Jigsaw!

by Maiji
 
 
 

        'Hiei-san!' Yukina's cheerful voice echoed through the hallways and into Yusuke's 
room. 'Hiei-san?' 
        'What?' snapped Hiei. He was sitting by the window and didn't even turn around. Yusuke
and Kurama exchanged glances. 
        'How dare you speak like that to Yukina!!!!' yelled Kuwabara, who just came in. 'Let 
me teach you a few lessons!!!!' 
        Of course, the result was a big fight. 
        'Kazuma-san, Hiei-san, please don't fight!' pleaded Yukina, sounding upset. The two of
them immediately stopped their brawl. 
        'Hiei-san,' continued Yukina, 'Kazuma-san and I went shopping, and I got you a 
present!' 
        She slipped off the plastic bag she had been carrying and rummaged around inside. 
        'See?' said Yukina, pulling out a jigsaw puzzle. 
        'What's that?' asked Hiei. 
        'Oh,' replied Yukina. 'You see,' she explained, opening the box and dumping its 
contents on Yusuke's desk, 'It's all these little pieces, and you have to fit them together to
make the picture on the front.' 
        Kurama leaned over the bed and took the lid. There was a label on it that said '1000 
pieces', and the picture was of three adorable little white bunnies romping about in a field 
of flowers. 
        Yusuke whispered to Kurama, 'Isn't 1000 pieces a little too much for a beginner? As for
that picture ...' 
        Kurama shrugged. 'Try telling that to Yukina.' 

        Hiei looked at the pile of mixed-up puzzle pieces, then looked at the picture on the 
lid of the box. 
        'Looks easy enough,' he said, and got to work. 

        The clock on the wall ticked as its long hand moved forward a notch. It was 4:30 pm. 
Botan came in. 
        'What are Hiei and Yukina doing?' she asked. 
        'Yukina got Hiei a jigsaw puzzle,' Kurama explained. 
        'Oh,' said Botan. 'This should be interesting.' She sat down beside Yusuke and watched. 

        5:46 pm. Kuwabara goes to get a drink of water. 
        5:49 pm. Kuwabara demonstrates his ability to sing 'Dachi' and gurgle water at the same
                       time. 
        5:52 pm. Yusuke hits Kuwabara on the head with a coat hanger. 
        6:15 pm. Yukina loses a piece, and gets Yusuke and Kurama to look for it. 
        6:26 pm. 'Aha!' said Yusuke, reaching under the bookshelf. 'I think I found it.' 
                      'Oops,' said Kurama, and the bookshelf collapses. 
        6:49 pm. Yukina finds the missing piece under her foot. 
        6:50 pm. Botan yawns and stretches. 'I'm going to find something to *do*,' she 
                       muttered, and left. 
        7:45 pm. Yukina accidentally knocks over a bottle of something. Yusuke and Kurama 
                       proceed to get rid of the stains in the floor. 
        8:53 pm. Still cleaning. 
        9:26 pm. 'Kazuma-san, what does 'permanent and unwashable' mean?' 
        9:32 pm. 'Detergent doesn't do much, does it?' notes Kurama. 
        9:33 pm. Yusuke decides to get a rug. 
        9:50 pm. Kuwabara attempts to get rid of the stains in the floor. 
        9:55 pm. Yusuke decides to get a *really* big rug. 
        10:00 pm. Botan comes back in. 
        10:01 pm. Botan slips on the stains and breaks a small hole through the floor. 
        10:03 pm. Botan threatens to sue for physical trauma. 
        10:10 pm. Yukina goes to the bathroom. 
        10:23 pm. 'Kazuma-san, why is there a hole in the floor?' 
        10:30 pm. Kurama gets ready to go home. 
        10:30.1 pm. Kurama forgets about the hole in the floor. 
        10:32 pm. 'Kurama, are you okay?' 
        10:35 pm. Kurama gets ready to go home again. 
        10:50 pm. Kuwabara goes to the kitchen 'for maintenance surveillance'. 
        11:00 pm. Kuwabara comes back with a mouth full of cake. 
        11:22 pm. Botan starts drawing squiggles all over a piece of paper. 
        11:29 pm. 'Like this picture of you guys and Doraemon?' 
        11:30 pm. 'Botan, go to bed.' 
                         'Zzzzz .... mmm-hmmm ....' 
        11:35 pm. Kuwabara goes downstairs to sleep on the couch. 
        11:47 pm. Yukina gets bored and makes a little Hiei ice-sculpture. 
        11:49 pm. 'Hiei-san, look!' 
        11:50 pm. It melts. 
        11:55 pm. A half-asleep Yusuke proceeds to clean up the mess. 
        11:56 pm. The half-asleep Yusuke mistakes Kuwabara's watch for a cleaning rag. 
        11:58 pm. 'Yusuke-san, maybe you should go to bed.' 
                         '..... okay.' 
        12:00 am. Yukina yawns and curls up on the bed. (Yusuke's asleep on the floor.) 
        12:05 pm to 6:57 am. 'Zzzzzzzz .......' 
        6:58 pm. Kuwabara begins to sleepwalk through the apartment. 
        7:00 am. BRRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!! 
        'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!'yelled Kuwabara
as he fell down the garbage chute. 
        'Huh?' mumbled a sleepy Botan. 
        'Unn ...' replied Yusuke, rubbing his eyes. 'It's morning ...' 
        'Kazuma-san?' said Yukina, waking up. 'I thought I heard Kazuma-san screaming...' 
        Yusuke shrugged, then turned to look for Hiei. 
        Hiei. 
        Hiei was still in the same position he had been in since 4:30 pm yesterday. 
        'Hiei?' said Yusuke, walking over and waving his hand in front of Hiei's face.
        'Earth to Hiei ... you in there?' 
        Hiei looked up. 
        He ... looked ... awful. 
        'What's wrong with Hiei-san?' asked Yukina, coming over. 
        'I think he stayed up too late,' said Yusuke. 
        There was a knock on the door. 
        'I'll get it,' said Botan. 

