Shadow Lover

~Hello everyone Lady Aqualyne here! I want to thank everyone who reviewed and everyone else who read the second chapter of Shadow Lover. I promised this chapter faster than the last one and here it is. I hope you enjoy it and the confusion I believe shall be answered here. I hope you all still like this story enough to read and review, as it is your reviews that helps me to write.~

Disclaimer: I do not own them, but I wish I did. I own nothing but the plot… and the rapist, so no suing.

There has been a recent shocking event happening at Meiou High School in the past week. As we have been reporting in the last week two students mysteriously dropped dead in their classrooms after both apparently had a nervous breakdown. Today… a third student has died in similar circumstances. The authorities still have no answers to what are causing these deaths. The high school Principal says the kids were fine, but their behavior began to change while in the week before their deaths. Friends of the deceased; however, tell a different story. They say their friends told them that they had a new lover and this man was all they could talk about, yet none of them could say what he looked like. The mysterious thing about it is none of the three teenagers who died were friends with one another.

“He was obsessed with this guy… I asked what he looked like and he said he didn’t know, that he had come to him at night out of the shadows of his room. I thought he was messing around, but as time went on he began to freak out saying this guy wouldn’t come to him anymore. He acted as if he was in pain a lot, but kept saying that he wanted this guy to come back. Then today he had a complete breakdown in class yelling “make it stop make it stop” over and over again, then…. Then he just dropped dead.”

Authorities are looking for anyone with anymore information on the victims, their mysterious lover they all seemed to share, and any other information that could be of use. If you have any information at all please contact the local authorities at the number shown at the bottom of your screen. We will be keeping a close watch on this case as it progresses and you’ll find breaking news here…

Koenma turned off the television and lowered his head into his hands. If he didn’t get this case solved soon someone else was going to die, and his father would kill him for sure. He knew the deaths were demon related, and he was positive it had to do with the breach. What he didn’t understand was why. He already had Botan and the others trying to find out who had entered the Ningenkai It was taking too long though! It had been a week since the breach and they still hadn’t found out who it was, and worse now humans were dying!

“Koenma! Koenma we know who it is! You are not going to believe this!” Botan came running in looking pale, and yet flushed from running the information to him no doubt. Her hands were shaking badly as she handed him the folder and waited for him to read over the information.

Koenma wasted no time in opening the folder and reading over the report. As he went over the pictures in the file he visibly paled. This was not good… this was not good at all. He continued to read the report, and by the end of it was trembling. He couldn’t understand why this person had broken into the Ningenkai until he saw the picture… then he knew… and now… now he was afraid of having to face those he needed to call to him.

“Botan… bring in team Urameshi… immediately.”

“Yes sir!” Botan replied immediately and turned to leave.

“Botan…” Koenma looked up at her as she stopped and held her gaze. “Say nothing to any of them… let me do it.”

Botan nodded and turned heading out of the office. She understood now why Koenma looked so worried… and scared for that matter. This was not something to be played with, and she could only hope that he was going to do the right thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurama collapsed in the middle of his floor rocking back and forth. The pain was horrible, he felt as if he was going to be ripped asunder by sheer hunger alone. He had destroyed everything in his bedroom in his fury, and it didn’t make him feel better. Neither had the attempts at relieving himself, and he had tried everything.

“Oh god… when will it stop!” Kurama screamed as another bout of pain and sexual hunger shot through him until he started pulling at his hair insanely. He needed to get out of here! Standing he ran blindly, thinking that maybe if he got out of his house the pain would lessen… would go away. Running through the front door he barely heard it slam shut as he took off down the street trying to run from the pain, the hunger, and the memory of the rapist whose touch was now what he hungered for alone.

