Covet

Summary: Look only at me. Want only me. Be mine only. Otherwise, I'll break you. Dark!Kurama and Botan.

Warnings: crazy Kurama, strong sexual innuendos, profanities, drug use (no, not those things you get addicted to in real life. When I mean drug, I mean like, plant drugs... if that makes sense), explicit and mostly rough smut (sorry, I just like that kind of thing), kinks, blood and possible gore, kidnapping and entrapment. And because this is a dark romance fic, a lot of insanity and psychological trauma. Not to forget obsession, of course. There's gonna be a very good dose of that.

Due to the aforementioned warnings, the relationship between the two characters in this fanfic will most likely be toxic and abusive. Note that I don't condone this in real life, nor do I support any of the things mentioned above if it's happening in reality. This is only for the sake of the story. If you don't like this, please don't read.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.


Chapter 16

"Did you ask me to come here to watch or something?"

Kurama hoisted his head to level a long, hard stare on Hana, his features tight yet controlled as he parted his lips to sound out a dry remark, "Fortunately, no. I called you here to tell you that you are freed from your task."

Hana fluttered her eyelashes in a confused, startled blink. Well, that was unexpected. She hadn't anticipated to hear that, of all things, when he called her up on her cell - or more precisely, Botan's - and demanded her presence. "Freed? You mean I don't have to disguise myself as her anymore?" she asked him, bewildered shock palpable in her voice as she gestured a nod at the sleeping ferry girl for emphasis.

The redhead followed her gaze to the mildly nude Botan, her stark naked petite form covered by the white sheets reaching up to her heaving chest as if to allow her at least some shred of modesty whilst she slumbered. The slight scowl on his lips instantly dispersed from his features as it was quickly replaced by a doting, contented smile latching at the corners of his mouth as he extended a hand to brush away the long, cerulean bangs from her eyes. His beloved gave out a small, short-lived squirm in her sleep from the loving touch, her mouth mumbling something incoherent all the while. He permitted himself a fleeting second to feast his eyes on her adorable display before the smile on his visage faltered, leaving in its wake a firm, single thin line as he aimed his dimmed peridots at Hana's direction once again.

How peculiar. The plant thought as she eyed Kurama's brisk change, the life in his eyes as he stared at Botan was a direct contrast to the loss of humanity he adopted as soon as he averted his attention to her. She still deemed the contradiction in his demeanor very odd yet quite amusing at the same time - to think he would go this far for a puny ferry girl, so madly in love with the woman named Botan to the point of being willing to throw everything away in order to satiate his obsession with claiming her. And yet he seemed to also find it effortless to use others as pawns so that he could achieve his selfish goals. I can't tell if you're just a lovesick guy or if you're a sicko. Maybe both. For what it was worth though, Hana was well aware of the fact that Kurama was a formidable foe if crossed. His keen intellect and abnormal capability to keep his level-headed self at all times aside, the fact that he was the exact epitome of insanity incarnate made his virtues all the more terrifying. She might be his subordinate, but even she would admit that he was scary as hell.

"Yes," he droned, his voice bizarrely low, causing Hana to snap out of her musings. He regarded her with an unreadable expression on his countenance, though something glinted in his emeralds that made her skin crawl and prompted her to speculate the probability of him reading through her thoughts before she swiftly brushed the notion aside. He appeared to notice her brief discomfort despite her speedy efforts to obscure her anxiety, however, as there was a faintest hint of a self-satisfied smirk lingering on his lips. The fox fortunately chose not to mention it as he continued on his conversation. "Botan is pregnant. She's unable to leave me, not anymore. It won't be a problem even if she returns to Reikai."

That evoked not only a rush of surprise, but also a surge of moderate gaiety as both feelings blended within Hana's system. She raised a single, delicate eyebrow at him in slight amusement. "And you don't think that she would try to disclose what you've done to the Reikai brat? It might have only been three days since I've started impersonating her, but even I can tell that they're close. I doubt she would keep the real you a secret from someone she considers her brother."

