In Too Deep

**********


Hiei sighed in relief. As much as he was itching for a fight, he much preferred to do this the quiet way. As the minutes during the
auction had worn on, his bloodlust ebbed, and an eerie sense of revenge filled him. They would all pay, but not until Yusuke- and
his reputation- were safe. If word got out that 'Koenma's boy' was nearly sold to drug lords as some sort of toy, he'd never be
feared or respected as a detective, and that would prove to be a great challenge, perhaps more than he could face.

Certainly not something Hiei wanted him to have to face. This was personal, now, and he was going to see his leader
through to the very end, no matter what.

He was also very relieved that Kurama's plan had worked. The large beast would have posed a problem, possibly a threat to
Yusuke, no matter how quickly he dispatched him. He could tell by the slavering maw what exactly was to be Yusuke's fate- a
quick snack. As for the other demon, he was equally grateful he had lost- he could sense the power of the cloaked being and
decided he alone was not enough to match him. Perhaps someone of Koenma's caliber could beat him, but in the best of
circumstances Hiei could not see himself winning a battle with him.

Hiei looked up toward the balcony, though he couldn't make out his partner. 'Good luck, Kurama.'

Now unsure what to do, Hiei waited as the room thinned out, many demons leaving for refreshments, some staying behind. He hid
himself as Yusuke was hauled off, struggling the entire way. Hiei nodded, glad that the detective gave his captors as much trouble
as he gave everybody else.

A servant passed by with a thick ring of keys, followed by several more burly demons. Deciding they looked suspicious and really
all too easy prey, Hiei discreetly followed. After all, if the main event was auctioned off and everyone was still around, that meant
there were more slaves on the docket.

His revenge and bloodlust began to rise again. Time to get a little pay back while Kurama did his thing. Hiei smiled wickedly.


**********


By the time his new 'friend,' by the name of Toorima, was ready to return to his room, Kurama was more than ready to leave- he
was just grateful it was with Toorima. For a moment, when he disentangled his thick, sticky fingers from his hair and stood
to leave, Kurama thought his brilliant plans would end there. But, at the doorway, his round head swiveled on his neck, skin pulled
like a hot wad of gum, and grinned at him.

How fortunate that he should be as dumb as he was ugly- and, apparently, horny.

Suppressing a shudder, Kurama came up behind him. Taking his arm, the two walked to an elevator. Kurama fought a hard-won
battle with his resolve as those meaty paws ran up and down his arms and sides during the agonizingly slow ride to the top. When
the doors finally, thankfully, opened, they turned left down a long, luxurious hallway. Kurama had never been in such an
extravagant place, and allowed it to show, childlike, on his face.

"Notaru was kind enough to lend me a room for the evening." He winked one large sallow eye and fished a key out of his pocket,
unlocking one of a set of double doors. He swung it open and entered first. Kurama followed and wandered slowly and aimlessly
about the room, trying to calm himself when he heard the door shut and lock behind him. The fact that there was no bed settled his
nerves slightly.

This, afterall, wasn't the first time he had sold himself. It was just the first time it really mattered.

"Wait here," Toorima ordered, moving to another door which lead to an adjacent room- Kurama could see the edge of a large bed.
"I'll get us some refreshments."

Kurama smiled again and continued to look at paintings, rich furniture, and various antiquities before a certain familiar scent met
his nose, and he felt himself slipping into a very familiar mood that he didn't need to be in. He closed his eyes and slightly shook his
head.

"Ah, good, it's already here!" Kurama heard the happy exclamation and a clap of hands from the other room, followed by the
sound of a door closing. Kurama took slow, deliberate steps into the other room, all the while trying to keep his disobedient body
rooted to the spot.

And froze.

Toorima knelt on one knee, petting a writhing and whimpering Yusuke, who arched his back at the unwanted touch, his arms
bound behind his back vainly fighting to free themselves to fight the demon off.

"Ah, you like?" Kurama didn't realize he had been staring, a familiar curl in his belly drawing his eyes to the body on the floor. He
nodded absently. "Quite a find. Quite a find..." He ran a finger down Yusuke's cheek, the boy shying away. With a quick flick, the
blindfold was removed.

Kurama held his breath as long lashes fluttered, revealing a pair of panicked and severely pissed off brown eyes. They glared at
the beast towering over him before lighting on Kurama finally, and the look turned pleading, tears springing to the corners as
Yusuke silently begged to be saved, his vocal cries muffled still by the gag.

Kurama blinked hard.

"Do you want to play with him?"

'Yes.'

"No." It was a growl, and Toorima angled his head back, staring up at him more carefully. Kurama played it off with a leer. "I
want to play with you."

A smile broke out on Toorima's face as he groaned to his feet, staring at him even more lecherously. With barely a backwards
glance at his captive, Toorima reached forward to embrace Kurama, pulling his unresisting body against his thick belly.

"I must say, this is a pleasant surprise. I figured you were trying to get at my latest acquisition. Though, being given the opportunity
to 'play' with you, I wouldn't have minded sharing. Are you sure?" He buried his fingers into Kurama's hair when he nodded,
leaning his face towards his own, and Kurama prepared himself for the revolting slab of purple meat to be pushed down his throat,
but his eyes caught sight of Yusuke, and he found he couldn't really concentrate.

"Not in here..." He grumbled, trying to pull the demon back into the other room with him, grabbing him by the lapels of his suit. He
really needed to not be in that room at that time. He needed Hiei.

But Toorima wouldn't budge. He seemed contemplative, and then, following Kurama's steady gaze to the floor, he turned to face
the bound and gagged human. "Intoxicating, isn't it?"

The word brought Kurama's mind to the scent he could smell all the way in the other room, so much thicker now. He could smell
the fear, the heat, the blood pumping through veins and he was quickly losing himself.

Kuronue quite enjoyed these kinds of moments, but Kurama knew, even as he slipped further, that he could not- would
not subject anyone else to that, not even Hiei. He was slowly winning the battle, for a moment.

"I, like my dear host Notaru, am cursed with a fascination with humans. It seems to be coming into style." The man grinned
maliciously then reared back a thick leg and kicked the struggling Yusuke square in the stomach. "Though I do get bored very
easily..."