He hadn’t slept in days, he couldn’t even remember what day it was… only that he lay in his bed awake at night, pain lacing through him, and the memory of those words playing over and over again in his head. The ghost feel of his rapist’s hands running over his body, the emotional havoc it wrecked on him, and the most wonderful pleasure it brought him. He felt dirty when he was awake, dirty that he couldn’t fight what had happened to him, not once, but twice. Hated that he betrayed everything he had come to be, hated that he could never face Hiei…

Hiei…

Kurama cried out and collapsed to his knees his body bending over in pain as he held his own shaking form. He couldn’t take this anymore! The guilt was killing him, the hunger was ripping him apart, and the need to fight was weakening everyday. He whimpered softly tears rolling down his face as the pain again subsided only a little, and he fought the ragged sobs tearing from his throat causing him to whimper softly, as if his entire world had just come crumbling down around him.

“Unclean… so unclean…”

“Why do you weep fox?”

Kurama started, his head jerking up to allow emerald eyes to meet pools of deep crimson. He began to visibly shake, unsure of trusting himself to say anything. He forced his gaze away, his face turning the shade of his hair as he looked down in shame. He didn’t want to face Hiei… he sure as hell didn’t want to be alone with him. He turned his back to him and merely lowered his head to his now drawn up knees before he spoke.

“Nothing.”

“Hn. Now you turn your back on me. Why is that Kurama? Are you ready to talk to me yet?”

“There is nothing to talk about.”

“That is a lie Kurama… and I thought by now you and I were close enough not to lie to one another. Why have you been avoiding me?”

“What?” Kurama looked up confused to look into Hiei’s eyes. He didn’t deserve him; hell he didn’t even deserve his friendship anymore.

“Why are you avoiding me? You didn’t sit next to me at the meeting earlier this week; you have been in a hurry everyday when you get out of school and when you go. You even changed your schedule so you wouldn’t run into me. Why? Have you now decided that you don’t wish to be friends with the forbidden one?”

“NO! I-I… I am not avoiding you…” Kurama’s eyes became confused a moment before what Hiei had said sunk in. “Forbidden one? Forbidden one? Ha… I have never cared, and hell I am more so forbidden than you will ever be… so it doesn’t matter now does it?” Was that his voice sounding so bitter and hurt?

Hiei stared at Kurama in silence a moment wondering what in the hell the fox was babbling on about. Kurama seemed hurt, in pain, and utterly destroyed when he found him. What in the hell was going on with his fox?!

“What has happened to you Kurama? You look like hell… you haven’t been sleeping; you’re losing weight which means you haven’t been eating. I’ve watched you in school… you don’t go at your work with the same pleasure or greatness you used to… please… talk to me.”

“Why do you care? Can’t you see I’m unclean?! It’s written all over me!”

“Because I love you.”

Kurama froze as if he had been slapped. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at Hiei as if he had grown two heads. He loved him. The demon he had wanted to mate and spend the rest of his life with him, loved him. The same demon that he had been saving his virginity in this human body for… loved him. The pain that knowledge brought hurt more so than the hunger threatening to consume him, and for a moment Kurama’s face faltered from anger to despair, and held up a hand to stop Hiei from approaching him.

“Don’t.”

“Kurama please…”

“Don’t do this to me Hiei… please… I can’t have you… I’m forbidden now, dirtied, and unclean… soiled… unworthy… digusting… and it’s my fault… I wasn’t strong enough… and I failed you…”

“Kurama what are you talking about?” Hiei moved then with the speed he was known for and now stood directly in front of his fox, his hand caressing the side of his cheek.

“You will always be perfect to me.” He didn’t give Kurama a chance to respond before his lips descended upon his.

Kurama gasped even as he closed his eyes. Hiei was kissing him. His fire demon… the one he had dreamed about for so long. He should have felt something… he should have felt his heart jump, his soul soar, his body awaken to the possibility of there being something between them… but that was just the very problem. He felt… nothing. Apparently his rapist hadn’t lied… He could feel nothing for anyone save him anymore, and the knowledge was enough to finally completely break him, as he tore away from Hiei’s lips with a heart wrenching sob.