Kurama's response was brisk, almost as if he had already prepared a counterattack to her dubious question. "She won't." His voice was knowing, the slant on his lips reflecting sinister undertones as he broadened his chilling smile just an inch. "The twins are of half-demon and half-spirit hybrids. Such a birth is unheard of in Reikai. And the spirit realm is unforgiving in terms of dealing with the unknown. They will be afraid of the children because they would gauge them as unfamiliar beings, thus the possibility of them being targeted is rather high. If Botan doesn't want anything to happen to our litter, she would do well to remember that she will fare better not to divulge in too much detail. After all," he paused in his elaboration to expel a triumphant bouts of pleased laughter, but sadistic delight remained latent underneath his chortles, "she doesn't have anyone else to depend on but me. If she tries to get rid of me, there's no backbone as support for her. She won't be capable of raising them on her own."

Hana took a moment to process something as Kurama reached over the nightstand for his mug of hot chocolate. Another fraction of a second passed between them before she verbalized a curious riposte. "What about the rest of the Reikai Tantei then? What about your friends?"

She knew that her inquiry struck a nerve when she felt a menacing, angry spike of his demon energy in the room. The air surrounding them shifted, tense and threatening as his aura flowed in composed yet belligerent waves, almost pricking into her skin like icepicks as he narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits. A small crack emitted from the mug in his right hand before he immediately cooled himself, willing his energy to circulate around him in calmer streams as he brought it to his lips, taking in a mild sip of the warm beverage into his mouth before the cocoa flavor soon melted on his tongue.

His voice was wintry cold, unlike the warmth coursing down the back of his throat and pooling in his chest. "I would assume that at this point, Botan would know better not to drag the others into this mess," he drawled, timbre as aloof as it could get as he proceeded to consume more of his hot chocolate.

At least you know that the situation is a mess. Hana mused to herself but wisely opted not to voice her perceptions aloud in fear from being mangled to death by whatever plant he was capable of summoning. But she was still pretty foolish and despite the fact that she was certain that she probably shouldn't, she nonetheless disregarded the nauseating sensation building in her gut as she shot him another question. "I thought you care about them?"

As usual, his response came in an instant, almost as if it was a second impulse as he uttered in a passive tone, "I do." He positioned his mug on his duvet-covered lap, his half-naked form reclining as he proceeded to languidly lie his back against the wooden headboard of his bed. His gaze diverted to the 8 ft windowpane to his left, his pools of greens endorsing a faraway touch as he ogled at the couple of birds perched and chirping on a single branch of the huge tree outside his house. It was almost as if his mind was drifting away, like he was floating in a nonexistent sea before light eventually returned to his jaded orbs. "But I would do just about anything to keep Botan by my side. Who I have to break and who I have to eliminate is of no importance to me. Not anymore." He directed his gape lower to his still sleeping lover, uninhibited lust and frenzied aspiration perturbing his tranquil irises as a forbidding smirk slowly crept up his face. "Of course, I care for all of my friends. But I'm willing to stoop to the lowest of the low so that no one could snatch her away from me. She's mine, for eternity. If anyone were to become a liability," His eyes flashed dangerously at Hana as he spun his attention back to her, "even if it's you, I wouldn't hesitate to cut you down. No one else means anything compared to her."

Hana felt the vomit in the pits of her stomach steadily crawling up the back of her throat as she discerned the madness evident in both his eyes and the ominous grin on his visage. She visibly blanched, giving out an involuntary flinch as his subtle threat echoed in her ears before she swallowed down a lump in her throat to eventually force herself to speak. "You're insane."

To her horror, the terrifying slant of his lips slightly spread to a wider degree. "I know."