The next thing Kurama knew, Toorima was laying unmoving, face down on the floor, a pool of blackish blood surrounding his
head. His thoughts were thick and heavy, and his blood sang.

He looked down at the human- relief was written in his beautiful brown eyes, along with uncertainty and more of the fear that he
could smell.

'Mine' the smell said.

His amber eyes roved over the tanned body once more, pausing on the limp cock. A feral grin crossed his face and the human-
almost as if in slow motion- blinked and turned his head to look at the fallen demon. Kurama's eyes followed.

Not moving.

Dead.

Good.

Mine.

He remembered the kick, the touches, and with a territorial gleam in his eye he reached over and hefted the great load, tossing him
effortlessly through the open doorway into the other room. The human's eyes were trained on the object, ridiculous looking in its
flight, and then they snapped back to his own in time with the resounding thud of landing.

Kurama smiled as he slowly lowered his body down to his hands and knees, hovering over the boy. He leant down to lick along the
edge of the gag, from ear to ear, running his long nails along the length of the flaccid sex. The small body beneath his own
shivered and his cock swelled in response to the touch. Such perfect submission.

Too perfect.

He expected this one to struggle, but the deer in the headlights look told him he'd have to snap him out of it to get any response. A
cruel smile curved his lips at the prospect. Gripping slim hips in each hand, Kurama roughly flipped his prey over onto his knees
and shoulders. He grunted with the suddenness of the impact, and Kurama reached further down, tugging brutally on the
beautifully responsive cock, turning that grunt into a strangled moan. Folding over ontop of the shivering body, Kurama licked the
back of an ear, ruffled the soft hair with his nose, pinched a nipple with his free hand.

The moans and squeaks issuing forth from his newly acquired toy made his rampant erection almost unbearable and, never being
one to wait for what he wanted, he abandoned the heated flesh between the human's legs and stabbed two fingers into his tight
hole. The boy lurched forward, but had no more give to move, so Kurama simply withdrew his fingers, slick with the boy's own
precum, and jabbed them back in, earning another lurch, another muffled cry, another jump of his erection. Three fingers had the
boy writhing and wailing pitifully, trying so hard in vain to twist out of his grip.

Now this was what he was talking about...

He smiled as he scissored his fingers one last time before removing his hand completely, it diving into his robe and britches to free
his swollen organ. He licked his lips as he leaned back over the lean back, biting down firmly on a shell-like ear. He rested his
cock along the crevice of the human's ass, and as if only just now realizing how real this was, the boy struggled even more, nearly
causing Kurama to lose his balance. With a pleasured groan and without further hesitation, Kurama closed his eyes and snapped
his hips forward, impaling the boy on his shaft down to the base, and paused, relishing the spasming, hot constriction as the body
beneath his protested his presence. A low growl filled the room, a mix of his own pleasured moan and the tortured cry from
below. Kurama opened his eyes and focused on the tiny pinpoints of darkness on the fine rug, watching as two more were created
as tears slipped down those lovely rounded cheeks, a third dripping from between his lips.

Releasing his hold on the delicate ear, Kurama straightened, savoring all these sensations for only a moment more before he began
a slow rhythmic pace, throwing his head back at the beauty of it all. The hot skin, the tightness surrounding him, the pathetic
sounds and struggles, the scent of maleness that now permeated the room. His breath quickened and he scowled, it all ending too
soon. He looked down at where he joined the human's body, the sight urging him even further to completion, and with a feral snarl
he withdrew sharply and flipped the body back over, re-entering with a savage pace.

The boy kept his head to the side, eyes screwed shut and leaking tears as his chest heaved and his body was bruised and torn. The
scent of blood hit Kurama's nostrils- blood unencumbered by flesh- and he hefted the slim hips, angling himself as he thrust to
make the boy truly weep, his organ pulsing with the pleasure of the violation. He held his tongue, to listen to the heavy breathing
and strangled sounds that broke free with every thrust from below him.

He was so close he could feel it building in his chest, his arms, his legs, and he squeezed the boy's ass until it bled, plunged in until
he could go no further, rocking so hard only his legs and the human's head were on the floor before orgasm rushed to greet him,
coursing through his body like electricity. He shuddered as he rode out wave after wave, his semen splashing hot and wet inside
the too tight body, his mouth open and gasping. He finally stopped, feeling as though he was completely drained of life, and fell
limp against the human's heaving chest, his still erect cock digging into his belly. With a smile, he eased himself out and laid down
along the full length of the body, his hand resting in a loose ring around the shaft.

"Look at me." He whispered into the still bleeding ear. When he got no response, he squeezed his fist. With a startled sound and a
shudder, the boy turned his head toward Kurama, eyes stubbornly closed.

Studying the soft features with half-lidded eyes, Kurama licked the salty trails from both eyes, nipped at the lips spread so
invitingly by the gag, and repeated himself.

This time, the human obeyed. The big brown eyes met his own, clouded by confusion and pain- and deeper, betrayal. Deeper still,
Kurama could see heat.

With three firm strokes those same eyes rolled back, eyelids slamming shut as hot, sticky fluid spread between Kurama's fingers,
coating them and the smooth belly. His body rocked, back arching, thighs trembling, and Kurama continued to run his fingers in a
tight ring from the spurting tip to the sparse curls at the base, loving this reaction as much as he did the resistance before.

"Look at me." He commanded once again, and the boy did, finally realizing obedience earned him respite from his pleasured
torture. Kurama released his penis, growing flaccid against his belly, and nuzzled through his hair again, sticking out the tip of his
tongue every now and again to taste salty flesh and wet hair.

Something nagged at him, screamed at him in the back of his mind, but a post-coital bliss overwhelmed him, and he could not make
himself care.


**********


Hiei's guess had proved accurate as he followed the demons to a poorly lit hallway with several scattered doors. The entire
entourage stopped at one, and Hiei waited until the bigger demons entered, leaving the one with the keys alone, before his slipped
from the shadows and with only the sound of metal slicing through air, dispatched him without a second thought. He caught the
keys before they hit the ground and slid them into a pocket, safe. Holding his gleaming, though now slightly soiled blade before him
in both hands, Hiei waited for the demons to turn from the whimpering human girl and notice him.

He did not have to wait long.

