The Fair
-a work of YYH fan fiction

---------------------------------------

"Arigatou, Minamino-kun!  You're the best!"

Giggling happily, the short-haired girl waved and scampered off, her
dark pink fuku disappearing among the crowd of other similarly clad
girls.  Kurama stared after her, a slightly dazed and panicked look in 
his eyes.  Raking a hand through his long, red hair, he whirled around
and headed for the school gates, a single phrase running in circles 
through his head.



* * * * *

"You did WHAT?!?"

Kurama winced, massaging his temples lightly.  "Could you maybe yell 
a little louder, Yuusuke?  I don't think they heard you in Kyoto."

Yuusuke gave him a sheepish grin and lowered his voice.  'Course,
Yuusuke being Yuusuke, that wasn't saying much.  "Seriously, Kurama, 
what _were_ you thinking?"

Kurama sighed, slumping down on the table.  The Yukimura's ramen house
was mercifully empty at the moment, a good thing since Yuusuke couldn't
whisper to save his soul.  He definitely didn't want anyone else hearing 
about his predicament.  Judging from Yuusuke's reaction, the fallout 
from his collosal blunder was _not_ going to be pretty.  He shuddered to 
think about _how_ Hiei was going to--he shook his head, grimacing 
slightly.  

Let's just _not_ go there, Kurama.

Yuusuke made a small sound of impatience and fidgeted slightly in his
seat, drawing his attention.  The young delinquent looked about ready to 
shake the answers out of the reincarnated youko, if he didn't start 
talking, and soon.  Straightening up, Kurama shot the other boy a look that 
promised a swift and painful death if his mouth even so much as _twitched_.

Yuusuke immediately responded with a beatific smile.



Scowling darkly, he opened his mouth and...

* * * * *

"She tricked me," Kurama mumbled, scowling darkly from beneath long, 
red bangs.  "That sneaky little--" Kurama's voice trailed off into 
decidedly sulky mutters.

"She _TRICKED_ you?"  Yuusuke exclaimed incredulously, eyes widening in 
shock.  His friend was a centuries old youko, a thief and trickster 
extraordinaire.  Few people had _ever_ managed to get the better of 
him.  

This was getting more interesting by the minute.  

"So what'd she do?" he asked eagerly.  

"...."  Kurama crossed his arms and glared at the table top.

Yuusuke couldn't believe it.  Kurama was POUTING.  He really _must_
meet that Suzuki girl one day.

"Come on, Kurama, spill.  What happened?"  He reached out and tugged
on one red forelock.  Kurama scowled at him, snatching the silky curl
back.  He smirked, fully prepared to pester his friend unmercifully 
until his curiosity was satisfied.  The half-youko sighed again,
blowing him a raspberry before finally relenting.

"Well it happened like this..."

* * * * *

[begin flashback]

"Minamino-kun?"

Kurama turned around, absently closing his locker as he did so.  One of
his numerous female classmates, Suzuki Kaoru, stood before him, looking
a bit nervous.

"Hai?  Can I help you, Suzuki-san?"

"Anou...will you be busy this Saturday, Minamino-kun?" she asked, the 
faint blush suffusing her cheeks making her look the very picture of 
innocence.  

That _should_ have clued him off right then and there.

Unfortunately, he was too busy thinking of what he and his koi were going
to be doing later that night to pay any attention.

"This Saturday?" he blinked uncertainly.  "Not particularly.  I'll be 
going to the fair, of course.  Why do you ask?"  he thought, worriedly.  

"Well," she said, staring at him from beneath long lashes.  "I was 
wondering if you could help us man one of the booths."  She gave him an 
apologetic look.  "I know it's a bit much, asking you to give up your 
free time and all, but it'll only be for a few hours."

"Man a booth?" he queried, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief.  Hiei
could get a little possessive at times, and he didn't want the girl to
get intimately acquainted with the youkai's sword.  "Is my help really
all that necessary?"

"Hai, we can't do it without you,"  the girl nodded, some emotion he
couldn't quite place gleaming in her eyes.  "So, will you help us?" 
she asked him earnestly.  "Please?"

"Well...I suppose so."  

"HONTO?!?" she beamed.  "Arigatou!!"  She bowed and quickly began 
walking towards her friends, giving them a 'V' sign.  "Saa, I'll be 
seeing you at the Kissing Booth on Saturday then, Minamino-kun," she 
called over her shoulder.

"The....Kissing...Booth...?"  Kurama's eyes slowly widened in horror.  

  

"Arigatou, Minamino-kun!" she carolled, waving.  "You're the best!"

Heart sinking, he called out frantically.  "Matte, Suzuki-san!  I--"

Ignoring his outcry, the short-haired girl ran off.  Whirling around 
in distress, Kurama headed out of the school, panic quickly settling 
in.



[end flashback]

* * * * *

Yuusuke stifled a snicker.  Way to go, Suzuki!

Kurama glared at him.  "It's not funny."

"Nuh-uh, she got you good, Kurama," he countered, eyes dancing.

The redhead sighed.  "You're no help at all, Yuusuke."

"Aw, come on Kurama.  It's only a Kissing Booth.  What harm can it do?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the half-youko asked wryly.

"Huh?" he blinked.  "What could I be...?"  He stopped, face turning 
pale.  "Hiei."

"Bingo."

He gulped, falling back into his seat.  "He's not going to be 
reasonable about this, is he?"

An elegant snort was his only reply.

"Oh shit."

