impolite but to Kurama it was a priceless gift. Hiei's pride would have never allowed him to bow down before any other being in the past. It seemed that Hiei, too, had grown in his own way during their time apart. "Arigato, Hiei," he said both to express his gratitude for this meaningful action as well as to cue Hiei that he could stand.

((Sorry it's kinda short, I'm not quite sure where to go next. V_V))

Hiei straightened and stood, looking around uncomfortably. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now well past lunch. He wondered if Kurama's sensitive ears had caught the sound and tried not to blush.

OOC: It's okay, mine is short too. Does that help give us a direction?

((LOL, I thought about lunch but didn't want Kurama to force Hiei to eat human food again. >.< Oh well, what do you think he eats anyway? Rabbits roasted on a makeshift spit?))

As Hiei stood, Kurama felt the weight of that morning's anxiety fall from his shoulders. Hiei's visit had given him relief of knowing that they could at the very least continue on as friends yet that dizzying sensation still gripped him, possibly even tighter than it had earlier.

A faint rumble in front of him reminded the fox demon that he hadn't eaten a real meal since lunchtime yesterday which no doubt explained the sickening sensation, "Let's get something for lunch," he said decisively, "Yusuke runs a ramen shop now, would you like to drop in for a visit?" the fox asked innocently, unaware of Hiei's earlier visit.

Hiei thought about refusing in light of his recent visit to the shop, but if that was where Kurama wanted to go...

"Hn." At least he knew he liked ramen, having eaten at the shop with the whole gang while Keiko's parents still ran it, and Yusuke was too honorable to poison him. "Fine."

He was at the glass doors to the balcony in a flash, prepared to leave the way he had come in. He would just have to be sure Yusuke kept his big mouth shut and everything would be fine. 'Then why do I have the sinking suspicion that this is a mistake?' He kept his distress off his face, not wanting the redhead to mistake it for being directed at him.

OOC: lol, I don't know, something like that. Rats? Maybe stray cats? O_O' I wouldn't put it past him. Hmm...Yusuke could speed things up a bit by letting something of the earlier conversation slip.....do you think he should? If we get them together and want to keep playing we can always have someone kidnap Yukina or something to give us some reason to keep going. *shrugs*

((That's up to you, I'm fine with either way. It'd be kinda cute to have them play it out between themselves but also much simpler if Yusuke let something slip. He can either just think about it and keep his thoughts to himself or be a knucklebrain and set things up for them. ^_~))

Kuarama gave a light chuckle at Hiei's stereotypical response. "I'll meet you outside," he told the demon before making his way to the door where he had kicked off his shoes earlier. Steadying himself with one hand against the wall, Kurama slipped his feet into the shoes and approached the closed door. The fox took a moment to extend his senses out into the hallway and once he was certain that Machi was not waiting outside he exited his apartment and descended the stairwell slowly. This both gave him more time to think and assured him that he wouldn't trip as the steps seemed to be sway ever so slightly. Once outside he blinked away the momentary blindness caused by the bright sun and followed Hiei's energy signature to where he was standing around the corner of the building.

Hiei waited patiently for the redhead. His eyes narrowed as he caught the slight unsteadiness in Kurama's movements, lacking some of his natural grace. The redhead was pale too. "Are you alright, Fox?" He asked, the question escaping before he could decide it wasn't any of his business, one hand reaching out automatically to steady his friend as he caught up.

The lunch rush had finally petered out and Yusuke collapsed onto one of the stools along the counter, heaving a sigh of relief. The restaurant was clean, the dishes were done and the customers were gone. They would have a couple of hours of relative peace before the dinner crowd rolled in and he was fully intending to take advantage of the lull and do absolutely nothing for a bit. He closed his eyes and dropped his head onto his folded arms on the gleaming counter top.

OOC: Hmm...I'll ponder it and we'll see what Yusuke wants to do, ne? lol

Though he could sense his energy before he caught sight of Hiei Kurama was still happy to see the demon waiting there for him. A brief thought crossed his mind as he wondered whether Hiei ever grew tired of waiting for those slower than himself. The thought however was interrupted by Hiei's voice. "I'll be fine, I just need to eat something," Kurama reassured him but the redhead was grateful for the steady hand just the same.

