He was familiar with almost every aspect of physical pleasure, his memories coming from Youko as well as his limited and carefully selected experience. But, physical pleasure wasn't what he was after. He needed something more…something deeper. Something like he'd shared with Youko, a blending of souls, a true connection. Yes, physical pleasure was part of that, the silver one had shown him, but he had to be open. And that still scared him. But, he needed more of the freedom he'd felt with Youko. He wondered if the physical act would be enhanced by that spiritual unbinding…if the other would experience it, as well. He wondered who he would meet first…who did he want to meet first? He couldn't decide. On the one hand, he'd known Hiei longer. On the other hand, as his vision pointed out, he'd almost opened up to Yusuke once. But, now…

The other students noticed his distraction, as did the teachers. They blamed it on fatigue from too much studying. He did nothing to dissuade them, accepting his teacher's kind dismissal from chore groups that day so he could get some rest. He left the school and let his feet wander where ever Youko directed. Somehow, Youko always knew where they were. He was going to trust the silver shadow in his head to direct him to the one he needed most first. He didn't question that they'd be willing. It didn't occur to question that he was asking them to basically cheat. All that mattered is he knew they could help him and he knew they'd discussed him. What more mattered? He had to believe that, he had to cling to it. He was frightened at being so open. His feet stopped and he looked up, taking in the tall gates of Sarayashiki Middle School. He'd never felt so little standing next to a wall before, in either of his lives. Fear coursed through him, setting his body ablaze while it froze him. He was about to run when he heard a familiar voice.

"Kurama?"

"Y-yusuke," he stammered out in reply. His eyes flew to the other, but he managed to avoid eye contact just then.

"Did you need something?" It was odd. The redhead was off guard and avoiding looking at him. That just didn't happen.

"Ummm…" Another thing that didn't happen. Kurama didn't stumble over what he wanted to say. It was normally as if he was reading to them. "I was hoping to see…well…either you…or Hiei…I…"

Yusuke stepped closer to him, "Kurama? Are you okay? Why are you so nervous?"

Green eyes remained on the ground, "Can we go some where to talk?"

"Yeah. My place okay? My mom said she would be gone a couple of days." His hand came up behind his head, though the redhead didn't see. "Actually, she didn't say that, but she was gone before I was up this morning, and that only happens when she's going to be gone a while."

"That'll be fine, Yusuke. Thank you." Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the brown eyed boy.

Yusuke thought he saw something in his friend's eyes that he'd almost seen once before…and he wanted to see it again. Silently, they walked to his apartment, Kurama with his head low, Yusuke waiting.

Finally, after he pulled the door closed, Yusuke spoke up, "What's going on, Kurama?"

Still looking at the ground, the redhead softly asked, "Are you and Hiei together?" Had he looked up, he would have seen the brunet's astonishment.

"Yes, we are," he managed to answer levelly.

Green eyes traveled the wall on the far side of the hall from the other. "He opened up to you…opened where I couldn't, right?"

"Kurama, are you okay?" Yusuke had a strange feeling of déjà vu. He'd had the same conversation with Hiei last night.

"I…I…" green eyes sought out Yusuke's feet. He took a deep breath and began again. "I had…a conversation…last night…this morning…with Youko…"

Yusuke's feet moved closer, "Tell me what you mean, Kurama."

Softly, almost to himself, the green-eyed one began, "I am Shuichi, he is Youko…we are Kurama." His eyes came up, reveling then to the brown eyed one for the first time. "Last night…he…we…I…" His stumbling words were cut off as Yusuke wrapped his arms around his trembling body. When did he start shaking?

"Your eyes…" Yusuke breathed, "your eyes are so beautiful." Before Kurama could stumble on with anything else, Yusuke kissed him, still looking into those green eyes that now resembled clover instead of emeralds.