Blood running cold at the open exhibition of shameless delirium from the fox, Hana attempted to ignore the shudders of brewing fear he managed to elicit racking down to the base of her spine as she tried to reinstate her presence of mind. She spared a brief glance at Botan, before directing her gaze back to herself. A small frown marred her forehead as she noted that she was no longer required to mimic the ferry girl's appearance. It was a good thing though - she didn't really want to be a copy of Kurama's object of neurotic infatuation.

She shook her head to dispel the hint of trepidation rising from under her skin, mouthing a silent mantra under her breath as she proceeded to strip herself off of Botan's image, sky blue strands reverting to their original citrus-colored mane as high ponytail shortened to endorse shoulder-length hair. Her lilac-imbued orbs relapsed to their default pair of verdants, ivory, flushed skin darkening into a shade of forest green as her figure transformed from its adult physique to return to its primary child-like body as her ample mounds flattened and the curve of her hips became less prominent. Her height reduced to that of 4' 11" as the pink kimono peeled away on its own accord from her anatomy and was replaced with a tangerine-hued, leafy dress reaching to her knees.

"Then what am I supposed to do now?" she calmly swerved the query at the redhead but he didn't answer her at once. His unresponsive behavior compelled her to continue, her voice now rising a notch as irritation sprouted in her insides. "I guess now that my powers are unneeded, you would want to get rid of me."

Kurama traced his index finger over the curved handle of his scarlet mug, eyes fixated on the brown-tinctured liquid inside for a few moments as he considered her question. His features wore its habitually stoic visor as he later justified her with an answer after what felt like interminable silence, "Hm. I wonder. It would be easy enough to make you wither, but at the moment, I don't think such a thing is necessary. After all, you've lended me your services for an adequate duration of time. If it hadn't been for you, I would have ignited suspicions from the others," he droned, an empty smile curling at the edges of his lips. It didn't reach his detached greens and the lack of emotion in his timbre indicated that he was far from sincere over his voiced gratitude. "But I suppose Botan would need some company whenever I'm away. Your duty is to serve me and tend to her needs, whatever they may be."

That induced a pour of perplexity to wash over her senses as another question interrupted the recesses of her mind. "Company? I don't believe I understand. I mean, didn't you say that you're releasing her back to Reikai? Why would you need me to be by her side?" she couldn't help but bombard him with the long list of baffled inquiries.

Again, he didn't offer her an elucidation all at once as he nodded once to the vintage wardrobe at the other end of the room. Hana observed for a short moment as vines slithered from the cracks in the ceiling and proceeded to glide their way downwards to the furniture, curling around a single handle before prying one door open and grabbing for the bleached, cotton towel inside. A long, sole vine skirted at Kurama's direction, obediently handing it to him before once again disappearing as they climbed back to their original hiding spot.

"If Reikai's higher ups are how I presume they are, then she would be unable to return to the spirit realm," Kurama's response eventually resonated as he threw his legs over the edge of the bed. "I'm going to meet Koenma with her tomorrow. Both you and Botan would have to stay here to make the story I've come up to be more plausible. After all, you've only been gone for a few minutes and I would prefer not to elicit anyone's suspicions that she could get pregnant so quickly."

"You could make it come across as if she's just found out," Hana offered before she swivelled her head around to peer away as he then stood up and hooked the towel around his waist.

"Perhaps," Kurama echoed before he took a moment for a deliberate pause to sort out his musings. Briefly, the prospect of Botan's impending anger flashed in his mind as he considered the risk he would probably have to tell her that inhabiting Reikai would possibly be an impossible notion in the near future. Regardless, he would coerce her into yielding to him as he regularly would so he didn't really reckon it to be an issue. "But it's not exactly as if she's capable of discussing the matter with Koenma at the moment. She would need some time to… collect her bearings before we head to the spirit realm. She's quite distraught over the sudden course of events, you see. And I wouldn't want to add to the mounting stress on her mental health." Then if I'm lucky, Koenma would be scared of Enma-sama issuing commands to dissect her to let her stay, he inwardly added in his thoughts but wisely opted not to verbalize his conceptions out loud.

