Yin: Ouch. . .haven't updated in quite a while.

Youko: That's because you chose to make money with a job while I chose it through stealing.

Yin: Youko. . .-gives him a look-

Youko: Fine. Stealing is bad unless you're a demon like myself.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, Yoshihiro Togashi does. I also don't own Shadow (hyper dragonfyre).


Chapter 3

"Mine."

"Mine!"

"MINE!"

"Pigs. . ." Shadow rubbed her temple. She looked around the vast dining room and couldn't help but wonder. If food and drink were plentiful, then why must there always be a war of food? Everywhere she looked, the bandits were playing tug-of-war with the large roasted beasts.

"I say the neck is mine!"

"You always get the necks!"

"NO!"

"Mine!"

Will they ever shut up? Shadow poured herself another drink and ignored the burning sensation as the liquid journeyed down her throat. The ookami soon smirked as her eyes fell upon the vixen. "What's wrong? Our food's too poor for you, princess?" She noticed how picky the vixen was for food. "You don't deserve to dine amongst thieves."

"Shadow. . ." Youko warned. His amber orbs counted the numerous empty bottles that littered around the ookami. "Don't make me punish you for your drunken foolishness."

"Maybe I want you to punish me," teased Shadow, leaning across the table to the handsome silver kitsune.

Youko merely arched an eyebrow.

"Just fuck her, then she'll shut up," Hiei scowled, clearly disgusted by the influence of alcohol on those who are not able to hold it.

"Hiei, that's not nice," Yin frowned.

"Hn. . .I'm not nice," Hiei placed down his bowl of rice. The apparition could have cared less if his words hurt. He was just stating what he thought. It would not be his fault if poor Shadow suffers. After all, Shadow would be the one who chose to suffer.

SMASH!

Yin's heart nearly jumped out of her throat as she saw the shattered remains of Hiei's rice bowl.

Hiei looked unfazed. "You've missed." It was a waste of time to even bother to teach a drunken ookami a lesson.

"Shadow, behave yourself," Youko frowned. Shadow quieted down with her eyes shooting malice at the asshole called Hiei. Youko let out an inaudible sigh. Then the thief gathered Yin onto his lap. "I hope you are not hurt." He caressed her sides.

Why? Why did Yin have to jump to her right? Why not her left? So, what if Hiei might kill her later? At least he wouldn't try to feel her up. Yin didn't need this right now. Her stomach tightened and Yin knew that she wasn't going to puke. She leaned back against his hard chest. If the sexy kitsune wouldn't stop, then—

Thud.

All eyes fell upon the knife that embedded in the table. Shadow's mouth hanged open. If she hadn't pulled back, then she would have lost her hand in the process of trying to tear Yin apart. Her face darkened. Just who had a death wish to throw down a knife?

"Demons are trying to eat, Youko," Kuronue reached over for the knife and carved himself a piece of the roasted creature that resembled a combination of a boar and shark. "As much as we all like to see you wrestle with Yin, I'll have to take over when you're dead."

The room fell silent.

Youko rose up from his seat, facing his so-called partner, with Yin upright in his arms.

Yin couldn't see but she could picture the expression upon Youko's face that made everyone paralyzed. Her fox ear twitched as she managed to catch only one sound. . .

Hiei continued to tear and gnaw at what looked like to be a giant ham.

Kuronue stood up. He would not allow Youko to think that he was going to acknowledge the kitsune as a superior. The two demons stood eye to eye. The bat demon's indigo eyes locked onto the vixen's. "My dear old friend, I fear that Yin might kill you with the fiery energy building up in her."

"I fear that too," Youko sighed dramatically. "Therefore, I must quench such fire."

Yin felt her cheeks burned as the entire room burst into laughter.

Shadow watched her. She almost felt sorry for her. Key word: almost. "Men. . ." the ookami poured herself another drink and nearly choked as she heard the vixen's words.

"I doubt you'll be able keep up," Yin freed herself. "Tell him, Hiei," she said slyly as she sashayed out of the room.

All eyes fell upon Hiei.

"Fox, before you think of anything else," Hiei eyed the kitsune. "Yin merely insulted your intelligence. Yin is smart. Why else would have I kept her around?" He wiped the grease from his mouth. "By the way. . .we need a witch doctor tomorrow night."

Youko did not show his confusion at Hiei's statement for tomorrow night. Instead he faced his men. "Men, best get a good slumber in. You all know what to do tomorrow."

Hiei knew what Youko was thinking. Hell, Hiei didn't really need to read the kitsune's mind. The apparition suspected that the bat demon knew as well. "Fox, I don't give a damn."

Confusion was written across Shadow's face. Just what was that sexy demon talking about? Ack! Did Shadow just think that Hiei was sexy? The ookami pushed away her drink. Her eyes landed on the shattered bowl. What the hell had happened? Why was Hiei's rice bowl broken?