Shuichi was transported again to the timeless world where he'd been with Youko. Youko was there, silver and gold, waiting. Brown eyes were there, surrounded in blue-black. "Yusuke," Shuichi cried out, reaching as well as he could to the brown-eyed one. He needed have bothered, for the brown-black one enveloped him as soon as he was close enough.

"Kurama," he called softly, enveloping red and pulling the silver one closer.

"Yusuke…I'm afraid."

"Don't be. You have us. We have you. Will you trust me?"

"Hold me…"

Blue-black wrapped firmly around red and silver, "As long as you want."

The red one tried to return the embrace, but with only one free limb, could not very well. Black moved against red, caressing it, permeating it. "Free me, please," the green eyed one asked softly.

"Will you let me in?" the brown eyes waited.

Green eyes held the brown eyed gaze. "Please…please" the red one spoke softly, a little hesitantly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…" Blue-black traveled along red to one of the restraints, working it while entwining, entering the red one, moving against him. "YES!" came the red one's cry as his freed limb wrapped around the blue-black one. Silver flowed over both of them, caressing, soothing, melding with them. Sobbing, green eyes continued to look into brown as the world changed around him, returning to the physical.

He was on his back, Yusuke above him, moving within him, their eyes locked. His clothes were off, as were Yusuke's. He could feel the other's hand moving between their bodies as both of his held onto the brunet's shoulders. The burning-freezing edge of fear heightened his passion and he cried out, his head going back, reluctantly breaking eye contact with Yusuke as he sobbed out his release. Yusuke whispered his name as his own orgasm washed out of him. He fell limply on to the still shivering redhead. After a long moment, Yusuke pushed himself up, seeking out the green eyes once more.

"Kurama," he whispered when he found heavy lids over the green orbs. He waited a long moment before those lids parted. The green was still that of clover and not emeralds, but there was fear and a touch of regret in those clovers. "Tell me, Kurama," he prompted softly.

"You…you and I…you and Hiei…I…How could I?" the green eyes filled with tears.

Yusuke brushed his hand over the flushed cheek. "Kurama, I want you to listen to me." He waited until the green calmed a little. "You didn't force me. I wanted to. I've wanted to for a long time. Hiei and I discussed this." He paused, searching for the right words. "Youko showed you our conversation last night, didn't he?"

"I…I thought it was a dream."

"No, it wasn't a dream. We wanted you to be open to us, to let us help you. We've talked about it many times, but…but, we couldn't approach you, or it would have been just sex. That's not what we wanted."

"But…we just…"

"That wasn't just sex, Kurama." The brown-eyed boy shifted off of him, lying next to him, caressing his cheek. "That was more. I…I could see Youko in your eyes, and something in you changed. You're eyes…they're open to me now. I can see you…who you really are. I can see that you're hurting and that you're also healing now."

"But, why?"

Yusuke nuzzled into Kurama's neck, "Youko told you, didn't he?"

The redhead nodded, "He told me…he told me that you needed me…that I needed you."

"He's told us the same thing." Yusuke brought his head up, "In dreams, he's talked to us, telling us that you were bound, in pain, and that you needed us…that we needed you. We felt it, too." He kissed the silent red lips that were trying to slip between white teeth. Softly, he asked, "Stay with me tonight?"

"Hiei…"

"He won't be here tonight."

"Why?"

"Youko…he visited us this morning before we woke up…he said you would need…you were ready for one of us."

Green eyes shone out confusion. There should be anger, too, a part of him thought, but he could not bring himself to be angry. Before he could say anything, Yusuke spoke up, "We've been waiting. We're happy. We can wait to share you until you're ready for both of us." His grin was rakish, even though his tone was gentle. The grin faded to sincerity, "Will you stay with me, Kurama?"

