Author's Ramble: Hey again madlang people! Still in love with Kurama-kun, so here's another sweet little oneshot about Kurama and the team. By the way, NOT YAOI. Never yaoi. I don't swing that way.

Summary: Minamino Shuichi; great tactician, former fox thief, brilliant strategist, best big brother, perfect son, child prodigy, all without a single misplaced hair. Or maybe there are a few, but what would be more adorable than a Kurama with bedhead? Yet there was one thing Minamino Shuichi never expected to be: Patient. KuramaxTeam fic. NO YAOI!

Disclaimer: On my profile.

ONEGAISHIMASU, READ!: To the first reviewer who can guess what episode Kurama said the italicized sentence on my author's note, wins a free request! Yet it must be Kurama-centric (because I'm still kinda new to Yu Yu Hakusho) and, once again, NO YAOI! Because, I don't swing that way. ENJOY!

Kurama has always been resilient.

Youko Kurama couldn't afford to get sick. Not a cough or a sniffle. Not the way he was living his life. Getting sick could get you killed.

It wasn't so much as the sickness itself than its effects. Achy and feverish don't stand well in a fight nor does disoriented and dizzy when you're on the run.

Not to mention the world he had lived in. In that world, the weak are eliminated. And the appearance of weakness is as good as stabbing the knife to your heart yourself. Suicide.

So even in a damp little hole in a dark, wet forest, Youko Kurama was resilient.

Because getting sick is suicide.

And even as Minamino Shuichi, Kurama has held this principle with the tenacity of a priest following the Bible.

Stupid, stupid, stupid

So why on Earth was he sick right now?

Simple. The human body isn't as strong, nor as resilient, as a fox's.

Also the little fact that he forgot his umbrella.

"ACHOOOOO!"

Stupid...

"Shuichi, dear? Are you all right?" Shiori peeked in her beloved son's room. Books covered the eight-shelved, 8x8 bookcase, ranging from Biology and Botany to True-crime and Basic Psychology. Neat and clean, the room smelled like roses and rain, just as always. Textbooks lined her boy's desk, a lone "A Journey through the Human Anatomy" the only misplaced book, eagled on the desk with an orange marker in between. Uncapped.

She shook her head good-naturedly before coming in.

"I'm fine Mother. Just a little cold. Don't worry." Shuichi smiled, attempting to sit up.

"Don't you dare get up young man." She ordered, a firmer tone to her motherly voice. Placing a hand on Kurama's shoulder, she gently eased him down, also setting down a tray on the redhead's nightstand. A bowl of porridge, a large glass of orange juice and a bottle of medicine festooned the yellow plastic tray.

"Mother you didn't have to..." Shuichi began, once again pushing himself up from the bed. He was about to continue his protests-

When a spoon was shoved into his mouth.

"Hush, hush now. It's no trouble. Besides, I'm your mother Shuichi. It's in the job description. Now open wide, I might accidentally push it a bit too far. Don't want to choke you now, sweetie." Shiori giggled, pulling the spoon out. A bit of humor never killed anyone.

Kurama chuckled as well after swallowing the surprise porridge attack. His mother could pass for a ninja. Maybe she was one of Master Splinter's disciples before he went off to train mutant pets to kill evil office supplies. He chuckled once more, the fever must be getting to him.

"Well at least let me feed myself Mother." Shuichi stretched his hand out. "I'm not a child."

"Awww..." Shiori sighed. "My baby is all grown-up..." Fake sniffling she handed the duty of not tipping the bowl on said baby's head nor spitting up on himself to her Shuichi.

Kurama couldn't help the giggle that escaped him.

After a few moments of watching Shuichi eat, and motherly noting he really wasn't so disoriented that he really could drop the entire bowl on his head, Shiori stood up and made a beeline to her son's table. Shuichi watched her from the corner of his eye.

"You know sweetie, this might be a blessing in disguise." Shiori began as she capped the highlighter and placed it in his pencil holder. "You've been driving yourself too hard. Study, study, study. And where you go off to at days at a time..." Her voice trailed from loving and peppy to a soft, unsure drawl. If Kurama wasn't Kurama, he wouldn't have heard.

I'm sorry Mother...

"Anywho!" Shiori plopped the textbook into the missing space between "Quantum Physics for Morons" and "The Atom: More than a Sphere".