"You say that as if you don't know what's the cause of her pain," came Hana's quick snide remark, before she drummed a demeaning scoff. It was ironic that he sounded so concerned despite being the source of Botan's mental strain. Kurama shot her a weird look, but fortunately enough, chose to let the implication in her words slide.

She didn't know if she had been lucky, but she felt nevertheless blessed that he opted not to kill her right then and there. I would be traumatized too if I were her, she mentally supplied but decided against voicing the sentence aloud this time in case it would result in Kurama's change of mind to actually put an end to her. She spared another fleeting glance at Botan's slumbering form under the white, velvet-materialed quilt, a wave of pity pooling at the middle of her chest as she noted the ferry girl's innocent-seeming snoozing guise.

Really, how was she able to withstand the emotional trauma that no doubt accompanied the curse of being Kurama's target of affection? Botan not only had to suffer through the guilt of having her suitor tortured then murdered for the simple reason of pursuing her, she was also kept hidden away from everything she had known in her life during her captivity. Even if her entrapment had thankfully been fairly brief due to the abrupt pregnancy no one saw coming, the toll on her mental health must be immeasurable, especially when she was forced into a state of complete submission where her freedom was adamantly robbed from her. Not to mention, she was currently expecting twins who were fathered by the exact monster who not only kept her detained in his residence, but also manipulated her through any means he could possibly attempt.

If Botan were a normal person, she would have gone insane a long time ago from the emotional wounds inflicted on her. Perhaps her being a grim reaper and subsequent messenger of Death contributed to her strong fortitude and equally powerful mental stability. Although, with what had occurred so far, Hana knew that she was already on the verge of breaking. With Kurama, it was only a matter of time before she was reduced into a lifeless doll doomed to follow him for the rest of her life. Hana had never experienced compassion, but the feeling she was undergoing was the closest to that as she continued to stare at Botan.

Truth be told, when she first sprouted into existence, she was nothing but an empty, mindless shell until Kurama thought her knowledge and nursed her abilities to their maximum point. But he didn't educate her on the concept of emotions, probably out of his own desire to maintain their relationship as detached as possible and his aim of making her more compliant to his orders. When he proffered her a lock of Botan's hair in order to get her started on her duty of imitating Botan's identity, Hana didn't think much of it because she was, in a way, a slave he conjured to exist for the sole purpose of fulfilling his objectives. She wasn't supposed to feel, but for some reason, after three days of adapting to Botan's life, she began seeing things in a newfound perspective.

Botan's peers, Ayame and Hinageshi especially, were warm and friendly. Their behaviors around her were unparalleled to Kurama's cold, robotic treatment towards her, and before she knew it, she began developing attachments to them. Hana was aware that Kurama discerned her slight change in the way he tended to endorse a more ruthless demeanor around her after that. And although she was still not accustomed to the act of sparing a sliver of humanity for the dead souls she ferried, she nevertheless found Botan's line of work to be more fulfilling and wholesome than hers. Even Koenma's overprotective, non-related brother's streak seemed endearing to her. But that was it; the people at Reikai perceived her as Botan, not as herself. The kindness they directed at her was not for her, but for Botan. For a while, Hana felt envious towards the ferry girl. But now that the people Hana deemed as priceless were snatched away from Botan just like that, she couldn't help but feel a remnant of condolence for her. Imagine having a life congested with friendship and joy replaced with the fact of being indefinitely shackled to Kurama.

…Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to keep her company. Maybe. If only for her renewed respect and blended sympathy and self-condemnation for playing a role in subjecting Botan to a traumatized state, Hana figured she wouldn't mind befriending her. After all, could such a creature who was so loved at her home realm be anything but a blessing to her at this point?

She averted her attention to Kurama, who was on his last sip of his hot chocolate before he set the mug back on its default spot on the nightstand.

