Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Kitsune ❯ Homecoming ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Homecoming p2 (Tokyo: 11-17-02)


Yusuke placed the bowl of Soba noodles in front of Kuwabara and wiped his hands. "Kurama sounded pretty, uhh, subdued," he scratched at his head and thought about what he just said.

"Sounds like him, did he say what he wanted to talk about? That old man's been gone 2 years straight I thought he's forgotten about us already. I agree with your idea about letting him settle down for a bit before calling him up but it's almost been a week, and he knows even I would know he's around." Kuwabara picked up his chopsticks and said "Itadakimasu!" he shoved in a mouthful of yakisoba before asking for the chili sprinkle.

"I dunno, I think something is going on in the Demon world, Hiei paid me a visit last night."
Kuwabara began choking on his noodles. "What?! Hey... I thought he and Kurama were- you know catching up? I remember the instant he arrived in the ningenkai I felt it."
Yusuke gave him a glass of water. "Yeah they didn't talk long did they. He was kinda in a hurry, think he was going somewhere."

"What did he say?" he asked as he took a gulp of water.

"He said something about Yomi doing something and I have to do something...." Yusuke leaned on the counter thinking hard about what happened last night "He popped in just before me and Keiko..." he cleared his throat "well, just before me and Keiko went to bed."

"Ohhhh you and Keiko must be doing something really important because you actually forgot what Hiei said to you ITAIII!!!" Kuwabara rubbed at his head "You didn't have to hit that hard!"
"What Keiko and I are doing is none of your damned business, go get a girlfriend Kuwabara." Yusuke said frowning at his friend who was still rubbing his head as he glared.

"I do have a girlfriend just not, you know." The big said, toying with his noodles.

"Your pathetic Kuwabara, go ask her already!"

"I did! but I don't want to marry her yet coz, well, I won't be able to provide for yet, I don't want to give her a false sense of security." he said sprinkling the pepper on his big dry noodles. "I'm still under neesan's care and I depend on her and stuff so." he shrugged.
"Yeah, jobs are so hard to find nowadays, you need to be a graduate from a really good university to find a job easy. Lucky me! If I manage to stick with it..." the Makai lordling sighed glumly as he tapped the handle of his noodle strainer on the wooden counter.
"True." Kuwabara nodded his agreement. He understood his best friends allergic reaction to authority in general and the tedium of a working student. But ever since Keiko got pregnant he started getting serious with his goals in life. He went to work in the noodle house then goes to school at night with religious regularity. It was very disturbing, Kuwabara actually dragged Yusuke up to Genkai's place and made her try to exorcise him.

It was a major improvement from the Yusuke he used to fight with in High School. But Kuwabara knew his friend, this kind of thing makes Yusuke chafe. He looked at the bored set of Yusuke's lips and the stubborn light in his brown eyes. Yep anytime now he's gonna blow it. Hopefully not thought, but if he did Kuwabara knew he'll be the first one to bang Yusuke's head on a wall to make sure he understood what he was doing. Poor Keiko, he cannot in good conscience sit down and let him screw things up. He doubt Yusuke will though, he loves Keiko very much and... he has this feeling...

He sensed the Youko first before he saw Yusuke's smirk.

"Hey Kurama!" Yusuke said "Glad to see your still in one piece." he saw a sheepish smile on the red head's lips as he bowed under the curtains to get into the noodle house.

"Hey dude, whoa!" Kuwabara turned around in his seat. "You grew! Bet I'm still taller than you." Kuwabara hopped off his stool and stood so close to Kurama he flinched.
Kurama held himself still, as Kuwabara used the palm of his hand to measure their height differences. He almost attacked Kuwabara with his sudden movement. He slid his fingers through his hair to hide the fact that he was reaching for his rose, and looked down at his shoes to compose himself.
This did not go unnoticed, Yusuke saw how Kurama had tensed and place a foot behind him, hand almost to his hair, he watched as Kurama hid his discomfiture by raking his fingers through his mane and looking down. Like he was shy about something. But the fact is he was edgy, he was like a spring wound-up tight and ready to snap.
Kuwabara was totally oblivious "I grew a few more inches too ya know." he grinned "I can still see the top of your head! Hee hee."
Yusuke relaxed when he saw a sheepish grin appear on Kurama's lips "So your taller Kuwabara," he took his arm and turned him back to his stool "But I'm still more handsome."

"Whaddya mean your more handsome." Kuwabara growled.

"Uh-oh, you got him started on that again." Yusuke leaned on the bar top and watched as Kurama kept his hand on Kuwabara's shoulder and rolling his eyes to the ceiling said.

"I should watch what I say more closely, my apologies Kuwabara." he said as he took his own seat. "Your more handsome than I am."

"Damn if Kuwabara is handsome then I'm Narcissus." Yusuke declared. "And you'd be Aphrodite or something."

"A goddess? Me?" Kurama asked pointing at his chest. He had a funny look on his face, a mixture of pleased and pissed.

Yusuke chuckled "Yeah well... your more pretty than handsome, no offense." He added still with that devil may care glint in his eyes.