With a smile born of hatred rather than mirth, Hiei leapt into action, maneuvering his blade from one worthless body to another,
cutting off all words or attempts at protest until only he stood standing. The bodies fell over with heavy, wet sounds, and Hiei
thought he hadn't heard such a pleasant sound in a very long time.

Replacing his blade, Hiei looked down at the petrified girl. He couldn't seem to find any compassion within him for her, so he did
the only thing he could think of. She flinched as he reached back into his pocket and withdrew the keys, tossing them onto the floor
between her bare legs.

"Release the others and wait for me down here. I will come back for you." The last sentence was as close to kindness as he could
come to at that point, but it seemed to suffice, for the girl nodded and picked up the keys, clutching them to her naked breasts. "I
suggest you hurry." Hiei turned and left the room, though he hid in the shadows to be safe.

After some shuffling sounds, Hiei saw the girl exit, wearing the black coat off one of his slain foes and carrying a severe looking
curved blade. She ran to the door right across from her and entered. Hiei could hear her speaking comfortingly to the occupant.
With a nod, Hiei left the dungeon to see how Kurama was faring.

He encountered no one else on his way back to the main floor, but there was definite chaos once he got there. Without the slaves
on the block, the crowd was getting restless. Hiei looked around, finally grabbing a flagpole bearing a coat of arms that he highly
doubted originated in the Spirit Realm, and stabbed it into the door jamb. He snapped off the access, effectively locking the door,
for a while at least.

'Just to be safe. Now, to find the others.'

He was sure Kurama would have taken care of the winner of the auction by then. From what little he had been able to discern
from the great distance between the floor and the balcony, the demon seemed little more than an unsightly jelly roll. The guards
that once stood at the base of the stairs had gone, to attend to the increasingly restless crowd, and Hiei made it to the balcony
without any trouble. He hid in the shadow of another floor length curtain as Notaru and several other demons left in quite a hurry,
obviously trying to get to the bottom of the delay. Hiei would have very little time.

Only a few demons remained in the box, and after stealthily and intly tly slaughtering all but one, he cornered the other against the
railing, blade to his throat.

"Where is Kurama?"

"Wh-what?" The demon was spooked, but not convinced.

Hiei grabbed his collar and hefted him over the edge of the balcony. After allowing the demon enough time to realize Hiei was
more than he appeared, and it was a very long fall, Hiei put forth the question again, rethinking his words. "Where is the man who
won the auction?"

"H-He's on the top floor!"

"What room?"

"..." The demon's wide eyes were trained on the floor below. Hiei allowed his grip to slacken marginally, regaining his
attention.

"What room!"

"I- I don't know! I don't know!"

Hiei frowned darkly. "Then you are of no use to me."

He allowed the words to sink in before he actually dropped him. He looked over the edge and watched the hapless demon fall on
the large monster from earlier. As he turned to leave, he heard the pained screams and distinctive sound of someone being torn
limb from limb, the crowd cheering.

We found the elevator quickly, though the ride up was rather slow. Once he reached the right floor, he looked both ways, guessing
at about twenty doors.

"Nothing to do but eliminate them all one by one." He mused to himself. He turned right and went to the end of the long hallway,
drawing his sword and bracing himself as he kicked open the door. It had not occurred im tim to knock, but it amounted to little as
it was not occupied. He did find, however, that every two doors led to the same large room, separated by another doorway, but it
ultimately made his job easier- only ten rooms, then.

He exited and broke down the door of the room across the hall, finding it, too, empty. So he continued until he was at the last two
rooms at the other end of the hallway. He decided on a little more tact this time around, and opened the one on the left, and
froze.

"Eeek!!"

"Who the hell are you?"

Hiei blushed to his roots and murmured an apology before rushing back into the hallway and slamming the door behind him, leaning
on it. A serpent and an ogre should definitely not be in that position. Hiei shuddered.

Hiei suddenly became aware of a small keening sound, bringing his mind back to the matter at hand and the room across from
him. Quietly, he inched open the door and a quick peek inside revealed a large body- the 'winner.' Hiei nodded to himself.
Kurama had succeeded, then.

He smiled. His fox always made him proud.

Checking that no one else was in the room, Hiei slipped inside and shut the door quietly behind him. Just because this demon was
dead, was not to say there were no others in the suite. He heard the cry again, a sort of wail- he had heard a similar sound from a
dying dragon-ling, once. It was the kind of sound that broke your heart. Hiei went cold as he quietly made his way to the open
doorway connecting this room to the next.


**********


The fuzz began to clear his mind, finally, and Kurama felt disoriented. His body was numb, though warm, and he could see nothing
but blackness. Something warm and soft shifted beneath him with a strange strangled sound, and the blackness in his vision
shifted, burying his nose in soft, inky strands. He soon recognized the lazy feeling of great sex and smiled, closing his eyes as he
snuggled Hiei's body closer to himself. But it wasn't quite right...

The body was too long, too lean. There was a strange boiling sensation in his gut, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly why he suddenly
felt so cold.

"K... Kurama..."

Kurama opened his eyes and looked down into the eyes of his gagged, brown eyed lover, who was not his lover. Trailing
dazed eyes up, Kurama focused on Hiei, standing in the doorway. Hiei looked positively shell-shocked. Yusuke whined- he looked
back down, and yes, it was indeed his leader he was straddling. Kurama felt the irrepressible urge to vomit. His muscles wouldn't
obey him- all he could do was look back up at Hiei, who now had a completely impassive look on his face. Kurama reached a
shaky hand out toward him, calling his name weakly.

His name, from those lips under those eyes, in such a lost tone broke Hiei from the barriers he had instinctively placed up. He
rushed to Kurama and, grasping his shoulders, rolled his limp body to the floor. He had never seen his lover so pale, as he lay with
his head in his lap, staring at nothing.

Looking over his shoulder at Yusuke, he could not catch the other's eye. A well of emotions built in him, but he knew he had to
take command or they would never get out of there alive. This... whatever this was, would have to be dealt with later-
first thing was survival.

He looked back down at Kurama, who's lost gaze had not changes and regretted what he had to do next. He brought Kurama's
attention back to the moment with a resounding slap which echoed oddly loud in the room. Kurama blinked several times, before
finally really looking at Hiei.

"We have to get out of here." He said.

'Everything will be fine.' His eyes said.