"This might be God's way of telling you to take a break. At your age you should be hanging out with friends, going to the arcade instead of doing your homework, sneaking out to see your girlfriend, having a girlfriend..." She continued the rant while alphabetically arranging the textbooks. Her Shuichi was very particular about that.

"So you're saying..." Kurama smiled, placing the bowl onto the tray. He felt a bit better.

"I'm saying be a teenager." Shiori smiled back at him. "Drink." She held the glass Shuichi forgot which he took and did as he was told.

"I'm not saying you should consider the life of a criminal or something." Shiori placed the glass on the tray and carried it off.

You don't know how close to the mark you are Mother...

"It's just... Go crazy, grab an ice cream before dinner and lie to me about it, fall in love." Shiori held one side of her boy's face. He really did look like a pretty girl. Yet the second you find out she is a he, he would immediately appear as quite a handsome young man. Much more adorably so in white, crumpled pajamas. Beautiful green eyes, that once years ago were cold and calculating, now shown with compassion and empathy. Long red locks that seem to burn with an unseen passion inside of him, a passion for life and the preservation of it. Intelligent, mature...

Maybe the reason he didn't have a beautiful girl by his side is that no one interests him enough. At least that was the typical plot of love stories around the T.V.

Maybe he just hasn't found Miss Right.

Maybe her boy needed a bit of help.

Shiori kissed him on the forehead.

"Stop being so serious sweetie. Enjoy. These are supposed to be the best years of your life." Shiori kissed him once more on the cheek before easing him down. Pulling the covers to his chin, she left the room.

"And no studying! If I see one book set even a millimeter out of place you will be in trouble." Shiori called out.

Kurama smiled before giving in to the throbbing of his head.

She had to make some calls. She had a lot of friends with daughters just Shuichi's age.

Kurama was a light sleeper. Sometimes in the dead night of the forest, one must be alert even in his dreams to survive. So the sudden gust of wind woke him up faster than a high-pressure hose. Crouched low on the floor, hand posed beneath his crimson locks, he was ready for combat.

Until a sudden wave of nausea struck.

Dropping to his knees Kurama cupped his delicately formed mouth. The sweet aroma of roses, which he has been accustomed to, adored and has been his trademark, only aggravated the wave.

Though probably not in any immediate danger, or in bigger trouble than he could ever be or once was in in his life before, Kurama valued his health for many a reason, many practical, many acceptable enough. Yet one reason in high regards: Kurama never wants to feel weak. To be out of control.

Exactly like right now.

"Calm down Kurama." A voice echoed from across the room.

Hiei...

The nausea faded and Kurama nearly facepalmed. This cold was really starting to mess with him, now even with his senses. He would have recognized Hiei's ki and would have taken a different way of approach. Not the sudden irrational reflex of combat. Then he wouldn't have dropped to the ground like a fly, with nausea if he was more careful.

Lifting himself and sitting on the bed he looked at Hiei through sweat-drenched bangs.

"You look awful." Hiei began, seated on the windowsill.

"Thanks. I know." He muttered, climbing back into bed.

'It's even affecting his temperament' Hiei noted, an amused smirk on his lips.

"So what brings you here? Though good friends we are, I'm sure you didn't come here due to a sudden concern because of my absence." Kurama yawned, snuggling a bit back into bed.

"You're right. That detective drew me out. It seems you weren't there for some mission briefing this morning but you weren't at your school either. He and that idiot were already late so he asked me to try and look for you."

Kurama smiled a bit. It was rare for Hiei to do anything for anyone. And even with the indifferent tone, Kurama knew Hiei was worried about him too.

"Someone might see you there."

"No one would walk around at this hour. Most of them are at school, work or doing chores. As for your mother, she's downstairs."

"Oh, what time is it?"

"Eleven, more or less."

"Mother's show should be over right about now."

"Un."

The silence that followed was a comfortable enough one and a few seconds later Kurama closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep.

"KURAMA!"

"Oi! KUWABARA! Shut your piehole! Can't ya be a bit more discreet!"

"Hey Urameshi! Stop telling me what to do! I'm not a kid and you're not my mom!"

The two teens screamed and insulted each other heavily on the streets. People passing by would either sweatdrop and crabwalk their way into safety or just break into a run to escape.