        Kurama stood at the door. 
        'I wasn't sure if you guys would've been awake, considering how late you all stayed up
last night. I decided to check on you.' 
        'Hi,' mumbled Kuwabara, coming in behind Kurama. 
        'Where were *you*?' asked Botan. 
        'None of your business,' growled Kuwabara. 'How's Yukina?' 
        'Go see for yourself.' replied Botan, and they all went to Yusuke's bedroom. 
        'Kazuma-san and Kurama-san!' cried Yukina, merry as always. 
        'Why is Hiei still at the puzzle?' inquired Kurama. 'Didn't he go to sleep?' 
        'Apparently not,' answered Botan. 
        Everyone looked at Hiei. 
        Hiei was still holding the same puzzle piece he had been holding the day before. 
        'What the ...?' said Yusuke. 
        Hiei looked at the twenty-five pieces Yukina had joined together. Then he looked at his
own non-existent pile. 
        'Hiei ...' said Kurama. 
        'Look, you little moron,' shouted Kuwabara, then grabbed the piece Hiei had been 
holding all night and reached across the desk for another piece that was next to Hiei's elbow. 

        A perfect match. 

        'AAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!' shrieked Hiei. Then he sat down again and started 
looking for another match. 
        'Hiei, aren't you tired?' asked Kurama. 
        'If the idiot can do it,' growled Hiei, 'So can I.' 
        'Just who's the idiot?' muttered Yusuke. 'Look, Hiei, you had better get some rest.' 
        Hiei ignored him and continued working. 
        Kurama sighed and Botan rolled her eyes. 

        Suddenly the window blew open. 
        'Hiei!' yelled Mukuro. 'You were supposed to be back at the fortress *five hours* 
ago!!!' 
        Hiei ignored her. 
        'Why you-' began Mukuro, then stopped as she saw what he was doing. 'Oh, working on 
one of those Ningenkai puzzles? Let me try.' 
        Mukuro leaned over, and, in less than fifteen seconds, finished the entire puzzle. 
        'There,' she said, dusting her hands with satisfaction. 'Shall we go now?' 
        Everyone looked at Hiei. 

        Hiei stared at the finished puzzle. 

        'WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!' wailed Hiei, clobbering the poor wall with his
fists. '#@ ^$@( @@($(@^^%(@ $ ^$$*&$@()@%@#) @&@($@!)$#!^!!!!!!!!!!!!' 
        Big sweat drops on the back of everyone's head. 
        'Now, now, Hiei,' admonished Mukuro. 'That's what you get for not coming back to the 
fortress when you're told to. Come on now.' 
        She picked up Hiei by the back of his cloak and dragged him out the door. 
        'Uh .... bye,' called Yusuke. 
        'Please come again!' cried Yukina. 
        'Oh, I will,' promised Mukuro. They could all still hear Hiei screaming his head off. 

        'That was .... interesting,' said Botan. 
        'What was?' asked a Yukina, looking confused. 
        'We still have to clean up,' reminded Kurama. 
        Yusuke got up. 'Okay ... does anyone know where I can get a rug?'