Work Text:
Atsuko gnawed a little at the filter of her cigarette - a habit from her youth she had never quite gotten rid of, despite her long years of smoking. Her eyes, a little glassy and heavy-lidded with exhaustion from the night before, took in the diminutive stature of the person standing in front of her.
"I- Are you going to speak, woman?"
What was this twelve-year-old doing yelling at her like he was some sort of grumpy old man? Atsuko cocked her head to the side, arms crossed in front of her chest as she leaned casually against the door frame of the apartment Yusuke's boss had bought for them after the last one had been... well. She was never quite sure what happened to it. But she wasn't going to oppose help from a wealthy benefactor, even if she didn't remember Yusuke ever saying he was going to get a job. He just... had one one day.
"You want my help?"
"I- You are Urameshi's mother, you are the only person qualified to help me."
Atsuko took another look at this kid, tall spiky hair, with a weird pale patch - it wasn't dyed, she knew that much, but the kid probably got hell at school for it, if his dark clothes and general demeanor weren't sign enough of a troubled youth. She knew what to look for. This was Yusuke's friend, had been for a while. They'd done the whole tournament together, she was pretty sure.
And he was asking for help writing her son a poem.
"He's not here right now, come on in," She said, pushing up off of the door frame and drawing on her cigarette, ashing it before turning casually into her own home, leaving the door open behind her to invite the little rascal in.
"I-I know that!" The kid... this one was... Hiei? Probably? She felt like she should know better - she knew she was an absentee sort of parent, but... sometimes she wondered if maybe her son just wasn't that interested in sharing anything about his life with her. He'd been an open kid about all his trouble, until...
She choked, blaming the smoke in her lungs on the coughing fit as she desperately staved off the weeping that came every time she thought of when Yusuke had been- was- she'd almost…
Hiei was at her elbow in a moment, glaring at her as she failed to figure out how breathing worked quickly enough for him.
"Ahh, help yourself to whatever. Make yourself at home I'm not sure what we-"
"I am not here for pleasantries, woman. I am here to- To-" He snarled, a ridiculously adult expression on his round features.
"Well first, you can start by calling me Atsuko, if you're not going to be polite," She snapped back at him, "Especially in my own fucking home."
Hiei's mouth snapped shut and his eyes widened, looking almost...
Oh no, Atsuko realized. This kid really was messed up. She collapsed into a kitchen chair, sighing, "Maaaaaaah, I'm not mad, just hungover. You know what that is right?"
Hiei snorted but didn't elaborate, tension leaking from his shoulders in an instant. She felt something in her chest ache. She'd been... fuck not much older than this kid was, when she'd had Yusuke. How was she already somehow a better mother than whoever had raised Hiei? Must have been raised by wolves - or worse, demons.
She rolled her eyes at herself, pulling over an old hotel notepad that was down to its last 10 pages and a pencil that desperately needed sharpening and got ready to take notes. "Okay okay, what do you want to say to Yusuke?"
Hiei was quiet. Very quiet. She looked up at him, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight streaming in front the window. He was staring down at the table, and his own fingers. He looked so adult, and so young at the same time.
This kid must have it bad for Yusuke, then. Cute! Kid crushes were adorable, really. She remembered when it was Yusuke and Keiko. She still teased the pair from time to time, but it was mostly because Keiko would get flustered at the wrong assumption and sputter, and Yusuke would frown and blush. Yusuke didn’t feature at all in Keiko’s future plans it seemed, as she continued on towards college and the rest of her life while Yusuke’s plan for the future seemed to be more fighting, his secret job, and occasionally taking hours at the Yukimura’s restaurant.
"This is for Valentine’s day, yeah?" She asked, still gnawing on the filter of her cigarette as she tried to erase the awkward silence forcibly. It wasn't her greatest strength but if she just tried real hard and believed in herself and didn't let anyone do anything else, it worked out okay usually.
Probably.
"The holiday with chocolates, yes."
"Cuuuute," Atsuko whispered to herself. "I think we could get away with something simple and classic," She didn't want to admit she didn't know enough about her son to know what would woo him - and she didn't know how serious this kid was about the endeavor.