Seconds later though, the argument that would have so easily broken into a brawl died down and the teens jumped into another discussion altogether, leaving the crowd confused.

"I still don't get why we have to leave in the middle of class for this." Yuusuke muttered under his breath as they took a left into Kurama's street.

"You complaining?" Kuwabara asked, keeping an eye out for their friend's house number.

"No. Anything to get out of Murokami-sensei's History class. But still..."

"Koenma is worried. Kurama would never be late for anything. Let alone not come altogether."

"I know. That's why I sent Hiei."

"That's why I don't trust that midget. Always thinks he's better than us. Doesn't even bother to call." Kuwabara grumbled as he counted off houses.

"That's probably Kurama's!"

But before Kuwabara could run off, Yuusuke held him by the scruff of his uniform.

"Before you go running off, blowing Kurama's cover, remember his name here is Shuichi. Shuichi!" Yuusuke reminded, all up in Kuwabara's face.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll remember." Cracked the begrudged carrot top.

"Huh? What's that screaming?" Hiei mumbled the faint shrill voice of some human piercing his fire demon ears.

Kurama groaned in his sleep, twitching and fidgeting. The fox's hearing is a lot better than Hiei's. Hiei turned towards his kitsune friend, a brief flash of concern, faster than lightning it went, shone in his blood scarlet eyes.

Kurama settled down seconds after, as peaceful and serene as a newborn.

'Must be nothing if it doesn't seem urgent enough to wake him...' Hiei turned towards the window once more.

Loud, consecutive knocks made Shiori drop her purse.

Who could that be?

Slowly stooping down, she took a little spray bottle from her purse before stepping down the few steps she went up, approaching the door.

Visitors were rare. Other than Hatanaka, home visits from anyone were few and far in between. And she knew for a fact Hatanaka is still at work at this time.

It couldn't be for Shuichi. That boy has never brought anyone over. Which only strengthened her point of him being too serious, and strengthened her determination for her to stay alive at least long enough to finish her preimposed mission.

She watched the news. She wasn't going to fall victim to an ax-wielding psycho. At least not until she finds her son a girlfriend.

Especially with her poor baby sick and unaccounted for. She was a mother. She needed to protect him.

Creeping towards the door with the stealth and speed of a spider, she slowly turned the knob, chain lock in place.

"Ohayou Minamino-san!" A cheerful greeting ensued from a young man, orange hair and slightly beady eyes. Not a bad sort though. His were warm and friendly.

"Ohayou!" A more casual greeting from another young man who came into view. Black hair with a tinge of green slicked back, his eyes were chocolatey and he wore a green version of the carrot top's blue uniform, similar in style to her Shuichi's uniform. And a very familiar green uniform at that.

Classmates?

Shiori pushed the door close to unlatch the chain. Opening the door fully, she did not move aside just yet.

"Good morning boys. I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure I know you."

"It's all right Minamino-san. I'm Yuusuke."

"I'm Kuwabara. We're friends of Ku-... Shuichi!"

Kuwabara made an unseen peace sign behind his back towards Yuusuke.

"He didn't come to school today so we were a bit worried. He never misses school."

"He practically lives there." Kuwabara smiled, a little joke.

"I keep telling him to have some fun." Shiori calmed down a bit. They seemed good enough boys. A little rugged and rough but in a sweet way. Moving aside she motioned for the boys to come in.

"I'm sorry but Shuichi is in his room, asleep. The poor thing forgot his umbrella two days back. He was already achy and feverish yesterday but he still went to school. Sneaked out when I put him to bed. He probably has a little hidey hole in the science lab's cabinet." Shiori giggled as she went into the the kitchen, the boys following after her.

"Kurama sneaking out? Isn't that some sort of paradox thing? Like you can't coexist with yourself at any given time?" Kuwabara mumbled before Yuusuke smacked him.

"You boys are my Shuichi's friends. Anyone who spends any significant amount of time with him would most likely know the speed of the growth of human fingernails." Shiori smiled.

"Ten raised to the negative ninth power." The three said in unison.

The phone rang. It was Usui-chan. She was late.

"I'm really sorry boys but I'm late for something very important. Stay as long as you like. You're welcome to stay for dinner later when I get back." Shiori placed the receiver back on it's cradle.