Despite the fact that he was raised as a human by Shiori, the fox was more merciless than her and Hana was more humane than he was. It made her ponder who the monster between them really was. If anything, in spite of his remorse for holding Botan captive, he undeniably prioritized his selfish desire to keep her locked away.

Her relationship with Kurama was the definition of bizarre at its finest. Although she harbored boundless appreciation for his sharp wits, and in spite of her own share of gratitude towards him for bringing her to life and granting her a chance to experience at least a residue of pleasant moments, Hana also portioned a sense of mutual distrust towards him as he did towards her. In part, she hated him for treating her more of a slave and less than some sort of adopted child of his that she realized she had hoped for. It didn't help that she also fostered a sentiment of profuse disgust over the lengths that he was willing to go to force Botan to succumb to him. Despite her conflicting emotions, however, Hana was binded to the contract he coerced on her upon birth. She was powerless against him, forced to carry out whatever tasks he conferred her in spite of her budding reluctance. She was the Kuronishi after all, and the solitary grounds for her existence was that she was to serve him and lead a life of deceit if and whenever he commanded her.

And Hana was nothing short of wise. She was the farthest from a delusional half-wit clinging to the hope of being adored as more than a mere plant. She knew better than anyone that Kurama had long since readied himself to terminate her if she were to become an obstacle in his thorny path. He needed only Botan. No one else really meant anything. In the unlikely scenario that there would be an upcoming hindrance, he was prepared to decimate even his own long-time allies.

Hana had mustered up her resolve to be someday massacred once he was done with her, but instead, she was bestowed another opportunity. And Botan was that opportunity. Despite everything, Hana nonetheless craved to be loved and accepted as who she really was. A small part of her hoped it would be the ferry girl to grant her wish.

"Fine," Hana eventually murmured after what felt like forever of immersing herself in her sentiments and thoughts. She levelled what she hoped was a distant guise as she finally gestured her gaze back to Kurama. "I'm obligated to follow your orders anyway. If you want me to be her friend, then I'm supposed to comply."

There was a long-lasting pause as Kurama's expression remained unchanged. He stood still, peridots fixed on the carpeted floor as his features stayed indifferent, a certain chilling composure lingering underneath his jaded irises as he finally turned to look at her. For the longest time, he simply peered at her - or through her was more like it. Hana was used to him trying to dissect whatever laid beneath her level-headed shell.

His lips then slowly slanted into a disdainful-tinted smile. His voice was dangerously low, heavily laced with an intimidating edge of a warning as he drawled out the words, "You can't fool me, Hana. I made you. I can feel your desire to befriend her on your own will. Even if I hadn't told you to, I expected you would do it anyway. It's not as if you have anything else to cling to."

A pang of hurt striked at the middle of her chest, the ache immediately fusing with fermenting ire as she clenched her fists at either sides of her hips to prevent herself from lashing out. She wanted to at least be able to punch him in the face or kick him in his gut for his deliberate provocations, but the overwhelming fright he evoked from her under his withering gape was enough to keep her rooted on her spot.

But he persisted anyway, endorsing as austere a timbre as ever as he spoke, "You're welcome to like her and get attached to her if you want. I won't stop you. Unless you're planning on either developing feelings for her and becoming a handicap in my schemes, it doesn't mean anything to me."

Then, without waiting for her to even verbalize either a protest or a snarky interpose, he trudged past her and stalked towards the bathroom. He was about halfway through sliding the door open when she finally chose to muster up the courage to speak.

"Did you plan the pregnancy?" she asked him, not even bothering to whirl around to face him. A part of her mulled over the chances of him anticipating the course of events. After all, he was an abnormal expert at getting things to go the way he wanted them to. It wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that it was his aim all along to steer things to the present situation.

He responded in kind as he stepped into the threshold of the toilet. "No, but it's working to my benefit nonetheless."