“I am so sorry!” Kurama stood even as he turned to run from Hiei, tears blinding him.

“I am not good enough for you…I love you so much… but I’m unclean and tainted, I am dirty and no longer pure. You deserve better… I am sorry Hiei… I’m so sorry…”

It took Hiei a moment to realize Kurama was running from him, and his words did nothing more than confuse him. It didn’t make sense. None of this did. If Kurama loved him why was he running?

“Kurama wait!” Hiei went to run after his fox to demand answers, but before he could leap to take off in his speed Botan appeared before him and he had to stop himself from crashing into her.

“Oh thank god I’ve found you Hiei… where’s Kurama? I could have sworn he was here…”

Hiei’s eyes were looking past her even as he felt Kurama running at top speed away from the area. He sighed softly and looked at Botan his eyes narrowing coldly. He was pissed. He didn’t have time for this shit, he needed to know what the fuck was going on with Kurama!

“He was… he’s gone now…”

“But I need him to come with us to meet with Yusuke and the others! We found out who entered the Ningenkai and Koenma needs everyone there!”

“Hn… Kurama won’t be there… he’s sick.”

“Fine… well… Koenma said for us to hurry.”

“Hn.” Was all Hiei said as he took off running to go meet up with Yusuke and the others. He supposed his own love life would have to be put on hold… again… for the safety of others, but as he ran the words Kurama had said to him began to make a lot more sense. He had been reading and learning about human things from his sister, so that he could make a life with Kurama… and Kurama… sounded just like… a rape victim?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late… that much Kurama knew and he was pacing his home about to lose his mind. He was weeping because of the sexual hunger racing through him, and the knowledge that he had let all hopes of being with Hiei die. There was nothing more he could do, there was no him and Hiei anymore… there was only…

“Please… you said you would come back if I called to you… I have been calling… I give up… I’m y-yours…” Kurama collapsed to the floor sobbing softly. The mysterious rapist wouldn’t come… he felt as if he had lost everything, as if his life had no meaning without him in it. He felt torn, his heart breaking, he felt the pain, the oh so horrible pain, and he was going to die. He knew it. There was nothing more for him here. He had been abandoned, all because… he loved.

“Pretty red head… shhh… come here.”

Kurama looked up between his sobs and saw a shadow sitting in the high backed chair of his living room. He crawled over to his savior, and laid his head in his lap, his body trembling as a hand ran through his hair, alleviating the pain just a little. He had come back… just like he said he would. He loved him… he really did love him.

“I…”

“Shhhh…. There is no need for words my love, look at me.” The figure encased in shadow used a single digit to raise Kurama’s head forcing him to look him in the eyes. Yes… he was his now… he could see it, but he needed to hear it.

“Do you love me?”

“Yes…”

With a fierce growl of possession and completion he leaned down and kissed his red head deeply before pulling back once he felt he needed to breathe. He was his… he was finally his. Picking him up in his arms he moved through the shadows of the appato and toward the bedroom he knew belonged to his red head. Laying him on the bed he shredded the red head’s clothing from his body and his own and was about to continue when a hand stilled him.

“W-wait… let me see you.”

It was a simple request, one he would not deny his love. He sat up and turned on the bedside lamp allowing the light to flood the room, and for the first time to allow his red head to see him.

Kurama gasped in shock as he stared in the face of a beautiful black and silver Youko. He was as beautiful as he was in his own true form, and yet he was dark, much like Hiei, but Youko. He didn’t know what to say. He stared into beautiful midnight blue eyes and felt himself lost.

“Who are you?”

“My name is….”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“His name is Hattori… he is a Youko, much like Kurama… though of a lower class. His power lies not in the strength we know of Kurama, but in magic. He was always a magic wielder, and enjoyed the things he could do to others. He was ruthless… power hungry… but he met his match in another magic wielder whom he had tried to kill. As punishment the other demon beat him within an inch of his life, then cursed him. The curse causes him to kill any that he sleeps with sexually if he does not remain in contact with them at least periodically… the longest a demon has lasted with such a curse is 10 days… and now we know, the curse kills humans in three to five days.”