Well, serious enough to come to her door while Yusuke was out.
"What do you suggest, wo- um. Atsuko-san?"
"Cuuuuuuute!" Atsuko couldn't keep it under her breath this time, reaching across the table and smooshing Hiei's cheeks into an adorably squashed irritated expression. "Listen, if things don't work out with my son, you're still allowed to come over and hang out, okay? He's an idiot sometimes, so don't blame him too much, yah? Not my fault if he doesn't know you're adorable yet."
Hiei's face was beet red when she pulled her hands away and began furiously scribbling some words down on the page.
"Like I said, we'll go with simple and classic. How about 'Roses are red, Violets are blue-'"
"Kurama is the one who enjoys flowers," Hiei sighed, as if she were being obtuse.
Atsuko rolled her eyes, "This is one of THE most classic poems in all of history, if you want to do a powerful haiku do it yourself."
Hiei frowned, silent for a moment. "What is the... significance of the flowers?"
"Did you learn to talk from old movies, or something? You're the youngest looking grandpa I've ever spoken to," She teased gently. "I don't know, the flowers are stating the obvious? Roses - definitely red. Violets? sure you can call those blue. Then you think of a line that has the same rhythm and rhymes with blue. Something like..."
She glanced down at the first version she'd written out.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I would like to go on a date with you
"You can read right?" Atsuko peered at Hiei, trying to remember when they teach reading and writing in schools and not getting very far.
Hiei looked mildly panicked.
Surely if he was 12 he should know how to read already - maybe he had some sort of disorder. It would be rude to press, so she didn't.
"Never mind, I'll just read it out-" She did so and he looked vaguely horrified.
"That is trite and condescending, woman-" he caught himself but didn't quite know where to go from there, so Hiei just snapped his mouth shut.
"You're like, 12, kid. What do you know?"
"I am-" Hiei stopped himself, looked like he was making a very difficult decision, and then continued, "I am older than 12."
"Oh yeah?" Atsuko challenged gently, poking him with the eraser of the dullest pencil she probably owned right now in a teasing way. "By how much, huh?"
Hiei mumbled something, then shook his head, "It is no matter. I am old enough to court your son."
Atsuko snorted. "You're both kids, shut up. 'Courting', pfft, what shows was granny watching with you when she raised you, hm? Fine, we'll go with something else. How about...
"Roses are red
Violets are blue
Your eyes are brown
and my love is true
“Ehh?" Atsuko's eyebrows waggled as she grinned at her own genius.
Hiei looked almost more upset at that one. "Are you certain we must use the flowers?"
"Okay okay, you try."
Atsuko watched Hiei's face cycle through a myriad of expressions and colors as he fought himself internally. Where had Yusuke picked up this kid, anyhow? He was fascinating. And could use a few solid meals, it looked like. She’d badger Yusuke about making sure he took Hiei to the Yukimura’s more often. Kid needed to eat.
"While you think I'm going to make coffee," Atsuko stood up and meandered into the kitchen. An earlier version of her had set the coffee maker to running which she found herself grateful for - she hoped it wasn't Yusuke taking care of her again, anyway. It was hard to remember sometimes, if it was her own doing or if it was her son. She'd write a thank you note to him, anyway, just in case… Maybe.
While she was waiting for the end of the coffee maker's cycle so it was safe to remove the pot from under the dripping boiling water, she opened and closed many of the cabinets in the kitchen, cursing each time she failed to locate what she was looking for.
How, with a teenage son, did Atsuko have zero snacks?
Well, at least she could make the kid a cup of coffee - if he wanted to be so grown up, maybe the bitter drink would show him what being an old man was really like! She snickered a little to herself as she got out a second mug, but because she was only unusual and not cruel, she snagged the sugar and milk from the fridge to have on standby when the kid inevitably hated the plain black coffee.
"Ah, Hiei?" She called out, even as she was already pouring the two mugs of coffee, "Would you like a cup of coffee too?"
