To those who never read the original or just don't remember, let me state now that I have changed things from Kurama's past. I know the official storyline, and I don't care. In my world, Kurama and Hiei have been together for near five-hundred years. In my world, Kurama went through several years just struggling to survive before he became the infamous and much-feared thief known as Youko. I do not want reviews telling me everything I've done wrong.
This doesn't have much of an effect yet, but Kurama's past is slightly mentioned in this chapter, so I thought I'd get out my warning now. I do not want to have to put up with the crap I had to wade through the last time. Sorry if this sounds rude, but I'm not in a very good mood at the moment; this chapter was like pulling teeth.
Warnings: Yaoi. AU. I change a lot of the cannon. I don't own anything.
(Z)
Yusuke woke up alone, the bed beside him already cooled.
Were it not for the barrage of strange images running through his mind, he would have thought that the events of the night before had been merely a product of his imagination.
But the place on the bed beside him was rumpled and carried the slight sent of roses.
There was a long, red strand of hair on the other pillow.
Yusuke lay back against the headboard, and fought the urge to laugh. A crazed, unbelieving, there's-gotta-be-no-way-in-hell-this-could-be-happening laugh seemed appropriate at the moment, but he wasn't certain he had the strength for it.
That couldn't have…there was no way…
But there was no way to argue against the evidence.
Kurama had spent the night with him.
Yusuke took a deep breath. The thought hadn't been as difficult to form as he had expected it to; however, said thought was impossible to voice.
Beautiful, perfect Kurama, with his unreadable, secret smiles and those eyes, so compelling, sparked with mischief. It didn't seem possible that he had held that pale, supple body against his own, tasted that soft, blossom-scented skin. Yusuke Urameshi, dirty and poor and foolish, could not have elicited those soft gasps of pleasure from the fox's lovely mouth.
Yet what other excuse was there for the memory of the sight of that pale, bare skin, radiant in the moonlight? The sound of the soft sigh as the fox had drifted off to sleep, or the lullaby of his breathing? What explanation could there be for the burning pain of scratches slashed deeply into his back by the demon's nails?
Warm breath on his skin, heated whispers in his ear, a lithe body curled so perfectly against his own…
Yusuke covered his eyes with the heels of his palms, trying and failing to simply understand.
Was this a good thing, or a bad thing? What had he done? What did it mean?
Groaning, he grabbed a pillow and threw it across the room. Too many thoughts flying about his mind. His own doubts and fears were in feral combat with the memory of Kurama, the simple urge to let loose of everything but the way it had made him feel to matter to another person, if only for a few too-short hours.
He was sorely tempted to duck under the covers and go back to sleep, to spend the rest of his natural life hiding up in that room.
Except that Yusuke Urameshi did not hide. He could not face Kurama, he could not face
Hiei.
But he would.
He dressed quickly, fearful of loosing his nerve, and even ran a brush through his hair before heading downstairs.
The two demons were in the kitchen, just as he had expected. Kurama reading his paper, dressed in pajamas he certainly had not slept in. Hiei, across from him, absorbed in his meal.
"Good morning, my dear." Kurama greeted, slowly looking up from his paper, eyes trapping Yusuke. A slight, teasing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Did you ah…sleep well?"
Hiei snorted loudly. "Did you sleep at all?" He asked coldly.
He knew. He had to know. Had Kurama told him, or was it just Hiei-weirdness – the undeniable and much lamentable unwritten law that if there was something you didn't want the diminutive demon to know, he would be the first to find out.
Unable to think of a response, Yusuke took his usual seat between the two and waited for Hiei to demand the right to fight him for sleeping with his longtime lover.
"I'm afraid all we have this morning is cereal or toast." Kurama informed him smoothly, motioning languidly to the counter. "Help yourself if you're hungry."
"Hiei didn't cook?" He blurted, immediately regretting it.
The small warrior didn't look up. "I only cook after getting sex." He stated. "Obviously, you got all the sex last night."
"Listen, man…"
Hiei's head shot up, blood-red gaze trapping Yusuke. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "So I guess you should have been the one to make breakfast today. Rather lax in your duties, aren't you? Do I need to take out the French maid's outfit again?"
"Wh…what?"
The phone began to ring. With one of his small, secretive smiles, Kurama rose to get it, leaving his two companions alone. The resulting stony silence was awkward enough to make Yusuke want to scream.
"Are we going to have a problem?" He asked finally.
Hiei looked up again once more, eyes unreadable. "Why would we have a problem?"
"Because of…you know…"
"The fox?" The small demon gave a snort as if amused. "Oh, I see. You think I'm angry because you slept with him."
"Well, you two are…you know…together, right?"
Crimson eyes, blazing, boring into him. "Are you an imbecile?"
"What?"
Purposefully, Hiei slid his bowl away from himself, setting his spoon down. Suddenly his full attention was completely, uncomfortably, on Yusuke in the way only Hiei could do. Somehow, the intensity of the small man made one feel…isolated.
"You stupid humans are so blind. Tell me detective; what reason is there for a demon to show loyalty to any one person? What room is there for monogamy when at any time your trust could be betrayed, your companion killed, your plans changed? Versatility is how one stays alive on the demon plane, detective. Those who are set in their ways die."
"So…you don't care if he cheats on you?"
"He isn't cheating because we aren't exclusive." He snapped. "Is it that difficult to understand? We don't operate that way."
"Then…"
Hiei glared, daring him to ask another stupid question.
Yusuke was never one to back down from a dare.
"You aren't in love with him, then?"
Hiei's jaw dropped. Yusuke had never seen him look so shocked.
