Kurama spun around in mid air just in time to kick off of the tree that he had been hurled at. With a graceful flip, he dove for his assailant, conjuring a sword-like gauntlet of vines and razor sharp twigs. With his other hand, he let out a thick cloud of flower petals from the small seeds that he kept concealed under his fingernails. The small demon below him crouched low in defense as the petals hit, ready to spring up at the first sign of the now hidden fox.

The bandit plunged his weapon into the swirling mass of flowers as he reached the ground, and hit flesh. The creature screamed, and shot a clawed punch into his leg. He let out his own cry at the pain, and stabbed again at the Hunter. His aim missed this time, and through him off balance. The smaller fighter kicked again at his unguarded chest, but he had been ready for it, merely sending him scraping across the ground, instead of flying this time. The cat sprang out of the still swirling flowers after him, running with a crazed abandon, despite the slight limp due to the blow Kurama had landed.

The fox defuriled his whip as he skidded to a halt, ready to deflect anything that the cat could throw at him. The sun was blazing thru the leaves of the scattered trees, and the Shadow Hunter had no choice but to face him head on. The small creature leaped into the air with a pouncing motion, arms up, ready to defend againced the whip. Kurama was seconds away from striking when something hot and bright hit him in the face.

He staggered backwards and fell to the ground. He tried to look for the source of the attack, but found that he could not see beyond the many colored lights that danced before his eyes. He hurled a thump and a grown near by and realized the Hunter had been attacked as well. A panic swelled in the young fox.

"What WAS that?" He asked to his surroundings, not sure of ware the Hunter was in his blind confusion.

A small gloved hand grabbed his wrist, and before he could strike the creature away he hured the words as if from a far distance, "Run you fool! Moro's hear!"

The cat started running, pulling the fox along with such strength and speed that Kurama soon found himself faltering trying to keep up. The occasional burst of hot energy at his heels and the vice like grip of the Hunter were the only things keeping him going. He could feel the Wolf Queen gaining on them.

"This might be unpleasant." The Hunter warned as the shimmering lights that had been blinding him faded away into a dim grey nothingness. A blackness engulfed him as the Hunter jerked forward, and an almost unbearable pressure pinched at his entire body. He felt like he was falling in no particular direction, and then suddenly he hit the ground, hard.

"That bitch!" The Hunter breathed, "She knows you're MY quarry."

Kurama sat up slowly, finding that his sight was back to normal. The Hunter sat next to him, breathing heavily. He took in his surroundings with awe. They were sitting under a large stone pavilion on the side of a mountain. He knew the spot, and knew that they must have just traveled over a hundred miles.

"What did you do?" He asked the Hunter, who had stood up and started walking away.

"I teleported." The cat stopped, but did not turn around. "It took a lot out of me, so if you still want to kill me, now's your chance, Fox."

Kurama thought for a moment. Taking care of the Hunter now would save him time later. Yet, the cat had just saved his life. And if he was going to be honest with himself, he didn't feel up to it at the moment, ether.

"I want an even match." He responded simply. The Hunter stayed still. "We can finish this later."

The cat nodded once, and departed to the woods below them. The moment the hooded figures' energy signal was gone, Kuramas composure broke, and he collapsed into violent shutters.

Kurama awoke with a gasp, bolt upright and scanning his surroundings. The dim shadows on the walls and floor of his bedroom gave him the sinking feeling that he had slept past noon, but to his relief, he was alone.

He quickly dressed and practically ran down the stairs to the living room ware he was greeted by the sullen face of his step-brother.

"If you're going to jerk-off, could you at least be quiet about it. I don't want to have to hear that." Shuichi greeted with a cocked eyebrow and an air of annoyance.

"What? I- I wasn't-"

"Sure you weren't." the boy said with a skeptical roll of his eyes.

Kurama shrugged off the offence, as he normally did, and instead focused his attention on the stillness of the house, "Where is everyone?"

"Dad convinced Mom to go to that garden show down at the mall," Shuichi replied, focusing his attention back to the video game he was playing, "and you're boy-friend is out with that orange haired loser." It was Kuramas turn to roll his eyes at his step-brother, and with out a response, left the house in silence.

Out on the street, he wandered aimlessly. He had a lot on his mind now that yesterday's meeting had sealed his fate. In truth, he didn't want to leave his family, but he knew he couldn't afford another incident like he had had at school. His conscience wouldn't allow it.

His mothers face haunted his thoughts as he passed like a ghost along the crowded streets leading to the down town area. He knew that he had hurt her, but knew nothing could be done about that now. She needed to know something, so he told her everything- almost. As gruesome as his life had been, he figured that the story would be easer for her to take if it was still a human life, and not that he was really an ancient and legendary Kitsune thief that murdered her true son. So he spun the story of the truth as to were he had been with a crime-syndicate spin instead of admitting to the existence of demons.

He walked on blindly, concerned in only his thoughts for some time, occasionally bumping into passerby's and running into dead end alleyways. It wasn't until he heard someone calling out his name that he snapped back to reality to realize that he was at the opposite end of town. In slow confusion, he turned to see who had flagged him down.

"Kurama!," the bright and cheery voice of Mitarai reached him before he saw his one time ally.

"Oh, hello," Kurama greeted with a flush of embarrassment, "I didn't hear you, I'm sorry, I was rather lost in thought."

"That's okay," The boy panted, it was obvious he had been trying to get his attention for a while, "it's just so weird to see you out this way, I figured I'd say 'hi'. So. . .Hi!"

"Hello" Kurama said again, a little awkwardly, "Um. . . How have you been?"

"Not bad." Kurama lied. "And you."

