Allow me to answer a few questions, comments, and concerns.

First off; Keiko. She has been brought up as being "too mean" or "slightly out of character". I'd like to take a moment to explain her. Or not. Basically, I've described her relationship with Yusuke as I see it in both the series and the manga, somewhere in the beginning of this chapter. The two remind me of a relationship that I had for three years with someone, except turn me into Yusuke and my ex into Keiko. Basically, the two people involved in the relationship might not necessarily be bad people; BUT; that doesn't necessarily mean that they will be super duper compatible. I feel that, given the situation, both Keiko and Yusuke are VERY in character. And don't get me wrong, I adore Keiko. Remember; not only is fanfiction fun, but it's to see how the characters would react in different situations.

Then, the grammar. I highly appreciate all of the reviews I've gotten so far! However, there were to critiques that I do want to say that I meant to do. Hiei was just "the raven", because he flies in and out of windows, and he generally wears black all the time. Just as Kuwabara was a tree. Also, Hiei's mother obviously would not be in Yusuke's apartment, so I let that portion stand (as I know it CAN be confusing with all the he's and his's). I super-duper appreciate the look out though! But these two items were intended! And thanks for the feedback on poseable!

The Pairings - Hiei-Yusuke-Kurama. So far, we see the attraction of Yusuke to Hiei, and Yusuke to Kurama. You've been wondering if this would be a threesome pairing, or a love triangle. Well…we haven't seen all of Yusuke's sketch book now, have we?

And now, the compliments. Thanks so much! I'll be sure to inform everyone when I get started on writing my original. If you guys want a taste of what story I may go for first, please check out my fictionpress account and read either Eternal or Agent X3. They won't stay in that form, but their idea is there and at least posted for © status, so feel free to take a glance at them.

Sketch Me

By Zelia Theb

Act II: Scent

Kuwabara had made no fuss about allowing Yusuke to spend the night at his home. He did, however, complain of the eerie feeling and prickle on the back of his neck that Hiei gave him. It wasn't a foreign concept; having Yusuke stay there. In fact, he stayed there two nights in a row. Kuwabara never asked questions; he made his own deductions as to why he chose to stay there, which while it might have been detrimental to assume such, it kept his curiosity at ease. Hiei, on the other hand, well…he was afraid to ask why Hiei had come along, or why the demon had to sleep there too. The psychic boy did complain, and he did fight, but he kept it minimal. Maybe Hiei was just lonely; maybe the exotic allure of resting in tree limbs during locust nights had finally worn thin. But the little demon could have been a lot more pleasant to him after providing such hospitality!

Either way, their stay had been overspent, as per the opinion of Yusuke, and ironically enough, when Yusuke returned home, Hiei also left. Was Kuwabara that revolting? Perhaps the demon held some sort of attachment to his classmate. It was weird, thinking such, but he had always thought that of the three of them, Yusuke was the one that Hiei found the least annoying. Even his kindred demon comrade Kurama was bothersome, unless they were discussing fighting strategies on the sidelines.

The boy recalled the sketch of Suzaku, mid-math problem. Why would Urameshi draw a demon he had defeated? Had he drawn his friends, too? Had he drawn Hiei?

He had, several times. In fact, as soon as Yusuke had returned home; with Hiei; he had intended to draw many more. The image of bare skin had branded his mind, and silently he had hoped that perhaps Hiei would leave him while he showered. He wanted to render an explicit picture.

Water trickled down his body as he thought of the many flattering positions Hiei could be found in. The demon need to open up more, be flirtatious, be…sexy. Fully nude, teasing someone to come closer, challenging them to remove his hands from his groin, yearning for him to expose himself to them. Yes, this would be the drawing…but would he be able to contain himself afterwards? He could hardly keep himself dampened now, and he chose to take care of the problem.

Meanwhile, Hiei had made his own choice, and that was not to leave. He also had a problem that required attention, and he alleviated that problem by snooping into Yusuke's closet and taking his sketch book. The sneaky spying had only lead to more unquenchable curiosity.