As things died down in the restaurant, Keiko allowed Yusuke the luxury of sitting around while she continued to serve the occasional customer. She was thankful for some time to recover during the post-lunchtime lull. The rush had exhausted more than usual with Yusuke missing for part of it.

((Hm... What would you say to Keiko being pregnant?))

OOC: Sounds like fun, does she know yet? lol, It'd be funny if Hiei or Kurama noticed it first and were the ones to tell her. lol.

Hiei self-consciously pulled his hand back once he was sure the redhead was steady on his feet, but as they started towards the restaurant he made sure to adjust his pace to match his tall friend's just in case. "When did Yusuke finally marry her?" He asked curiously. He didn't have to say who he meant. Yusuke was only ever interested in one woman. When the fire demon had left, the young couple had still been as volatile as ever, though both had matured in the time he had known them.

He wondered what else had changed during his self-imposed exile from his friends. He had felt Genkai's passing a couple of years before and been saddened by it, but she was old for a human and it was a peaceful, painless death. It was all anyone could ask for really.

((No, she wouldn't know yet. It'd be more fun that way. ^_^ It would actually make sense that they might be able to pick up on the extra bit of energy inside of her I think...))

Kurama was a bit disappointed when Hiei removed his hand though he knew he could manage on his own. Their pace was slower than it might have been but Kurama didn't mind. He was merely reveling in the warm sensations that being so close to Hiei evoked, not all of them caused by the fire demon's unnaturally high body temperature.

Kurama paused for a moment to lean on Hiei's shoulder when he inquired about Yusuke's marriage. "Not long after you left," he responded automatically. That response was rather vague however as the ancient fox had a slightly different sense of the passing of time.

As they began walking again, Kurama recalled the ceremony. Kuwabara had been Yusuke's best man of course and Kurama had been his only groomsman. Shizuru on the other hand had been Keiko's maid of honor and Botan even made an appearance as bridesmaid. It had been a relatively intimate ceremony only involving those closest to the couple but it was pleasant just the same.

"Hn." Hiei acknowledge, not really caring too much about the details. He simply wanted to hear the redhead talk. "So when is she due?" He asked innocently, having noticed a tiny spark of not quite human energy within Keiko earlier. He assumed the redhead would have noticed, at least if he'd seen the woman in the last couple of weeks. He wasn't exactly sure how long a human's gestational period was.

Yusuke sat up and stretched languidly.

OOC: There, at least Kurama can warn Hiei off of saying anything. No promises if Yusuke says something stupid though. Hiei might spill the beans just to get back at him. Be back in a few. Gotta do something. ^_^

Kurama paused again when Hiei spoke but not for the same reason as last time. 'Due?' Was Keiko due for a child? Kurama hadn't heard any news on the subject. It had been some time since he'd last visited Yusuke and his wife but he was certain Kuwabara would have come running with the news if any announcements of the sort had been made by the couple. Kurama pushed forward. If he kept pausing he might not make it to Yusuke's before they had to stop and buy something to eat. "I don't think she knows Hiei..." Kurama warned kindly, "It would be best if we let them discover it on their own."

Hiei's tiny slip whirled Kurama's mind into action as his thoughts followed many threads at once. His first thought was of whether or not Yusuke would perceive the presence of the baby before Keiko began to show any signs while simultaneously thinking of Kuwabara who had a strong sense of spirit awareness. Was it possible he too knew of the baby and had refrained from mentioning anything? Hover his most prevailing thought was to wonder when Hiei had come close enough to Keiko in the past day or two to realize what no one else had yet.

Keiko watched Yusuke stretch and smiled. The way Yusuke stretched wasn't unlike that of a cat. "Napping over there are you?" she called from the back room where she was retrieving some supplies.

Hiei shrugged. It wasn't like he was the sort to spread other peoples' secrets anyway, not unless it was his job to do so. They were nearly at the restaurant and he had to resist the urge to dart ahead and warn Yusuke to keep his mouth shut. 'No, then he'll want to know why and he might figure out....' He shook his head. 'No. I'll just have to take my chances.' Instead he settled for flaring his youki to let the half demon know they were coming.

