Yusuke caught the pride in Hiei's voice as well. He was't overly surprised by it. He had heard a few rumors about the effectiveness of the Makai border patrols. If they were that well organized because Hiei was in charge then the little demon had a lot to be proud of. "That's great Hiei." He grinned. "Man I never would have guessed you'd be protecting humans for a living someday. I mean, when we first met you were...uh..." he trailed off, not wanting to mention the circumstances of their first fight in front of Keiko.

Hiei scowled. "I'm not doing it for the humans." He snapped defensively, but he couldn't come up with any other reason for his decision to put up with Reika's red tape. The money wasn't that good and he was powerful enough to do well for himself without Koenma's backing. Sulking, he set about eating his food.

OOC: I'll color code it when I get home. Hope its okay.

((That's okay, it looks good to me! Page 5 already, wow!))

Kurama shook his head, a sly smile on his face. Yusuke had a knack of repeatedly getting himself into difficult areas of conversation today. Kurama could remember Yusuke's first fight with Hiei very clearly. The spirit detective had surprised both himself and Hiei for his prowress only to realize that the young man had triumphed by basing his strategy on a mere hunch. Despite the gravity of the situation, Kurama couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Hiei's snappy response only added to Kurama's amusement. It was clear that the fire demon didn't want Yusuke to believe he had gone soft. Hiei's pride was both a strength and a weakness in Kurama's mind. Kurama watched his companion eat before pondering his own bowl. Here were still a few noodles floating around the edges of the bowl and he deftly picked them out with his chopsticks and ate them. "The ramen was wonderful Yusuke," he complimented, setting his chopsticks down a final time.

Turning his attention to Keiko who hadn't said a word since their arrival, he noticed her thoughtful expression. He hadn't spent much time alone with the human female so it was difficult for him to guess what might be on her mind. "Has Yusuke been keeping you busy as usual?" he asked, in an attempt to politely draw her into the conversation. He thought of Hiei's question and gently touched the woman with his spirit awareness. What the fire demon said had been true; a faint energy resided in her that was not her own.

Keiko's eyes came back into focus as Kurama questioned her. It was almost as if he knew she had been thinking about him... "Of course!" she said with a smile, "He's been a real help lately though so I can't complain." She noted that the redhead's blush had disappeared. At first she thought it had just been the color returning to his face but it was obvious now that he had been blushing.

Yusuke shook his head. "Me keep her busy?" He repeated incredulously. "No way! If it wasn't for me she'd never take a break." He laughed, giving his wife's bottom a squeeze. He eyed Kurama's empty bowl. "You want some more?" He asked as he reached to clear the dish away.

Hiei continued to eat his own food in silence, not knowing what to say. He left the small talk to Kurama. The fox was better at it anyway.

Keiko smiled, "That's true," she admitted with a laugh which quickly turned to a screech as Yusuke squeezed her. "Yusuke!" Keiko exclaimed, swatting her husband's hand away from her backside; the boy could be so improper sometimes...

Kurama just shook his head a Yusuke's antics. The boy always seemed to be doing something inappropriate to harass Keiko and he felt sorry for her. The girl knew how to defend herself however and he secretly wondered if she didn't enjoy it, the tiny ball of energy inside her was a testament to that possibility.

Not letting his mind tarry on the object of their desire, he shook his head in response to Yusuke's question. "No, that's alright. I'll be sure to eat enough at dinner later," he added hastily, lest Hiei have something to say about his refusal. It wouldn't do to overfill his stomach and cause himself to be even sicker later.

Hiei said nothing about the fox's refusal. It made sense. Eating too much was just as dangerous as too little. It made you sluggish. Having finished his own bowl he laid the chopsticks down and leaned away from the counter, crossing his arms across his chest. He didn't compliment Yusuke's cooking, but he had eaten it. That was proof enough that he didn't hate it.

Yusuke nodded to acknowledge the redhead's refusal and grabbed Hiei's bowl as well. "It's on the house." He told the pair with a smile. "Stop by any time you want to."

