「 CHAPTER 1 — A Not-So Simple Request 」 Shiori talks to Kurama about the friend that accompanied him on the night before her miraculous recovery.

All things considered Kurama was grateful Shiori would make a full recovery.

It was no secret that his mother's life was important to him.

Enough to squander the freedom he'd been safeguarding for the last fifteen years. Even at the cost of his partner, his autonomy, and his own life. Shiori's soul was worth all of it and more.

This arrangement with the Reikai meant he would have to assist Koenma's pet project but if he could keep his place at her side then so be it.

There were worst fates if Kurama was honest with himself. Being tethered to Urameshi Yuusuke wasn't one of them. Admittedly, he wasn't sure how long the arrangement would last. Without knowing all of his intentions and wrong-doings, Yuusuke was willing to throw himself on a proverbial blade to save the life of a woman he barely knew.

It was unthinkable, foolhardy, risky, and yet Kurama found himself doing the same when caught between allowing Yuusuke to die by Hiei's hand and losing Hiei entirely.

At the time, he told himself it was a tactical decision. If Hiei killed Yuusuke then there was no hope of escaping the Reikai's grasp. They would execute him and Kurama both. The fire demon would die before achieving his goal, and his death was one thing Kurama couldn't allow.

Part of Kurama ached for the fire demon's familiarity and blunt if not clearheaded wisdom. Their mental link had been severed once the Shadow Sword's effects took a toll on Hiei's psyche.

A futile attempt from the fire demon to stave off infecting Kurama's youki. Watching Hiei's calm demeanor crumble and the uncharacteristic stereotypical villainy take its place was painful enough.

From the brief moments of clarity, Kurama could hear his inner struggle. The desire not to inflict harm on him, Shiori, or anyone else. Even Yuusuke was spared from Hiei's ire. Yet once the detective stood in his path and the Shadow Sword identified him as an enemy, it spurred Hiei to jealousy to complete its rampage.

Kurama almost wanted to laugh. Venomous words exchanged between them. Hiei's insistence that he had chosen the detective over him. Jealousy had never been the fire demon's modus operandi but the sword's effects were mysterious. Deep down, did Hiei truly believe he would replace him so easily?

True, Yuusuke aided him in his time of need but it paled in comparison to his worry for Hiei's safety. Cruel as it was, the detective's actions left Kurama. questioning his sanity amidst feelings of gratitude.

Any hope of talking things out peacefully were dashed when the pair had come to blows. Hiei's hostage making the scene even messier.

Kurama had to commend him for his surveillance. Taking Yukimura Keiko would tie Yuusuke's hands, push him to his emotions, quicker to make mistakes.

But Hiei was susceptible to emotion as well.

Whether it was from the shock of nearly killing him or missing his mark, pain and uncertainty flickered in Hiei's eyes with a hint of fear as his hands slowly relinquished the blade's hilt. The beginning of Kurama's name forming on his lips tugging at Kurama's heartstrings as pain colored his vision, his hand instinctively pressing to his wound rather than reaching for Hiei as he wanted.

Yuusuke's split second decision saved many lives that night but it wasn't easy leaving Hiei to lie there motionless, dull crimson eyes losing their flame as he drifted into unconsciousness.

As he succumbed to his own exhaustion, Kurama almost wished the void Hiei had fallen into was the same as his own. Perhaps some shred of their youki was still tethered and could drag their consciousness to the same place.

Perhaps then, they could have talked over what path they were treading upon and apologize for their misgivings.

But fate wouldn't be so kind to allow Kurama to go to the same place as Hiei and even now after their sentencing, he only felt flickers of the fire demon's youki within the confines of Sarayashiki.

The Reikai investigator, Sayaka, kindly telling him in her clipped tone that Hiei's sentencing was the same as his own.

As requested by the fire demon himself.

Together, they would assist Urameshi Yuusuke for the remainder of his tenure as a Spirit Detective.

It was so ironic.

Though the Reikai thought them to be a package deal, they were anything but of the same mind.

In the weeks following Shiori's miraculous recovery and his sentencing, Kurama had never felt so alone.