As soon as he asked, he knew he would regret it. Mitarai started rambling on instantly about how the past two years of his life had gone, and how his happiness was all thanks to the 'spirit detective group'. Kurama listen to it all, without interruptions as the two continued back through the city, finally stopping at a cake shop.

"Oh!" the boy exclaimed as he noticed where there feet had taken them, "I love this place! Want to stop for some coffee?"

The look on Mitarais' face was too hopeful for Kurama to turn him down. In fact, it was down-right adorable.

"You know, yes I would." he answered, and to his delight, an enormous smile broke out on his companions face.

"Great, my treat!" and with that, he grabbed Kuramas arm and lead him into the store and into a booth.

"So you think I have a shot at studying overseas?" The blond questioned, picking up the conversation from where they had left it.

"From what you say, I'm sure any university would be happy to have you. I don't know how you make room for all the clubs you're in now."

"Not having many friends helps with that. And not wanting to hear my mom and sis argue about what 'teenage rebellion' means." he shrugged.

It really surprised Kurama to hear that Mitarai still didn't have many friends. Though he could see how a lot of people could feel like he came on a little strong, see the boy just talked his ear off for a good hour. "You hang out with Kuwabara, don't you?"

"Yeah," the boy said in an off-hand sort of way, "But he kinda' hangs out with the jocks, and they don't really like me. We are in the young businessman club together, though."

"Why wouldn't the jocks like you, I thought you played baseball?"

'They don't really like 'my kind' in the locker room with them, if you get my meaning." He answered more to the table then to Kurama.

"I see. . ." Was that a blush he saw appear on Mitarais' cheeks?

Kuramas heart began racing like it hadn't done in years. The sudden urge to seduce this boy overwhelmed him to the point that his breath actually caught in his thought.

"Are you seeing anyone?" the question fell off of his tong before he could stop himself.

Mirarais' eyes bolted up from the spot he had been staring at and met with the deep green portals of Kuramas eyes. He openly blushed under the gaze and Kurama swore inwardly to himself about what he was doing. He felt like he was loosing control again.

"No." He answered slowly, blushing even more deeply, "there aren't many openly gay guys in this city. It's actually one of the biggest reasons I want to get out of Japan."

"I've never kept it much of a secret myself -to those who ask." Kurama replied calmly as he sipped at his drink. "You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, Mitarai."

The boy gaped at him, "Really- You?" he stammered. Kurama shrugged back at him.

"It's never been something that I really pay much attention to. I've always been too busy with other things to pursue a relationship." He paused as blue eyes flashed before his minds eye. He tried to brush away the thought, determined to focus on the embarrassed blond sitting across from him. When the thought wouldn't go away, a swell of panic bubbled in his chest.

"Oh, I just remembered," Kurama said hastily, "What time is it, I promised my mother that I would be home for dinner." He made no such promise, but needed to find an out."

"It's ten to five." Mitarai said with a bit of confusion.

Kurama sighed and stood up, "I'm sorry for this, but I have to go."

"Oh, it's okay, it was nice to see you again." The boy looked hurt.

"Can I call you sometime?" Kurama added, wanting to let Mitarai know that he wasn't leaving because of him.

"Yeah, I would like that." he smiled. Kurama nodded, and then was gone, leaving his friend alone and bewildered in the shop.

Once out of the shop, Kurama headed at a fast steady pace back to his house, his mind in a panic.

What are you doing to yourself? he asked himself with every step. He was ashamed of the way he was acting, trying to seduce an innocent boy like that. It was something he hadn't done since-

Blue eyes flashed in his consciousness again, and he had to restrain himself from punching the tree he was walking past. It almost physically hurt to remember those eyes.

Finally, he made it home, without accidentally killing anyone, to find Kazuya washing his car in the driveway.

"You know, I never drive it, so it never gets dirty." Kurama greeted his step-father.

"It got some mud on it this morning when your mom and I went out." Kazuya said passively, "Someone should enjoy this thing if you're not going to."

"Well, I'm glad you like it so much. I might just let you keep it." He teased as he headed for the door.

"Mother, I'm home." he called, as he always did, and she emerged from the kitchen closely fallowed by Yusuke. From the look of them, they had been have a rather serious talk.

"You told him then." he guessed.

"Yeah, and thanks for warning me you were going to spill the beans!"

"'Spill the beans'? So you were out with Kuwabara," Kurama chuckled.

"Were have you been, Shuichi? I had been trying to call you." Shiori demanded.

"Don't worry, mother. I wasn't out getting into trouble." His stern gaze met hers, "I was having coffee with a friend."

She gave him a shrewd look, and Yusuke could swear that she was trying to tell if was really out with mobsters. After a few moments, and she felt satisfied with her sons' answer she smiled.

"Alright, just, call next time, sweetie." She said with a bit of strain.

"I'm sorry, I will, Mother." answered with only a hint of self disgrace in his voice.

She nodded slightly as response, and then turned back into the kitchen, patting Yusuke on the shoulder as she went. As soon as the two boys were alone in the hallway, the atmosphere sparked with energy, both warning and defensive.

"What the hell are you trying to do to your mom, telling her all that shit?" Yusuke hissed, stepping closer to the stoic red-head.

"What else was I supposed to do? I think she would notice if I simply vanished for three years with no explanation!" The thought hit Yusuke with so much apathy that it practically sent him reeling.

"I think you really hurt her, Kurama. She almost looks afraid of you!"

"Well, that's the problem isn't it," Kurama sighed. He looked deep into Yusukes' eyes, the first time they had looked at each other since before the meeting yesterday, "I have to tell you something."

…...

A/N They may stay this long. R&R -L.