Yuusuke is still sitting in the middle of a pile of bodies - well, three of them, anyway -  when I arrive.  According to Koenma he has been sitting like this for the past hour or more.  Poor Yuusuke...

"Yuusuke?"  I touch his shoulder hesitantly.  He doesn't move.

I sigh, and go to check on Kurama.  Alive, but still unconscious.

"Have you come to take them?"  Yuusuke's voice startles me a little.  He is gazing at me steadily.

"No," I inform him.  "They're gone already.  One of the others took them."  He shrugs his acceptance of that.

"I would have thought it would be you."

I shrug in reply.  I had thought so, too...  They were my friends, after all.  I knew them in a manner far beyond just reading the words that described their lives in the Book...

"So you're not here on official Reikai business, then."

I glare at him.

"Just checking, is all."  He smiles feebly.

I sigh again.  "Actually, I am here on official business.  Just not regarding them."  I wave a hand at the two corpses, formerly friends.

Yuusuke frowns.  "Then what - " he starts, before flicking his gaze across to Kurama's unconscious body.

I nod solemnly in answer.

"Urameshi Yuusuke, as a member of the Reikai Tantei you are obliged to bring in Youko Kurama for the murders of Koorime Yukina and Kuwabara Kazuma."

He bows his head, and clenches his fists.  "What does the Book say about all this?"  he demands.  "Why didn't you or Koenma stop all this from ever happening?"

I kneel before him, and rest one hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.  He shrugs it off, angrily.

"Yuusuke, it was their time to die."

He raises his head to stare at me once more.

"And Kurama?"

I shake my head, sadly.  "Hiei's death broke him..."

Yuusuke shuts his eyes briefly, before opening them with a look of determination in them.  He walks over to Kurama and scoops him up into his arms.

"Fine," he tells me, his face grim.  "Let's get this over with."

Shortly we are on our way to the Reikai, leaving two dead bodies behind us.

Kurama still has not regained consciousness when we at last stand before Koenma.  He is in his teenaged form for once, his face as grim as Yuusuke's own.

"I hope you’re happy,"  Yuusuke bursts out, his fury evident in his voice.

"Yuusuke!"  Koenma’s voice is as sharp and cold as ice.  "They were my friends, too!  But I didn’t have a choice!  No-one could have altered their destinies!"

"WE could have!"

I hang back as the air between them seems to crackle with the intensity of their conflict…  Yuusuke is righteously angry -

But Koenma is resolute.  In the end it is Yuusuke who must give in.  He whirls around, slamming his fist against the wall on his way out.  Koenma and I do not move, waiting for the sounds of his departure to cease.

At last, he is gone.  And we can relax.

"Baka!"  I snap at Koenma.  "He won’t want anything to do with the Reikai, now!"

"Calm down, Botan," he tells me.  Calm down?!

"It’s all right for you!  You’ve already got what you want!"  Indeed, already he is holding Kurama to him, stroking his cheek lightly.  Uncaring of my presence, he has lowered his head, touching his lips to Kurama’s - and is starting to undress him…

He doesn’t even look up, so intent is he on his gorgeous red-head.  "And so have you, if you play your cards right."

"Nani?!"

He looks up at me, at last, smirking.  "I made a few additions to our little plan.  Why don’t you go ask Hinageshi who she just brought in," he suggests.

I raise one eyebrow, before leaving the room.  This had better be good, Koenma, or even being able to play with Kurama is not going to compensate you for the trouble I can cause if I don’t get what I want…

And I want Urameshi Yuusuke!

Go to Evil fic 5