"Thank you, I think." Kurama replied his voice drippig with sarcasm.
Yusuke grinned "So what are you having today my esteemed guest the goddess of love?" He asked holding up his bamboo noodle strainer.

Kurama shook his head unable to supress a grin as his ears burned. "Miso soup please, and some tofu."

"You want an egg with that?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes please. And make sure it's worthy, human, or no one's going to fall in love with you again." Yusuke laughed.

"Gotcha!" he gave him a thumbs up as he turned around to make the soup.

Kurama sighed, it felt so good to be with them! Yusuke has mellowed down but he's still that nice kind of annoying, kingdom, college, and Keiko didn't change him much. Kuwabara is his usual unbashful bear self, he isn't as strong as any of them but his loyalty and his friendship more than made up that. He missed running circles around his slow pick-up mind though, and his tough brand of caring is exactly like Yusuke's.
Now Yusuke in a white apron and that white piece of cloth on his head, serving-up noodles. That was what really provoked this unusual good cheer. Yusuke was one of the triumverate of most powerful demons in the Ningenkai, he had his own kingdom and servants who'd beg him hand and foot to make him stop what his doing right now.
He was living a normal life with Keiko his wife. He had grown too but he can tell he was still taller than him and his Reikai/Youkai was a soft humming undercurrent of power surrounding the place. Suddenly he was envious.
Yusuke was in love and free to choose his way of life. He didn't like the path his thoughts were taking him so he decided to pick on Kuwabara.
"So how's Yukina?" he asked Kuwabara who blushed like a virgin girl asked about his first kiss. Kurama smiled, the man did not expect that question.
"What?" Kuwabra retorted knowing full well that his face had betrayed him as he felt the heat to his face double "She's fine, she's with my sister right now, it's Saturday cleaning day, so they kicked me out." his noddles were suddently the most interesting thing to look at in the entire room.
He saw Yusuke shrug and shake his head in the negative from between the curtains that led to the kitchen. Oh, so their human friend still has no idea who his brother-in-law would be if he did get to marry her. Kuwabara was attacking his noodles making it look like he was busy so he couldn't add to his previous words.
"And you Yusuke, what have you been up to?" he asked knowing that the man could hear them from the other side of the partition.

"Noodle house till 2pm then Tokyo University at 3pm, home by 9pm bed at 10pm wake up 6:30am noodle house at 7am, blah, blah blah, ad infinitum." he said as he came out with a plate of white fresh tofu. He put it in front of Kurama and got the condiments out and a tiny dish for the soy sauce. "That just about sums up my life right now." Kurama recognized the western studies in Yususke's choice of words and comparisons. He must be tackling Greek mythology and have had to learn some Latin.

"Are you sure it's bedtime at 10 pm? You look like your not sleeping that well then. Hee hee." Kuwabara said and he saw Yusuke's face darken.

Kurama put his fingers over his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud. It's not good to get in the way of Yusuke's Rei gun.

"I'm going to kill you Kuwabara." Yusuke grated in a dangerously low voice.
"Yeah, yeah, could you do it after breakfast? I'm still kinda hungry, no good fighting when your hungry." he said chewing slowly on his noodles looking at the ceiling. "Ooohh spider." he said pointing at the ceiling with his chopsticks.

Yusuke growled. Dark clouds with thunderheads hovered over Yusuke vision, his blatantly ignored threats of painful death hung heavily over a non-chalant Kuwabara.

In short it was a typical exchange between these two old rivals.

"I missed you guys." Kurama said smiling tender and sad at the same time "I've been away too long. Oh, and nice knowing you Kuwabara. Can I have your cd collection after Yusuke's done with you? I'm sure you won't be needing it in the Reikai."
Kuwabara stared at him "Like that grease head can lick me." Yusuke chose to ignore Kuwabara's half assed challenge and focus instead on the prolonged absence of their comrade.
"Yeah, too long if you ask me," Yusuke said a hint of hurt in his voice "We thought you've forgotten about us." Kurama held his hands up as the threat-of-painful-death glare turned towards him.
"I was a bit busy, Yomi had a lot of things that needed my attention." Kuwabara's stare became a glare and was added to Yusuke's "Honest! Swear!" the two looked at each other, and the tension eased.

"Still you could have written or something." Yusuke said his tone concerned but Kurama couldn't tell his mood clearly because his back was turned towards the kitchen.

"Yeah you've been in town for a week, we thought we shouldn't bother you for a few days coz you might be busy or something." Kuwabara wasn't looking at him either, but he could sense how the big bully was concerned for him too.

"I was catching up on stuff." He tasted the tofu and decided to eat it plain, he missed the clean green taste of it. "I missed this too. This is really good, did you guys make it?" he said looking at the tofu.
"Naw, we buy it fresh everyday. We have almond tofu too, for dessert if you want." Yusuke asked his tone flat refusing the subject change.
Kurama lowered his chopsticks "Sorry if I worried you guys."

