Hmmm…I know what I want to do with this chapter, but not how to do it…sorry if it doesn't work.

Ranma ignored the nasty looks shot at her as she stumbled through the doors of the Tendo Dojo, exhausted in ways she didn't even want to think about. Cologne's trap, the whole…fiasco…with Yusuke and his mom…

The scary cat ears…

Shuddering, Ranma brushed past Akane in the hall without so much as a glance at her, deciding she was too tired to try to make her violent fiancée understand that the incident in the café wasn't her fault. Too tired for another argument…too tired even to turn back into a boy, Ranma flopped down onto her futon and went right to sleep.

Across town there was a large, impressively nice house bought with the kind of money the Spirit World was forced to use when it was running out of ways to persuade certain of its agents to remain in its employ. Its yard was large and habitually green, even during the depths of winter, and its gardens the most impressive in the neighborhood. It was the envy of its neighbors, a warm and beautiful home the likes of which many wished one day to home.

Inside, the house was chaos.

"I told you – I TOLD YOU it would never work and you kept insisting." A young, dark-haired cat screamed, violently throwing down his jacket as he spun to face his pale and guilty lover. "You kept…'it'll be fine, Yusuke'; 'this is what you have to do, Yusuke'… 'if you don't agree I'll never touch you again, Yusuke'!"

"That isn't what I said…" The fox protested quietly, not quite up to defending himself against his lover's ranting. "I'm sorry; I am truly and most sincerely sorry. I thought it was for the best. I thought…"

"WELL, YOU THOUGHT WRONG, DIDN'T YOU?"

Anger had turned his eyes a vibrant, extremely feline yellow-green, the pupils mere furious slits. His ears were flat against his head, his tail swishing madly back and forth.

He had never looked lovelier, Kurama thought sadly.

He reached for him, searching for desperately for something he hadn't said yet that could fix his grievous error, but the small former human jerked almost violently away.

"Don't touch me." He hissed.

Yusuke and Hiei argued all the time, and somehow it always managed to mutate into something sexual. Their worst fights always ended up in the best sex, and afterwards it was always as if the fight had never occurred. No matter what things were said between them, it was always all right afterwards. There were not even any grudges.

Kurama wished fervently he could manage the same thing.

"Yusuke, I only had your best interests at heart." He said helplessly, letting his hand drop. "I love you. I would never do anything to bring you harm – you know that."

The dark haired boy stared at him with large, vulnerable eyes for so long that he began to think the storm might finally be passing.

But then his eyes narrowed and he scowled. "I can't take any more of this." He decided, brushing past toward the door. He didn't even glance at Hiei, who stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, as he passed.

Kurama was unnaturally pale and was shaking slightly, staring with wide eyes at the front door Yusuke had just stormed out of, back out and into the night. Slowly he bent to pick up his newest lover's jacket, staring down at it with an unreadable expression on his attractive face.

"He'll be all right, won't he?" The redhead asked quietly, turning his gaze slowly to his other lover.

Hiei snorted. The fox wanted comforting, but he had never made lying to his lovers a habit. "He doesn't forgive so easily."

"He always forgives you." He whispered, no longer the confident and mysterious kitsune. He was almost like a brokenhearted child whose best friend had just kicked him.

Or something.

The small demon nodded. "That's the way our relationship works." He agreed gruffly, never one to coddle someone he cared about. Kurama was hurt and needed comforting, but the same could be said for Yusuke. Hiei hadn't yet chosen whose side he wanted to take; in truth he didn't want to choose between the two his tiny, dark little heart was forced to love so dearly. "We fight so much that we've recognized that we can't afford to remain angry at each other for more than a few moments. And we both know that the other is too stubborn to ever apologize. So, instead, we fuck." He uncrossed his arms and, clearly troubled, cast a glance at the door. "That won't work for you."

"I gathered that, thank you!" Kurama snapped.

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "Do you want my help or not?"

"I apologize for my ill manners." He murmured bitterly, miserable. Had he imagined, when he first brought the then-human Yusuke into their home how it would change everything? Everything had been going to well, Hiei himself hadn't even imagined that something like this would happen.

The small demon sighed. "In a day or two, he will no longer be angry."

"Then I can apologize?"

"No; he won't listen."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" He demanded, loosing his patience.

Hiei frowned at him, but decided to cut his lover a break. He didn't want their days together with Yusuke to end, either, and only Kurama could fix the mess he had made. "In a few days, you will find him and tell him that you have done the same thing you asked him to."

Horror filled Kurama's eyes. "You don't mean…"

"You know exactly what I mean. You have to talk to your own mother."

"Sometimes I despise you."

"Doesn't everyone?" He shrugged.

Still childlike and vulnerable, Kurama glanced down at the jacket in his hands, then held it out to Hiei.

"He forgot this, and it's chilly out." He stated quietly. Hiei had the sudden, horrifying fear his brave, strong fox was about to cry. "Please find him and give it to him. And make certain he is not planning to sleep on a park bench." He attempted a smile that never reached his eyes.

Silently, Hiei took the jacket and hurried after their lover.

He hadn't yet gotten very far, of course, and it took the smaller demon only a moment to find him. Hiei skidded to a stop in front of him, silently praying that he wasn't crying or anything equally embarrassing.

Yusuke's face was impassive. Completely unreadable.

"You're being an idiot." Hiei said bluntly, holding out the jacket. "And you're hurting out fox."

A flash of anger flared through the still cat-like eyes as the spirit detective snatched the article of clothing out of his hand. "Thanks. What the hell do you want?"

"Why are you doing this, kitten? It isn't a very big deal, is it?"

"She finds me disgusting. She – the drunken whore – is looking down on me. I told him she wouldn't understand. I told him."

"So your pride is hurt. That isn't a good enough reason for you to ruin what the three of us have."

"I don't give a damn about my pride." He snarled.

Silence filled the street between them. Pity Hiei was good at neither bringing comfort not playing peacemaker.

"You'll just walk away from us then?" The small demon demanded. "Like a coward?"

He nodded, pursing his lips. "I understand why you're taking his side, You've known him much longer…you two have been together for…"

He was cut off as Hiei kissed him roughly, almost violently, before pushing the former human to the ground. "You really are stupid, aren't you?"

"You understand why I didn't want to see her – Kurama didn't even try to see it. You know why I'm mad."

Hiei nodded. "I know. But I also know that by tomorrow you won't be wanting to live without Kurama. You can't walk away from someone like him – not with your sanity intact. He let his humanity get in the way of his common sense – he still did it out of love."

Yusuke picked himself from the ground, pulling Hiei to him in a hug that would have crushed a lesser being.

"I would tell you to stay away, except you won't listen. Still…I'm more like the toy you bring in when your relationship gets stale than an actual equal partner in this."

"Bullshit."

Yusuke shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I'll see you around, Hiei."

"Where are you staying?" Hiei demanded, crossing his arms.

"Why – going to make a booty call?"

"The fox wants me to ensure you aren't planning to sleep in the park."

The kitten hesitated. "I'm going to crash at Kuwabara's." He said finally. "Whether I'm wanted or not. But I don't want to listen to him apologize. I don't…"

"I know. But he will come for you."

"Yeah," He sighed. "He has to make everything so damned difficult."

To Be Continued

(Innocently blinking) Is the end of this chapter better than the end of the last one?

Sorry if the chappie seems short (don't they always, though?) I just couldn't, for artistic purposes, go any farther.