Yusuke grinned at his wife and stood before making his way over to her and taking the box she was trying to lift. "I've got this. Why don't you take a break too?" He offered, sneaking a quick kiss. "Or we could always take a break together, close the shop for a little while...." He trailed off meaningfully. He knew she wouldn't take him up on the flirtatious offer, but it was fun to play with her, even after all these years. 'Somebody has to get her to loosen up periodically or she'll explode.' He thought fondly as he swept a stray hair back out of her face, holding the large box in one hand and using a touch of spirit energy to balance it there.

He felt a familiar flare of energy and sighed. "Nevermind." He said with a sheepish smile. "Hiei's coming back." He reached out and realized the fire demon wasn't alone. "And he's got Kurama with him."

Keiko's face brightened with a smile when Yusuke came over to take the box from her. It wasn't heavy but it was an awkward size which made it difficult for her to carry. "Thanks Yusuke," she said before returning his kiss with one of her own, "I think I will..." As Yusuke eluded to another way they could loosen up, Keiko flushed. "Oh Yusuke..." she said as if sighing. There was a time for such play but now was not that time, especially so when Yusuke mentioned Hiei's returning energy and Kurama's as well.

Kurama had never been so happy to see the ramen shop when it's familiar sign came into view. His head was beginning to pound uncomfortably and an annoying buzz seemed to have settled itself inside of his ears. Upon entering the establishment, the fox made straight for the closest seat which happened to be at the bar and sat down upon the stool somewhat shakily.

Keiko smiled when she saw Kurama enter the restaurant followed by Hiei. It had been some time since she'd seen the red-haired male but she hadn't been expecting to see Hiei again so soon.

Yusuke sauntered out of the kitchen after putting the box down and grinned at his two friends, shaking off the oddity of having Hiei back after so much time away. He wasn't surprised that they had shown up together, they always seemed to come as a set. "Hey guys, what's up?" He said, eying Kurama. "You okay, man?" He asked in concern. The redhead looked unusually pale and wobbly as he sat down.

Hiei kept his expression carefully blank so Kurama wouldn't see his nervousness. Grabbing onto the topic of the fox's health as a way of distracting the ex-tantei, he spoke up quickly. "He's hungry." He placed a hand surreptitiously on the redhead's elbow when Kurama swayed alarmingly on his stool. Pretending to be using the redhead to pull himself onto the high seat beside the one Kurama was occupying, he made the action look utterly natural. It was less embarrassing than showing how concerned he was in front of Yusuke and his woman. "Really hungry. Fix him something now." He ordered in a brusque manner. It was the closest he would get to saying he was worried.

Yusuke nodded and set about doing just that. "Yeah, no problem." He frowned in concern. "You been eating enough, Kurama? When's the last time you had something?" He asked with his back to them to hide his worried expression as he chopped vegetables and added more stock to the pot.

((OMG Hiei totally made me ROFL. "He's hungry...REEALLLY hungry."))

Kurama had intended on greeting Keiko and Yusuke more warmly but found that he couldn't trust his voice not to waiver. He tried to at least shake his head in answer to Yusuke's question but stopped immediately when odd spots began to appear at the corner of his vision because of it. He was extremely grateful when Hiei took over voicing his needs.

Kurama sat quietly and focused on keeping himself steady in the chair. The smell of food made his stomach churn slightly but he was determined to eat whatever Yusuke put in front of him. "Lunchtime yesterday," was all he managed to say as he waited for the food to cook. He had eaten some noodles the evening before but had thrown the majority of it away after his encounter with Hiei and he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts about Hiei that he hadn't bothered with breakfast that morning.

Keiko too noticed Kurama's paleness and rushed first to bring him a glass of water and then to prepare a place setting for him right away after Hiei ordered that they fix him something.

((Gonna go take a quick shower, BRB.))

OOC: I know! lol. It made me giggle writing it. I could just picture him saying the first part and then thinking, 'Nope. Not clear enough.' lol. ^_^

Yusuke started to chide the red haired demon for forgetting to eat but Hiei beat him to it.

