"So wait… You're like living together with this human?" Kuronue asked, glancing back at Scarlett. She seemed deep in thought as she walked behind the two. The party had ultimately ended with the arrival of the peculiar demon. Botan went off to alert Koenma, which would most likely result in being tagged like Kurama and Hiei. The tall demon sighed at the thought. Kurama had told him how he wound up in this… predicament at that temple. However, Kuronue thought it would be best to not blab on how he had ended up in Human world. At least not in front of complete strangers. Hell, it wasn't like he knew the exact details either. The demon leaned closer to his friend. "Did you lay her yet?" It was a perfectly good question to ask. After all, Yoko had always been known for his womanizing ways, second only to being a legendary thief. However, judging from his startled expression and the faint blush, it wasn't the proper question to ask.

Kurama quickly looked back at his houseguest. She didn't seem to overhear the questions at all. Her arms were crossed and her gaze was on the ground. Scarlett was basically ignoring them in favor of thinking. She did that quite often. The red head inaudibly sighed. "No, I did not nor will I in the future," he finally answered. His friend gave him an incredulous look. "Things have changed, Kuronue. I have changed considerably." He closed his eyes for a moment. "As I said, I work for Spirit World. There are many things that I've done in the past that I cannot do." Kuronue chose not to respond. "You have changed as well, old friend."

"Living amongst humans for two decades does that to a demon," he replied.

"Two decades…? You stayed here for so long searching for that, didn't you?" Kurama asked.

"Yes, of course," Kuronue answered. His fingers touched the pendent, which hung from his neck. "It was only recently that I came to Japan in search of it. My plan was to return to Demon world once I found it to thank whoever it was that saved me, and then find you. Who knew you would be so careless and wind up dead?"

"You're one to talk, Kuronue." His green eyes became inquiring after his chuckle. "You were saved from that bamboo trap?"

"Yes. However, I passed out before I could get a good look at whoever it was. But she definitely was a woman," Kuronue rubbed his chin and smirked. "She had a nice body that she did." Kurama almost rolled his eyes. Yoko hadn't been the only one to appreciate the body of a full grown female. The red head told him to continue with his story. The sky was dark. No one in the neighborhood would be out at this time. And Scarlett was not paying attention anyway. Kuronue nodded his head a bit. "I don't know how much time had passed, but I woke up in some kind of healing liquid. As far as I could tell, there was no one around. Once I busted out, I found a note left behind for me. Whoever saved me sold my pendent in order to get enough money to do so. And it somehow ended up in Human world." Kuronue suddenly sighed out. "I didn't anticipate that it would take this long to find it. My savior is probably long gone or dead by now."

"And your wings?"

"Retracted at the moment. Apparently humans like to freak out because of things like that."

"I see."

"So anyway, I guess there's no choice… Looks like we're roommates again!"

"Charming."

"Hey, don't be like that. We used to have fun, didn't we?"

"As I recall, it was quite entertaining… for me. You, on the other hand, would get yourself into many catastrophes."

"That was one time!"

"Try a few hundred, old friend."

"Stop keeping track, damn you."

"Hey, guys!" Scarlett suddenly caught up to them, squeezing in between. "I was thinking. If Kuronue moves in does that mean I have to move out of that room?" Her blue eyes were on Kurama. "I mean, it's not like I mind, but I did just get used to the setup." Her host shook his head and told her that Kuronue would be sleeping with him. Scarlett blinked twice, and then narrowed her eyes. "So when you say old partner, you met-"

"Of course not!"

"Relax, I'm just teasing," Scarlett held up her hands in defense. She turned to Kuronue. "Since we're all living together, I hope we can get along, Extra—I mean, Kuronue-san." The demon gave her a sour look, but then sighed.

"I suppose… You are the one who returned my neck—pendent to me."

"And in a indirect way, I united two best friends, too. You're basically in my debt."

"Let's not go that far, human."

Scarlett only grinned.

0-0

Yawning loudly, Scarlett scratched her rear end as she headed for the kitchen. She rubbed at her eyes with a frown in place. Those two—they were like chattering teenagers… all night long! Grumbling, she opened the refrigerator. Hearing about their exploits as thieves had been interesting the first night. However, it had been a whole week now! She wanted nothing more than to kick down Kurama's door and bash the both of them over the head with a hardback dictionary. Still, she hadn't done such a thing. The two hadn't seen each other for what—centuries? Scarlett yawned again and pulled out an orange. Whatever the case, she decided not to intrude on their memories. "But if they try this shit one more time, I won't hold myself back!" she vowed in thought.

She began to peel the orange just as Kuronue walked in. The two stared at one another for a moment. Scarlett raised a brow, and then focused on the task of peeling her breakfast. She heard the new houseguest grunt, but she did not look up again. "You look like shit," he commented. The human girl actually lifted her lip in a snarl. "Where's Kurama?"