Kurama nodded and he swallowed, storing all the suddenly reviving memories as deep down inside himself as he could. "I'll... you
get Yusuke." Kurama sat up and arranged his clothes back into their proper places, trying not to look at the others.

Hiei pulled a rose patterned comforter off the bed- noting no small amount of irony- and wrapped it around Yusuke's body. On his
part, he struggled for only an instant before he seemed to remember himself, though he still wouldn't meet Hiei's eyes.

In all truthfulness, Hiei had imagined this scenario much differently. He imagined Yusuke, mortified and oh so grateful to see his
friends, thanking them until he was blue in the face as they liberated him, allowing each a swell of pride before the humility wore
off and Yusuke was fit for having his face rubbed in it.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Yusuke wasn't supposed to look this ashamed. He wasn't supposed to look defeated. Kurama wasn't supposed to be pulling
himself back together from a break that he could only begin to imagine the repercussions of. Were they even still friends
anymore? Yusuke didn't seem all that grateful to see either of them, and Hiei couldn't altogether blame him. Dampening his rising
emotions once more, Hiei snapped the rope binding his hands and began to pick up Yusuke as carefully as he could, to convey all
the trust and security that he was able to, but the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps thwarted that small attempt at mercy, and
he flung his body over one shoulder. He made brief eye contact with a self depreciating Kurama. Hiei suddenly felt very
angry.

"I said deal with it later, Youko! If you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, and I mean right now, none of us are going to make it
out of here alive. This is no time for self pity- Yusuke is our main concern, he's the one who needs attention, so if you want to
make it out of this to atone- if you want Yusuke to thrash your sorry ass later, get with the program now!" His tone was as sharp
and biting as he could manage, and it worked.

Kurama's look turned to one of resolve and he nodded, conjuring his rose whip. Sword in one hand, holding a Spirit Detective's ass
in place with the other, they both swiftly made their way to the hallway, taking care of the approaching demons with the greatest
of ease.

Kurama barely had the thought that it was too easy before he felt an almost blinding pain on the right side of his head. He was on
his side on the carpet before he quite knew what had happened. He heard an angry snarl from Hiei and looked up to see Notaru
glaring down at him, then at Hiei.

"I knew I'd find you here. And just to make sure you don't underestimate my intelligence, I didn't need all the noise to figure it
out."

Hiei silently wished he hadn't been so gung-ho in his search earlier, frowning deeper, though more at his own foolishness.

Notaru smiled congenially and pushed a dark green lock of hair behind his ears as they were all surrounded by a black wall of fog
that crackled with red energy. "Toorima was a blind fool, and a disgusting pig besides, so I must thank you for dispatching him. He
was the guest that wouldn't leave. However, I am not a fool, Spirit Detectives."

Kurama and Hiei gasped, and Hiei thought he felt Yusuke's body tense. Kurama made it to his feet and backed up to stand beside
Hiei. "You knew, then." He gasped as dark blood trickled down his temple, dripping off his chin onto the carpet.

Notaru nodded. "As soon as you arrived, actually." Two more surprised looks. "Well, you don't assume I chase after every pretty
tail- no pun intended- that enters my house vitevited, do you?" He snorted at Kurama. "Resources told me that there were two of
Koenma's boys stirring up trouble, looking for their lost companion. Ohh, I can't tell you how delighted I was that this little gold
mine turned suddenly into the golden goose." He smiled wistfully, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking on his heels-
completely unintimidated by either of his opponents, which severely pissed Hiei off.

"Though, to be honest, I had really hoped Junior would have shown up himself, but, he's a busy little man, and I knew
someone would- makes all the trouble worth while."

"How do you figure that, exactly?" Hiei asked coldly, watching closely as Notaru began to pace along the circle the barrier
created.

"I'm no fool, as I said- Koenma has three little prodigies- well, four, but the other is a human that rarely travels to this realm. So, let
me see if my education has failed me; One... Two... Ah, what do you know- three. That leaves me one very hot hand in this little
game, and Lord Koenma shit out of luck. Even with you he didn't have the guts to face me, and now without you- he
doesn't stand a chance. Spirit Realm and Earth is mine for the taking, once I get the little prince." He laughed again. "Yama
wouldn't dare oppose me with his bouncing baby bitch in my clutches." He stopped moving at his original place, facing the
detectives with a very smug expression.

"You won't succeed, you do realize, that, don't you?" Kurama hissed. Notaru raised one elegant eyebrow. "Emperor Yama is not
blind- he will see through your plan and defeat you." The conviction in Kurama's voice strengthened Hiei, and he glared at their
captor with equal ferocity.

Notaru simply smiled again and waved them off as he turned to leave, fazing through the barrier with no trouble at all. "Perhaps.
Unfortunately, you won't be around to see which one of us is correct." With a snap of his fingers, the wall began to close in, and
the demon walked away, uninterested, laughing the entire way.

Kurama pressed himself firmly against Hiei's side, and the two gritted their teeth, looking for any breaks or apparent weak spots in
the shield. A strand of Kurama's hair struck the wall, and with an angry red explosion of light and sound, the hair was instantly
burnt to less than ash. Kurama pressed tighter, and Hiei placed Yusuke at his feet, drawing his sword and striking ineffectually at
the closing energy field. Even the rose whip cause no damage, only drawing more sparks of red heat and sounds of high voltage
electricity.

"This can't be it!" Hiei swore as he inched back as far as he could, dropping his sword. Behind him, Kurama clasped his
hands.

"I'm sorry, Hiei. I'm so sorry, Yusuke." Kurama closed his eyes, and his world was consumed with fire, and he knew no
more.


**********


'I screwed up.'

'No, you tried your best.'

'This isn't the end.'

'I ruined everything.'

'Hang on, we'll get out of here. We just have to hang on.'

'You can't blame yourself.'

'It wasn't enough.'

'It'll all be okay.'

'I'm here. We all are. We're all going to be fine.'

'This wasn't how I wanted it to end. I'm just like them.'

'Don't say that!'

'I refuse to let it end this way.'

'I'm a monster.'

'I love you.'

'I forgive you.'

'I love you.'

'I love you.'

'I refuse.'


**********


"I'M NOT GOING TO LET IT END THIS WAY, DAMMIT!!"