“But why is this Hattori here in the Ningenkai? What power does he hope to gain here?”

“None. He is here on a personal mission. You see he had a mate, a mate that he loved with everything he was. He ignored the curse that was put upon him, and killed the demon without ever asking for the cure. He went home to his mate, made love to her, and then left to fight for more power. He was gone two weeks. When he returned… his mate was dead having been without his touch for so long. Our belief is he is searching for the reincarnation of that mate.”

Hiei listened intently, and he could feel himself growing all the more angry, grim, and worried. Koenma was hiding something… he knew it… but what he didn’t know. He glanced at the others who were staring at the picture of Hattori. He was handsome… in a dark kind of way… but he was a deadly being… one who used the powers of sex, love, and seduction to get his way.

“I need you all to go and find him… Botan has something that should help to lead us to him, especially if he is using his magic… the worse part of this is that he has taken his curse and made it what he wills. He has the ability to mark someone, in a way that they believe themselves to be his mate and will protect him at all costs… I need you to be careful… there cannot be anymore human sacrifices.”

“All right… let’s go kick some demon ass!” Yusuke said and turned with Kuwabara who was also going on a long spiel about how he would put this evil conniver of love out of commission and save mankind.

“Wait.”

Everyone stopped and stared in surprise at Hiei. It was abnormal for him to speak whenever they were given a mission by Koenma; he usually just flitted out of the window. No one had even expected him to still be standing there.

“What Hiei?” Yusuke asked eyeing the fire demon. He had noticed that Hiei seemed in a hurry to get the hell out of Koenma’s office, but now he wanted them to wait.

“We can’t leave yet… I have something I need to say, and Koenma… is hiding something, even I don’t need my jagan to see it.”

Everyone looked to Koenma and noticed him turning extremely pale as he sat back down in his chair. He had been about to escape the room when Hiei had spoken. He frowned deeply and nodded his head, knowing there was no way Hiei was going to let the matter drop without finding out what he knew… with or without his permission.

“He’s right… please sit back down.”

Everyone but Hiei sat back down and waited in silence. Hiei held up a hand to stop Koenma from speaking since he wanted to get what he had to say out first. His eyes met first Koenma’s, then Yusuke’s, and lastly Kuwabara’s, and he held the oaf’s gaze the longest in his own way of telling him what he was about to say was not something that should be joked about… ever. Once he was sure the idiot had the idea he began to speak looking straight at Koenma.

“As I told you all Kurama is sick, at least… I think he is. I found him today in the park doubled over in pain and crying about being unclean. I confronted him because I had some questions of my own… some personal questions… and I needed to know why he was avoiding me. He didn’t answer me… instead kept telling me he was more so forbidden now than me, was unclean, and unworthy. I am telling you this now, because there is something special between Kurama and I… and I need to know what the hell is it that Koenma is hiding because I feel it has to do with what Kurama said to me. I didn’t understand what he meant until I was already on my way here… it was then I realized that Kurama sounded like a rape victim.”

“How do you know what a rape victim is shrimp, that is not something to joke about!”

“Shut up you baka ningen! I have been learning from Yukina how to read and different things about humans and their ordeals. That is how I knew what Kurama was trying to tell me, without telling me. I read once that rape victims tend to blame themselves… and Kurama kept apologizing to me. Now… Koenma… what the hell are you hiding, and do not lie to me… or I swear I will kill you before I let something happen to my fox.”

His fox. They were going to mate. Koenma could already feel the protective instincts in Hiei… and he knew that they were life mates. Hiei would keep good on his promise before he let something bad happen to Kurama. He sighed and nodded his head before beginning to speak.