"Pathetic. . ." Hiei muttered to himself. He overlooked Shadow thinking of his physical appearance. Clearly the ookami was suffering from the numerous bottles of drink.

Youko merely chuckled and then vanished in a blur of silver.

Kuronue sighed, looking at the fire apparition. "I don't understand you, Hiei. I thought—"

"You thought wrong," Hiei strolled away.

Shadow noticed two things as she watched Hiei walked out of the room. She witnessed the fist and the red stain on Hiei's hand as he had dug his nails into his palm. Also that he had a cute butt.


Yin panted, shivering as the night breeze caressed her glistened skin. "Oh, my ass hurts. . ." she tried sitting up but fell back onto the grass. She turned to see the male beside her. "You're still alive?"

Youko rolled over, chuckling. "Yes, I am." He jumped onto his feet only to fall back down. "Damn. . ." His fox ears twitched as he heard the vixen beside him giggling. "Feh." The silver kitsune slowly stood up with the aid of a stick.

Yin continued to laugh, her sides beginning to ache. "The great Youko Kurama now has a cane. Could it be that he's getting old?" Then she sighed. "I feel sore."

Youko glanced down upon the vixen and winked. "That's what you deserved for trying to best Youko Kurama."

"At least Yin does not refer to herself in third-person," Yin stuck out her tongue. "Oh, wait. . .I just did," she sweatdropped. "Hey, is it just me or is the sun starting to rise?"

"Hmm?" Youko tore his eyes away from drinking in the vixen on the ground. Then he looked at the sky, sweatdropping. "So much for a good night's sleep." Yet the King of Thieves could not deny the fact that the night was quite pleasurable. He looked back down and blinked. Yin was gone.

"I told you that you couldn't keep up!" shouted Yin as she disappeared into the woods to head back to the lair. "Oof!" Yin landed flat on her bottom. "OW!" She winced. "Why didn't you move out of the way? My butt's sore."

"Really?" Kuronue raised an eyebrow. Then he looked to see his old buddy, Youko, making his way over using a stick as a cane. The bat demon, being as smart as he was, pieced together the clues.

"Before you get any perverted ideas, I'll tell you what happened," Yin piped up suddenly. "I ran and Youko chased. I ran up the hills and Youko followed. I sailed through the trees and Youko did too. Then I. hid in the trees and Youko couldn't find me for a long time. . . .Except when he did, his fat weigh broke the branch and now my butt's sore and Youko probably bruised his hips."

Now Yin spoke her tale quite fast that it took a couple seconds before Kuronue burst out laughing. "You spent the entire night doing all this? So, Youko, did you burn off the large dinner yet?"

Youko snorted. He rather preferred his best friend to think that something else went on besides the truth that Yin had spoken. He knew that Kuronue would forever taunt him with the fact that the infamous bandit Youko Kurama did not have the skill to balance on the weakest of branches. Not only that, but Kuronue actually believed Youko had spent the entire night going after Yin.

"Then again," Yin blinked thoughtfully, "His weigh felt fine to me." The vixen quickly ran off, laughing.

"I don't understand. . .I thought—" Kuronue begun.

"Hn. . .the onna meant that she had been slowly snapping the branch apart before Youko appeared," Hiei leaned against a tree.

"Oh," Kuronue went. Then he patted his old buddy. "Youko, my best pal, I'll go over the plans with the teams. You just go and rest up."

Youko nodded before leaving Kuronue alone with Hiei.

"Hiei, what was that all about last night?" Just like Shadow, Kuronue noticed the blood.

"Nothing," scowled Hiei as he prepared to leave.

"Let me guess," Kuronue stopped the Jagan wielder. "You assumed something else would go on. Hiei, don't tell me. . .are you jealous? Or are you confused? You're not sure whether you have feelings for Yin. If you do, then you are angry that you have such emotions. You're also tempted to inflict harm upon Youko once Yin gives the sign. But she isn't because she, like many other females, will fall prey to Youko."

"You talk too much, thinking you know me. You may be confident in knowing what the wolf feels about Fox, but you are dead wrong about me," Hiei narrowed his crimson eyes.

"But Yin means something to you, doesn't she?" Kuronue questioned. "She crawled under your skin. She—"

"When this alliance is over, you will be warned that the next time we meet, this blade will be stained red," hissed Hiei. Then he disappeared in a black blur. . . .


Shadow groaned as she buried her face into her pillow. Then she sat up suddenly, clutching the sheets to her body. Her eyes were huge as she realized something.

She was naked.

Not only that but she was also staring at the broad back of someone sitting at the foot of her futon.

"Sleep well?" the male smirked, not turning around.

This was not what she had wanted. She had been drunk, but it was too late to change facts. Shadow whispered his name.

"Youko. . . ."


Youko: I have nothing to say. . .-tempted to say something-

Yin: Good. . .

Youko: -decides to say something else- Drinking is bad.

Yin: -pets Youko on the head- Good boy.