"If he wasn't in the room with you, how the heck should I know?" Her voice had come out in a hiss. "It's a school day, so he's probably at school... asshole."

"You're not a morning person, are you? What? Rough night?"

"Gee, what gives you that idea?" Scarlett scowled. "And for the record, it's not morning anymore, genius."

Ignoring the sarcastic tone, Kuronue smirked. His hand came down on her head and further messed up her bed head. "What a cute human you are. Annoying as hell, but cute." Scarlett swatted his arm away and glared up at him. He hopped up on the island counter, arms crossed. Huffing, Scarlett then split her orange down the middle. Even though he was right next to her, she tried to ignore him. She would clean up the peelings once she finished. It was so late in the day. In fact, the sun seemed about to set. She was super surprised she had slept in so late. Then again… Scarlett cut her eyes to Kuronue, who still had a smirk on his face. She had been up all night and a few hours in the morning because of him and his best friend. The girl closed her eyes as she put an orange slice in her mouth. Being bitter about the whole thing was a waste. She shouldn't hold a grudge even if they had screwed with her daily schedule. "You know, he told me about his first impression of you."

Scarlett nearly died choking on the orange slice.

Once she got it down, she stood from her seat and sputtered. Coughing to clear her throat, she beat at her chest as well. "Listen you, that was only for confirmation. Don't think I'll do the same to you or Yoko!" Kuronue chuckled lightly, and then grinned.

"Sorry, kid, you're not my type." His arm reached and snatched the other half of the orange before Scarlett could even blink. He took a bite as he held the young woman at bay with his other hand. "How'd you know it was Yoko-chan that told me?" Finally, Scarlett stopped her struggle to get back the other half of her food.

"It was obvious. Shuichi-kun wouldn't bring up that sort of memory. I'm pretty sure he would rather forget about it," she bit into another orange slice. "Anyway, since you two were holed up in that room all week, please tell me what Koenma plans to do with you."

"Haaah, that baby told me that staying with Kurama, and helping out on missions as support would be best until his father got back from his vacation, or something."

"Looks like we're in the same boat then, huh?"

"So it seems," Kuronue murmured. "But then again…"

"What?"

"I don't randomly kiss people, so we're technically not in the same-" Before he could finish his sentence, Scarlett grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him forward. Kuronue smacked against the unyielding force of the tiled kitchen floor. Sniffing lightly, the blue-eyed girl stepped over the demon and headed out of the kitchen.

0-0

It was sometime later in the night that Kurama finally showed up. He looked both tired and anxious. Scarlett only glanced at him for a moment before her eyes returned to the television. "Rough day, Shuichi-kun?" From her relaxed position, she went through the channels with the remote. She stopped on an interesting dance competition. She couldn't place the style, though. Looked sexy enough to be tango. Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed. The music was tango, too. She turned the volume up a bit. Kurama sighed and sat down at the end of the couch. He hunched over, lacing his fingers together; elbows rested on his knees. His stare was straight, but aimless. "Is someone trying to destroy the world again?"

"It would seem that is the case, yes," he replied. "It seems as though we're dealing with humans this time around."

"Human…? Really?" Her tone was skeptic.

"I assure you that these humans have supernatural powers. It's not like we can kill them like the demons in the past." His green eyes turned to her. The glow from the television screen caused his houseguest to take on a bluish hue tone. "They are trying to open a hole to Demon world."

"Now why would they want to do a thing like that?"

"You sound indifferent about this… Could it be that you know what will happen?"

"Nah, I just have faith in you guys, that's all."

Kurama sweated.

"So I'm guessing you'll be leaving?"

"I will head off to Mushiyori City. Kuronue will come along as well."

"So I'm being left by myself?"

"I'm afraid so."

"And I'm afraid that's not gonna fly." Scarlett finally turned her eyes to him. She sat up. The room was shrouded in darkness. "I want to go."

"I cannot put you at risk, Scarlett. You must understand that this is dangerous for everyone, especially those involved."

"You're no fun, Shuichi-kun." She scooted closer to her host. He, as expected, didn't move. "Do you think I can't handle myself?" One day, Kurama had come home to discover Kuronue tied up and hanging from the roof. Apparently, he had said something to piss off his fellow houseguest.

"I'm sure you can, but only against normal humans."

"But Kuronue-"

"Kuronue's a bit of an idiot. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"In the basement." Kurama narrowed his eyes at the nonchalant tone. "Don't worry; he couldn't fit in the washing machine anyway."

"Why exactly did you try to fit him in the washing machine?"

"He had a dirty mind and mouth. I wanted to clean it for him."

"Scary…" Kurama thought. "Still, I can't have you come with us. I'm sorry to say this, but you will only prove to be a distraction."

"Fine, fine, I won't go with you." She flicked his forehead. "But you better bring me back something!"

"Right, of course."

"And if you don't, I'll have to punish you."

"In what way…?"

"I'll find a way."

"What do you have in mind?"

