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They had the same eyes. Kuwabara didn’t know why he’d never noticed before but he found himself unable to look at Yukina at all. His stomach churned, guilt eating away at his insides, but he couldn’t bring himself to muster even a fleeting smile. Even his usual awe around her left a foul taste in his mouth.
Every time he looked at her, he got caught on her eyes.
The whole thing didn’t even make sense. Where Hiei’s eyes were narrow and cold, looking upon him with disdain. Yukina’s were warm and sparkling. Beautiful in their own right. He’d compare them to rubies, if he’d ever actually seen a real one.
Kuwabara couldn’t get past the color. Two polar opposites, yet their eyes were the exact same shade of red. It was uncanny.
He shook his head. Ridiculous. All of it. They both had red eyes, so what? Maybe it was a popular color in Makai? He’d never thought to ask.
Nerves settled, if only just, Kuwabara took a steadying breath and lifted his gaze when Yukina handed him a mug of tea. Her smile brightened her face, red eyes glistening in the evening sunlight.
Unbidden, his thoughts flew to another pair of glittering eyes. Ones that sparkled at him with a knowing smugness before Hiei whisked himself to who knew where. Leaving his human friend in utter turmoil, clutching the side of his face the short apparition licked.
Licked.
Kuwabara shuddered and dropped his gaze. His knuckles whitening around his teacup, the heat making his skin tingle.
“Kazuma?” Yukina spoke gently, as always. Never wavering from her quiet politeness even in the face of Kuwabara’s discontent. “Is everything okay?”
He forced a grin, lifting one hand to the back of his head and laughing. As boisterous as ever. “Me? Of course! Everything’s always okay when I’m with you, Yukina!”
Except it really wasn’t and he still couldn’t hold her gaze. Instead, Kuwabara found himself glancing at Yusuke, sitting off to one side and huffing at Kuwabara’s antics. It was Kurama who held his attention though. The red-haired fox peered at him over the rim of his cup, cradling the mug between long fingers as he took a sip. Green eyes, so far from red Kuwabara sought salvation within them, narrowed in thought. He didn’t look away and his neutral expression didn’t change, but Kuwabara knew him well enough to recognize the calculating look.
His heart dropped. Of course, Kurama knew. When did the damn fox miss anything?
Unable to sit still, Kuwabara set his cup to one side – tea inside untouched and still steaming – and rose to his feet. He didn’t offer an explanation, only made a beeline for the door and resisted the urge to run all the way back to the city when he made it outside.
On the stone path surrounding Genkai’s temple, Kuwabara froze. He wanted to get away. Escape the memory of Hiei’s strange behavior. Everywhere reminded him of Yukina and, for some reason, Yukina only reminded him of Hiei.
Full circle.
Gritting his teeth, he started walking, fisting his hands at his sides and stalking straight into the trees. Perhaps he’d find some low level demons to distract him.
He didn’t notice the plants guiding him along until he stumbled into a tiny clearing and found Kurama sitting on the grass. Head tilted back and eyes closed, serene in the evening light.
Kuwabara clenched his hands into fists. “I wanted to be alone.”
“You looked like you needed someone to talk to.” Calm and nonplussed, Kurama looked over at him, leaning back on one hand. “Would you like me to leave?”
He wanted to say ‘yes’. Anything to get some peace and quiet.
The grass prickled against his hands as he sat down beside Kurama, facing the demon. Habit had him looking over his friend, searching for the injuries remaining from their recent battle.
Koenma rarely called on them anymore. The Reikai Tentai officially disbanded years ago and, where Enma was concerned, would never be reinstated. When they were brought in, it wasn’t to deal with the dregs of demon society.
Their latest bout led to a number of bad scrapes and they’d all decided to remain at the temple to recuperate.
Head tilted back again, Kurama gave no outward reaction to acknowledge Kuwabara’s presence.
“How’s your shoulder?” Kuwabara’s attention fixed on the arm Kurama kept loose in his lap. “Do you need any more healing?”
The last time he’d healed someone, they’d licked his face. Kuwabara swallowed hard, and clenched his hands into the grass, ripping up tufts and wads of dirt.
“No.”
Kuwabara didn’t sigh in relief and he bristled when Kurama lifted an eyebrow. He crossed his arms. “I was only asking, jeez.”
Chuckling, Kurama lifted his hands and rolled his injured shoulder. “You’ve already done more than enough. Thank you.”
“Right.” Kuwabara leaned back, wary. “You’re not going to lick me too, are you?”
He’d caught the fox spirit off guard, his expression slipping for a moment. Long enough Kuwabara saw the furrowed brow and bewildered eyes before they disappeared behind a curious veneer.
“I’m sorry?” Kurama asked.
Somewhere, Hiei was laughing at him. The runt was probably getting a kick out of how flustered he’d made Kuwabara. But friends didn’t do that! They didn’t lick each other’s faces and they definitely didn’t grin afterwards and disappear without another word.
A hand landed on his shoulder, Kurama’s face exuding concern. “Kuwabara?”
His skin prickled and Kuwabara looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Have you seen Hiei?”
“Not since we got back.” Kurama tilted his head to one side. “He took offense at some advice and hasn’t spoken to me since.”
