POV shift that I'm a little nervous over in this chapter. Be kind to my battered heart.

Warnings: Yaoi. Creative license. POV Shift. Language. Ownership of absolutely nothing. Short chapter.

That damned fox.

Steady breathing and firm control were all that prevented him from expressing his annoyance as he felt his companion shift to what had fast been termed his "forbidden" form.

A thousand years was a long time to simmer in hatred. His blindness cut him off from the world, leaving the pretty youkai who had never wanted for companionship with a permanent sense of isolation that no amount of pleasant company would ever manage to break through. Strength was the only solace.

Yomi understood the fox's reasons for turning against him. Hadn't he even admitted that he would have done the same, had their positions been reversed? He knew that he was fortunate that it had only been his sight which he had lost.

His hatred, however, would not be mollified.

He had admired Youko Kurama to the point of worship. He had been proud of his position as the great thief's second, thrilled every time the youko had spoken of the future he planned to carve out and included Yomi in those plans.

"One day, Yomi, we'll be strong enough to challenge even the4 kings themselves."

We had been a beautiful word, back then.

Yomi's hatred, however, had not begun when he had begun to suspect of his "friend's" betrayal. Nor had it began when the fox had failed to rescue him from his attacker.

The hatred had been there almost from the very beginning. From the first time the fox had turned to a stranger for sex, not even taking Yomi into consideration. From the first time the Youko had laughed out loud at his second's suggestion that he be the one to help him "recharge."

All those years of following him, wanting him. Kurama had no idea of the depths of Yomi's emotions – then or now. The fox suspected the hatred, clearly, but had never bothered to see the rest. The devotion. The admiration. The love.

Even now…

He hated that damned fox with every fiber of his being, but that hatred was nothing in comparison with everything else.

But Kurama wouldn't see it.

The threats, the mind games, the double-talk and intrigue – they were all necessary. That was the way Kurama's mind worked, the only way to deal with him on his level. Anything else and the challenger would find himself flat on his back, dead.

Youko had to be met on Youko's terms.

He could feel the heat of the fox's glare on his face, and his torturous mind gave him the image of eyes as green as grass after a spring rain.

Damn that fox. He was harder to deal with when the addition of his unfamiliar yet enticing human aspect so clear and present in Yomi's mind. When plotting his revenge, Yomi hadn't considered his own reaction to Kurama's humanity. Humans were fragile, near-to-worthless. Food.

But the delicacy and weakness of the human form somehow made the irresistible Youko even moreso – a fact the damn fox had no doubt known when he had forbidden Yomi his human form. When he had described himself to him, despite the king's wishes.

His traitorous mind provided him even more than the awful, enticing vision of those eyes. He knew the fox was standing before him, glaring, but in his mind, Yomi saw the thin and delicate form of a human boy, draped in the Youko's elegance.

"I think I will return home tomorrow." Kurama announced coldly, his glare so hot on Yomi's face that the king half expected his skin to blister and peel away. Yomi wondered if the sudden switch to the human form had been an accidental result of the fox's anger, or if Kurama had done it deliberately, because of his anger, in order to make this conversation more painful. "I've paid your price. I hope you're satisfied with your 'whore'."

It wasn't supposed to have gone this way. The best thing that could have happened would have been that Kurama would have been so guilty and so fearful of Yomi's power that he would have allowed the king anything.

Yomi had known that option would not happen though, though he had fantasized of it fondly.

He had hoped though – as he had hoped every since the beginning of their relationship, so many long years ago – that once he had managed to claim Kurama's body, he would be able to claim the rest of him. Surely through their bodies he could prove the love and devotion he would never be able to express any other way.

But once more that damned fox had proven himself far too unpredictable.

"Please, don't leave so soon."

"I've already stayed longer than I had planned for."

He could hear the fox moving around the room, gathering his clothes and dressing himself.

"I didn't mean to say those things."

There was a silence. Yomi couldn't hear the fox move, but he could smell the floral perfume of his skin, and he felt the rose-petal softness of his lips as they brushed his lightly, mockingly.

"You meant them," Kurama said against his mouth. "And, for all I know, they are an accurate statement. Whether or not you had the right to such a statement, however, is another matter."

A displacement of air as he moved away. Yomi fumbled to disentangle himself from the sheets.

"Kurama?"

His voice came from the door.

"I've met your price, you did not negotiate for anything more than one night, which you have now received. I do hope you enjoyed it, because you won't be getting another chance."

"Kurama!"

"I will return with the warriors I promised. I do try to keep my word nowadays."

The door opened, the door closed.

Yomi was alone.

TBC

Response to Unsigned Reviews:

Lola - No, no, I love analysis. It's what I do all day in school. (grins) I have a lot of fun playing with Kurama's character, and it's always really interesting to get responses on what I've done or haven't done. Some things that seem natural for him to me surprise people, while things that I think are a stretch don't get remarked on. That's the beauty of writing I guess. Oh. And: I-like-dashes.(g) Thanks!

guiltyamethyst - here's hoping it continues to go toward "liking it"!