Vapour fluttered all around him in the tiled, undyed and coaled bathroom as Kurama threw his head back, a hum of a joyous tune rippling from the back of his throat as he allowed the warmth of the lukewarm water leaking out of the shower head to engulf him. His unruly vermillion mane began to flatten against his lean, muscular form as it became increasingly drenched from the onslaught of liquid dripping on his ruby-colored tendrils. Droplets of water trickled down all over his body, the pleasant aroma of his rose-scented shampoo intruding his nostrils as the fragrance grew to be stronger with each passing second he spent washing his hair.

Did you plan it?

Hana's question reverberated in a loud, repeating echo in his mind and he slid his clamped shut eyes steadily open. Did he plan it? To be honest, it would be a lie on his part to say that he had never considered the concept of getting Botan pregnant to coerce her into staying. But he had never instigated the possible method simply due to the reason that the probability of her expecting was rather too unpredictable for him to rely on the devious ploy. He needed a way to sink his claws into her in an instant, and targeting Shouji, along with keeping her confined to his home was the best strategy he could come up with. After all, he had her to himself the entire time - she need not submerge herself in her busy schedule, thus granting him more quality time with her. Besides, he derived immense sadistic pleasure in the fact that he was the one and only person she could see and converse with. She didn't need anyone else but him.

But now that she was pregnant, it couldn't get any better. Their mating mark aside, the presence of their unborn twins compelled her to let him chain her down. There was no longer any probable escape route for her. She was to be his forever and ever, regardless of whether she wanted it or not.

Still, it gave rise for more curious queries to plague his subconscious. It was a fact that he tended to discharge his seed into her every time they had sex, sometimes going at it on more times than he could keep count to satisfy his primal urges. But he hadn't anticipated for it to reach the point of pregnancy - after all, demons' statistics when it came to fathering or mothering offspring was relatively low in comparison to humans. It wasn't that they were infertile, but rather, their bodies were more intended for combat and riskless mating sessions than raising their litter. Of course, it didn't mean that it was impossible - it was just that in juxtaposition to mortals, their tendency to breed was on a less frequent scale.

Despite it though, he would admit that a part of him intended to get her pregnant, but aside from the nature of demons' bodies, he also wasn't certain how spirit forms, especially grim reapers like her, inclined to function. Was she even capable of carrying a baby? He had never caught wind of reports about ferry girls giving birth, mostly because he figured out later through investigation out of the sake of satisfying his interest that they were habitually reincarnations of pure-spirited souls who had the misfortune of dying horrible deaths. They weren't birthed into the world, nor did they go through the process of pregnancy and delivering a baby. Their existence was purely an endless cycle of samsara. But apparently, the answer was positive - only he hadn't been convinced over it up until now.

Then there was the issue of the Blood Festival. Kurama was fairly certain that in a very elevated likelihood that Youko might have fathered one of the twins in his single day of reigning supremacy over him. The Blood Moon was proficient in heightening not only bloodlust, but also mating instincts. It wouldn't be too preposterous to surmise that it had probably also increased the chances of fertility. If he had to be honest, the mere thought that Youko had feasibly managed to implant his own child into Botan made the blood in his gut boil in both fury and jealousy. But whatever the case, Kurama felt obligated to at least treat Youko's probable stripling in a civil manner. After all, no matter what, they were still Botan's as well - as much as he hated to admit it.

He detested the mere prospect of sharing her. If another man dirtied her with his touch, Kurama felt impelled to clean her up with his. She was his and his alone, after all, and not even his other half could do anything about it.