Hiei nodded at the offer. He probably wouldn't eat at the restaurant very often but it was nice to have a back up source of food available. His attention wandered to Keiko and the small life growing within her. She really shouldn't work too hard while expecting Yusuke's child. The child wasn't a full demon but it might still be a hard pregnancy if Keiko wasn't careful to maintain an energy level capable of supporting it's development. Humans were so....fragile. He wondered if he should tell her about it after all. Yusuke was as unobservant as ever when it came to his woman and the oaf had his head too far in the clouds to make himself useful.

He stepped down from his stool and waited for Kurama to join him. They had eaten, it was time to go.

"Keiko." He said before he could talk himself out of it. She needed to know.

Kurama was about to fetch out his wallet and lay a bill down on the counter that would cover the expense of both meals when Yusuke announced that he wouldn't be charging them. Usually Kurama insisted on paying but he decided not to make a scene of it today. Catching Hiei's movement, Kurama too stood and thankful to discover that his legs were able to fully support his body once more. "Thank you," he said before turning to leave. Hiei however remained where he was standing to address Keiko. 'Hiei...' he warned, 'Let them figure it out.' The realization that a tiny spark of life was growing inside of a woman was something special and he wasn't sure that Keiko deserved to have the surprise of it ruined before she could discover it herself.

Keiko turned her attention from her husband to the couple before her when they stood to leave. She was taken aback when the shorter one addressed her, "Yes?" she asked with a slight tone of curiosity in her voice. Hiei had never spoken to her much before and she was honestly surprised by his sudden interest in her.

At Kurama's mental warning, Hiei faltered in his resolve to tell the woman what he knew. But he had to say something. He turned away from her curious gaze. "You should take care of yourself." He finally said quietly. "Someone may depend on your health." It wasn't really telling her anything, but he hoped it would be enough to make her more careful of her health, more observant.

Yusuke looked from the short demon to his wife in confusion. 'What the heck is he talking about?' He looked to Kurama to translate the cryptic little demon's words, the way the redhead used to when they first started working together.

Hiei started walking towards the exit, not caring that they didn't understand his warning. They would, hopefully sooner rather than later. He figured he owed her at least some warning in return for her earlier advice.

Kurama looked from Hiei to Keiko and back, apprehentious as to what the fire demon might tell her. When Hiei spoke however, his message was cryptic as he decided to not straight out tell her. This satisfied the redhead and he mentally thanked Hiei for heeding his wish for the news to remain a secret for the time being. He doubted that either Keiko or Yusuke would understand the message as Yusuke looked at him for answers. "That's just his way of saying thank-you," he covered quickly. Not wanting them to completely disregard the message however he added, "But you should be careful to eat properly or you might end up like I did," he said, rubbing the back of his head as a sweat drop ran down one side of his face. With that he followed Hiei in exiting the restaurant, feeling much better than he had when they had entered.

Someone depending on her health? What was the little demon talking about? She looked from Hiei to Yusuke for an explanation but it was clear that her husband was just as lost as she was and so she followed his gaze to Kurama who explained that Hiei was merely thanking her. It seemed like an odd way of phrasing gratitude but Kieko wasn't one to judge so she let it slide as some part of demon culture that had yet to be explained to her. Kurama's warning about eating properly made sense given what had just happened but the whole situation puzzled her in it's oddity. She watched the pair leave before turning to her husband, "What do you think that was about?" she asked curiously, hoping that he understood something that she did not.

Yusuke shrugged. "I don't know. Hiei's just weird like that." He stared at the door where the two demons had recently exited. "Hey, honey...uh, what did Hiei ask you this morning?" He said slowly, thinking of his suspicions regarding the demon pair.

Hiei walked down the road as far as the corner before turning into the alley and leaping in a blur to the rooftop. 'Coming, Fox?' He asked, a hint of playfulness in his mental tone.