That girl, that annoyance that he had the displeasure of kidnapping once before. He had not wanted to see her this way. The female figure was rather…revolting. He could never imagine his sister acting in such a sinful and unwholesome way. He had to flip through, skipping over Botan and then landing on the first drawing of himself.

He really was an ugly demon. His eyes…his multitude of eyes, sprouting from sickly green skin. He resembled an imp, ready to strike at any moment, and driven by a bloodlust that was shameful and idiotic. He truly did deserve to be thrown into the pits of the Demon World. Was this what he had become? But the Jagan…it was not to give him this sort of power. No, it's meaning was much deeper, wasn't it?

The blankets beneath him were messy, untouched since two days previous. They rustled under his light weight as he removed his outer clothing, taking Yusuke's attack and tossing them to the floor. The craving consumed him further, coaxing his fingers to turn the pages. He grew impatient, skipping over the drawings of Kurama by losing them in the chunks he flipped by. He landed on another of him, poised with sword, ready to attack a foe; and yet another, this time using his fists.

And then, ever so slightly…his sunset orbs descended upon a page whose bindings were resting on the torn remnants of the work he had turned into a scroll. He knew who it was; though the specific details of their wardrobe had not been worked out; there was no mistake. It was he and Yusuke, during their brief but memorable walk only a couple of days ago. And they were holding hands.

Skin to skin, completely indifferent to any passer-by. It was like…how that moment should have been. That moment in the fading sunlight on the windowsill. Hiei could have felt his tank stripped from his body, endured the fear of leaving himself vulnerable to Yusuke's vexing caress. He could have uttered a moan after flinching from expected contact. He might have been able to erase the pain, if only for a moment.

No imagining. He could not let himself drown in the pool of self-arousal. He would not die at the hands of emotions. Would his immortality be cut short the second he allowed himself to lose strength in love? Most certainly; Kurama was a very prominent example of such.

His head lifted when he heard the water in Yusuke's bathroom come to a halt. He let the book rest, not wanting to be caught but yet making it so obvious that he had looked. The demon had fallen to deep into his fear, letting the chains of anxiety wrap around him and leave him defenseless to Yusuke's questions and possible advances. It was unexplored territory; and Hiei desperately needed to be brought out of the dark and into the light; much like the sunset that had befallen his skin two days earlier.

The grinding of wood echoed in Hiei's ears, and Yusuke entered; black hair dripping and a yellow towel tied at his waist. Water, tea, and coconut scents enveloped the air of the small room, fragrances which had by now permeated deep into the epidermis of Yusuke's body. An unmistakable scent of lust wove in between the others; and the pheramonal energy engulfing the taut-muscled teen conquered Hiei; further binding him to his lounging position on the bed just as fear and anxiety had previously done.

"Yusuke," he called out to him, bringing the artist's attention to the open sketch book.

The naked boy turned his head, noting Hiei and book in his peripherals, and devilishly smiled. He slyly spoke, insinuating, "So, you'd like me to draw you again?" The tone was seductive and uncharacteristic, most likely a flirtatious spin on the speech of the fox.

Hiei responded with a turn of his head, bringing his chin down a notch and flashing his eyelashes ever so slightly. His brow was relaxed, relentlessly maintaining that urge to leap up from his bondage and flee the opportunity to know the touch of another's fingers. Albeit, the overall appearance was stirring and orgiastic; almost like the risqué one that had Yusuke pleasuring himself under the showerheads.

Yusuke had wanted to make some sort of smart remark about not seeing Hiei relaxed before. He would have taken the sketch pad from his side and tossed it in a safer, less noticeable place. However, act brash he did not. Instead, he sat next to the him, shuffling the sketch book to the side, with towel tight and growing tighter. He then prepared his model, placing raisin fingertips on placid fabric, and tugged.

Keiko…she could not tell him what to do. She could not invigorate him this much; she would not allow for it. She was no mystery to be solved, no box to be unraveled. She was Keiko, and she was angry with Yusuke. Angry because he stood her up. Angry because he was always away and never checked in. Angry because he constantly left her with this sick feeling of worry that he would get into trouble, get hurt, or even worse, find someone else to be a pervert to.

