Disclaimer: Kita doesn't own yuyu. So don't you (YOU!) sue. n.n

Wow, no intro Oo;; I must be sick, lol n.n;;;; (j/k n.n;;;)

- . . . - Hiei's POV - . . . -

I glared, narrowing my eyes at the smug witch in front of me. Having just woken up, and yet I already knew I disliked her. My wrists were bound with the demoness' famous 'ningen wards' so I was unable to move. I growled through the gag in my mouth. This was yet ANOTHER reason I hated the detective's weak ningen body . . .

"Urameshi Yusuke." She said, and I, jolted out of my thoughtful state, looked up to see that she was now smirking at me.

"Guilty of dethroning and murdering the Four Saint Beasts, turning traitor two high-class demon thieves, and being the Reikai's newest little pet." Her grin broadened as she continued.

"Apparently the death of one of my students WAS enough to bring you into my lair . . . although—"She leaned down to meet me, face to face, searching my eyes condescendingly. "—I still have not ascertained which curse the girl used . . . what could have been within her skill range to cast, I wonder . . . what did she decide to use in her last moments, for revenge . . ."She examined me for a few more moments, then stood and turned, sitting on a chair at the end of the echoing room . . . the high ceiling was shadowed, and I glanced warily up at the all-too-obvious hiding places above.

Then I noticed she was now abnormally silent. I glanced up, casually sweeping my gaze over the witch-demoness, being as discreet about my examination as possible . . . her eyes had glazed over, and she was sitting stock-still and straight. Since she was obviously not comprehending my eyes, I stared at her openly as she was engulfed in a dark-colored smoke. Suddenly, her eyes flashed back, catching my gaze although I quickly averted it. I heard her footsteps echo across the jet-black marble floor, until she was right in front of me. She bent down to my eye level, and I slowly focused on her, making sure annoyance was clear in my gaze.

"It appears—"She began, her perpetual smirk broadening,"—that your lover and friend are on their way . . ." My eyes widened, then instantly flicked to the screen that somehow appeared, floating, to my left. It showed . . .

Kurama and . . . me . . .

My black, spiky hair was being blown back slightly at the speed at which I was running . . .

Kurama wasn't far behind, his red locks fanning out behind him as he hurried through the stone passage, but his footsteps seemed . . . heavier . . . than I recalled . . .

"Kmr-mf-ph!" I cried, the gag stopping me from calling out the fox's name, as a large bladed pendulum appeared, swinging behind the kitsune, at such an angle as to slice him in half . . . he didn't notice it, and my eyes widened in horror, as I was unable to do anything else . . . the swift steel came ever closer . . .

. . . . . SWOOSH!!!! . . . as the sharp metal cut through air . . .

My heart beat slowly returned to normal as the blade swung harmlessly over the fox, me—ah—YUSUKE having sensed the danger and pinned him to the ground, lying on top of the shocked youko.

"Oh, my . . ." The witch cooed in my ear . . . "It seems . . . your redheaded lover is cheating on you . . ." I turned my head to her, glaring, knowing that the brown depths of the reikai tantei were surely ablaze . . . but she merely smiled and shrugged.

"You needn't be angry at me, detective." She said plainly enough, but with a smirk that twisted the meaning of her words. She turned her gaze back to the screen, where Yusuke (wearing my form) was still lying atop Kurama . . .

"It isn't MY fault if your lover was only playing with you . . ." I growled and attempted to free my wrists, if only to throttle the d—n onna youkai. But her mocking gaze merely shifted once to me, before drifting back to the screen. Torn in half at not-seeing, and half wanting to know, I watched as well . . .

- . . . - Kurama's POV - . . . -

It was . . . getting harder . . . to breathe . . . harder to see . . . the wards must still be having an effect . . . I found the realization come slowly, sluggishly, as though I had thought it through a fog . . . despite my friend's protective barrier, I, in my confused daze, didn't even sense the blade coming at me from behind . . . until Hiei had pinned me down and it went whizzing over my head . . . I looked hazily up at him, his red eyes sliding in and out of focus . . .

"Kurama!" I heard in his wonderfully deep voice, and closed my eyes, listening to it. I felt him bend closer, shaking me.

"KURAMA!" He shouted, right in my face, and my eyes flashed open. His nose was less than an inch from mine, and my eyes flickered to his mouth . . . Hiei . . .

Something held me back, though, something wasn't right . . . there was something I was forgetting. Worry knotted his brow and he spoke, whispering this time . . .

"Kurama . . . ?" Pushing aside my doubts, I wrapped my arms around the small youkai atop me, bringing him just a breath closer, for a quick kiss . . . as I expected, he tensed and struggled to get away from me . . . but I only held my koi tighter, not releasing the warmth of the one fire demon I had wanted for so long . . . Hiei . . .