"Baka, Kitsune!" Hiei snapped, his concern and guilt manifesting as anger when he realized Kurama had not finished his supper the night before, after they had argued. "You are old enough to know better! What if something had attacked you today?" He practically growled the question. His heart fluttered oddly and his stomach twisted alarmingly at the very idea of anything catching his fox in a weakened condition, and even as he berated the redhead one hand was steadying the fox by the elbow to make sure he didn't fall and hurt himself. "First rule of survival, you have to eat to have the energy to defend yourself." It was unfathomable to him that the fox had simply forgotten, you did not forget to eat in the Makai. Between the hostile environment and the frequently even more hostile inhabitants, the energy required to survive in the wilds there was over twice what it was in the Ningenkai. Demon metabolisms were usually pretty high too, an adaptation that allowed them to access energy from food more quickly and kept them lean enough to run and fight as needed.

Skipping one meal might not be enough to significantly weaken Kurama, especially against the common demons and the humans that made their homes in the city, but the redhead had skipped three. He was lucky not to have passed out in a ditch on the way to the restaurant. 'Stupid, Fox. You need to take better care of yourself, or I'll have to do it for you.'

Yusuke looked on in mild amusement as the normally taciturn fire demon let loose on the ill-looking fox demon. He hid his smirk by turning back to cooking. 'I'm staying out of the way of that. Sheesh, Hiei sounds like Keiko when she's trying to get me to stop fighting....' The internal monologue trailed off thoughtfully. 'Nah.' He shook his head and hurried to finish making two large bowls of ramen with fish cakes, carrots, and cabbage.

OOC: Okies. I'll be here.

((OMG! Even more ROFLing. Hiei: Survival instincts Kurama! What the hell were you thinking! *Beats him over the head with a heavy paper fan*))

Kurama winced as Hiei began to yell at him, the pain in his temples doubling. Still, he had the strength enough to chuckle at the line about his age, oh he was plenty old enough. Afraid however at the action might cause Hiei to yell even more, Kurama quickly silenced himself and did his best to take the angry assault of works that Hiei was unleashing upon him. Everything that the fire demon was said was true. They were rules that he too used to live by though they had come to seem less important since his decision to permanently reside in the Ningenkai.

Kurama extended the arm that wasn't being supported by Hiei to take a drink from the glass of water that Keiko had provided for him. The water inside rippled, a testament to his unsteadiness, but the redhead managed to take a sip without spilling any of it and return the glass to the counter. He couldn't help but notice that Hiei's scolding almost sounded like an argument he had had with his mother once...

Keiko jumped when Hiei suddenly began yelling at the redhead. She would have pointed out that perhaps now wasn't the best time to be yelling at him and that the noise would probably scare away any possible customers but she kept those thoughts to herself. She didn't envy Kurama at the moment, it seemed he had really struck a never with Hiei.

OOC: Hmm...is this better? More clear what Yusuke is thinking?

Hiei realized the redhead was in no condition to deal with being yelled at and stop as suddenly as he'd begun. "Hn." He shook his head and settled back onto his seat, embarrassed by his outburst.

Yusuke brought over the brimming bowls and set one in front of each of the demons. "Here you go." He said brightly, hoping to spare the redhead any more yelling by changing the subject. "So, Hiei, did you decide to ask Kurama after all? Weren't mine and Keiko's answers good enough?" He teased, not really bothered in the slightest. He couldn't figure out why the little fire demon hadn't taken his questions about love to the older demon in the first place. It wasn't like he had any reason to be embarrassed about idle curiosity.

Hiei paled and froze, a feat considering he was already pretty fair skinned and his body temperature hovered around one hundred and five degrees. "Your answers were adequate." He gritted out. "Shut up."

Kurama was relieved when the relative silence was resumed. Though he liked it when Hiei spoke to him, whatever the subject, he found that Hiei's outburst bothered him a little. He was used to the fire demon expressing concern for his safety as to Hiei it seemed he allowed himself to take unnecessary injuries in slowly judging his opponent, but he wasn't accustomed to Hiei saying more than one or two words about it. Hiei's anger inspired guilt in Kurama and made him even worse.

Kurama was more than grateful when Yusuke placed a steaming bowl in front of him and almost didn't register what the spirit detective said until he felt Hiei stiffen beside him. Yusuke's question only confirmed what Kurama had begun to suspect earlier, that Hiei had already visited the half-demon man that day, though he couldn't possibly fathom what Hiei might have needed to ask Yusuke and his wife about. He was about to ask when Hiei promptly pushed the subject aside and decided not to purse it.