—

The tea kettle's whistle roused Kurama from his thoughts. Closing the book on his lap as he glimpsed his mother's shifting figure beneath the blankets tucked around her. It wasn't necessary, as she often reminded him, but he felt better knowing that she was taken care of during her recovery period. It was difficult for her to get around the house at times. Easily winded, he'd often find her taking a few steps then having to lean against something to catch her breath. Her energy was returning like the slow trickle of a blocked river stream but he refused to let up until she was at least able to walk around her own home without an issue.

"Mother, are you awake?" He asked gently, setting his book on the arm of his chair, a slight smile tugging at his lips as dark brown eyes clouded with sleep peered from beneath the blanket. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Shiori tucked the blankets beneath her chin, rolling her eyes up toward the ceiling in thought before nodding. Her cheek pressed to the pillow as she tried to find a temporary bout of sleep, her dark hair fanned out beneath her head and body tucked beneath the blankets appearing so much smaller. Kurama smiled faintly, grateful that the color was returning to her cheeks but her tiredness worried him at times. Almost as if her illness was bound to return when he least expected.

Rising from his chair, he reached out to gently pat her knee, earning a slight smile as he left the room to gather cups and saucers from the kitchen. Easing the steaming kettle from the stovetop and beginning to pour their tea with a soft hum. It was one of his favorite blends: none too sweet, none too bitter. The perfect mixture if he had any opinion on it and added with marigold extracts for his mother's health and enjoyment. As he returned to the living room, his eyes widened, seeing her sitting upright with her hair loose over her shoulders. Her eyes closed as she rocked forward then leant back with a deep rattling sigh.

"Mother…?"

Her eyes opened fractionally, a slight smile tugging at her lips as she pushed her blankets to one side, freeing room for him on the couch. Kurama's brows furrowed and he scoured his thoughts for any number of ways to coax her into lying down. The slight arch of her brow and gentle pat to the cushion beside her dissuaded him from speaking and he sighed, setting the tray down on the low table and handing hers to her before taking his own. She smiled down at the honey-brown liquid and took a deep breath, likely inhaling the familiar scent for comfort before taking sip.

Waiting until she lowered her cup with a satisfied sigh, a victorious curl of pride rested within Kurama's chest as he took sip from his own. The television's noise was dull in the background, lost amidst the wind rolling across the rooftop and the buzzing insects heard from the cracked sliding glass door left ajar for his mother's comfort. Shiori insisted on going out to the garden when she could muster the strength and while Kurama knew that his plants would watch over her, he felt better being there with her.

A twinge of guilt wrested in his stomach. He hadn't been so adamant to be near his mother so often before his brush with death. True, they had been close but his desire to be near her wasn't nearly this strong. Before his mind could linger on traitorous thoughts, strained coughs muffled behind Shiori's fist drew his attention to her and he wordlessly reached out to soothe her, rubbing circles on her back.

"I'm fine, Shuuichi," she reassured with a pat to his arm, easing his hand aside. "I was going to ask you something but I forgot to do one thing at a time…"

Kurama's hand lingered at her back for a moment until she righted herself and he slipped it away, bringing his cup to his lips. "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Mm," Shiori answered with a curt nod. "Kazuya mentioned that you brought a friend with you when you visited me."

"Yes, mother, you know that Hiei came to visit you a few times since you were hospitalized."

Before their proposed plan.

Before Hiei had fallen to the Shadow Sword's influence.

Before Kurama lost him.

Dull aching twisted in his chest as the knife made from Hiei's words, his expressions, and his departure sunk deeper. There was little Kurama could do to save both Hiei and his mother. And in choosing to save Shiori and throw away his own life, had he forsaken everything he shared with Hiei?

"Not Hiei," Shiori said with a soft sigh, a hint of longing to her words with a sorrowful edge to her otherwise calm tone.

Kurama's heart ached for her. She cared for Hiei a great deal often looking to the doorway as if the fire demon would appear any second. When Kurama came to bring her home, she asked where Hiei had been and none of his answers could appease her. Perhaps it was cruel to allow the two people who were closest to him to meet. To be without one of them was to doom the other.

"Kazuya mentioned that it was a boy, one that seemed very rough around the edges but sincere…"

Well, the description wasn't far off. Though Kurama was dreading what she was asking it would make his sentencing easier if Shiori knew of Yuusuke and believed them to befriends. It was beneficial that his mother's boyfriend already had the assumption that he was on good terms with Yuusuke.