* * * * *

Three hours later, the two were still nowhere near a solution.
Playing sick was _not_ an option--they wouldn't put it past those
girls not to drag Kurama out of his house in his pajamas if he tried
_that_ tactic.  Even if he told them the truth and said that he was
not available, being otherwise claimed by a bad-tempered youkai as
he was, neither thought the girls would care.  Heck, Yuusuke claimed 
they'd probably see it as a challenge, and Kurama had had to agree.
Which left _him_ with no other choice except to do as they'd asked.

Kurama was _not_ a happy camper.

"I don't suppose we could just _not_ tell Hiei, could we?" Yuusuke
asked hopefully.

Kurama gave him a dubious look.  "Do you _really_ think there might 
be a chance that he hasn't heard about it yet?"

"Well, anything's possi--"

Anything else he might have said was cut off as a frighteningly familiar
voice roared from somewhere _way_ too close for comfort.  

"KURAMA!!!  Get your butt out here!!!"

The redheaded half-youko cringed, looking at Yuusuke with wild-eyed
panic.  Hiei sounded _really_ pissed.

"KU-RA-MA!!!!"

Yuusuke's head slowly craned around to face the front entrance.  In 
the doorway stood a very short, very ENRAGED fire demon.  He gulped.  
He could see Hiei visibly trembling in anger.  Yuusuke's seldom-exercised 
sense of self-preservation kicked into overdrive.  Shooting Kurama a 
vaguely apologetic look, he threw himself back from the table, babbling 
about homework and deadlines, and oh, would you _look_ at the time!, 
before hurriedly streaking out of the ramen-ya.

, Kurama howled silently, looking longingly 
after his friend's rapidly retreating form.  Unfortunately, the slow, 
ominous sounds of his significant other's footsteps could not be ignored 
forever.  Not if he wanted to live longer, anyway.  Laughing nervously, 
he began to inch away, ever so slowly.  Hiei's hand clamped down firmly 
on his arm, effectively halting his retreat.

Looking deep into enraged crimson eyes, he sweatdropped and began to 
silently pray for deliverance.

* * * * *

On the fateful day itself...

"Is this really necessary, koi?"

"Urusai.  I want everyone to know just who you belong to, kitsune."

"Demo..."

A frosty glare effectively stifled the rest of his protests.  

Sweatdropping profusely, Kurama meekly let Hiei lead him onto the fair
grounds, promising himself to never _EVER_ do something this stupid
again.

* * * * *

Hiei glared at the long line snaking its way among the various stalls
and rides.  Girls of all ages and varying degrees of prettiness made up
most of the crowd, but interspersed here and there were a few intrepid
male ningen.  Hn.  As if _he_ would ever let any of _them_ get _anywhere_
near his fox.  Transferring his gaze to his taller lover, he let his 
lips curl into a feral grin.

"Are you ready, fox?" he asked.  Not that he really cared.  Ready or not, 
Kurama _was_ going to do this.  These ningen had to learn, once and for 
all, that Kurama was no longer available.

"Hai," Kurama sighed, grimacing slightly at the large amount of people
who'd lined up in front of the booth he was supposed to man.  Who'd 
have thought the word would spread out so quickly, and so far?  That
boy in back...Gods, he looked like his grade school classmate!  Last 
he'd heard, Tanaka-kun had moved to Okinawa with his parents.

A massive sweatdrop formed on his head.



Not for the first time, he silently cursed his popularity.  It was more
trouble than it was worth, especially when coupled with an intensely
possessive boyfriend.  A boyfriend, he might add, who was not only
possessive, but violent and homicidal as well.

"Saa, iku zo, Kurama."  Hiei started heading for the beginning of the
line.

Firmly tamping down the sudden insane urge to bolt, Kurama obediently
followed behind.

* * * * *

Suzuki Kaoru stared blankly at the small bag resting innocuously on
the table in front of her.  Gingerly, she reached out and plucked at
the string tying the top closed.  As it gave way, the tinkling sounds
of silver coins falling out filled her ears.  Stunned, she raised her
eyes to meet the hard crimson gaze of the spiky-haired boy standing
beside the blushing form of Minamino Shuuichi.  The latter was trying
desperately to pretend that he wasn't linked to the smaller form by
a golden chain hanging from the intricate collar around his neck.  And
was that 'Property of Hiei' written in messy Kanji on the tag?

"A-anou," she stuttered, mind not quite grasping the situation.  "What
is this for?"

"This is the Kissing Booth where _he_," tugging at the leash, "is
supposed to be working, right?"

"H-hai," she replied nervously.

"Then that is my payment.  I'm renting his lips for the rest of the
day."

Kaoru blinked.  She did _not_ just hear that.

The girls and the single boy near enough to hear his statement started
howling in protest.  A dangerous gleam suddenly appeared in the young
boy's eyes.

"Urusai!"

The glare that accompanied his order quickly cowed the protesting
crowd.

"Ku-_Shuuichi_ is MINE!  No one else is going to touch him but _me_."

With that, the little boy yanked hard on the chain, dragging the
startled redhead's face down close to his.  Then, in front of the
surprised eyes of everyone present, he proceeded to make his claim.

Kaoru and the rest of the crowd could only watch with envious eyes
as, after a second or two of muffled protesting, Shuuichi shyly wrapped 
his arms around the smaller form, and kissed him back.

* * * * *

Several spit-swapping, tongue-wrestling minutes later, Hiei broke the
kiss, turned to give everyone present a self-satisfied smirk, then
scooped up the dazed redhead and ran off.



* * * * *

*snicker* Go Hiei!  Reel that kitsune in!

~owari~

    Source: geocities.com/goldster121