Keiko was not here. She would not approve of this; that she wouldn't. To the best of her recollection, she would never be able to remember that Hiei had kidnapped her. She would never be able to admit that perhaps Yusuke had eyes for others; that his sweet chocolate orbs were as tempting at the candies they represented. She knew him so well, that seeing the boy caught up in a homosexual relationship would spin her in circles; causing a tornadic upheaval in her brain. Pondering the reasons to her friend's perversion when all along he held an interest in men. Bisexuality would only come to her head after several hours; possibly days; of forced apologies on Yusuke's part.

They were perfect for each other…in the eyes of others. Everyone around them, even those who were close to Keiko yet terrified of Yusuke, believed it. It was all very cliché; childhood friends of the opposite sex grow up together, only to fall in love and get married. That was their romantic view on the relationship, one which plagued even the Spirit Detective team. Sure, the thought hadn't been so far-fetched too long ago. But now it was becoming increasingly more lucid that they would inevitably fail together as a romantic couple. It was that very pressure of 'if' on the intimate level that had caused so many problems between them; and 'hooking up' was not going to solve any of it.

Keiko represented a flawless Japanese life. Yusuke was not that way. Not only was he a closet-artist, but his niche was also in fighting; in things that affected people on a far grander level. Keiko could always argue that he could bide his time well in careers that human society felt could help the world…but Yusuke…

He knew that he would eventually ask Keiko to marry him anyway, despite his own unhappiness because that is what she wanted. Of course the marriage would make him happy on some levels, yes. But not all. He would always be left with that feeling of 'what if'. He would feel inadequate and like a drone to society. That lacking feeling of accomplishment would eventually drive him mad. In fact, he often recalled the time that he had suggested to Botan that he stay deceased, because he felt that his life would lead nowhere.

But…Keiko was not here. So he had to live his borrowed life to the fullest. He no longer wasted any time.

Hiei did not flinch when Yusuke's hand tried to figure out how to overcome the problem of his tucked-in tank. He did not waiver when he felt the buckles of the tiny white belts at his waist snap. He only shuddered and arched back obediently when the detective solved the problem and drew the shirt over his head.

Yusuke's devilishly charming smile returned once more, painting an exotic expression of want upon the canvas of his face. Hiei had always worn pants with a high waistline, that he would have never imagined a dusted happy trail starting a couple of inches from the demon's belly button. He brushed his thumb over the fine hairs, then swept the hand around and underneath the small body to accommodate his hand to the apex of Hiei's upper thigh.

Powerful magnetism pulled them together, pressing pink to peony; and artist whispered to model, "Do you know why?"

"Because…" Hiei let loose a yelp of air, having held it in too long from the intoxication of his senses through Yusuke's aroma. His breathing became heavy, and he attempted to continue; "You…don't want to be…like me."

Water fell from glossy strands of jet black and tickled Hiei's neck, just as Yusuke's lips descended upon his, briefly catching a second of moist skin before the detective purred, "And you don't want to be like you…either." Again, their open mouths met again. Yusuke took sumptuous and short dives with his tongue, allowing his body to rub in rhythm with respect to the kisses. He came up again, and promised between them, "And we don't have to tell a soul."

Lips transcended to Hiei's neck, then landed with rough yet gentle suction. The demon recoiled quickly, embarrassed that he could handle a fight but not even the slightest sensual sensation. He responded to the previous statement with, "Why would we?"