Kurama and Hiei's eyes snapped open at the cry, followed by a furious scream. Kurama looked up to see Yusuke's arms
outstretched, his entire body burning with a blue light that poured from his very soul, turning white at the edges and bleeding into
the blackness that surrounded them all. The light broke up the seamless emptiness, tearing it asunder. The black shrieked and
writhed in pain, unable to stop it's destruction at the power of the human spirit. Yusuke's entire body rippled from the strain of
releasing so much energy, and both of his friends on the floor marveled at it at the same time they feared the strain on his life.
Kurama's eyes widened.

Life energy.

"Don't die for me... please, Yusuke..."

He couldn't hear, but it didn't matter- the blackness was slowly thinned until the walls and shredded doors and the lush carpet of
the hallway was visible. In a matter of moments, it began to crack like glass, and it shattered with a final spray of energy and
angry sound before disappearing entirely.

The room seemed like a vacuum. No sound, nothing moved. Kurama waited for his friend to drop, lifeless.

Yusuke turned to both Hiei and Kurama and smirked crookedly, the energy surrounding his body fading to a pale blue glow just off
the surface of his skin.

"Well? I did the hard part- how about you guys do some work for a change?"

It was such a shock, Hiei didn't even have the faculties to catch Yusuke when he finally did collapse. Kurama and Hiei crawled
quickly to his side, faces different shades of concern and fear. Hiei grabbed his neck firmly, waiting, as Kurama's vision blurred
with tears.

"... He has a pulse. It's faint- very faint- but it's there." He looked at Kurama, so without any discernible emotion on his face,
Kurama figured that he must have looked that way at birth- completely without the knowledge of himself or the world to express
what he was feeling. It made him feel the giddy need to laugh, but he fought it.

He realized he must have looked the same way as Hiei lost his battle with the giggles.

"Kurama," He choked out, "You look scared half out of your mind..."

"Hiei," Kurama assured, "I am scared entirely out of my mind..."

The two laughed nearly hysterically for a moment before gathering their wits and standing, Yusuke now more securely cradled in
Hiei's arms.

"I think it's a damn good thing he beat me by luck."

"Why's that?" The two walked sedately towards the elevator.

"If he'd have beat me any other way, I'd have been screwed."

The doors opened and the two stepped in, riding silently to the bottom floor.

"I don't hurt anywhere at all."

"Me neither. Your hair isn't burnt, either."

Their feet finally touched the ground as the doors opened, and they took fighting stances, though nothing but eerie silence met
them. Kurama stepped cautiously into the hallway, motioning for Hiei to follow. The snuck as quietly and inconspicuously down
the stairs as they were able. Kurama made a move toward the exit, but Hiei grabbed his tail with his teeth and pulled, finally
leading him down another hallway, stopping before a large, battered door. Shifting the weight so he could have at least one hand
free- and ruefully spitting out hairs- Hiei reached down and pulled a small cylindrical length of wood from the jamb, and pushed it
open with his foot. A gaggle of pathetic looking humans wearing oversized articles of clothing and bearing knives prepared to
launch, but the small woman in front halted them, and the entire lot stood, shivering, and waited.

Kurama looked down at Hiei, whom all the others were similarly staring at in awe and gratitude, and suddenly broke out into a
sweet grin. "Aw, Hiei, you already thought of them! That's so sweet!"

Hiei sweatdropped and silently prayed he wouldn't kiss him. Not in front of these humans, anyway.

"See? He can be a decent guy when he wants to be..."

Kurama and Hiei looked down at Yusuke, but he was fast asleep.

"Um..." Hiei mumbled, suddenly feeling elated, though they were not safe yet. "I think we had better leave, now."

Kurama nodded, and though all the humans seemed very unsure, their fear won out and they followed in a tight pack.

"Heaven help them if someone decides to lob a bomb, or something. They'll all go out in one blow." Hiei whispered to Kurama,
who nodded, but said nothing. The group all made it outside, still not encountering anyone, and made it past the gates and into the
dense woods, where they continued to run until they could no longer see the glow of the mansion. Resting in a clearing of tall grass
that easils ths them as they sat, Kurama took out his communicator and tried to hail Botan, but after several minutes of waiting no
friendly face appeared.

With a sinking feeling in his gut, Kurama put it back in his robe and tried to think. Their first priority, obviously, was getting all
these humans safely back home. How to do that, was another thing.

'Their memories might also cause some problems...' He mused.

Deciding there was really nothing they could do at the time, and sensing that none of them were really in the shape to try, Kurama
laid back, resting beside Hiei who tucked Yusuke more snugly into the blanket. The humans all huddled together in an attempt to
gain warmth as they rested a safe distance away, still too unsure to include the detectives. Kurama draped an arm across Yusuke
and grasped Hiei's shoulder, smiling wanly at him.

"I'm sorry, Hiei."

"Don't think about that right now."

"I'll have to eventually."

Hiei nodded. "I now. Let's wait until we're all 'here' before we do."

Kurama nodded slowly and closed his eyes, squeezing his lover's shoulder affectionately as Hiei placed his own hand on his
hip.

'Some vacation.' Hiei thought as he drifted into a light sleep, ears keen to pick up any oncoming danger, mind replaying a voiceless versversation he couldn't really remember.


**********


Something tickled Hiei's nose. Of course, he twitched it, but the warmth pressing against him shuddered, so he stopped, wanting
the stillness so he could resume his blissful trek into oblivion. Something tickled his nose. Twitch, shudder, stop. Tickle- really, this
was getting ridiculous- he just wanted to sleep, but now a sound was offending his senses, a light and golden tinkling of bells that
pissed him off. Finally, grudgingly, Hiei opened his eyes, mostly expecting to see Kurama's laughing green eyes, halfway hoping it
would be Yusuke's warm brown eyes, and completely shocked to find Botan's dancing purple eyes staring him in the face.

He jerked back, looking around in a disoriented shock. In the crisp morning light, Hiei could see Kurama hiding his giggles behind
his hand, sitting in the grass a yard away; Yusuke beside himself, cackling in that way of, an, and Botan hovering over where his
head used to lay, dandelion head in hand.

"Really, you're so difficult to wake, Hiei." She tried to keep her tone serious, but her mirth bled through in her voice and her eyes.
A grin finally quirked her mouth and she dropped the weed, pulling her oar higher into the air so that Hiei could stand.

