Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Rent.

Thank you so much to my wonderful, supportive reviewers. I've written up to 'Christmas Bells' so far (that's 36 pages!) and I'm trying to post chapters by song. I'll probably post at least a chapter a day.

If you haven't already, please read the list of Important Notes in Chapter 1.

CAST LIST for Chapter 4

Hiei: Mark Cohen (filmmaker; Jewish)

Yusuke: Roger Davis (guitarist; former junkie; HIV positive)

Kurama: Tom Collins (gay; teacher; anarchist; addicted to weed; has AIDS)

Touya: Angel Dumott Schunard (street performer; drag queen; has AIDS)

Botan: Maureen Johnson (lesbian; performing artist)

Enjoy and please review!

…………………

When Hiei finally got home later that night, Yusuke didn't mention anything about Keiko's visit to the loft. Instead, he simply listened to Hiei go on about how he couldn't find Kurama anywhere. Personally, he hoped Kurama was alright.

To their surprise, early the next morning the metal door slid open to reveal their long-lost friend with the key to their door between his teeth.

"Merry Christmas, bitches," Kurama laughed as he entered the apartment, a plastic pickle tub in hand. He threw the key to Hiei, who deftly caught it.

"Hey buddy," Hiei said. "What happened to you last night?"

"Long story," Kurama replied. He set the pickle tub onto the table and began emptying the contents.

"Oh, hi," Yusuke said hesitantly.

Kurama looked insulted. "Just "oh, hi" after seven months?"

"Sorry."

Kurama smiled and engulfed Yusuke in a huge hug.

"You've brought us a Christmas feast!" Hiei exclaimed upon seeing the food Kurama had in the tub.

"And don't forget a little Stoli," Kurama said, revealing the bottle and pouring it into three plastic cups.

"You struck gold at MIT?" Yusuke asked.

"Negative. They expelled me for my theory of actual reality. But I did get a teaching gig at NYU."

"So that's how you can afford to splurge on us," Hiei said, downing his drink.

"Wrong again," Kurama answered, grinning.

Hiei and Yusuke exchanged confused looks as Kurama backed up to the door.

"I'd like to introduce you to someone I met last night. Gentlemen, our benefactor on this Christmas Day—whose charity is only matched by talent, I must say. A new member of the Alphabet City avant-garde—Touya, a.k.a. Angel Dumott Schunard!"

The redhead slid open the door, and a person in high-heeled boots, zebra tights, a fuzzy Santa mini-dress, and a black bobbed haircut twirled into the room with a fan of twenty-dollar bills in each hand.

Yusuke and Hiei's mouths dropped open. A woman? They thought Kurama was gay. When they looked closer, though, their fears were put to rest. It was only a drag queen!

"Today for you, tomorrow for me!" he—she?—exclaimed.

Upbeat music began to play, and Touya sang, "Today for you, tomorrow for me."

"And you should hear her beat," Kurama said proudly.

Touya handed Yusuke and Hiei each a wad of bills.

"You earned this on a street?" Hiei asked in amazement.

Touya explained in song:

"It was my lucky day today on Avenue A when a lady in a limousine drove my way. She said, "Darling, be a dear, haven't slept in a year. I need your help to make my neighbor's yappy dog disappear. This Akita Evita just won't shut up. I believe if you play non-stop that pup will breathe its very last high-strung breath. I'm certain that cur will bark itself to death." Today for you, tomorrow for me. Today for you, tomorrow for me!"

Touya was doing a fabulous dance as well. He leapt, twirled, kicked, jumped, and shook his behind to the beat the entire time. He continued:

"We agreed on a fee—a thousand dollar guarantee, tax-free…and a bonus if I trim her tree. Now who could foretell that it would go so well? But sure as I am here that dog is now in doggy hell. After an hour, Evita, in all her glory, on the window ledge of that twenty-third story—like Thelma and Louise did when they go the blues—swan-dove into the courtyard of the Gracie Mews. Today for you, tomorrow for me. Today for you, tomorrow for me!"

Touya whipped out his drumsticks and began to play an amazing drum solo on the metal table. Soon, he had jumped onto the table and was banging on the pipes above their heads.

When he was finished with the solo, he leapt down and sang:

"Back on the street, where I met my sweet, where he was moaning and groaning on the cold concrete—the nurse took him home for some Mercurochrome, then I dressed his wounds and got him back on his feet!"

He ran at and up the wall, flipped over, and landed spectacularly on his feet.

"Singin' today for you, tomorrow for me! Today for you, tomorrow for me! I said today for you, tomorrow for me. Today for you, tomorrow…"

He sat on a circular table and Kurama spun him around.

"…for me!"

Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama clapped for his performance. Touya stood and bowed.

Then, the phone rang, and the answering machine once again belted out, "SPEAK!"

"Hiei? Hi, it's me, Botan. I know I called last night but, listen, I really do need your help. Shizuru's my new production manager, but she doesn't know what the hell she's doing. So please, baby, just come down to the performance space—"

Hiei picked up before she could embarrass him any further. "Hey, Botan. Yeah, sure, I'll be there. Okay, see you soon."

He hung up. "Can you believe her?" he asked the others. "I mean, first she just dumps me…"

"What do you mean? Botan dumped you?" Kurama questioned.

"Yes. She dumped me for some lawyer. Her name is Shizuru."

Kurama raised an amused eyebrow, and the three started chuckling.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "And now she wants me to go fix her sound equipment!"

"You could've said no," Kurama stated, and lit some weed.

"I know…but…"

The redhead grinned and blew out smoke. "Aw, that's cute. You still love her."

"Yeah, right."

"Don't deny it, boy."

Touya interrupted. "Um, I think we'd better get going."

"To where?" asked Yusuke.

"Oh, it's this gathering…Life Support," answered Kurama.

"You two should come," Touya suggested. "It's not just for people with AIDS, and you don't have to stay too long."

"Sure, I'll be there," Hiei said. "But first I've got a protest to save."

"See, I told you," Kurama said, smiling a knowing smile and moving his hand as if he were cracking a whip. "Wha-push, wha-push."

"Yusuke?" Touya asked.

"I'm not much company, you'll find," Yusuke muttered.

Hiei punched him on the shoulder. "Behave!"

"It's okay. You'll see, boys. He'll come around," Touya said confidently.

Kurama smirked and took a puff of weed. "We'll see boys? Good thing I like boys."

"Good thing you like boys like me," the drag queen replied, wrapping his arms around Kurama's waist.

"Yusuke, it's Christmas. Don't stay in the house all day," Kurama said, and started to leave. "C'mon, hun," he called to Touya.

"Bye," Touya said, and waved as he sashayed out of the loft.

Hiei threw a scarf around his neck. "Listen to Kurama. You really need to get out more." He grabbed his camera. Then he, too, left.