A dreamy expression held their faces. Yusuke meandered up Hiei's neck, tracing the fine curve of his muscle, and whispered fervently into his ear, "Oh…gods…Hiei…" He rubbed upon him again, eyes rolling in the back of his head, and he finished, "…I don't know…"

Had one told Yusuke that he would one day fool around with Hiei, he would have laughed. It was only a fantasy; only a few wet dreams. Hiei would never get involved with anyone, let alone someone who had defeated him once in battle. He held too much pride. Yusuke had first begun thinking of Hiei after that first remark from Kurama, something along the lines of, "I think he's starting to like you." He knew that Kurama had only meant that Hiei was finally opening up to someone; and after all, Kurama must know him best; but Yusuke often found himself thinking of Hiei anyway. Whether it be a Keiko fantasy gone haywire, or the recollection of a midnight reverie, he thought of him. Sometimes he even pictured Hiei in the arms of Kurama, like he were a voyeur watching their demonic copulation.

Hiei, however, had inklings that perhaps Yusuke would indulge in his flesh someday. The boy did speak highly of Keiko, yes, but he was a general goofball and had flirted with everyone at least once, if not twice a day. Hiei had denied to himself the pleasure of enjoying the come-ons, which had allowed him to forever forget that he used to have feelings as well.

These notions of never carried them on; never stopping to question the other, never protesting a tenderly placed kiss, never wondering if Koenma had been watching them this entire time. Their intimacy could have peaked had they removed their last bit of coverings and gone beyond the dry friction between them, but it did not. Yusuke had to maintain some sort of self-control; he had felt Hiei trembling as if the world were going to crush him, and that it would declare that Hiei were the weakest of the weak; a free-for-all slave for the taking. Seventy-three minutes from its inception, it came to a very abrupt halt; very much like a car slamming into a brick wall; when not only Atsuko came home; but the very girl that Yusuke was trying to avoid; Keiko.

"Yusuke," muttered Hiei inaudibly to the girls. He wanted to say more, he wanted to let the detective know not to worry about him but to instead worry about his secret, however, he didn't need to. Yusuke had taken his face in his palm, and thumbed over his cheekbone with a farewell smile. It was an unspoken invitation to see him again soon.

All school and no play makes Shuichi a dull boy. That is what he had overheard a classmate of his say to his clique of friends. He was one of a growing group of people who believed that Kurama was just a pretty boy who had no life. He had no close friends that they could recall, at least not during this school year. He always was at the top of the class. He was always so polite. He was in the science club.

He was a 'dork', or so they said.

Normally, Kurama wouldn't let these sorts of things bother him. He always told himself that the reason the boys teased him behind his back was because they were jealous of his magnetic powers with females. But this week…this week was the worst.

He was irate, and above all, his teenage hormones were on a rampage. Seeing Hiei so chummy with Yusuke made him infuriatingly jealous; it wasn't that he wanted to deny his friends happiness, it was just that he had hoped to be the one to stray Yusuke's eyes from Keiko. Even if it were an affair on the side of the plainly perfect hetero-pair, the youko within him did not mind.

However, now was the time to prove, at least to himself, that he had a life. He had invited Yusuke to join him at the arcade only a few blocks from the academy, knowing the boy's affinity for video games. The arcade was busy, dark, and filled with human voices, and the tiny blips and beeps of the game. Occasionally a bell would sound and a siren would go off. It was like…a juvenile version of a rave club; and the overall darkness that it possessed mystified Kurama, making his demon side feel at ease.

He had taken a special precaution to dress more provocatively than usual, the toga comment being one to urge him to do so. One would not have thought that something so appealing would exist among the orange jackets, plaid shirts, and yellow yarn pull-overs would exist within Shuichi Minamino's wardrobe. He should have regretted the comment about Hiei being involved with a gothic clique, because at that moment he appeared to have been pulled fresh off the stage at some rock club. His black sweater was tight, revealing muscle that everyone knew was there but had never visually seen aside from through the various tears caused during battle. Even more uncharacteristic of his usual garb were the leather pants, that he was lucky to have absconded out of the house wearing without his mother asking; as she wasn't home at the time. Had he been asked just how he was able to afford such, he would have grinned and replied, "A Youko never tells."

Fortunately for him, many of the girls were too occupied with their digital characters to glance at him. However, one Yusuke Urameshi was not. He found him right away, and had to contain himself from seizing his wrists and leading him into the boys bathroom. His teenage chemicals had been all out of whack since he fooled around with Hiei three nights ago. There he was, wearing something as simple as a pair of blue jeans and a white tee.