"Ignorant girl..." He mumbled as he brushed nonexistent dirt off his shirt.

Yusuke merely rolled over, burying his face in the soft grass, and Hiei grunted in jealousy. He nearly kicked him in the ribs, but at
the last minute remembered he really shouldn't.

Which led him to...

"Where are the other humans?"

Botan lazily poked Yusuke's unresponsive back with her foot. "Some of the more delicate office ogres and myself got here shortly
after dawn and found them all bundled up in a herd, freezing, the poor things. We patched them up, did a little brain washing- or
rather, cleaning, and sent them on their way- in their own world, of course." Botan winked. "All safe and sound, though it really is
so sweet of you to be concerned-"

"I am not concerned!" Hiei blushed and turned his head, crossing his arms, to hide that fact.

Botan mm-hmed in an unconvinced manner, still pestering Yusuke enough to keep him conscious, but not enough to entice
him to get up. "Yes, I suppose we all must keep up appearances... Well, how are you boys feeling? Up to some paperwork, I
hope."

"You have got to be kidding..." Kurama brushed his red locks from his eyes to more clearly see Botan, as if his eye's
deception might hinder his hearing.

"No. We need to know exactly what went on in that mansion."

"Oh damn- Notaru got away!" Kurama punched his fist angrily.

"You mean Notaru Nagoya, the drug lord? He's been all taken care of!" Botan happily chimed.

"Really?" Now it was Hiei who was unbelieving.

Botan nodded. "I think it would be best if Koenma told you himself- I wasn't there when it happened."

"When what happened?" Kurama stood and walked to stand beside Hiei.

"All will be answered in due time. But first, we have to get you, sleepyhead, up!"

Yusuke reached up and grabbed Botan's ankle. "Stop. Poking. Me." And pulled her off her oar with a squawk. The plan backfire,
minorly, and Botan landed with her rump firmly planting Yusuke's face into the dirt, but oddly enough, he still didn't stir.

"Oh, poor thing. You must be so exhausted... You'll have to tell me everything that happened- I was so worried about you all!"
Botan picked herself up and sat back on her oar, dragging Yusuke along. "My goodness, you've got no clothes on!"

Kurama coughed and blushed, clearing his throat. "Shall we go then?"

"Well, I suppose." Botan agreed, more worried now. "I'll see you boys back at the palace. I'll go ahead and take Sleeping Beauty
here and get him cleaned up- he's a mess."

As if on cue, a clump of grass fell off his forehead, causing his pilot to sweatdrop. Wrapping an arm firmly around his waist, Botan
and her pet project lifted into the air and took off towards the castle.

As soon as they were gone from sight, Hiei and Kurama began heading in that direction as well. After a while, Hiei began to feel
the silence wasn't a healthy one, but already knowing the cause, he was reluctant to breach the subject. He didn't entirely agree
with himself, when he'd said earlier they all three needed to talk it out together first. Hiei began to realize Kurama was going
through a lot, and getting the brunt of it off his chest without Yusuke around might be good for him. Maybe if he could speak about
it to Hiei, he'd have a clearer understanding and be able to handle the later discussion with their friend better.

"Kurama... do you want to talk now?" Hiei waited.

They walked on in more silence, until Kurama sighed.

"Yes. I do."

Hiei slipped his hand into Kurama's and squeezed it comfortingly.

"You're such an old softy." Kurama teased, and Hiei didn't counter him, merely accepting the attempt at levity and waiting. After
another sigh, Kurama squeezed back. "I don't... know what happened. You saw me earlier, how I was acting... Oh, I should have
known something was wrong, I should have let you handle the whole thing!" Kurama scratched his forehead, thinking.

"Did Yusuke say anything to you, earlier?"

Kurama shook his head absently. "I woke up first. The humans were already gone. I got up and... distanced myself. I didn't want
to alarm him when he woke up, being in such an intimate position." Kurama winced at the words, navigating carefully through
rocks and dead branches littering their path. "He woke up not long after, looking a little confused and surprised. Then he saw me
and... he remembered. I-... I tried to apologize, but he just shook his head and laid back down..."

Hiei squeezed his hand again.

"He didn't say anything else, and I didn't press- I can't blame him for hating me..."

"It was an awfully vague reaction to constitute a sense of 'hate,' don't you think?"

Kurama shook his head again, frustration showing clearly on his face. "What else would he feel? I mean, if you were in his shoes,
would you have wanted to hear me apologize? It's not enough, Hiei, sorry just... isn't enough."

"If I were in his shoes, I would have turned around and raped you."

"Please, be serious, Hiei."

'For once, I try to tell a joke...'

"Well?... What else happened?"

"Nothing. Botan appeared and started pestering you." Kurama cracked a tiny smile at this, but it quickly faded. "... I just lost a
friend."

"You don't know that."

"He's more than a friend. He's... my hero."

"I know." Hiei nodded, not daring to reveal his shared sentiment. "But I find it hard to believe Yusuke would settle this matter with
a mere shake of his head. Unless he fires at your head, don't so readily assume he hates you."

Hiei dropped his hand and walked ahead, Kurama stalling behind.

Kurama wanted to be optimistic like Hiei- their roles so reversed seemed like another dream- but he had a hard time being so
hopeful. He wondered what had made his friend so sure. Perhaps he knew something he didn't? Perhaps Kurama had
misunderstood his perception of his leader- it made sense, what Hiei said. If Yusuke was upset, you- not to mention the entire city
block- would know about it. He had heard him yell at his mother enough times to know that for sure, but was this the same kind of
situation? This had never happened before... that he could have allowed himself-

"Will you stop beating yourself up and come on??" Kurama's eyes snapped up to meet Hiei, who stood ahead with his hands on his
hips, waiting impatiently. "Like you said, you weren't yourself. You couldn't control yourself." Hiei stepped down off the large rock
he was on and walked to Kurama, taking his hand again in an effort to soften his words.

"How can you be so hopeful?... I'm a monster..."

Hiei shook his head, before pulling Kurama down to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I'm sorry that I can't change your mind
about that."

'I only hope someone can.'