A/N: I actually wanted to write more but had to cut it short because my period cramps were bothering me. But I gave more exposition to Hana's feelings and thoughts to hopefully proffer her at least a little development, so if you thought I was detailing her musings a lot then yes, I was lol. She's going to be a major character later in the story after all. But if I had to put it frankly, I've actually planned everything from start to finish for this story, even already having an ending in mind. Though I had to make a lot of tweaks when the idea of getting Botan knocked up was more appealing. Thanks again to kyoandyuya for giving the suggestion! Still, I'm already conjuring up the future scenarios for this story and ngl, lol, it's become more interesting thanks to the addition of the twins. In my head at least. I just hope I can put my plans into words lmao and hopefully don't forget them.

Howdy Aamy- Aw, don't be scared to leave a review! As the author, I always feel obligated to translate a reader's review if ever and whenever they're talking in a foreign language. English is not exactly my native language either so I do understand where you're coming from. My english proficiency isn't really the best either lol. But it's okay, I just love interacting with my readers. Well, I'm 25 this May, so hey, at least you're three months older than me XD. I have a lot of reasons for shipping KB as well, but I feel like it would be a 10k worth of essay so I'll spare you the details for now and disclose them on a later date lmao. But they're the first two characters I ship, and they remain as my OTP to this day.

Well, if you felt sorry for Hana, you'll probably feel even worse for her in this chapter lmao. There are few foreshadowing here and there, but try to guess which part. I purposely made the entire mating rules as their senses being linked to subject Botan to more torture - jk, I just thought it would be more interesting that way. But yes, Kurama's a sick and twisted guy. What's worse is that he's extremely sharp-witted so he's always a lot of steps ahead. I feel like insane, intellectual people like him in this story are the scariest psychopaths by far.

And yes, Botan's situation is as bad as it is, but it'll get worse in the future. Lol. Just wait and see XD. If you think getting pregnant is by far the worst possible outcome under these circumstances, then… welp. You'll be in for a ride in future updates. But I'm planning on making the twins her therapeutic persons in this fic, so yeah, at least she has a little bit of reprieve. I mean, I don't know. Kurama's senses are pretty enhanced - he's a demon, after all, and not to mention, he's really smart, so I felt like it was more logical to have him reach the conclusion on his own.

And as usual, I'm sorry for not replying to everything. There's also a few spoilers if I answer some of your questions so I chose to let you read them on your own rather than disclosing everything lol XD.

kyoandyuya- Did you scream because you were excited? Lol, I hope so XD. Wellll… The rivalry really is going to be a big part of the story later on. I have a really nice scenario where Kurama and Youko might end up splitting and this might turn more into Kurama/Botan/Youko sort of fic but I'm still unsure if I should apply it. I'm scared that some of the readers might not like it, but it also seems appealing to me lmao. And you betcha that they would get competitive even in the regards of their litter lol. You know, Youko and Kurama make such good rivals because Youko's practically better than him in almost every aspect despite the fact Kurama was the first one to make Botan his. Kurama's going to be bitter about it for a long time and Youko's obviously not going to give in and let him win just like that. That's also why the idea of breaking them apart into two individuals is soooooo tempting, I swear, if only for the reason that I want to make the competition more fair lmao. But I also feel torn apart because Shuichi/Kurama is going to be insecure about it lol. Still, Kurama's been having it easy having Botan to himself this entire time after all. I feel compelled to make Youko spend more time with Botan.

And about Hana, well, he's grateful that she's helped him this far, but to him, she's nothing but a mere pawn in his plans. She is going to play a major role in the story though, in a way. Kurama can be pretty civil if he considers that it would also be Botan's child, despite one of them being fathered by Youko. Youko's clearly going to be meaner to Kurama's kid behind Botan's back though, but not enough to kill the child because again, still Botan's lol. XD

Tashio- Agreed! Lol, Youko's like that one handsome hunk who is also a head-turner on the street. No one ever doubts his masculinity. Kurama/Shuichi, on the other hand, though… he honestly could pull off looking like a girl. Even his Japanese VA is a woman, for god's sake XD. He's definitely going to have an inferiority complex against Youko. Ah… so tempted to make this a Kurama/Botan/Youko, I swear.