He followed the inoffensive and fragrant musk of Kurama to the darkest of dark corners in the arcade; near a row of gaming consoles of a rather unpopular game. The only ones who ever played the game were those who invested much time in real-life role-playing games, and due to the complexity of having such a game on an arcade machine, only those who would have no reason to spread gossip would play them. Again, a fortunate series of coincidences had meant that no one was there at that particular time.

"Would you like to play?" the redhead smiled, the locks of his bangs suggestively covering one eye. He gestured to the empty pleather stools that sat before the hardly played consoles; the words "Magic and Dungeons" flashing upon their screens.

The side of the boxy console had a giant wizard on the side, and flames from a fire-breathing dragon. There was a knight bearing a sword and shield. Where were katanas, the ninjas, and the geishas? This was not Yusuke's sort of game. The teen replied, "Uhh…no thanks."

In spite of the way the statement was worded, the teen actually had no choice. Kurama placed his left hand upon Yusuke's shoulder and his right into the small of his back, and lead him to and empty stool on the end, stating, "Oh no, Yusuke. I simply must teach you. Please, take a seat."

He sat down agreeably, taking in the heat and curves of Kurama's body as the boy leaned over him and placed some complimentary coins in to start the game. The midi violins and timpanis cued the end of the opening cinema scene, and soon Yusuke was left with a small pixelized halfling in a cape. The next question from his mouth was most anticipated; "What do I do?" He wanted to be an elf, not a hobbit.

Kurama slid in next to him, occupying the adjacent seat, and then took his hand and moved it to a green button on the flat console. Yusuke pressed it one too many times. In a flash, the hobbit had brought forth a sword and struck the storekeep, who promptly slayed him; leaving him with no more than a flashing red 'GAME OVER' on his screen.

"I died." Yusuke went to press a key in order to retry, but the redhead caught his hand.

"Wait," he pleaded, unable to discern how Yusuke felt, and growing increasingly impatient.

The plainer of the two escaped the light grip easily, and placed his palms on the smooth leathered thigh just above the other teen's knees. His eyes followed the path between Kurama's knees and lips, stopping to get a glimpse of the shaded bulge just below Kurama's waist, and then continuing after he felt his stare would burn a hole through the fox. A timbre of hunger cloaked his voice, and the boy remarked, "I never knew you to wear leather, Kurama."

Yusuke had once sketched an erogenous work of the redhead before, clad in something similar. He had placed his friend upon a tall wooden stool, with his bare back arched and palms supporting his body behind his posterior. He had dressed him in tight leather pants, with black leg-wrappings unraveling at his delicate ankles. Similar bindings fell from his wrists and were tied in his hair, and in his mouth was placed a single silver chain. In that moment, he felt like he had somehow had the pleasure of seeing his work brought to life. He could touch it, feel it, caress it. He could, if he pleased, capture its lips, and tighten the binds on its limbs so that he could make love to it.

A malevolently delighted and quiet laugh came from Kurama. He had seen something beyond the mocha and within the clockworks of Yusuke's head; and it was not his normal moronic behavior. It was something like the passion that he had seen when rescued from the curse of the mirror, but this fire burned upon entirely different embers. He would eventually have to answer him, deciding that silence would not be the best way to reveal his own emotions.

Kurama reached for Yusuke's hands again, this time placing his palms flat upon Yusuke's knuckles. He asked, "Does it bother you?"

"No."

Of course not; that something was confirmed; "You know, Yusuke." He began to stroke the hands beneath his, and mentioned, "We have never spent much time together outside of our work, yet during battle the affection that is present is far deeper than the need to keep your allies living." Green peered into brown again, searching for a preemptive answer.

"Heh," Yusuke chuckled, "Quit pussyfootin' around man. If you're asking me whether or not I've thought of you as more than a friend…"

"I'm not asking," Kurama quickly corrected him.