These thoughts passed through Kurama's mind in an instant before he decided that eating should be his only concern at the moment. Hunching over his bowl, Kurama did his best to make his fingers work the chopsticks Keiko provided. The first few bites were the hardest but little by little the process became easier as dizzying nausea gave way to an urgent sense of hunger.

Keiko was glad when Yusuke finished cooking and poured what he had prepared into the two bowls she had set out for him. Kurama looked awfully pale and she was beginning to fear that he might pass out.

Keiko was still studying Kurama when Yusuke changed the subject but turned to look at Hiei when he grumbled a reply. Noticing the sudden change in Hiei's pallor, she worried that he too wasn't coming down with something. Looking between the two demons seated closely together however seemed to spark an inkling of an idea in her head. The way Hiei was carefully grasping Kurama's elbow combined with his discomfort both now and when he had been interviewing her earlier made her wonder if she knew the reason why Hiei hadn't brought his questions to his friend.

Spotting the difficulty Kurama was having with the chopsticks, Keiko dashed off to grab a spoon from the dish room but by the time she returned he was already eating so she simply set the utensil down on the counter.

OOC: Ooh, there's the smart girl Yusuke fell in love with. ^_^ Keiko's post is really good. Kurama's is good too, especially since his hunger is clouding his natural curiosity. ^_^

Yusuke blinked in confusion. "Sheesh, no need to get so defensive." He grumbled at the cranky fire demon. "I mean it isn't like..." He trailed off thoughtfully eying the way the dark haired demon was still holding his red haired friend's arm, even though Kurama didn't look like he was going to fall over anymore. "Um..." The ex-tantei cleared his throat and averted his eyes. "Right. Sorry. Um....so you two are speaking to each other again." He said, grasping for a safe topic in light of his new suspicion. "That's great. I mean, it was weird not having you around, Hiei. Kurama moped around for months after you left." He turned his teasing on the redhead, hoping to get the shorter demon to stop glaring daggers at him.

OOC: Frak. This break was too short. Go ahead and post if you want to. I'll put Hiei in the next one.

((Thanks! The girls are going to end up being the smartest ones in the RP, LOL!))

Kurama chewed his food slowly to prevent a different sort of stomachache later on. As his hunger started to settle, he could feel himself becoming more alert and listened curiously to what the spirit detective had to say though he couldn't quite make out what the young man was trying to imply. Perhaps he could discuss the matter with Hiei later, though from his demeanor Kurama doubted that Hiei would want to indulge the fox's curiosity. If Hiei didn't want to talk about it, Kurama wouldn't force him; the last thing he needed was to drive his friend away again after they had just come to terms with each other again.

Realizing that whatever he was trying imply was touching a nerve with the already touchy fire demon, Yusuke decided to torment him instead. Kurama's chopsticks paused halfway to his mouth, "Yusuke!" Normally the kitsune took any teasing in stride and was able to push aside any taunting with a retort however Yusuke had struck a weak spot that the fox was only just beginning to recognize.

Keiko shook her head. Yusuke was messing things up big time. She knew he was only trying to lighten the mood but despite his best intentions, the raven-haired male kept touching on sensitive subjects. A glimmer of hope rose in her chest however as he too seemed to notice what she might have suspected. She hoped to talk to him about her suspicions after they closed the restaurant for the night.

((That's alright. I'm not sure when you'll be getting back from class but I might be in bed by then. I'll leave you a comment when I go though so you know for sure.))

Hiei was both relieved and mortified when Yusuke seemed to catch on to the problem. 'Well, at least he has stopped talking about it.' He thought dryly. He finally let go of Kurama, realizing he'd held the redhead's arm for longer than was needed. He was just considering his own bowl of noodles warily when Yusuke turned his teasing on the fox.

Kurama's unusual response to Yusuke's teasing did not go unnoticed by the observant fire demon. It lent truth to the half demon's words and guilt washed over the fire demon. 'I'll just have to do better.' He thought to himself grimly.

Yusuke blanched, unaccustomed to being snapped at by the redhead. "Sheesh, what's with you two." He shook his head. 'He's as bad as Hiei....hmm....' "Can't you take a joke? I'm just happy to see you." Stubbornly determined to spark up a conversation with his two friends, he landed on what he hoped was a safe topic. "So, Kurama. Now that you aren't going to pass out and give the restaurant a bad name, how are things going?" He asked with a smile. "I haven't seen you in a while."