"What did Hatanaka-san tell you?" Kurama asked, taking measured sips of his tea as he listened to his mother's strained sighs, resisting the urge to reach out to her.

"Let's see…" Shiori muttered, setting down her tea cup before running her fingers over her hair with a side-long glance. "He uses a lot of hair gel… a green uniform… and kind eyes. Kazuya said she saw him looking from the doorway, almost liked a puppy, the poor dear."

A puppy. Well, if Kurama was to think about it and the way that Yuusuke spoke to him and jumped to action when he was trying to help — that wasn't far off.

"A fair description," Kurama admitted, tipping his head to one side as he thought it over. "Yuusuke is… quite different."

He still wasn't sure what to make of him. Yuusuke's habit of impulsively jumping into danger, lack of analyzing situations and simply relying on his strength, willingness to believe even his enemies — things that would lead to his downfall no doubt. His kindness was as much of a weapon as it was a defense. Kurama nearly scoffed as he took another sip of his tea to hide the rueful smile. No wonder the Reikai asked him to guide the wayward detective. Where Yuusuke wielded kindness and brutality, Kurama had cruelty and efficiency.

Dual sides of a similar coin no matter how much he changed.

From his peripheral, Shiori's stare was intent and she seemed to be waiting for something.

"You want to know more about him?" Kurama asked, eyebrow raised and head tilting when she beamed up at him. Of course she wanted to know more.

"You never bring friends over aside from Hiei and it's not everyday that you brought someone to see me."

While the inquiry was innocent enough, he felt multiple stabbing points. His mother was only worried of his social life and often urged him to continue living even if anything happened to her. It made perfect sense. His vessel was young, he was still growing, but there was a small seed of doubt planted within him.

How could he continue living without her?

Brushing the thought aside, Kurama took another sip of his tea before setting it down on the saucer and letting it rest on the table. "Yuusuke can be quite impulsive," he said, drawing his hand back to his lap before looking to his mother and the slight quiver in her shoulders. He eased the blanket from behind her, settling it over her shoulders with a knowing look to which she huffed and tightened it with a light tug to the fringed ends.

Kurama smiled, pleased that she was taking the initiative and had some energy to even argue with him non-verbally. "… But he has a kind heart."

"He sounds like a good friend," Shiori said, reaching for her tea cup and inhaling the steam before taking a sip. "How did you both meet? Was it while I was in the hospital?"

Kurama relaxed a bit when she had a hold on her cup, putting some thought to her words. He would hardly call Yuusuke a friend at the moment but he could certainly see them growing closer. The detective had an infectious personality. Just being around him for those few seconds made Kurama want to rethink his plans but they were already set in motion. And those eyes of Yuusuke's were compelling.

Perhaps if they met sooner, he would have rethought his plan entirely, and taken more into account. But there was little to do to that end.

What was done couldn't be undone.

"We met through some… mutual friends," Kurama finally said, smiling faintly. It wasn't a lie, not entirely.

Shiori's yes crinkled at the corners as she looked down at her tea. "Hiei?" She asked softly, a wistful hopefulness to her voice as the corner of her lips dipped into a frown. "It's been some time since I've seen him… did he go see his family I was…"

Kurama curled his fingers into the fabric of his jeans, pulling them uncomfortably against his skin, the denim scratching against his thigh. For her sake, he smiled though sharp pangs ricocheted in his chest.

"Yes, he has been a little busy as of late."

There was no need to worry her. He didn't know where Hiei was. But he was somewhere in the city and that was a comfort in the barest since of the word.

"I hope I get to see him soon," Shiori mused aloud, and though the words weren't directed toward Kurama with any fault, guilt threatened to drag him under. "I worry about him you know… his family doesn't sound as if they're very good to him."

With downcast eyes, she stared down at the contents of her cup, her sigh deep and wistful as she brought it to her lips. Her eyes closing and the deep thrum of her energy returned like the beating of a heart. As she lowered her tea cup with a light clink, the sadness in her eyes was replaced by a hopefulness lighting dark brown irises as she looked to him.

"So, tell me a little more about Yuusuke."

Mystified by the hope in her eyes, Kurama glanced aside and wracked his brain for what to tell. The details were closely interlaced with secrets he'd been keeping from his mother for years now. And in no way was he ready to tell her about what he truly was nor did he believe it was in her best interest to know what really brought his and Yuusuke's paths to cross.