- . . . - Yusuke's POV - . . . –

Something was wrong with Kurama.

His normally clear green eyes were cloudy and dazed . . . k'so! I tensed when I felt his arms encircle me, and tried to get away . . . this wasn't right! I screamed to my mind, as I felt the youko's soft lips brush lightly over my own . . .

Kurama's lover was HIEI! Not ME!!! But I found myself relaxing, despite the circumstances, watching the kitsune's eyes drift half-closed in a lazy, content expression as he broke away from the kiss . . .

I was STRAIGHT!!! I had KEIKO!!!! But Keiko wasn't here . . .

As if on instinct, I dove down and captured the redhead's mouth, feeling his tongue flick lightly over my lips, and I parted them, letting the kitsune explore . . .

"Hiei . . ." He sighed, so softly I had to strain my ears to hear it . . .

Hiei . . .

. . . I . . . I wasn't . . .

K'SO!!!

WHAT THE H—L WAS I DOING?!?!?!?

I pushed myself off him, and the sudden movement allowed me to break free from the redhead's firm and gentle grip . . .

I was standing now, and looked down at him, warning clear in my voice . . .

"Kurama." I said, then realized with a jolt how Hiei-like my voice had sounded . . . the main clue being how the emerald eyes glittered upon hearing the sharp tone and he slowly stood, staggering slightly as a faint smile found its way onto his face, and he walked with an obvious effort to remain vertical, towards me, his arms slowly spreading, inviting me between them . . .

I growled, clamping down on the urge to give in to that embrace . . .

". . . Hiei . . ." He said warmly as he continued to approach me ". . . I . . . won't hurt you . . . Hiei . . . ." Even his voice was lightly slurred . . .

I took a step back from the dazed kitsune . . . Kurama . . . wasn't in his right mind . . . I couldn't . . . it didn't mean . . .

"Hiei . . ." He continued, still slightly wavering from side to side . . . and yet . . . his voice was almost a purr, now ". . . you can trust me . . . "

I scoffed, turning my back to him and starting to walk away.

"Later, Kurama." I said flatly, a scheme coming into my mind. "First, we have to rescue m—the detective." I recovered quickly, saying my name as Hiei would address me . . . then I felt warm hands wrap around my chest from behind, and I was forced to stop. He bent low, so his mouth was next to my ear . . .

"Yusuke can wait . . ." He said . . . in a sensual tone that sent shivers up my back . . . I shook my head with resolve and pulled his arms off me, walking forward, thoughts of Keiko clearing my mind and of how Hiei would . . .

With no hesitation,

Whether I was in his body or not;

KILL me if I so much as SMILED at Kurama.

. . . with the youko in his current state of mind, anyway . . .

"LATER, fox." I repeated in a firmer tone, consciously letting Hiei's nickname for the redhead come into play . . . he sighed from behind me, walking up and then squeezing my hand lightly before planting a feather- light kiss on my forehead and twining his right hand into my left . . .

"Later, then." He purred in a low tone. I swallowed, feeling the warmth creep to my neck . . . and quickly ran ahead, his hand then releasing mine, but still keeping track of Kurama (with the Jagan); watching out for my messed-up friend . . .

- . . . - Hiei's POV - . . . -

I felt it.

As I watched my fox embrace the detective . . . I felt it.

A pain . . . something I had never experienced before . . .

An ache . . . right where my heart should have been . . .

. . . if I had a heart . . . . . .

"Well—"The witch said in her smug tone. "THAT got a bit steamy, don't you think, detective?" I transferred my pain to anger (an emotion I UNDERSTOOD), and glared at her. She shrugged, and I felt myself lift out of the chair. My body went stiff as she inflicted some spell on me, and her eyes closed for a moment . . . I felt as though . . . she was . . . seeing me . . . in some corner of the detective's mind she saw me . . . and then she broke out of the trance, a grin spreading across her face, one that told me . . .

"So THAT is the curse she used, ne?" She stated quietly, wicked mirth dancing in her eyes.

"Henka." She continued, playing with the word on her tongue as though it held a delectable taste. She laughed, then, looking back up at me.

"I think a little fun would be in order, then . . . Hiei . . ."

I tensed as the invisible cords of enchantment around me tightened, but I clamped my jaw shut as flickers of pain swept over me . . . I would NOT cry out . . . not for something so worthless . . . and she laughed.

"Very well, then. I can play that game as well." Her grin turned wicked then, and I shivered inwardly. Her eyes spoke of much future pain . . .

