Title: To Catch A Thief
Author: Chelsea Taaffe
Summary: An Old Friend, Caught Robbing The Kings Vault..
Pairing: None. Friendship Yuskuke and Yoko Kurama.
POV: Yusuke.

You know...they just handed this place over to me. They handed me this kingdom I had supposedly inhereted, and said "Hey good luck, man, politics are a bitch." I mean sure I've had some great support; my wife, Chu, Rinku, Jin and Toya, not to mention the handful of shockingly patient demons who have had to keep me from up and living this place to live back in the human world...where things were simple.

I thought living in demon world would be exciting, would be like the old days. But noooo! Most of the time I'm sitting in offices, boring meetings, on the phone with some stuff-shirt lord with a stick so far up his ass I'm surprised he's not gagging! Yomi's probably my least favourite, with that annoying pompous way he tends to ramble about how I'm doing a fine job, considering my 'interesting background'. Feh. Fuck that goat-head.

The weather never changes here. It's always humid, always dim. I had some bright lamps installed to keep us from getting depressed. Keiko adjusted pretty damn well, probably quicker than I did. She helps with the papers and stupid shit I don't have the patience for. Just signs my name and vroom, off it goes to the next politician so they can just disregard our opinions completely. But hey, that's how the world works, right? I talked to Kuwabarra about once a week; his life was going well, but normal. College and shit. I was able to talk to him because of these awesome gateway-phones Kurama installed last year, the kind that somehow lets us transfer the signals between barriers. Heck I could call McDonalds to order and they'd never know where I was. It all pops up as 'Unknown Caller'.

...Speaking of FoxBoy, I haven't heard from him, or his tempermental midget of a husband in about two months. We weren't great about keeping in touch but it usually went about every week or two. Then, poof, last year, he just...vanished. He'd been okay at first but, eventually, he got bored; apparantly pretty normal for him. He'd been a nomad and thrill-addict all his life, never liking to stick with the same things, hobbies, places. Hell I'm surprised he and Hiei had been married for so long. Five years...goddamn I'm getting old.

"My Lord?"

I quickly tried to look professional, brushing my bangs from my eyes and straighening up a bit in my chair. (I keep my hair short, no matter what Keiko says. I don't know how to keep all the fucking tangles out!)

"Yep, what's up?" I look over to the pretty, blue skinned water demoness that's been with me from the start. Blue hair and skin and eyes, silver armor that's barely below gaudy. "My lord," she said quietly, "It seems someone's been caught in the gem vaults..."

Well fuck. The gem vaults is a pretty broad term; basically if it looks like it belongs on jewelry, it's there. Small shiny rocks as far as I'm concerned but, hey, I've been told they're valuable for trades and purchasing so, why not save them. Hell I made Keiko a necklace out of a bunch of mismatched green ones. To whom it concerns, yes, she does wear it from time to time.

"Great!" I yelled, "That's just perfect! Who this time? And why didn't I hear the alarm?!" I scowled and she shrunk back a little, "Well...you see...the alarms weren't set off, My Lord...we caught him heading out of the ventilation system by chance..."

Oh Kurama'd get a kick out of this...being a former thief and all.

"So what do you want ME to do about it, Naomi?" She snorted, "Well, YOU are the one he stole from so...we assumed YOU would be the one to issue the appropriate punishment."

"Augh!" I rubbed my eyes and sat cross-legged in my chair; fuck this looking official shit, "Fine just send 'em in. And Naomi?" She looked over her shoulder at me, "Remember what I said about bodily harm." She rolled her eyes, disgusted at my human habits. I never did agree with skinning someone alive or beheading them. I didn't agree with torture. Stick 'em in a cell, turn 'em loose. Hell the demon world was so huge we never even got the same person twice... Certainly not in the Kingdom. Man I wish Keiko weren't on a girls day...she's way better at this 'dealing with people' shit.

"My lord," she came back, bowed again, "The thief enters."

Behind her, they marched in the one who had "dared to steal from us", calmly led by the chains wrapped around his wrists and neck, white hair glowing in the lamplight.

"Ho-ly shit...Kurama?!"

"My lord," my old friend closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head, heavy chain singing out as he did so.

"Kurama! Oh man I-take the chains off, for fuck's sake!" My guards did so immediately and the Yoko gratefully twisted his wrists, craining his neck from side to side.

"My lord, we strongly advise-"

"Leave."

She blanched, looking from the white haired fox to me, "But, My Lord-!"

"Lord nothin'," I snorted, "Just go. It'll be fine."

The minute the heavy doors slammed shut I bolted out of my seat, rather girlishly throwing my arms around one of the best friends I'd ever had, whom I hadn't seen in a year, "Kurama! God damn!" I pulled away, laughing.

"Yusuke," my white haired prisoner inclined his head, "It has been a while, hasn't it, My Lord?" I smacked him upside the head, having told him a long ass time ago not to use the formalities with me. "What are you doing?"

"Well," he touched the spot I'd smacked, "I heard rumors that the Tide Jewels, Kanju and Manju (1), were kept here. I simply had to see for myself whether or not this was true and...as you may be aware, it was not. I was caught when I was trying to leave. Your guards must have heard the vault just as I closed it."

"Oh," I grinned stupidly, "And does your lovely husband know you're here? Can he post bail?"

The kitsune smiled back, tilted his head, "No. He does not know. And I have enough gold stored away to pay my own fines, thank you very much. I am no damsel, My Lord Urameshi."

"Jeez," I groaned, breaking up the game, "Can't you just call me Yusuke?"

"No, My Lord," he bowed at the waist, hands behind his back, "You are a lord, and must be addressed as such. To not do so would be a great dishonor to you, and I shall not risk losing my head to your eavesdropping guards..." His ears swiveled and he pointedly looked toward the doors.

"PISS OFF!" I hollered. Footsteps retreated noisily.

"Yusuke," Kurama sighed, "As eloquent as always."

"Shut up, " I grinned. He ran into my outstretched arms and we laughed together, the sound echoing off marble walls. "Yusuke, it is good to see you again, even under such unusual circumstances." I snorted, ruffled his hair, "Losin' your touch there, foxboy? Thought the Great Thief King never got caught?" Yoko Kurama smirked, punched me (harder than usual!) in the arm, "I WOULDN'T have been caught had my idiot partner not shut the door behind us, slamming it and causing it to echo through the ventilation," he scowled then, ran bony fingers through white hair, "Hn. And he got away because I was distracting the guards. Thank gods you have only one prisoner and not six. And no, before you ask, I am not giving you their names."

"Forget it," I smiled, "I wouldn't arrest you guys. To be perfectly honest," I led him over to the plush chair and directed him to sit next to me, "I don't even know what the hell is in those vaults. They say its a Lords treasures but I've never been in there. I don't even remember the fucking combinations." I poured him a glass of wine while we laughed.

"You know," he sipped from the goblet elegantly, "I could show you how to get into the vault, if you so desire...My Lord."

I swept my arm across the court, "Lead the way, great thief King!"

END

1: Kanju and Manju. Twin jewels which allow the user to control the tides.