Keiko wasn't as dismissive on the matter as Yusuke was but his question distracted her from the subject for the time being. "I wanted to talk to you about that..." she said, "He was asking me some really deep questions about love. I'm beginning to wonder if there's someone he likes..." she said, recalling a few specific scenes, "Is that what he talked with you about?" As she waited for his response, Keiko sat down on a nearby stool, her feet were beginning to hurt after standing for most of the day.

Kurama walked along beside Hiei, reveling in the fresh air and sunshine. When his companion blurred out of sight, he paused for a moment before making a leap of his own, "Matte Hiei!" he called, knowing full well that Hiei wasn't likely to stop for him. A sly grin crossed his features despite that fact, he was up for the challenge.

Yusuke blinked at the suggestion. "Hiei?" He choked out. 'Damn, I was hoping I was just going crazy.' He decided to throw his suspicion out and see what Keiko thought of it. "You really think he might be in love with somebody? I mean, the only people I've ever known him to give a crap about are his sister and Kurama...." He trailed off, waiting to see what she'd say.

Hiei blurred from building to building, pleased that Kurama hadn't hesitated to accept his challenge. Kurama used to challenge him to races like this when the fox thought he was getting too restless during his time trapped in the human realm. They weren't going anywhere in particular. Whoever was in front at the end of the race got to pick the destination. It felt like old times and Hiei reveled in the freedom of running. It was the one of the only things he liked about the human realm. He could run without being too concerned about something more powerful catching him off guard.

Keiko hesitated when Yusuke seemed taken aback by her suggestion. Hiei was his friend after all, shouldn't he know his feelings better? Perhaps she was reading too much into things but she couldn't think of any other explanation for what Hiei had asked her. His first questions could have pertained to family but the last two made her think of something more and as Yusuke confirmed, Kurama seemed to be the only possibility. Relationships between males were becoming more common so the idea didn't seem too far fetched in her mind but for all she knew things could be different between demons. Finally gathering the courage to mention her hunch she replied, "Maybe I'm wrong but didn't he seem embarrassed when you mentioned asking Kurama about what he asked us?"

((Sorry, my dinner's ready. You can post with Yusuke if you want and I can add Kurama into the next one.))

Yusuke nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah...and they were sort of inseparable when we were a team. Always showing up together and having those little cryptic conversations that nobody else could understand...and they always got really protective when the other one got hurt....and Kurama was kind of crushed when Hiei took off...." He pondered the possibility that more than friendship could be developing between the two demons and it suddenly didn't seem as far fetched as it had a little while earlier. "You really think that's it? Hiei's trying to decide whether he's in love with Kurama?"

OOC: No problem. I have to go for a bit to spend time with my hubby, but I'll be back on to post before I go to sleep. I don't want to keep you up late waiting on my post though. Sleep well! *huggles* I look forward to reading your post in a little while but I'm not gonna post again until you go offline for the night because you told me to help you enforce your self-imposed bedtime, ne. ^_^

Kurama followed in Hiei's wake, fully aware of the game they were playing. Both demons were moving at speeds so fast that most humans wouldn't even be able to perceive their movements. Kurama's hair whipped about in the wind caused by his own momentum as he pushed himself to catch up with the fire demon who remained a good deal in the lead. It had been a long time since he'd let loose like this and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

Keiko listened to Yusuke ramble about the couple. His musings only seemed to confirm her suspicions. "It seems to be a good possibility..." she said thoughtfully, "He seemed afraid that whoever it was might not love him in return. I wonder if Kurama feels the same way about him..."

((Bedtimes are evil but work is eviler. The good thing is that I'll be home again super early, like 10:00am. It's a pretty short shift.))