"One sugar, no milk," came the reply - like he ordered it regularly. Atsuko sucked her tongue to the back of her teeth at the impertinence of the kid's tone. Where'd Yusuke pick this one up again? A delinquent raised by grandpas out back of a diner?
"Yeah, yeah. Sassy little thing aren't you? Yusuke's got his work cut out," She muttered around her cigarette, careful not to get ash into either mug - but if it was going to go into one she attempted to aim for the one that wasn't Hiei's. He was a little jerk but who was she to judge that?
Hiei was beet red when she came back, and she wondered if maybe she'd muttered a little louder than she'd intended, before he shoved his work in her face to read. She completed the action of setting the mugs down, smushing her own face into his outstretched hand and notepad for comedic effect until he realized she needed to sit before he could share it with her. She wasn't sure where this whole thing was going to go with this kid and her son, but the kid needed somewhere silly and safe to be, it looked like. And dammit, she couldn't be a lot of things for Yusuke but he always knew he could come to her for cheering up and a hug if he really needed it.
She hoped.
If he didn't, she'd show him through Hiei he was allowed that too. She'd... She'd figure it out!
Determined, and now finally sat down and able to blink owlishly at the writing on the paper she realized it was possible Hiei couldn't read well, after all.
These characters were practically a different language!
"How about you read it out loud to me - I read you mine, after all," She grinned, cigarette now between her fingers as she cradled her coffee mug and lifted it to her face, hiding some of her devilish expression.
Hiei looked as though he couldn't decide who should combust in this situation, himself or her. Atsuko kept her cackling giggle to herself, mentally rolling onto her back and kicking her legs. He was just too adorable. She hoped Yusuke wouldn't be too mean to him if he got turned down. She also kind of hoped Yusuke went along with it. The kid needed a break. Both of them did.
Taking the paper back, gripping it far too tightly in his hands - if she didn't know any better she'd have thought the haze around where his hands met the paper was smoke from how embarrassed he was, but it was just her own cigarette making illusions in the morning (was it morning? Surely it was morning) sunlight.
"Demon energy red, spirit energy blue, no matter the realm, I will always find you."
"A bit aggressive," Atsuko said after a second. Poor kid had strong 8th-grader energy, too edgy by half and likely to embarrass the hell out of himself in a few years, looking back. "I like the imagery. You into spirit stuff?"
Hiei snorted, "Something like that."
She nodded, having also gone through a phase as an intrepid youth. Hmm, maybe she could see about getting back into it. She missed the allure of the incense and rituals, little though they did for actual real-world problems.
"We can work with that." And they did.
Back and forth, suggesting lines, suggesting rhymes, or rhythm, scratching out rejected options, and by the end their little hotel pad had been demolished, down only to the cardboard backing. Atsuko had at one point stood to sharpen the pencil, but it had been worn down to practically where it had started long before they'd reached this point.
She pulled out a ballpoint pen and clicked it into action, scribbling down their latest version. "This is good, I think we've really got something here!" She declared, tapping the pen at the end of the sentence for good measure.
Hiei craned his neck to look over at it, all skepticism and reluctance having faded from his expression as they had collaborated. She watched his face for any sign of disapproval from him about word choice, or message, or anything they'd been over a hundred times already - it was practically...
She glanced over at the clock, just as Hiei made an approving noise and the door opened.
"Hey Ma! I'm ho- -ome? Whose boots are-" Yusuke's voice came from the front door, luckily a point that was obscured from the kitchen table so he hadn't yet seen Hiei, who looked like a spooked rabbit.
"I've got this," Atsuko whispered with an exaggerated wink, kicking their balled up and discarded pages under the table and standing with her entire hand over the poem. "Ey! Where were you, Yusuke??? And why don't we have snacks? You've kept a friend waiting and I have nothing to serve them!"
"Get your own goddamn snacks, dammit!" Yusuke griped back at her, "I don't know why you don't keep food in the house, we've never had snacks!"
"Well we should get some, if you're going to have people dropping by to wait for you! I've been entertaining your friend for-" Fuck fuck fuck how long should she say Hiei had been there? How long would make sense but not be revealing about Hiei's purpose? She didn't want to let their hard work go to waste by him getting embarrassed now. She hoped he was hiding their evidence while she blocked the hallway and talked to Yusuke, "-at least half an hour!"