Hoping the advice wasn’t the “it’s okay to lick your friend” kind, Kuwabara swallowed. “Advice?”
Kurama waved a hand, dismissive. “Human things.”
Sometimes, Kuwabara forgot he was friends with demons. “Oh...” He paused, worrying the inside of his cheek. “He’s interested in human things? I thought we were beneath him.”
“You have a tendency to confuse him,” Kurama admitted, eyes on the canopy again and a fond smile tugging at his lips. “Human cultures are a little more complicated than the demon equivalents.”
“Demons have a culture?” Kuwabara asked. “I thought they were all just kill or be killed?”
Kurama gave him a look that said he was being unnecessarily dense – and more than a little rude – and Kuwabara hunched his shoulders in response.
“Our cultures tend to be more traditional,” Kurama explained, with his usual endless patience. “We’re long lived and the values within communities don’t change as much as they do here. Some demons are prone to bloodlust and little else, but you’d be surprised how many value taking the time to honor traditions.”
Chastened, Kuwabara bowed his head. “Sorry.”
To his surprise, Kurama shrugged. “I’ll admit, I never put much stock in following traditions either.”
“Unless it led to treasure?”
A slight quirk to Kurama’s mouth was his only answer.
“I bet Hiei doesn’t care for tradition either.” Kuwabara sighed, back to dwelling on their mutual friend. “What part of human culture was he curious about this time?”
He knew, just by the tilt to Kurama’s head, the fox wouldn’t answer. Before he could wave off his query though, green eyes narrowed, rounding on him with a sudden focus. “Hiei did something, didn’t he? That’s why you’re not acting like yourself.”
Kuwabara tucked himself into a ball and whined into his knees. “Why do you have to be so smart?”
“My apologies.” Kurama, of course, refused to drop the subject. “Are you going to answer the question or shall I draw conclusions from your silence?”
He’d do it too, the bastard. Kuwabara groaned. “He licked me!”
Silence.
Bewildered, Kuwabara peeked out from the shelter of his arms, frowning at the fox. All that pushing and now he wasn’t going to say anything at all?
Kurama wasn’t looking at him. He had one hand clamped over his mouth, his shoulders shaking.
“You- Are you laughing?” Kuwabara couldn’t even bring himself to care that his voice broke with a mortifying squeak.
With an effort, the red haired demon schooled his features and looked back at him. The mirth in green eyes gave him away and Kuwabara scowled, shifting to get up. He was sick of being the source of his friend’s amusement.
Kurama grabbed his wrist, his usual serious mask back in place. “Forgive me, Kuwabara, I’ll admit, I was a little surprised.” He tilted his head. “I gather this was when you healed him?”
“Yeah.” Kuwabara rubbed his cheek and shuddered. He could still feel how wet and warm Hiei’s tongue had been. “Punk just lay one on me and ran!”
A smile played at the edges of Kurama’s mouth. He looked away, coughed once and fought it down. “He’s flirting with you.”
Kuwabara almost believed him but Kurama had always been good at keeping a straight face, in all manner of situations. This, in the end, was no different.
“Very funny, Kurama!” He turned away, shaking his fist at the trees. “I bet you put him up to this, didn’t you? You punk! Why don’t you show yourself, huh? Quit laughing at me behind my back you little psycho!”
“He’s not here.” Kuwabara could hear the smile in Kurama’s voice and didn’t turn to see it. “He’s still sulking.”
The chuckle did make Kuwabara turn around and he glared at Kurama. “Quit laughing at me!”
Lifting his hands, Kurama donned a neutral expression. “My apologies. But I have to admit, you have cleared things up for me. I wondered why Hiei was so… brusque… during our last conversation.”
“That doesn’t explain the licking, Kurama.”
“Demons don’t usually tend to each other’s injuries, Kuwabara. Not unless there's some kind of intimate relationship involved.”
“You tend to our injuries all the time!”
“I’m currently human and a bad example.” Kurama waved a hand, dismissive. “Hiei’s never tried to integrate himself in human culture and, believe it or not, he does like you. More than he cares to admit, sometimes.” He grinned. “More than anyone would believe, apparently. Licking you is practically a proposal.”
Whether it was the steady gaze holding his own or the sheer seriousness on Kurama’s face – mixed with a little too much amusement – Kuwabara believed the fox wholeheartedly. Gobsmacked, he sank to the floor.
Kurama rubbed his chin, frowning. Heedless of Kuwabara’s despair. “I’ll have to have a word with Hiei.”
Kuwabara relaxed. If anyone could talk sense into the apparition, Kurama had it covered.
“I thought he at least trusted me enough to tell me these things.”
Heart falling, Kuwabara yelped. “That’s what you care about?”
Too wide, innocent green eyes fixed on him. He looked, for all the world, like he didn’t understand Kuwabara’s concerns.
Kuwabara knew the fox was still laughing. “I hate you.”
Kurama grinned. A chilling mix of sheer amusement and plotting. Every bit the fox spirit the redhead was meant to be.
Curling into a ball, Kuwabara sighed. At least he knew Hiei would be teased relentlessly too. Somehow, the thought eased a little of his discontent.
Next time he saw Hiei though, he was pummeling the short apparition into next week.