OOC: :ninja: Ah, Zig is gone to sleepies. ^_^ *posts* lol, Hiei and Kurama have a warped way of having fun. lol ^_^'

Hiei sped through the city, changing direction frequently. He didn't really care where they ended up. 'You'll have to do better than that to catch me, Fox.' He smirked as he playfully taunted Kurama. 'What's the matter, gone soft on me?' He swerved to the left to scale a fire escape on a particularly tall building, pausing for a moment at it's top to take in the view before careening down the other side. He was thankful there weren't any plants on any the balconies he was using as stairs. The fox had been known to fight dirty when they raced. He always claimed he was just evening the playing field since Hiei could fairly easily outrun him if he really tried. Hiei would grumble but he had always rather enjoyed the added challenge of watching out for the fox's sneak attacks.

Yusuke thought back to Kurama's behavior when Hiei left for the Makai. He hadn't been entirely joking. It was like the guy had lost half of himself. "I don't think that'll be a problem." He said slowly before a wry grin lightened his boyish face. "Heh, the only problem is gonna be getting either of them to admit it. Wanna make a bet on how long it'll take? Oh, and who makes the first move?" He grinned unrepentantly at his wife. "I give it at least a month and it'll have to be Kurama. Hiei's too stubborn and way too weird about emotional stuff."

((Bleh, looks like I have to work the same shift tomorrow so I'll have to be off again by 7:00pm tonight.))

Kurama ignored Hiei's taunts and focused on keeping up with the black shadow ahead of him. As he scaled the fire escape Hiei had chosen, his steps were light and agile, his feet barely connecting with the metalwork before bounding off of it. The redhead made up some ground as Hiei paused on the brink of the skyscraper but didn't break even before Hiei jumped off. Kurama didn't flinch but immediately followed suit, leaping from balcony to balcony just behind the fire demon. His surroundings didn't offer any advantages but he knew that sooner or later an opportunity would present itself.

Keiko nodded, trusting in Yusuke's judgement on the matter. She sighed when he mentioned betting, his comment bringing to mind his unlawful activities. "You know I don't gamble Yusuke," she commented, annoyance showing in her voice.

((I'm going to go take a short nap. I'll be back on to check on things in an hour or so.))

Hiei was a black blur as he crossed half a dozen low buildings and swerved around the edge of a small park that he hadn't accounted for in his route. He increased his speed with a grimace, hoping the redhead would be too far away to use the stunted trees there to his advantage.

Yusuke grinned, having expected the response. "Yeah, well I gotta keep trying, ne? Otherwise you'll realize you're too good for me someday and leave me for some schmuck." He wrapped his arms around his wife and leaned his cheek on her head. "You know what Hiei's questions reminded me of...." He said sheepishly. "I haven't told you that I love you yet today. So I love you, Mrs. Urameshi." He leaned back to kiss her gently before returning to his previous position.

OOC: Sorry, I over slept this morning and then had to go grocery shopping. Then I cooked lunch and my hubby wanted to watch a movie.

Kurama chose a similar path over a neighboring set of buildings. Now that they were on fairly even ground once more, Hiei was regaining speed. To his left he caught sight of the tiny park and gauged the distance. Hiei seemed to notice his mistake however and sped up, leaving the fox little time to execute a move. The situation was made even more difficult by the park's few visitors and in the end Kurama decided not to take the chance. Instead he chose to keep pace and hope that a better opportunity would present itself. He wasn't sure how long Hiei intended their race to last but he would have to do something to catch up soon if he wanted even a chance at competing with the unusually fast demon.

Keiko merely frowned at Yusuke's response. She had no quip to respond with and witty remarks were his specialty anyway. Yusuke spared her the burden of replying however as he wrapped her up in a loving embrace. She could feel the warmth of his body pressing against her shoulders and head and her frown dissolved. It was impossible for her to remain angry with him for long. Completely relaxed, she made a barely audible noise in response to his rhetorical question. The words that followed warmed her just as much as his body and she smiled, "I love you too Mister Urameshi," she responded before he kissed her. 'This is what love is...' she thought suddenly. If Kurama and Hiei really did like each other, she hoped they would someday experience just as much pleasure from a relationship together as she did with Yusuke.

((Naptime. I'll check on things again in an hour or so.))