"Well, your back," Yusuke said "Or are you?"
"Only for a little while." he admitted.
"Hold that thought." Yusuke went back behind the curtain.
"What do you mean only for a little while?" Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke came back out with a piping hot bowl of Miso soup He placed it before Kurama "Yeah like he said." he said jerking his head in the orange haired guy's direction.
"I guess I got tired of the Makai, and I've always wanted to explore the human world, Yomi granted me some funds and a leave of absence and I'm taking full advantage of it. I've come here to say good-bye." Kurama was aware he just lied through his teeth, but in order to pull a good lie you have to believe it's the truth 100%, he felt he did a reasonably good job of it because Kuwabara didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Damn, we just saw each other and your leaving already?" Yusuke said "When are you going? And where?"
"This afternoon, my flight is at 2 pm for Hong Kong."

"What?" Kuwabara asked, "So soon? Damn you Kurama, you should have stayed for a bit before telling us that."
That was as close to an admission of being missed he got from the two. It touched him, so he lied again. "Don't worry, I'll be back, and I promise to bring some souvenirs for you guys." He tasted the Miso soup and was so happy for it's warmth."This is excellent." he pronounced and ate several more spoonfuls. "Yusuke I'm blessing you with a life full of love, you've earn this goddess' favor." The noodlemeister grinned. "Still, why Aphrodite? Can't I be Eros or something?"

"Nope, not in my mythology." Kurama gave a defeated sigh. "Alright... you win , this is your territory..." he trailed off.

"So when will you coming back?" Kuwabara asked out of the blue.

"Send me an invitation for a wedding and I'll cancel my iteniary and come home ASAP." he said looking pointedly at Kuwabara who again very nearly choked on his noodles.

Yusuke laughed. "That'll take years Kurama, would you settle for a birth?" he asked.

"No kidding?" he asked back.
"Keiko told me 2 months ago she's 3 months pregnant."

"Congratulations Yusuke!" he said as Yusuke ducked under the counter and pulled out a tiny sake cup and a little porcelain bottle . He poured him some sake.

"Yeah, Kuwabara and I have been celebrating since last week. Here's you due." he said.

Kurama politely lifted the tiny cup. "My thanks, may your child have a long prosperous life." He took the shot of rice wine. Yusuke refilled it the instant Kurama lowered the cup.
"Thanks, today I'm alone here because my Keiko and mother-in-law have an ultrasound appointment, it's at 9am so they're probably having it right now. They'll call me the instant it's done."
Kurama noted how possesive Yusuke was about Keiko, he really loved her.
"Hope it's a boy, but what if it's a girl Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked.

"I don't care, if it's a boy I have my own little warrior, and if it's a girl I'll have my very own princess warrior." he stared off with a goofy grin on his face. "I bet she'll be really pretty and have quite an attitude." he giggled.

"Like father, like daughter? Then I hope it's a daughter coz if it's a boy 2 Yusukes running around would be too much." Kurama said without batting an eyelash.
Yusuke grinned at his friend "What? I'm a nice person, I did save the human world, the Reikai, and the demon world..."
Kurama raised his second shot of sake "I hope you can tame him if his a boy." he said as the sake burned him a second time.

"Damn! I am handful aren't I?" Yusuke said paying serious thought to the matter. He started scratching back of his head as he tought about his misdeeds, and the cycles of karma.

It was then that Yusuke's father-in-law walked in. They were introduced, the old man said Yusuke can take the rest of the day off to be with his friends but Yusuke decided to stick around to wait for Keiko's news.
Kurama's eyes had gone misty, he wanted so much to just stay, they were engaged in their teasing banter that had several silent rules, if you loose your temper you loose, if you get serious you loose, if you hit below the belt, your dishonored. Hiei couldn't grapple with this concept, he was always so...straight forward.

Hiei...

For a few minuites back there he forgot all about... that. What ever feeling he was floating on right now suddently deflated.

Kuwabara gave him an odd look, so he forced himself to smile and pushed the Koorime to the back of his head. Willing himself to forget for just a few more minuites, for as long as it takes to enjoy Yusuke's and Kuwabara's company, this is for them after all, not for him.

The brunch crowd was walking in when the phone rang and Yusuke almost tripped over himself to answer it. "Yukimura's Noodle House, Uh-huh, yeah? Oh, wow!, What! What!!? Oh...okay...uh, yeah, see you. Uh-huh...bye."
Kurama and Kuwabara leaned over to Yusuke and asked their questions all at once. "Who was it? Was it Keiko? What's the news."
Yusuke stared at them he looked stunned. "Wait you guys..." he took the bottle of sake and a large teacup. Kurama took the sake bottle from him and poured it into the teacup Yusuke produced he emptied the bottle knowing the man would have it no ther way and Yusuke drank the entire cup down in one gulp.

"Yusuke are you alright?" Kurama asked.

"More than alright . Damm!" A big goofy grin covered his face "Can't get my head around it."

"Dammit Yusuke, just tell us, the suspense is killing me!" Kuwabara shouted. The crowd, four other people actually, started staring in their direction.

"Otosan," he called "Minna-san, I would be honored if you join me for a round of sake, It's a boy AND a girl!"