Kurama felt himself beginning to blush and hoped that it wouldn't be noticed. Usually he was so good at containing his emotions but it seemed he was betraying himself in a moment of weakness. When Yusuke drew attention to Hiei's odd demeanor and his own, Kurama realized how impolite he had been. "I'm sorry Yusuke," he said, regretting his outburst, "Thank you very much for the meal, I'm sorry to have been such a bother."

Kurama thought back to the last time he'd seen the half-human and realized that nothing exciting had happened since their last meeting. "Things are going well at the lab," he replied briefly, "How have the two of you been doing here? Have you seen Kuwabara lately?" Kurama was starting to feel a bit more like himself with some of Yusuke's ramen to fill his stomach. He never would have imagined Yusuke as a chef but he was surprisingly good.

((I'll put Keiko in the next one to save time.))

Yusuke waved off the apology, having already forgiven the redhead for his anger. At Kurama's question he nodded with an exasperated expression. "Yeah, I saw him a couple days ago." The half demon shrugged. "I didn't get much out of him though. All he can talk about is Yukina ever since she agreed to marry him." He chuckled dryly. "Not that that's really any different from before." He remembered Kurama's other question and grinned. "As for Keiko and me, we're doing fine. The shop's business has been doing really well this month." Yusuke didn't mention his side job as a champion fighter in an underground gambling ring. Keiko didn't like it and he didn't feel like being lectured in front of his friends. "So how have you been, Hiei? I heard you were working for spirit world but Botan wouldn't tell me exactly what you were doing."

Hiei relaxed a bit, this was an easy topic. "I train and lead the border patrol units that guard the portals and keep humans from accidentally crossing over and becoming something's dinner." He said, just a hint of pride in his voice. He liked his work and the respect it earned him, even if he was sort of lonely. "It helps cut down on the infant's paperwork." He added snidely.

OOC: Okay. ^_^

Kurama wasn't surprised when Yusuke waved away his apology. The half-demon was easy to anger but just as quick to forgive those he counted as friends. His enemies were a different story altogether. If anyone brought harm to the ones he loved however, they could count on being dead before forgiveness was given. Hiei was possibly one of the only exceptions to that rule.

Kurama nodded and smiled when Yusuke mentioned Kuwabara's preoccupation. He truly did love Yukina. Kurama never would have imagined the love-at-first-sight type relationship working for the two of them, especially having been so one-sided in the beginning, but things had progressed nicely for the couple over the years. He was also happy that things had been going well for Yusuke and Keiko. He was astonished at how well the spirit detective had settled down to a semi-normal life despite his fighting tendencies. Kurama had passed more than one afternoon sparing with Kuwabara up at Genkai's dojo and wondered if Yusuke perhaps participated in a similar activity from time to time.

The fox listened attentively when Hiei described what his duties entailed. He had heard more than Yusuke from Botan through with a bit of gentle coercion but hadn't expected to hear the hint of pride in Hiei's voice. It was obvious that the demon liked his job and Kurama was slightly surprised by that fact. Though Hiei had come to accept his human friends, the fox found it hard to believe that he had overcome his hatred of humans enough to actually consider protecting their lives from other demons. Perhaps Hiei didn't think of it in that manner but to Kurama it meant a great deal.

Keiko was relieved when Yusuke stumbled upon a more normal line of conversation that seemed appeasing to everyone in the room. She dully noted how he avoided the topic of his nighttime fights but pushed aside the annoyance that always accompanied the thought of it. She knew Yusuke needed something to do to exercise his fighting itch but wished that he could come up with something a bit more...legal.

News of Hiei's work wasn't lost on her as it might have been in the past. She had forced Yusuke to do a lot of explaining and though she hadn't managed to make sense of all the details, she did have a working knowledge of the three worlds. It sometimes seemed surreal to her but she couldn't deny their existence after seeing everything that Yusuke had gone through during his time spent as spirit detective. It wasn't often that he had to go on cases anymore and that pleased her a great deal. She used to worry if he would come back alive, if she would ever see him again, but thankfully those days were mostly over.

((Sorry there's no dialogue for either character, I couldn't think of anything for them to say. >.<))