Hiei was a bit surprised that the redhead hadn't taken advantage of his mistake. 'Perhaps he's tired...' He thought, changing direction towards the fox's apartment. It wouldn't do to let the race go on too long if Kurama wasn't at full energy. Still, they were halfway across town from their destination and Hiei wasn't about to slow down to let the fox catch up. That wouldn't be very sportsmanlike of him at all. Kurama was going to have to put some effort into beating him.

Yusuke grinned and pulled away. The dinner crowd would start arriving at any time and it wouldn't do to scandalize their patrons with the show of affection. No sooner had he disentangled himself from his wife, the first early dinner customer wandered in. "Welcome." He greeted the guy with a wave. "What can I get for ya?"

((Off tomorrow so no bedtime tonight. Yay! I'll still probably go to bed around midnight though. >.<))

Kurama noticed the shift in direction and began calculating when he realized where Hiei was likely headed. Once in his own territory, he would have a slight advantage that might be able to tip the scales. He bid his time, keeping as close to the black shadow ahead of him as his inferior speed would allow him. The pair vaulted across rooftop gaps that would make any normal human think twice, and leapt dangerously off of telephone posts and streetlamps alike. Kurama's chance was coming soon and he mentally sought out the rooftop garden that he knew lie up ahead. As Hiei alighted on the neighboring building, a flurry of razor sharp leaves shot off of a line of potted plants and honed in on him, encircling him as he ran.

Keiko sighed as her husband pulled away. She knew their affection would be seen as indecent should any customers enter to see them together but she regretted the necessity. She felt unusually tired and wanted nothing more than to rest in Yusuke's strong arms but their work was far from over. Keiko knew the dinnertime rush would soon be upon them and sure enough a preemptive customer entered for an early evening meal.

Hiei smirked as the plants attacked, employing his sword to deflect the razor sharp projectiles and dodging rapidly to avoid those he didn't destroy. It looked like the redhead wasn't giving up without a fight and that pleased Hiei more than he wanted to admit. Maybe the human world hadn't totally blunted the fox's bite. Still, the leaves weren't enough to stop him or even slow him down very much. They had to be a distraction and he was wary as he was forced to touch down for a moment on a rooftop covered in plants.

OOC: If it's okay with you, can we leave Keiko and Yusuke to their own devices for now?

((Yeah, that's fine.))

Kurama wasn't deterred as his first attack failed to hit it's mark. It had served it's purpose and as Hiei landed, the fox mounted his second attack. Vines sprung from the low walls of the rooftop garden as if they had been poised to strike. With Kurama's spirit energy acting as a steroid to make them grow at an unbelievable rate, the ivy did it's best to ensnare Hiei and root him to the spot.

((Sorry it's kinda short. I dunwanna Godmod.))

Hiei twisted to avoid the vines but more came at him from all sides. He leapt up but was pulled up short as one of the tendrils caught his ankle with more strength than an ordinary plant could have. 'Damn.' He grimaced as the other vines took advantage of his momentary weakness and ensnared his other limbs, pulling him back down onto the roof. Flaring his youki, he burnt the offending greenery to ash and freed himself within a few seconds, but the sly fox had succeeded in darting past him. He fought the urge to grin as he chased after the redhead. 'Now, things are getting interesting.'

OOC: No worries. ^_^ Your turn to lead the merry chase. ^_^

Kurama didn't spare a moment for triumph as Hiei struggled to free himself of his ivy bonds. In an instant he had gone from the pursuer, to being the pursued. The fox weaved his way over the maze of rooftops the city had to offer, keeping tabs on Hiei's energy that was approaching from a short distance behind him. He had gained the lead but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it for long. Up ahead he could see his apartment complex in the distance and began a new set of calculations. It wouldn't be long now but the redhead doubted his ability to hold the lead up to the very end.

Hiei was nothing but a blur as he gained on Kurama. They were nearing the redhead's apartment rapidly, but unless the fox came up with another obstacle to slow him down, the little fire demon would pass him well before they landed on the plant-laden balcony.