-----
As soon as he locked his door again, Kurama settled back onto his bed and leaned his head against his hands. His mother phrased personal questions on many nights when neither his step father or step brother were home, more so now that he was a university student and still single; however, he, Youko Kurama, had never let any of them get to him. Until now, he would smile and give her a simple negative response. Until now. Kurama glanced out the window. Before he could even register it, his equilibrium had broken tonight. His heart had clenched for some unknown reason, and he had made quite a scene in front of his human mother. It wasn't normal.
"Perhaps," he stated quietly in the darkness, "I am still shaky from my meditation," he reasoned aloud. It had happened before.
-----
The shrill ringing of his cellphone broke Kurama's musing. It vibrated from his jeans pocket and continued ringing when the fox ignored it. Sitting up, he fished it out and flipped it open. The caller ID flashed Kuwabara across his screen. Chuckling, he flipped it open. "Hello?"
His gruff teammate's voice sounded out, "Oh, Kurama, glad I caught you. For a moment there, I thought it might be too late in the month, you know with tests and projects and such. How're you doing?"
"I'm fine, Kuwabara. You still need to remember to call me Shuichi."
"Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot."
Kurama chuckled and smiled. "You always do."
Kuwabara's nervous laugh stumbled out. "Heh eheh. I'll try to remember next time, even if am in my apartment." Kurama could imagine him scratching the back of his neck as phone static filled his ear for a moment. It quieted. "Well, here, look. Do you have time to come by the diner near the university tomorrow? I need your assistance."
Kurama shook his head slowly. "Another gift for Yukina? I hope someday you can decide on your own."
That was a bit harsh. Kuwabara began these searches on his own. He didn't drag him to stores to examine pretty pieces of jewelry or haggle over prices of keepsakes in the markets and net. Only at the end did he ask for Kurama's help, after purchasing two or three items. Then, they sat down somewhere, usually the diner, and he discussed the value of each item. Kurama offered his own opinion.
This had started to be regular, not an occasional, favor of Kurama's for his big friend after Kuwabara had shown up at his house with a huge lump on his forehead from his sister, Shizuru. Kuwabara had said that Shizuru had hit him over the head when he had asked her for advice, only the third time that month, probably screaming something about being more manly and taking care of it himself at the same time. Puffing himself up, Kuwabara straightened and declared that everything being perfect for Yukina was more important, before folding his fingers and begging for the fox demon's opinion.
Furthermore, Kurama hadn't managed to find a way to say no without embarrassing consequences yet and most of the time, nowadays, he went along with the anxious man. He didn't know what happened to the gifts rejected, though he could imagine Kuwabara keeping a stash for emergencies, in case he forgot her birthday or one of the many days the ice demon deemed something important or sweet.
This night’s discussion wasn’t new either.
"I can," Kuwabara explained loudly over the phone. "Really I can. It's just," Kuwabara lowered his voice, "my choices don't always meet with the brother's approval."
Highly amused, Kurama stated, "Kuwabara, I assure you he doesn't listen in on your telephone calls." And if he was, we wouldn't know it, Kurama thought silently. "He has better things to with his time," he said aloud.
"Uh... well, yeah... " Kuwabara mumbled under his breath, "I know that... But-"
Kurama cut him off. "Except for occasional training, he doesn't live to give you pain. He hasn't killed you, either. Maybe, Kuwabara, you have his tacit approval."
"Gee, you think so? I mean, I don't know... Hiei has never-"
Chuckling to himself, Kurama continued baiting the same argument as other nights while selecting one of his books. "Have you ever considered that it's your uncertainty and hesitation that makes Hiei stay quiet about Yukina and yourself?” he prompted, opening the text. "Be more confident."
"I'll try..." the big man's voice dragged out, pouting.
"You love Yukina, right?" Kurama added, trying a different angle.
"Of course I do!" Kuwabara shouted across the line. "She's beautiful, no, GORGEOUS! She's sweet. She always knows what I want. And she's -"
"You're certain about that," Kurama broke in again, stopping the flood.
"Of course I am. But Hiei..." he trailed off again. "If he's my teammate in a battle, I know I can count on him, but when it is about Yukina, he ... I can't explain it and thinking like this makes my head hurt."
Kurama turned a page. "What time do you want to meet at the diner?"
"Umm.... about 2?"
"2:30 or later, Kuwabara. My class doesn't end until 2:20."
"Okay. That will work. Thanks, Kurama, you're a great friend." Kuwabara hung up.
Kurama glanced at the time with slight smirk. No doubt, if Hiei had heard that, he would have rolled his eyes and muttered that the fox's attempts at explaining were a lost cause. Some things never changed and Kuwabara's 'idiocy' was one of them.