Yusuke's pupils went wide and face flush. He slightly protested, "You know about her, right?" His hands had become hypocrites. He wanted to pursue this, become truly immoral and two-timing, but he felt that he could ease whatever guilt may come if he mentioned Keiko. However, his fingers could not stop their massage of Kurama's firm legs.

"Mmm…Yes," the fox answered, "And your skin is also doused in the scent of Hiei." They leaned forward a bit, eyeing their peripherals to check for any spectators. None were found.

"Won't this change the dynamic of our missions?" Yusuke whispered, in yet another attempt to let Kurama know that he was releasing the responsibility of feeling guilty.

"We will all have to work together anyhow. I don't believe that Hiei or Keiko will be jealous because neither of them have to know." His cherry locks fell in front of him, dangling on top of their hands and tickling their skin.

Kurama had proved a very valid point. Yusuke was not an item with anyone; he had only messed around with Hiei because they had a moment in which they needed to fulfill each other. Hiei would never want to discuss any sort of relationship…but what if he were watching them. What if he thought that Yusuke would know he wouldn't want to speak about being together, but had already assumed that they would be? No…they had briefly touched upon that already. Yusuke had to be selfish, just for once in his life since his death at fourteen.

An unusual question crossed Yusuke mind, and he asked, "Did ya ever wonder if maybe I wasn't into guys?" Their noses were only inches apart, and still no spectators; though they wouldn't be able to see them in the darkness.

"No," Kurama nuzzled him, "I've always noticed the way that your eyes undress me."

"Fine," Yusuke murmured, giving in and pressing his lips forward. The kiss was languid and paranoid at first, then developed into an absorbed embrace of twisting tongues and pursed mouths. Hands entwined with red hair, and pushed their mouths only deeper into each other. Another congratulatory siren went off, and it scared them, pulling them apart to face each other with blushing expressions and swollen lips.

"Come home with me," Yusuke requested, intensively fingering silken strawberry strands in soft strokes. Kurama consented to the invitation, consciously creating a scenario within his mind of how the night could end up. He would not longer be that 'dull boy'.

They left the arcade promptly, walking in a fast pace that didn't quite suit them. They were growing impatient, and as Yusuke had done with Hiei, he took hold of Kurama at his wrist and tugged them into a full fled superhuman run. Slowing upon their arrival at Yusuke's building, they jogged up the three flights of stairs and stopped for a slight breath before opening the door; using the time to test and see whether or not they would be alone.

All other dwellings were dead, aside from the Urameshi one. There was quite a raucous inside, and Yusuke held the handle of the door tentatively, leaning one ear in to listen in on just what he had returned to. Before Yusuke knew exactly why, his ally had leapt forward in an attempt to open the door; only to be stopped by the open-faced palm signal to halt. Seconds later, the door was hit with a thud and the sound of glass breaking predictably accompanied it.

"Yusuke!" Kurama whispered, realizing the urgency to stay quiet, "We have to go in there!"

The detective slid away from the door and onto the wall, out of the way from where a yakuza member would most likely see him if they were to exit. His body had become a stiff stick. He listened on, struggling with the horrid memories that plagued him each and every time his mother was in situations like this. Sometimes he even wondered if one of those foul gangsters was his father.

It wasn't until Kurama touched his moistened cheek that he realized that tears had welled up in his eyes. Leaving his hand there, the fox-demon inquired, "Yusuke? What's going on? Shouldn't we help her?" The yakuza were no match for the two of them, not even one of them. So why was it that the boy was immobile; as if he were shackled to the building itself?

"No, and no," he uttered, "She's fine…she's their bitch. She won't remember the bruises." Because the bruises and booze is what makes her forget, he thought.

"Yusuke," Kurama scolded him, still maintaining his level to a whisper, "One day it might no be so safe and playful." It was a morbid and strikingly truthful warning. Another tear streaked down Yusuke's face as he came up with yet another excuse.