I gasped as the first wave of intense cold swept over me, feeling as though it was burning my skin . . .

And then another . . .

I fought back the urge to scream . . .

A flash of searing heat . . .

I clenched my teeth and squeezed my eyes tightly shut . . .

And then lightning . . .

My entire (weak ningen) frame rocked with the electrical current . . .

Again . . . and again . . . over . . . and over . . .

Burning cold . . .

Searing heat . . .

Agonizing bolts of electricity . . .

Until she had had enough of the spell torture.

I drifted down a few feet in the air, barely conscious, and she smirked at me, pulling out a katana . . . MY katana . . . that had been on my belt . . . recalling myself sheathing it just before I had been captured . . .

"Enough of this." She said, her voice varying in volume and clarity to my dazed mind . . .

I felt my blood spatter to the floor as she waved the sword a few feet below me, her magick causing the blade to project through the air and hit me with a seemingly invisible attack . . .

. . . Kur . . . Kura . . . Kura—ma . . . my mind thought faintly between the slicing blows to my form, spilling ningen blood onto the floor . . .

- . . . - Yusuke's POV - . . . -

I felt a chill run up my spine suddenly . . . and ran faster.

There were too many doors in the corridor . . . I couldn't guess where Hiei might have been taken . . . I landed neatly on the floor as I heard Kurama walk slowly up the last remaining steps . . . he had stopped staggering, but the fox hadn't said much in the half hour we had been running up the countless stairs . . .

"Oi, Kurama! Where's Hiei?" I asked, calling loudly enough for him to hear. For the third time that day I felt light fingers brush my shoulders and a much more dazed-sounding voice speak . . .

"He's right here . . ." He whispered, and I knew he hadn't comprehended my meaning . . . no . . wait! In his hazy state of mind he must not . . . he didn't remember!

He didn't remember we were SWITCHED!!!

-.- Geez, NOW I feel like a baka . . .

I sighed.

"What's wrong, koi?" The delirious redhead cooed in my ear. I shook my head.

"Kurama." I said, plainly and firmly. "Where is YUSUKE? Can you sense him?" He was about to answer, it seemed, but a choked cry, muffled both by the thick wooden door and the victim's struggle to keep it in told us immediately (I also somewhat recognized the voice, heh . . . ).

I threw open the doors, revealing an echoing, dark stone room. But the shadows weren't what shocked us both into silence . . .

At our entrance, the witch must have lost her concentration, and I watched as if in slow motion as . . . MY body . . . fell to the ground . . . before my friend could hit, though, I rushed over (thanking kami once again for Hiei's inhuman speed) and caught him . . . but my human body's weight was too much for the Jaganshi's small frame, and I ended up being pinned to the ground by him, the brown eyes I knew so well just cracking open . . .

Oh, kami . . . he was covered in blood . . . nearly SOAKED in it . . . what . . . what had that b—ch DONE to him?!?!?

- . . . - Hiei's POV - . . . –

Yu . . . Yusuke . . . ? I looked at the face pinned beneath me, and
remembered . . .

Even in my pained state, I knew THAT look anywhere . . .

So I was . . . dying . . . ? I picked my head up, using all my strength to look across the room . . . I saw him standing there, his beautiful green eyes slowly realizing the extremity of my wounds . . . I looked back to Yusuke . . . if I . . . died . . . then . . . he would be with Kurama . . . . . Kurama needed . . . he deserved . . .

"Detective . . ." I managed to cough out, feeling the blood fleck up spatter on my lips . . . those red eyes of mine widened and I smirked (despite myself) at the sight.

"Don't make my death worthless, detective . . ." I said without emotion, but could feel my voice fade as my eyes slowly drifted closer, making the world nothing but shades of grey . . . he soon realized what I meant, though . . . and started shaking me . . .

"Hiei! HIEI!! Don't you DARE die, Hiei!!! Kurama loves YOU, not ME!! HIEI!!!" I could see the worry in his face and eyes, and took a final fleeting glance at my fox, then shook my head as the room began to fade into darkness . . .

"Well, this is all very touching, but I DO believe someone is missing out on the fun." A voice sneered from above. For what seemed the hardest thing I had ever done, I turned my gaze up to her, and she was looking . . . at the doorway? I followed her gaze, directed at Kurama and my heart quickened in fear.

"Don't you dare touch him, b—ch." I growled, surprised at the force behind the words. She merely looked back over her shoulder, smirking at me.

"I don't think so, Hiei." I heard a low gasp from under me . . . that's right, detective . . . she KNOWS . . . I pushed myself off him and got to my feet . . .