"There are snacks in the fridge along with some cold drinks. Shuichi's room is the third one to your left. He's probably still asleep right now but make yourselves at home sweethearts!" Shiori called out as she raced out of the kitchen and towards the door.

"By the way, please, tell Shuichi I'll be out for a while, there's some miso soup on the stove if he's hungry, you boys can have some too if you like. And tell him no studying." Shiori bid her goodbyes once more, leaving Kuwabara and Yuusuke in the middle of the kitchen.

Kuwabara and Yuusuke stood slightly dumbfounded. The crash of the door closing sent them back to Earth. Slightly mischievous smiles teased their way on their lips and up the stairs they rushed.

Thunderous footsteps woke Hiei from his tree branch nap. Hiei had somewhat appointed himself guard duty so sword out he jumped into the room.

Only to meet Yuusuke and Kuwabara.

"Hey Hiei! You little wiseguy!" Kuwabara screamed.

"Oh, the Idiot has arrived. Along with you Detective. Why are you here?" Hiei mumbled in his usual indifferent manner.

"We were worried and you didn't report back!" Yuusuke retorted.

"I don't take orders from anyone." Hiei muttered.

"Why you little pipsqueak... COME HERE YOU!" Kuwabara started a chase yet tripped on a loose wire from under the television stand he failed to noticed.

A loud thud rumbled the house.

All three looked towards the bed, ready for the berating of a lifetime.

Yet Kurama was still fast asleep.

Though they always knew their friend was quite a looker, judging by the stares he would garner from strangers on the street and his classmates' accounts, only now have they've been given a chance to really take a look, without his piercing, knowing stare.

Kurama looked real cute. Not a gosh-I-want-to-rape-him cute, they didn't swing that way. But a vulnerable sleeping-baby-chick cute or a kitten-yawning sort of cute. Without his tactician's glare, he had the aura of something innocent, kind and warm. All cladded in white pajamas and cuddled up in blue sheets.

"That cold really is messing with him. That thud should've woken him up. Usually, he would have been awake the second you two step through his door. Or, by how you were thundering up, the first step you took up the stairs." Hiei mocked.

"What did I trip on anyway?" Kuwabara pulled the wire, revealing a shiny PS2.

"SWEET!" Yuusuke fist pumped into the air. "Let's play!"

"Shouldn't we ask Kurama first?" Kuwabara asked.

"He needs his rest. Besides, Minamino-san said we should make ourselves at home right?" Yuusuke rationalized, plugging the console in. "Look! "The Hills Have Eyes"!"

"Stupid, that's impossible." Hiei remarked, looking at the hills in the horizon through the window.

"It's a game Hiei. Want to play?" Yuusuke explained, grabbing a controller.

"I have no interest in your childish human games." Yet Hiei took a seat next to Yuusuke as Kuwabara took the other controller.

Pretty soon the room fell into the silence of computerized sound effects and playful, competitive banter.

The gruff scream startled the aches and drowsiness out of the redheaded kitsune.

Sitting up, he never expected the sight in front of him.

Kuwabara holding the same yellow tray his mother brought up hours ago, Yuusuke white as a ghost, face contorted into a scream as he hugged a tumbled over Hiei.

Head aching and mouth sour he still couldn't stop the laughing fit in his throat.

Kuwabara followed in suit. And Yuusuke was flung into a wall.

"Hey Kurama. Good thing you're awake." Kuwabara smiled. "Your mom had to go to an important meeting. She let me and Yuusuke in and left you some soup in case you were hungry. Here, I heated some up for you." Kuwabara placed the tray on his nightstand.

"Thank you Kuwabara." Kurama took the bowl once the giggles ceased. "Mind me asking, what happened here?"

Yuusuke was trying to pry his butt out of the wall.

"Oh I was heating your soup up while we took a break from playing. Yuusuke didn't see me come up so when I came through the door I guess I scared him." Kuwabara boasted, giving Yuusuke a mocking glare.

"Playing?" Kurama asked as he took a sip of water.

"We were playing "The Hills Have Eyes" on your PS2. Hope you don't mind."

"Oh, well that's the power of suggestion for you. No, not at all. I'm glad you found something to occupy your time." Kurama reassured.

"Hey! Mind giving me a hand here?" Yuusuke strained and groaned. Kuwabara stood up to pull him out while Hiei took another nap.