"Yes…yes, I will stay." Anything else he might have said was cutoff by the gently insistent pressure of Yusuke's lips on his mouth. Tentatively, he reached up to hold the black hair within his fingers. In response, Yusuke deepened the kiss, pressing more firmly against the red lips that no longer sought to hide from him. Kurama's mouth opened to him and he slid his tongue out, brushing against the soft guardians before tracing the ivory walls. Through this, their eyes remained open, locked together, exploring. Yusuke's tongue slipped past the outer walls into the inner sanctum of Kurama's mouth and the redhead moaned wantonly as their tongues met. A long time, their wet appendages danced, seeking, learning, melding together before Yusuke pulled back slowly.

"Tell me, Kurama," he asked, "what is it you want?"

Soft clover met warm chocolate, "I want you to show me."

"Show you what?"

Kurama paused a minute, wondering how to phrase his request. "Show me how to be free," he finally asked

"To be free," Yusuke mused. "That, Kurama, you have to learn on your own. I can show you how to be open, how to allow yourself to be free, but I cannot show you how to be free."

"What…what is the difference between allowing myself to be free and being free?"

Yusuke caressed Kurama's cheek, moving his hand down along the graceful neck that turned to face him. "I can show you how to open yourself to freedom, but I cannot show you what to do when you are free, otherwise you are still bound by what you think freedom is, still bound by the same chains you want to leave."

Kurama moved to rest his head against the brown eyed boy's shoulder. "Were you bound?" he asked softly

"Some, yes. So was Hiei…more than I was, but because he's lived longer. You've lived longer than both of us, and have two souls. That is a much heavier burden than we carried.

"Are you ashamed of me?" came the white voice.

"Why would I be?" Yusuke soothed the back of the trembling redhead.

"Because I'm still afraid." Yusuke's sharp ears almost missed that confession.

"Shuichi," he began softly, using his friend's human name deliberately. Green eyes left his shoulder and met his. "You didn't ask for this, it was given to you and you don't know what to do with it. It's normal to be afraid of the unknown."

"Youko wouldn't be…"

"You are not Youko!" the voice was soft, but carried firm conviction. "You are Shuichi, remember, he is Youko. Together, you are Kurama, but Kurama is not just Youko, nor is Kurama just Shuichi. Kurama is both of you. And, right now, this is for Shuichi, so that Shuichi and Youko can come together more effectively and we all can be together."

"I don't understand why we all need to be together," Kurama's voice may have been a bit sulky, but it was so soft it was hard to really tell.

Yusuke brushed his lips against Kurama's, "Youko knows. When you're ready, he'll tell you." He allowed his hand to roam the body before his, tracing along the delicate seeming form lightly enough to draw shivers from the redhead. The openness of the one he held was a drug, an aphrodisiac. As he watched the soft green eyes seek his, watched the play of emotion through them, he could feel his body becoming more aroused with each statement. He kissed the redhead again, brushing his lips lightly against the slightly parted lips.

"Yusuke…" Kurama said softly

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to talk anymore."

"What…?" his question was cut off by the very insistent pressure of the redhead's lips against his own. He was surprised when arms wrapped around him, pulling him back on top of an obviously aroused Kurama.

Kurama pulled back, "I want to feel it, this time. I want to feel your body in mine."

Before he could puzzle out what the other meant, Yusuke found himself pulled into a very passionate kiss, the kitsune's tongue searching his mouth for places that would elicit cries of pleasure while hands roamed from his hair, down his back, over his ass, seeking desperately to touch his entire body. Deciding the words could be ignored, for now, explored later, when there were less demanding needs to be met.

Yusuke was slightly overwhelmed by the redhead's need, but the green eyes remained locked with his, open, full of desire, passion, and a small touch of fear. He saw a flicker of gold, liquid, molten, pass through those green orbs. Apparently, Youko approved, he mused before the feel of the kitsune's thighs moving a long his startled that thought out of his head. Kurama was moving himself into line with Yusuke's erection, pushing the brown eyed boy forward, into his body.

"Kurama…?" Yusuke began before he was cut off.