"I SAID don't TOUCH him, d—n it." I hissed, my vision wavering. But she kept walking toward my kitsune, ignoring me . . . I was about to charge that d—n onna, but a hand on my arm stopped me. I looked down to my side to see red eyes looking up at me.

"Wait; you'll do better in your OWN body, Hiei. Mine's pretty banged up—"He smiled ruefully at the numerous slashes on the tortured ningen form before continuing. "—but I think YOURS will stand a chance . . . I think you falling on me only broke a FEW ribs, after all . . ." He chuckled, and I looked at him with surprise.

The detective . . . was willing . . . to give his LIFE . . . to let me save . . . ?

"Why?" I asked simply, narrowing my eyes and searching for another reason for such a selfless act. He shrugged, pulling the power sphere out from a pocket of his cloak.

"Well . . . as I said . . . Kurama loves YOU, Hiei. He'd never be able to feel that way about me . . . and . . . I guess . . . I want BOTH you guys to be happy . . ." He said softly, causing my look of surprise to grow. Then . . . I put my hand to the sphere in his hand, and soon all I knew was blinding light . . .

- . . . - Kurama's POV - . . . –

I should . . . move . . . I thought slowly as the witch came toward me . . . but . . . my legs wouldn't budge . . . I was bound . . . my ningen body frozen by her spell-wards . . . there was a silent explosion behind her, and white light splayed out from where Hiei and Yusuke had been standing . . . but she only glanced back, shrugged, and turned back to me, the still- bloody katana from Yusuke's blood staining the once-clean metal . . . she grinned.

"Even if they MANAGE to break the spell, neither of them will be in any condition to fight me . . . and you seem to have taken to my wards quite well, Kurama . . ." She smiled, cutting the air in front of me and I moved back a second too late, resulting in a cut across my left cheek. I winced, the pain clearing my mind a bit, but not enough to fight back . . . another wave of dizziness swept over me and I toppled, falling to my knees and focusing waveringly on the sharp blade in front of me. It disappeared from my sight and I looked up, seeing the sword raised above her head . . . and then . . .

. . . . she froze . . . ?

Red circles of light were wrapped around her . . . and they looked somewhat . . . familiar . . .

"Hey." A deep voice growled, and a blur of black sped to stand in front of me . . . it was only then I noticed that the katana had been taken from her grasp, to be wielded by . . . . . . with one clean slice, the demoness was killed and he sheathed his sword, turning back to face me. The haze I had been living through for the past hour cleared, and I shook my head, dispelling any remaining confusion.

Then he knelt down, his crimson eyes level with my own . . .

"Kurama." He said, his voice emotionless as always . . . I blinked, trying to clear my vision . . .

It . . . it LOOKED like Hiei, it SOUNDED like Hiei . . . but . . . had the counterspell . . . worked . . . ?

"Oi, Kurama!" He said, waving a hand in front of my face. I brought my gaze back, and felt my throat tighten . . . his demeanor . . . it was too . . . too CASUAL . . . it hadn't . . . he still wasn't . . .

I noticed a glow coming from his forehead, and the red eyes narrowed.

"Baka kitsune." He stated, half sarcastic and half . . . hurt?

Then I knew. My eyes widened, and a smile floated onto my lips. I was soon grinning like a moron, but didn't care in the slightest . . .

I was about to lunge forward to envelop him in a warm embrace, but the little Jaganshi beat me to it . . .

"Hiei . . ." I whispered, nuzzling my face into his spiky, pine-scented hair as my arms encircled behind his back . . .

"Mmm . . . fox . . ." He mumbled into my chest, hugging me closer. I closed my eyes with a content sigh, and we didn't move to leave that place for a long, long time . . .

- . . . -

=n.n=

'Aww's all around, right lol?

Well, there will be one more chapter after this one, I guess . . . ::shrugs:: but only if you guys want closure to this, lol . . .

I'm going to Oregon for four weeks (starting 3:30 AM tomorrow morning, it's 7:20 PM right now [ the night before Oo;; ] ) and wanted to give you guys an update before I left! =n.n= lol, see you guys when I get back . . .

Or, on the odd chance that I'll get an opportunity to write while in Oregon, you'll see me then . . .

But don't get your hopes up ( Oo;;;; )

lol n.n;;;

Well . . . ja ne, minna-san!

- Kita (soon to be WAAAAAY) out (in Oregon =n.n=)

PS

Oh, yeah, and PEACE OUT!!! lol n.n;;;;

PPS

Reviews, reviews, all around!

Read a fic then pass it down!

Review, review, good for the soul!

So write one now and have me told!

n.n;; . . . so corny and pathetic, I know, lol ( -.-;;; )

LOL!!

Ja, minna!

=n.n=