Chapter 8:

Kurama was still crouched down when it began to rain. He heard the rain start to pound against the leaves, and eventually, hit him. It didn't take long for him to become drenched and soaked with water. He couldn't move, the shame was keeping him down, he couldn't rise, and he had no will. Youko had left long ago, leaving him there, with blood dripping down his pale cheek.

Suddenly he heard wet footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Youko" Kurama thought. For once he would be glad to see him, to know that he really wasn't anger at him, to know that he didn't mean to hit him.

He felt an arm wrap around his torso and pull him up and off the wet forest floor. He was a bit frightened to look behind him and see who was holding him, for fear that it would be Youko…Kurama wasn't ready to see him yet. It was too soon, he'd feel too embarrassed. No one ever sees him cry, but he had a feeling that was going to change here…

He slowly took his courage and looked behind him to see no other then that of Kuronue.

"K-Kuronue!" Kurama stuttered clumsily with his words, trying to break out of the man's grasp, but to no avail.

Kuronue, knowing how Kurama felt about him, due to their first meet, felt guilty. He shouldn't have acted that way, but what could he say? It was his personality at its worst. But that didn't matter at the moment. He needed to get Kurama inside, before he got sick.

It didn't take long for them to get inside, Kurama didn't fight back very much, it's not like he really could.

He brought Kurama into his room and put him down on the floor. Kurama dripped into the wooden floor, making it wet and slippery.

Without saying anything, Kuronue cleaned the blood off Kurama's face. But a few drops of blood dripped onto Kuronue's hand, Kurama was quite shocked when he saw him lick it off.

Soon all the blood was off of Kurama's face, and the wound wasn't too bad, but it was certainly going to bruise.

"Now…I want you to get dress, there are clothes in the closet," Kuronue said to Kurama while gesturing to a wooden closet that was built into a wall. "I'll leave. But I suggest that after you get dressed, you do no more wondering and go to sleep. Believe me when I tell you, you don't want to be seen by Youko at the moment," He said as he walked to the door, saying a few soft swears about Youko.

And with that, he left, leaving a cold and wet Kurama on the cold wooden floor alone. Kurama slowly pulled himself up from the floor and stripped from his clothes. He threw then into a wet pile in a corner of the room; right now he really couldn't care less.

He opened the closet and looked threw the clothes. He picked out a red and pink tunic with pants that matched it.

He then walked over to his bed and pulled the warm covers over himself, hoping that tomorrow would be better…

Next Morning

Kurama awoke with the sun pouring through a high window and into his eyes. He turned over stubbornly, but then felt a shock in the pit of his stomach as he remembered what had happened the night before. And he also remembered Kuronue telling him to not go near Youko, and for some reason Kurama believe what he had said.

Kurama carefully got out of bed; he gingerly touched his cheek to see that it hurt no longer.

He sighed and decided that he wouldn't be able to stay in this room for the rest of his life, and so left. If anything, he should find Youko and apologize to him. Yes, that idea may seem a bit backwards, but there was nothing else for Kurama to do. He couldn't spend the rest of his life hiding from Youko, could he? Certainly not. He had to make progress sometimes.

But he was too cluttered in thought to think while he walked out the door, leading him right into Youko. Kurama gasped and started to fall, but Youko quickly grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back up.

Kurama froze under Youko's harsh glare. Apologizing seemed a lot easier in his mind then it did in real life.

"Y-Youko, I-,"

"Understand," Youko finished for him with a slight smile. "I'm sorry, Koi. I have to remember that you are only human and I must be…careful with you. Would you feel better if we just put with behind us?"
Kurama couldn't say anything. Did Youko just do what he thought he did? But then something caught his eye. Kuronue behind Youko, leaning against a wall and looking rather satisfied. Did he make Youko do this? But…why?

"I asked you a question, remember Kurama, I expect you to answer,"

Kurama tore his stare away from Kuronue and looked up to Youko.

"Yes…I would like to put this behind us,"

"Very good," Youko smiled and stroked Kurama's red main while drawing him close.

Kurama hesitated and then relaxed.

Youko continue to stoke Kurama red mane, as he if was a pet, but abruptly stopped as if he had remembered something, which he did.

"Oh and Kurama, Kuronue and I will be leaving for a while. Can I trust you to be good while we are gone?"

Kurama head shot up, as if he was going to leave him here!

"Yes, of course," Kurama said a little too quickly, waking suspicion.

Youko furrowed his brow curiously and looked down at Kurama.

But then sighed and looked away. "Very well then, but do not think that you're going to be alone, so to say. Someone will come and keep on you, don't you worry. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you, would I?"

Kurama looked down and bit his lip. A long silence filled the air. It was then that Kurama recognized that Youko was asked a question.

"No..." Kurama said, a bit unsure.

Youko cast him a smile. "Good. Now, we'll be off,"

And with those last words, turned around and vanished into the darkness, following Kuronue…

Another wonderful chapter finished And I decided that I will most probably put Karasu in the story. But he's not the person who's going to look after Kurama. Karasu'll come in a few chapters Thanks for the reviews and e-mail They are greatly appreciated