"I need this, Yusuke. It's…It's…" his voiced trailed off while his feet still pushed the brown eyed boy toward his body.

"It's unnerving being so open?"

"Please…" the word became a deep groan as Yusuke pressed into him. His head fell back and his eyes closed as every nerve in his body responded to the intimate invasion. Yusuke moaned and buried his lips in the redhead's neck, waiting for their bodies to readjust to each other.

The two remained suspended a long time, held still in space, merely breathing, and even that was barely done. After an eternity, Kurama brought his chin down and Yusuke moved his lips away from the graceful column. Eyes met again, both sets open, baring the darkest secrets of each soul to the other. Again, time stood still as the intimacy of the act overwhelmed them. Almost as an afterthought, Yusuke began to move within the redhead's body, barely moving at first, and then more deeply, more quickly in the gripping darkness that surrounded him. Kurama cried out his pleasure, but his eyes never left the chocolate ones that held him, comforted him, saw the deepest recesses of his soul. Yusuke's hand slid between their bodies, he too never leaving the clover orbs that held him, and wrapped his fingers around the redhead's throbbing erection, pulling it in time to his rapidly increasing thrusts into the kitsune's body. It wasn't long until that shaft pulsed out its release a second time over the bellies of the two. Kurama's eyes rolled back into his head, unable to maintain eye contact as his orgasm washed over him. The after image of brown eyes remained, though, burned into his soul. Yusuke moaned loudly as the rippling tightness pulled his own orgasm out of his body, his head dropping to the redhead's shoulder, green flashing through his brain as his body convulsed its release.

Time began a leisurely crawl again as the two lay panting together. Softly, the redhead spoke up, "Yusuke?"

"Yeah?" the answer ghosted along his shoulder.

"I…I…thank you. I'm not…not so afraid."

Yusuke's head came up as one of his hands brushed against the flaming red hair. He looked into the green eyes before him. "You're not alone, Shuichi. You're never alone. We…I…I…you're never alone." His eyes held more.

"You love me?" the redhead asked softly.

"I do, and so does Youko…and Hiei, I'm sure."

"Even knowing I'm a coward," green eyes dropped to the side, full of shame.

"Why are you a coward?" Yusuke asked, genuinely confused.

"I practically forced you on me because I was afraid."

"No, you needed connection."

"How do you know so much?" the words were almost angry.

"Because I went through this with Hiei and he helped me through it, too. I know a little bit how you're feeling. As I said, you were bound more than we were." He sighed and shifted his body slightly, moving to rest partially on his side, his hand caressing the bright red hair. "I do know it's frightening. But, it gets easier, Kurama. Believe that."

Kurama wrapped an arm around the brunet, burying his face into the boy's neck. "I'm trying, but it's…it's…"

"New, different…frightening."

"Yeah."

Yusuke stifled a yawn, trying to bury it in Kurama's hair, "Just don't go hiding in yourself again and I'll forgive you."

Kurama felt the warm breath against his head. "I won't," he whispered, "I promise."

"And I'll be here in the morning when you wake," came the mumbled reply as Yusuke's body relaxed against his. It was only then that Kurama noticed their surroundings. They had made it to Yusuke's room, their clothes scattered about the floor, but the door closed. The bedside lamp was on and the clock read nearly midnight. With his free leg, he pulled the blankets up over their bodies and then turned off the light before joining Yusuke in the land of dreams.

Youko met him as his body relaxed. "You did very well, Shuichi. You didn't hide, even though I know you wanted to." Silver wrapped around him comfortingly. "I love you, too, my little one."

Shuichi sighed. He was drained of energy from the emotionally taxing day. "I don't know how I feel, Youko."

"You will. Give yourself time. You're going through too much to decide now how you feel. Save that till you're completely unbound."

Shuichi sighed, letting red return silver's embrace as his soul rested.

A/N Well...this went better than I thought it would...to me it's still a bizzaro story...but...hope you like it. Please review and let me know