**********


'How the hell did I wind up being the problem solver?' Hiei groused to himself, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he roamed the
hallways of the palace. He knew where his damned sensibilities- courtesy of his time spent with Kurama- were telling him to go,
but peacemaker was not a title he was all-too willing to add to his epithet. But then, he was never one to run from a challenge,
either, so of course, in due time, he found himself before a door and entered, without bothering to knock.

From the looks of the occupants of the room, no one even noticed to give a damn. Yusuke lay bandaged and coddled on a big, soft
bed by a bunch of ogres that were trying too hard har hard, in fact, Yusuke looked fairly pissed off.

"I said... I'm FINE!" He barked between gritted teeth, shooting lasers from his eyes at the poor peons only following orders.
Yusuke, as usual, was not one to give a rat's ass. "GET OUT AND LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!!"

In a jumble of screeches and protests and stumbling pastel-colored bodies, the room cleared out, allowing Yusuke to slump back
into the pillows and heave a sigh of relief, and Hiei to slurthurther into the room.

Hiei seated himself on the edge of a table right next to the bed, pushing his tattered green jacket out of the way and obstructing
Yusuke's view of a softly flickering television set, though his leader seemed not to be watching it anyway. They sat in silence for a
while, either looking at each other or not, depending on the luck of the moment.

Finally, Yusuke sighed. "Look, I know what you're here for, so why don't you just spit it out."

"To hell with pleasantries, then? Fine. Kurama is beating himself up right now, and I can't talk any sense into him. He needs to
speak to you, but he's afraid of what you think of him now- he's afraid of losing you."

Yusuke didn't seem surprised in the least, so Hiei continued, more quietly now as he reached the heart of the matter.

"... Do you forgive him, Yusuke?"

"No." Yusuke answered without hesitation, huffing and trying to get more comfortable on the overstuffed pillows.

Hiei's head rocked back as if struck, disbelief written on his face. Despite all of Kurama's voiced concerns, for some reason it had
never occurred to him that Yusuke would not be all forgiving. It seemed to go against his entire nature, and Hiei sat there in
silence for some minutes, trying to reassess his percen hin his friend.

Yusuke's eyebrows shot up and he shifted his head, looking at Hiei as if he were the biggest idiot in the world. "'Cause there's
nothing to forgive. Che'." Shaking his head at Hiei's ignorance, Yusuke resettled himself more comfortably on the bed with his
hands behind his head. "Now do you mind? You make a better door than a window."

Hiei's brows furrowed so much they hurt, and he shifted to the side, allowing Yusuke a view of the news.

"Nothing to forgive?"

"Yeah." Yusuke absently replied, reaching for the remote and channel surfing at lightning speed. "We already talked about
this."

Hiei narrowed his eyes. Perhaps the boy had hit his head?

"Not very much..."

"Not just now, artard... back at the mansion." At Hiei's continued blank look, Yusuke elaborated. "You know, when we
were all about to die and stuff? Ring any bells?"

Vaguely, Hiei did remember some sort of conversation, though he didn't remember actually speaking or hearing anything. He
nodded anyway.

"Cool. Now shut up." Yusuke cranked up the volume on a soccer game, Ogres verses Water Demons. The Ogres were getting
pulverized. "Man those guys suck... can't even do decent paperwork- which reminds me! When you go see Koenma, kick his ass
once for me, alright? This mess never would have happened if it weren't for his stupid idea of a joke. I'd do it myself, but he
apparently thinks he has me pegged- I can't leave and he's sure as hell not venturing down here... Probably wouldn't anyway.
Think he was lookin' to replace me?"

Hiei waited a heartbeat before sighing. Really, why did he even bother? This kid just could not take life seriously.

"Listen to me, Ura-... Yusuke. This magnanimous attitude isn't going to work well with Kurama. You're going to need a better
explanation-"

"Well, then, I'll explain to him when he decides to visit. Why should I explain myself to you? I don't feel like saying
it twice and I highly doubt you care."

Hiei had the sense to look slightly offended. "That's not true. I wasted my time to rescue you, didn't I?" And as soon as he said it,
he realized how bad it really sounded, though it really didn't bother him too much.

"Sorry to waste your time." Yusuke rolled over, presenting the landslide game and Hiei with his back.

"Yusuke..." Hiei reached out a hand, never really resting it on his shoulder. "I... do care."

Yusuke sat up quickly, startling Hiei. "Some way to show it! You didn't even ask how I was!!" Yusuke screamed at him.

Hiei blinked a few times, a scowl slowly covering his face. "How do you feel?"

Yusuke stared him down for a moment. Then smiled bright enough to illuminate all the nothingness of space. "Great, pal, thanks
for askin'!" He cackled, slapping Hiei on the shoulder amiably.

Hiei was, frankly, stunned. This made no sense. Yusuke had gone completely batshit insane. His head hurt.

'I'm getting the hell out of here...'

"See ya later!" Yusuke waved exuberantly. Hiei waved back dumbly, most of his facilities leaving him for a martini break.

Once the door was shut, safely securing the madness inside the room, Hiei began assimilating information.

Yusuke, most importantly, was not mad. For whatever reason, he seemed to hold no grudge against Kurama. This was good- this
was very good. But Yusuke also seemed to have some issues regarding his standing with himself. While he would admit he had
never been a very open individual, except in Kurama's case, he reasoned he had not been too terribly cold to their leader. And he
did care, a fact that continually reminded and irritated him, even moreso lately. Perhaps he should try to be nicer- he
shuddered at the word and damned Kurama to hell and back for rubbing off on him. This put serious kinks in his plans for
utter humiliation he had planned fhe lhe loudmouth.

And that brought to mind his next order of business- Koenma. Yes, now this was something he knew perfectly well how to handle,
and he was more than glad to.

With a smirk, Hiei pushed himself away, only barely noting to himself that Yusuke had not thanked him for the daring rescue, and
that warranted at least one peg to knock him down.


**********


Kurama paced and paced. Once that particular area of floor became monotonous, he moved on to another identical patch of
marble and paced some more. He was getting good at this. Over his shoulder he could hear the rustling of papers. Every now and
then they'd stop, then start up again. Then they stopped again and he heard a sigh.