"She's…" Kurama wiped away yet another tear; "She's always in danger. No one can know about my powers. If I jump in now, who knows how they'll retaliate. I can't…I can't protect her every second of every day. And Koenma…" Laughter, a shriek, and the tumbling of loud furniture interrupted him. He clenched a fist, and uttered, "Damn it…"

"Koenma will allow it," Kurama assured him, pressing close into and consoling embrace, "He has to. Your mother is already aware of the supernatural since you had returned to life, correct?" He brought the boy's head in closer to the nape of his neck; "You need not worry of the cosmic laws, Yusuke. Genkai could surely keep watch over your mother."

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks, Kurama," Yusuke remarked, muffled by the locks of Kurama's hair. His mother would never conform to such a lifestyle in a secluded psychic's compound. It would also just place Atsuko in danger with more terrible beings.

Within the teen's trembling, Kurama was able to discover more about Yusuke's past than he would have just by observing him in his normal, chaotically brash state. Yusuke Urameshi was a good son; one that cared for his mother much more than anyone gave him credit for. Shuichi Minamino…he was nothing compared to this Yusuke; this bright light that protected the weak yet asked for nothing. He asked not for his father, his life, his second chance, his home, nor his scars. He asked not for Kurama's pity and comfort.

"You can let me go now," Yusuke stated flatly.

The fox let his arms fall to his sides, breathing sullenly. What were they to do now? The situation was awkward and aching. Their romantic affair was on hold; it would have been inappropriate for them to continue at another location. Kurama speculated just where they would go now. Would they part ways, and if so, where would Yusuke go? He would not allow the boy to just enter his home with no one at his side.

"I need to get something," Yusuke informed him. He wanted his sketch book if he was going to stay at Kuwabara's for a few days again. He knew that entering would either do nothing, anger him, or cause the men inside to eyeball Kurama; unable to discern whether or not he was a female, but not caring anyway. He opted to just go ahead and enter anyway, telling Kurama to wait outside and out of sight. He assured him, "I'll be right back," and entered, shutting the door behind him.

The apartment was a pigsty. His mother was on the couch, laughing hysterically from the two men she was sandwiched between. There was another man attempting to prepare a meal on the kitchen counter; a waterfall of rice spilling over the edges; one man at the table, smoking as if there would be no tomorrow, and two on the balcony.

He took care not to step on the broken glass, decidedly leaving his shoes on, and casually walked towards his bedroom, hoping the yakuza would not notice him. He wanted in and out of there as soon as possible; the place was giving off a stench reminiscent of booze brewed in an ashtray, and it burned his nostrils; retching his stomach as he continued his journey to his bedroom.

Luckily, he had made it to the room, but not unnoticed. He reached for a dusty bookbag beneath his bed, and then opened his closet in order to empty it of its artistic contents. Once his sketch book, pencils, and eraser were inside his bookbag, he shut the closet and tried to think of something else he would need. Nothing.

Yusuke focused, letting warmth, light, and aura flood to his fingertip. He secured his bag over his shoulder, and opened the door; preparing to clear the way with a light release from his Spirit Gun if need be. They wouldn't be able to see the slight green glow, and the distance wouldn't bring any attention to him. The louts would probably believe that they had stumbled in their drunken stupor.

The men were still in their previous locations, turning their heads only slightly to acknowledge the kid's presence. They were not irate nor aroused enough to trouble him, and Yusuke escaped unscathed, and right into Kurama's arms once he had closed the apartment behind him. They cradled each other for a moment, stroking channels down the other's back, rekindling the restless desire to devour each other.

Author's Note

A shorter chapter than Chapter One. I just couldn't pump in more without going into the next chapter.

On my plate, aside from Chapter Three, will be Chapter 4 of The Seibu Project, Chapter 7 of Mischief 101, Chapter 3 in both Awake and Hiei's Textbook Dates, and possibly the fifth installment of The Candy Series, a Yusuke pairing fic entitled Candy Cigarettes. Please check my website or my story status link in my bio for important information regarding my Yusuke-Kurama fic Alternate Universe.

Fan-Arts always appreciated - especially if someone wants to mimic the drawings in Yusuke's sketch book!

Zelia