“I… left something out… You see the reason we believe Hattori is here… is because he believes he has found the reincarnation of his love and mate. This… love and mate.” Koenma flipped the picture on the screen to a second picture and everyone but Hiei and Koenma gasped.

“Its Kurama!”

“No… no… wait… it looks just like a female Youko version of Suuichi!”

Hiei stared at the screen in shock. He had known that something like this was what Koenma was hiding, but this was even more so a shocker than what he had been prepared for. He stared at the screen. Fear creeped into his chest for the first time… fear that he could actually lose Kurama.

“Hiei… do you think this Hattori guy has already gotten to Kurama?”

“I don’t think… I know he has.”

“Then that means…” Kuwabara started, but was soon cut off by a deadly glance from Hiei.

“It means that for all we know he just marked Kurama baka… and that proposes a problem… if he has marked Kurama now, then Kurama will be fighting against us… he’ll kill us to protect him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kurama cried out his pleasure in release even as he felt a burning sensation in his shoulder. He shook badly, tears falling down the side of his head to run into his hair as he wept, allowing the being above him to claim him, even as he wept the words that elated Hattori.

“I love you… I love you…”

They both collapsed and Hattori held Kurama close his eyes closed. He belonged to him now. His beautiful red head was his again. Though now in a male’s body, he was still every bit as beautiful as when he had been his lovely Rose. She had been flawless in her perfection, so loving, so caring, so much like the boy he now held in his arms.

“I love you too… so much pretty red head.”

Kurama sighed softly and winched as he moved his shoulder it hurt. He knew he had been marked, Hattori had asked him if he could when he had been making love to him. He was sure he had been bitten, but Hattori had said he didn’t need to bite him in return, that they were mated and he had just wanted to make sure no one would bother Kurama again. He promised to love him and protect him. Kurama no longer felt dirty, he no longer felt unclean, and he no longer thought of Hiei. He was completely Hattori’s now. He belonged with him. He loved him.

“I have to go soon my love… but I will return to you tonight…”

“You promise?”

“Hai I promise.” Hattori kissed him softly while running his fingers through his hair, holding his beautiful red head closed to him. Yes… they belonged together. He soon enough just relaxed holding his red head in his arms and purring softly as he ran his fingers through his hair until he was in deep sleep. Once he was sure he was sleeping he kissed him again softly then quietly slipped from the bed and out of the appato, his whispering voice dancing upon the air.

“Tonight my love.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I have an idea…”

All eyes turned to look at Koenma and Koenma looked back at them his face extremely sad. He knew none of them was going to like this idea, but they didn’t have any alternatives.

“Kidnap Kurama and bring him here. We will hold him as if he’s under arrest for a few days… then allow him to ‘escape’ in order to have him lead us right to Hattori. Even though Hattori has marked Kurama he knows we are looking for him, and I doubt he would stay in one place too long, so we can only use what we know will work.”

“Kidnap Kurama… man are you crazy?!” Yusuke yelled. He did not like this idea at all, and the idea of caging Kurama was even worse. Kurama was going to kill them.

“He’s not crazy… he’s right.” Hiei mumbled under his breath. He didn’t like the idea either, but he knew it was their only chance. He frowned before growling dangerously then locked eyes with Koenma and spoke two words before he flittered out of the window.

“Kidnap Kurama.”

~Whew… 10 pages… all right I hope this chapter has shed some light on the story for you. I really hope you all like it. I worked hard on this chapter, wrote it, revised it, scrapped it, rewrote it two or three more times, and this is the final product. Please review and let me know what you think it would be greatly appreciated. I believe there are two more chapters to this story before it ends. Then I will be working on an AU story… the personalities will be the same, but this story I plan on writing next is not a demon story… but has darkness, blood, death, and love all wrapped in it. It will be called “Saikai No Chi To Bara” “The Reunion of Blood and Roses” I hope you will all watch out for it at the end of this story. I think it will be something special. Well Chapter Four will be worked on immediately, and once again please review… I love reading what you have to say.~