"Oh, for crying out loud, sir, why don't you just go and talk to him? I heard that he was in a fairly good humor... well, sort of,
anyway." The blue ogre scratched his head, sweating a bit. In all honestly, he had never seen Yusuke in a 'good mood.' Koenma
had that effect on some people. Kurama was having that effect on him now. He'd been down in his office for over two
hours, just walking back and forth, back and forth. He was getting dizzy just watching him! Not to mention he got off work in only
an hour, with only two stacks of paperwork left, and Kurama was distracting him.

Kurama had at least stopped moving, finally, but he didn't seem to be ready to take George's advice.

Kurama knew he had to face Yusuke eventually, but he couldn't even face himself. What if Yusuke refused to ever speak to him
again? The idea of those warm brown eyes turning icy and shutting him out forever hurt his heart. He loved that boy. He loved
him every bit as much as he loved Hiei. The love was different, settling in a different part of his chest, but it was just as strong,
and the thought of living without either of them nearly killed him in itself. He knew Hiei had forgiven him, but his refusal to accept
it so easily, without earning it, was stretching his lover's patience with him. Though in all fairness, it wasn't really Hiei's forgiveness
at the front of his mind. He knew, though, that once he came to terms with all of this, Hiei's support would finally mean everything
to him that Hiei had meant it to- Hiei still loved him, despite it all.

Would Yusuke?

"Time to find out!" Kurama asserted, clapping his hands in an attempt to bolster himself with a strength he did not possess.

"That's the spirit, Kurama! No time like the present!" George cheered. "Do you know... where... the room, uh, what are you
doing!?"

Kurama had begun pacing again.

"I don't know what to say."

George stepped out from behind his desk to Kurama, pushing none too gently on his shoulders, propelling him toward his goal and
away from his office. "I find that the words that need to be said can't be forced and practiced. The right words come only at the
right time."

"... That's very deep, George."

"And it's true! Besides, the longer you wait the worse it gets! You'll see!" With one final urge, Kurama was moving of his own
accord and George could release a long pent up sigh of release. "Now, to finish up and OH NO!!!!"

George pulled at his hair as he vainly searched for his desk under a mountain of paperwork.

"Gee, you've been slacking!" An orange ogre commented before George had no alternative but to give him a black eye.


**********


"Oh dear."

Hiei stormed in and stood fearlessly before Koenma's desk, arms crossed over his chest as he scowled down at the tiny ruler.

"May I help yHieiHiei?" Koenma seemed thoroughly nonplused.

"Leave, woman."

Botan, looking slightly worried and more than slightly offended, walked toward the door, mumbling to herself about 'not very
friendly' and shutting the doors behind her.

"Well, now that you've ordered my assistant away- someone higher than you on the corporate ladder, I might add- I put forth the
question again. May I help you?"

"I have a few questions that you are going to answer."

Koenma nodded, setting aside his stamp and clasping his tiny hands together in front of him. "Ah yes, I knew you would. I
expected you a lot sooner, I must say. You're getting rusty."

Hiei growled and narrowed his eyes. Koenma hid a cough.

"In any case, I know what you're here to ask."

"Then why did you ask if-" Oh, to hell with it. The deity was confounding and trying to understand him would only worsen his
headache.

'It must be a prerequisite for all Gods to be completely deranged... and it's rubbing off on us all!'

Which really explained Botan.

As if reading his thoughts, Koenma's look darkened before he shrugged it off. "The truth is, Hiei, I could not have foreseen these
events, and I am truly sorry theok pok place."

Hiei snorted.

"It's true!" Koenma defended himself- without success. "I had merely meant to get the brat out of my hair for a while, not chained
up in some slave factory! As much little faith and great aggravation I have invested in him, he is my Spirit Detective and my
responsibility- I would not knowingly send him into such a situation!"

"You mean like sending him to fight Rando with no experience? Or facing Kurama, that big oaf and myself? Or perhaps the
Toguro Brothers?"

Koenma sweatdropped. "... eh, those times were different..."

"HOW!?" Hiei boomed, slamming his fists on the desk with a loud thunder of sound.

"Because Yusuke was never raped!" Koenma met the gesture and the two stared long and hard at each other, before Hiei finally
heard the words and blinked.

"You... y-you..."

"Yes, I know about that... And... I'm sorry for using such a strong term. What I mean to say, is, those were battles I was more
than fifty percent sure Yusuke could walk away from. This situation was entirely unexpected."

"But... but how? Yusuke said you hadn't spoken to him."

"I didn't need to. Once Botan informed me of where you and Kurama were headed, I decided to watch- that was foolish and
risky, going in there without any backup! Good job, by the way." Koenma smiled for a moment before he turned serious
again.

"..." Hiei sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Thank you. So, you're saying you saw everything? Why didn't you help? You
said yourself, Yusuke is your responsibility."

"I did? Oh, fishsticks. Well, he's really Botan's-"

"KOENMA!!"

"Alright, alright!" Koenma leapt back into his chair, seeking safety. "The truth is, I did try! I hauled ass down there, as a
matter of fact, to try and help you!" Koenma suddenly shifted his attention to his fingers, index fingers meeting in an arch and
poking each other. "... But I'm afraid thirty million was a little more than I could sneak by my father unnoticed..."

Hiei stared for a minute, piecing it together through his roaring migraine. "That was you? You were the cloaked demon?"

"Well of course I was, who else do you know in the Spirit Realm with that much energy!?"

Hiei threw up his arms. "I give up. I give. Up. This has all gone on way too long, gotten way too complicated, and I
still haven't gotten a break! This is insane-" Hiei snapped his jaw shut with one final glare. "I'm leaving."

He spun on his heel and wrenched the door open, spilling Botan at his feet. She giggled nervously. Hiei's eye twitched.

"Damn straight you are, all three of you!"

"Sir??"

"Oh, not you, Botan. Ahem. You all have caused far too much trouble! You're team-man... ship... is that a word?... Your
relationship together has been compromised! You are all officially off-duty until you can reconcile these differences and come
back with all facilities in tact, to face up to the consequences of all your actions. Is that understood?"

"... Hell no."

"Good, then get out of my office. Botan- go find out what's keeping George. That paperwork should have been on my desk an
hour ago!"

"Yes sir!" Botan left in a huff as Hiei sedately walked away to find a sane corner of existence.

"Damn ogre! Never does any work around here..."


**********