Scarlett stood up, pulling her host from the couch as she did. "Perhaps I'll force you to dance?" She smirked and twirled the humane demon around. Kurama's eyebrow twitched. The tango was a male dominated dance. And what she just did was put him in the female role. Apparently, Kurama didn't like the implication. He was able to switch roles flawlessly. Scarlett suddenly found herself bent backwards while her right leg was lifted and bent at the knee. Her lower back was supported by his strong, yet gentle hand. Her hand on his shoulders did little for balance on her part. His green eyes seemed smug, looking down at her. "Then again," she murmured, ignoring the thumping against her chest. "You're so graceful. It wouldn't necessarily be punishment for you, will it?"

"I do tend to pick things up quickly," Kurama chuckled. Slowly, he set Scarlett's leg back on the floor. "Do you know this dance?" He led her in a slow rhythmic manner, following the instrumental that came from the television.

"Not really," Scarlett answered, allowing the dance to continue. She was pressed against his body. "I usually only watch. And you?" He suddenly dipped her back, and then brought her up slowly.

"As I said, I tend to pick things up quickly," Kurama whispered. "For someone who only watches, you seem to be doing well." His hands slipped down to her waist and moved her hips. As he did this, Scarlett's arms stretched up. Kurama stepped back and twisted his body, which made Scarlett drop her arms. They wrapped around his shoulders as he lifted her body. Her legs enclosed his torso. The two twirled several times, finally coming to a stop.

"It's merely imitation. Besides," she said. Scarlett slid down his body, landing on the floor. "The male leads the dance." Kurama nodded his head, and then pulled her up by her hands. He guided her arms up and around his neck. He stepped back, dragging her body along. He stopped, pushing her away. The human woman pivoted on the ball of her foot, and then reversed the movement, falling into Kurama's arms again. Her back was pressed against his chest. In resistance to him, she slid down, only to be brought back up.

"Still, you are limber in your movements," his voice caught her ear. Kurama leisurely rocked their bodies from side to side. Their arms were stretched and their fingers intertwined. Scarlett slightly turned her head, meeting his eyes. "You're not trained in regards to dance, and yet…" Their arms moved in and wrapped around her body. A smirk appeared on Scarlett's face. She dropped down, pulling from his grasp. With her leg outstretched, she spun. She would have swept him off his feet if Kurama hadn't jumped and flipped away.

"Observation is a powerful thing if you choose to apply it to yourself, Kurama," she said as she stood. "Before she would allow me to leave the country, my mother demanded that I become a high ranking member of my Martial Arts program. Having started out at a young age, at that time I was already a brown belt. She wanted me to achieve black." The human women sank into a stance. "Because of my determination, I not only gained a black belt, I exceeded expectations and became a fifth degree black belt—black and silver."

"That is… impressive," Kurama complimented. "But I still won't allow you to go."

"Aww!" She pouted a bit before letting the smirk resurface. A tiny smile crossed her host's face before he came at her. Testing her, he threw a left punch. Scarlett moved forward with her right foot and pivoted her back foot. She grabbed his outstretched arm as her leg tripped him, throwing him off balance. Both fell to the floor. Scarlett straddled his torso, pinning his arm behind his back. "You underestimate me?"

"Perhaps I did," Kurama let out a chuckle. "A mistake I won't make again." He twisted his body, using his trapped arm as a force to knock her off. Now, he was the one on top. Surprised, Scarlett reflexively went to strike him. He, however, grabbed her wrist and held it upon her head. Before she could do the same with her opposite hand, he grabbed that one, too, keeping at her side. For a moment, the two stared into the other's eyes. "Now what will you do, Scarlett?" She frowned at such a question. He was mocking her.

"What will you do?" she questioned. Kurama blinked once. True, his hands were as preoccupied as hers. His legs were also busy keeping hers down. "Wasn't it you who said 'Only an amateur depends on arms and legs for victory,' Kurama?" Scarlett lifted her upper body. The tip of her tongue slowly glided up his jaw to his cheek. Swiftly, her tongue returned to her mouth. She had gotten the reaction she was looking for. Not only had she said his name, something she hadn't done in a long time, but she also did something unorthodox. His grip on her had loosened, giving her the strength she needed to flip her host over her body. Scarlett turned to see her handy work. Kurama had landed awkwardly—legs on sprawled on the couch, while his upper body was still on the floor. "If all else fails," she told him as she stood. "Shock the hell outta 'em."

Now instead of chuckling and agreeing with her logic, Kurama quietly curled his body forward and landed on his feet. With his back to her, he murmured something she couldn't hear. He then left the room. After a few seconds, his door slammed, causing Scarlett to flinch. After a moment's pause, she rubbed her earlobe. She was more than a little confused. Had licking him been that shocking? Sighing, she moved toward the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television. Her mood for watching a dance competition had just been broken. Shrugging, she left the living room.

She might as well release Kuronue now.

0-0