"He has an interesting sense of humor," Kurama muttered, thinking back to the detective's willingness to use nicknames and joke about his own intelligence despite being in the line of sight of three very dangerous individuals. "It's almost as if he doesn't understand or perhaps he does understand but he jokes about everything even himself."

It was refreshing.

Hiei had a tendency to be a bit cagey and his humor was dry. Often times, his wit was easily missed and for himself solely. Yuusuke laughed at himself openly and the words that he spoke were fairly easy to follow. Aside from that, his laughter was easy and infectious. Even his smiles from ear to ear almost made Kurama want to smile in kind.

"He does seem to be having a difficult time in school. Often skipping, he wanders but he's taken to helping others in his free time."

Was that the way to describe it? After watching the detective from afar to see what he was dealing with, Kurama noticed that he took to looking after a young boy. The boy's mother didn't seem against Yuusuke's relationship with the child. Even fondly inviting him over for dinner. From Sayaka's reports, the boy was named Masaru, and he had been the reason why Yuusuke lost his life to begin with. Though no matter what, Yuusuke held no resentment for the boy and his lack of heeding his warning.

If anything, Yuusuke was relieved to know that he was safe.

A far cry from the rotten individual that Sayaka's earlier notes described him as. Though, the Reikai had never been good at judging character. Kurama resisted the urge to roll his eyes, noticing his mother was still eyeing him awaiting more.

What else could he tell her?

"Hatanaka-san wasn't wrong. Yuusuke is fairly rough around the edges but he has a good heart. He's willing to listen to others despite how they wrong him and is quite open-minded. Doesn't allow anyone else to tell him what is right or wrong, deciding for himself. And he gives everyone fair opportunities to prove themselves. And he's headstrong. For someone who thinks with his head, he can be a good listener when he wants to be. His views are a little silly but he has such a way of thinking that it's hard not to…"

"It sounds like you like him very much," interjected Shiori, no small amount of amusement showing on her face as she took a long sip of her tea, her cheeks pinker and a glimmer of mirth in her eyes.

Kurama trailed off, realizing that he was talking quite a bit. Pressing his hand against his mouth, he glanced aside with a shrug that he hoped was nonchalant. "I hardly know him…"

Shiori looked unconvinced and if he was honest, he could see why not. His mother wasn't oblivious by any stretch of the imagination. "Still…" She set down her tea cup and clapped her hands together, the noise startling Kurama. "Why don't you invite him over?"

Kurama's eyes widened and he was rendered speechless for a moment. Invite him over? It was one thing to meet with the detective on the roof of a hospital, or in a crowded street but to invite him to his home?

"I'm curious about him and I would really like to meet him," Shiori continued, resting her hands in her lap with a warm smile.

Kurama opened his mouth then closed it. Hesitant to say either way. He wasn't truly friends with Yuusuke, and what he felt toward him was difficult to tell. Yuusuke's service towards him left him in his debt and that muddled things quite a bit. However, Shiori was asking and disappointing his mother was the last thing he wanted.

"… I can ask him."

Shiori perked up immensely and patted his knee with a smile that less reassuring as it was something else. "Good luck."

Kurama arched his brow, poised to ask what she meant or try to analyze the situation further. Deciding to leave it be, he rose to his feet after tucking the blankets around her further. He had chores to do and one of them was going grocery-shopping. Perhaps if he feigned forgetfulness his mother would follow suit but with how much she beamed about this, he doubted it.

"Do yo ned anything extra from the store, mother?"

"Mmm…" Shiori pressed her finger to the underside of her chin and the flicker of sadness along with the quick glance toward the back door hitched Kurama's breath. "The ice cream that Hiei likes…" She drew the blanket closer around her and glanced up at him with a sheepish smile and the faint shrug of her shoulders. "Just in case…"

Kurama smiled faintly. Charmed more than once by his mother's thoughtfulness, he leant down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Get some rest, mother. I'll return soon," he promised, easing her to lie down with the blanket tucked around her. Once he was sure that she was properly taken care of, he headed to the door and slipped on his shoes.

"Be safe, Shuuichi," she called after him and he smiled to himself.

"I will, mother."