Kurama placed the bowl on the tray. Reaching over towards the lowest drawer, he withdrew a thick hardcover. As he was about to open it, a hand grabbed the book and flung it across the room.

His emerald-green eyes stared up in surprise to meet Yuusuke's gooey-brown ones.

"No can do buddy! Your mom specifically told us no studying." Yuusuke wagged his finger at Kurama's confused face like you would to a little puppy.

He did kinda look like a little puppy without a treat. Eyes turned skyward, big and full and warm. Mouth in a slight puckered pout. A look of disappointment, confusion and begging. Was that a whine he just heard?

"Life is more than quadratic equations and the biosphere-"

"Actually, life is the biosphere. It's the part of the Earth that has and sustains life." Kurama interrupted.

"My point is that stop it with the books!" Yuusuke was exasperated easily.

"What do you suppose I do then? I'm not that tired anymore." Kurama whined slightly, the puppy aura not fading.

"Watch." Yuusuke said with a mysterious grin. Grabbing Kuwabara, the two sat down in front of the screen, the telltale sounds of "The Walking Dead" began to play.

Five minutes in, Kuwabara had died five times, maybe because he couldn't keep his eyes on the screen long enough to see a zombie running towards them.

Yuusuke was doing marginally better hashing through the horde like they were butter. Frozen butter.

"You guys suck." Kurama teased, one of the rare moments his diction wasn't formal and polite.

"You think you can do better?" Yuusuke challenged.

"Watch." Kurama grinned.

"Glad to see you're feeling better." Shiori's voice startled the boys, causing both Kurama and Hiei's characters to be plummeted with tomatoes. The boys changed the game about an hour ago and had been playing "Harvest Moon". Hiei had joined hours ago because he was bored.

Yeah right.

"Hello Mother, okairi. Yes, I'm feeling better." Kurama smiled sheepishly having been caught playing games when he was supposed to be resting.

"Okairi." The boys greeted, a little less embarrassed than Kurama was.

"Well I'm glad you all are having fun. But you young man..." Shiori placed her forehead against Shuichi's, making the composed kitsune blush slightly. He was too old for this. Sniggers could be heard in the background.

"Still have a fever. No school tomorrow. Now come on, into bed." Shiori pulled the covers back.

Shuichi climbed into bed and Shiori pulled the covers up to his chin. Shuichi was usually cool and composed, but this... He was never going to hear the end of it from Yuusuke and Kuwabara. Even Hiei had a slight smirk on his lips.

"You boys are welcome to stay for dinner. By the way, I didn't see you a while ago dear, what's your name?" Pointing to Hiei.

"Hiei ma'am." A slight surprise Hiei didn't just disappear like he always did.

Smiling, Kurama closed his eyes as the banter and giggles faded away.

Kurama has always been resilient.

Youko Kurama couldn't afford to get sick. Not a cough or a sniffle. Not the way he was living his life. Getting sick could get you killed.

It wasn't so much as the sickness itself than its effects. Achy and feverish don't stand well in a fight nor does disoriented and dizzy when you're on the run.

Not to mention the world he had lived in. In that world, the weak are eliminated. And the appearance of weakness is as good as stabbing the knife to your heart yourself. Suicide.

So even in a damp little hole in a dark, wet forest, Youko Kurama was resilient.

Because getting sick is suicide.

And even as Minamino Shuichi, Kurama has held this principle with the tenacity of a priest following the Bible.

Yet, maybe, just maybe, getting sick wasn't so bad after all. Especially when you have people who love you to take care of you.

Author's Ramble: Hey guys! I hope you like it. Longer than expected, typed it from 12 to 4 am and again at 10 to 1 pm. That was fun! Maybe Kurama was a bit out of character but I just wanted to show off a nice, sweet Kurama sick. Please review and by the way I don't own nor profit from:

(1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

(2) The Hills Have Eyes

(3) The Walking Dead

(4) Harvest Moon

Or Yu Yu Hakusho though I would love to, just in case none of you went to my profile to confirm the disclaimer.

By the way, the "power of suggestion" bit pertains to the boys playing "The Hills Have Eyes", which scared Yuusuke so much he was spooked by Kuwabara, albeit unintended. I hope you had fun! And review!