"Who-?" Yusuke's expression was suddenly deadly serious, in a way that made Atsuko's stomach sink and her heart ache. Her boy, her baby boy... he was so different sometimes.
"Your friend? The little one. From the tournament? Hiei? Don't you know your friends?" Atsuko teased him, poking his chest a little and pretending she hadn't seen the change in her son's expression.
Yusuke's face lost the edge and grew deeply confused instantly, "Hiei? Why is Hiei here? He's supposed-"
"My business was attended to quicker than I had anticipated, I took advantage of the early return to discuss..." There was a pause as Hiei probably was also trying to think of an excuse, "H-homework."
"Cuuute," Atsuko whispered around her cigarette, shifting to reveal Hiei at her elbow. He moved quietly didn't he?
"Ehh?" Yusuke looked somehow even more confused and Atsuko barely restrained herself from clapping her hands together.
"Well, you boys have fun. I'm going to go get snacks so that there's something to feed people with when they come over! Next time tell me you're expecting guests, Yusuke!" She said, cheerfully dismissing herself as Yusuke continued to boggle a little at the two of them. "Hii-chan, you're welcome to drop by whenever you like, and don't let my son treat you cruelly!"
Hiei looked betrayed and Yusuke looked absolutely baffled.
"Mom, what the fuck are you talking about?"
"Atsuko-san, you- you said-!"
"Wait, she said what?"
"Goodbye boys," Atsuko grinned at them before disappearing into her bedroom to get dressed, listening to Hiei try and give excuses about what he and Atsuko had been talking about that made him so distressed.
She hoped things worked out alright between them, and that Yusuke didn't break Hiei's heart. Kid didn't need any more trouble in his life, from the looks of it.
By the time she emerged from her room, Hiei was gone - shoes and poem evidence and all. Yusuke was standing in the hall, scratching his head and staring at the closed door - ostensibly where Hiei had just left through.
"What the hell ?"
"Maaah, did you scare him off already, Yuu-chan?" Atsuko pouted. "He's so sweet, you should be nicer to him!"
Yusuke looked as though he'd somehow ended up in some alternate dimension, "Mother, what the fuck are you talking about? Are you talking about Hiei? Hiei? Sweet?? Mom, those do not go together." Yusuke rolled his eyes, making his way to the kitchen.
"There's probably still coffee," Atsuko called back as she put herself together to leave - she'd meant it, she wanted to go make sure there was food in the house so in the event Hiei or any of Yusuke's friends made their way back here, they'd be able to eat something. She was going to do better by Yusuke. "And Yusuke?"
"What?" He sounded incredibly distracted.
She grinned, "I love you!"
"Ha?! What- Mom! Don't- That's embarrassing!" Yusuke's head peeked around the corner, bright red and almost furious.
She blew him a kiss and he scowled, escaping back to the kitchen.
Her errand was uneventful, peaceful despite the weird feeling of being watched. It wasn't a bad feeling - not like the eyes of men with power who aim to take advantage, or some sort of predator after her as prey. Just... watchful - almost safe-feeling. She shook it off. Maybe she'd pick up some incense as well while she was at the store...
Yusuke looked back down at the scattered, crumpled pieces of paper under the kitchen table and the piece of cardboard backing just laying there, all of which were covered in writing.
The cardboard backing lay beside the coffee mug his mom used for guests only - Hiei's, then.
On the cardboard, in a combination of his mother's hand and some adjustments in Hiei's, was a poem:
Violets are blue
or so I am told
Roses have thorns
and snow is cold
I'll fight a thousand enemies
across every sphere
If you'll be my Valentine
I'll always be here
Yusuke Urameshi, will you go on a date with me?
-Hiei
"Ma... what the fuck," Yusuke shook his head slowly, but smiled and tucked the cardboard into the inside pocket of the jacket he hadn't yet taken off, right next to his heart. "She was right, though: he is cute..."