"…No." He managed finally, after gaping for several moments. He looked away, crossing his arms. "Anyway, Kurama needs sex. He's too much of a slut to go without it. The more lovers he has, the less strain it is on me."
"Don't call him that."
Hiei shrugged. "He doesn't care. And anyway, it's true."
"Stop that."
"You don't understand." He grumbled, turning his glare back to Yusuke. "And it just figures that he would leave me to spell it out for you."
"Don't do me any favors."
"Foxes are promiscuous by nature, but Kurama has plant magic, which makes it worse." He explained grudgingly, scowling as the young human failed to understand the import of his words. "Plant magic centers around the forces of life. Birth, life, death, and birth, in an endless cycle. Try to understand how important mating would be to that cycle."
"So…"
"So sex gives him power. Do you understand now or do I need to use smaller words?" Hiei glared a moment before rising and taking his bowl to the sink. Yusuke barely heard his next words. "Just make certain you heed my warning and don't get too attached to him, detective."
"Hiei?"
Ignoring him as if he had suddenly ceased to exist, the small demon left, brushing past Kurama in the doorway.
"Did you two argue?" The fox asked with a frown, watching his small lover stalk away.
Yusuke squinted, staring at him.
All he could see was Kurama. Beautiful, gentle in appearance, so quiet and graceful and sere. He had seen the man battle, but it was difficult to picture the man before him as the ruthless, efficient warrior he depended on without second thought during battle. Neither did he see the cold, frightening silver fox who made regular-Kurama's battle style look sloppy and merciful.
All he could see was Kurama, standing under that umbrella in the rain, offering him his hand and pulling him close to share body heat. Kurama, in the car in the bright sun, comforting him with gentle words after his confrontation with Atsuko.
Kurama in the greenhouse, pressing himself so very close, lips so very sweet.
Kurama in the night, graceful fingers tangled in his hair as he arched himself against him and silently promised everything Yusuke had ever wanted.
"Yusuke?"
He smiled, pushing Hiei's words away.
"No, we didn't fight."
An answering smile. One of those rare, stunning, magical smiles.
"Good. It does make me happy to see you two getting along."
Kurama had certainly felt a note of apprehension upon waking to find himself in the arms of the young detective he had so long lusted for. Humans were often so quick to jump to conclusions; the few times he had tried with one had ended in disasters.
Then Hiei had greeted him with a bitter "congratulations" and he'd had a new fear – a fear that somehow his actions could hurt his friendship with the small demon he had depended on so resolutely for nearly half a millennia.
He shouldn't have wasted the time, really. A few moments of feeling his companion out and he had discovered that nothing had changed. Of course his worries would have been unfounded – and Hiei would laugh if he ever heard that Kurama had expected him to react so…so humanly.
His second concern had been put to rest when Yusuke had arrived for breakfast and, aside from some not-unexpected awkwardness, things had been fairly normal. He had been reluctant to leave his two lovers alone while he went to answer the phone (it had been his mother – her weekly call to make sure he was doing all right on his own and try to convince him to move back home) but all seemed to have turned out all right. They hadn't been fighting, at least.
He hadn't seen much of either after that, of course. Hiei and Yusuke had gone their separate ways to train, Kurama had gone to finish his work in the greenhouse.
Walking out of the shower, later that evening, he ran into Yusuke in the hallway, and knew the dark haired human had been waiting for him.
"We need to talk." He announced, their time apart having apparently been enough time for him to begin doubting himself.
Kurama smiled as much encouragement as he was able and motioned the boy into his bedroom. Kurama sat, but Yusuke began to pace. The human boy made no move to start the conversation, however.
"I'm glad you found me." Kurama said at last, deciding it would perhaps be better (and put his companion at ease) if he began it. "I wanted to speak with you, as well."
"Are you ah…staying here tonight?"
He shook his head, thankful he didn't need to think of an opening. "I will be with Hiei tonight."
"So you really do…"
"Really do what?"
Yusuke flushed, unable to look away in time to hide it.
"There is something I want you to know, my dear." Kurama said gently, choosing his words carefully. "I leave it to you to interpret what last night meant."
His gaze shot back to him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
Kurama shrugged. "I mean just what it sounds like I mean." He answered smoothly. "If the events of last night were merely some temporary thing…some release you needed yet were not able to ask for then you need not further concern yourself. If it was merely some one night stand for you, then I will not be offended."
"And if I want something more?" The youth asked sharply, his words a challenge.
Kurama stood and crossed the room to him, taking his hands lightly in his own and brushing a kiss against his cheek.
"I you want something more," He whispered into the soft shell of his ear, "Then I will be most flattered. But if it is a relationship you want, then you must be made aware that there are a few…rules…which I must insist on."
"Rules?"
He nodded, stepping away. "They are very important to me." He told him quietly, allowing some of the old darkness to creep into his eyes. Some of the dark memories he hadn't thought about in so long – nightmares chased away by none other than Hiei.
Yusuke allowed him to lead him to the bed, where they sat next to each other, somewhere between friends and lovers.
"Should you wish a relationship with me, Yusuke, then you must know that I insist on equality in all things."
"All…" He watched the thought formulate in the young man's mind, watched realization strike, and understanding take root. The detective let his breath out in a long stream, paling. "I see."
"A very elementary concept, taking turns." Kurama mused. "But one which is very, very important to me. Dominance is shared, and any action one takes is, by assumption, permissible for the other to do…am I making myself clear in my explanation? I would like to avoid becoming too…explicit…"
Yusuke shook his head, still pale. "No, I…I get it. So then, if we continued this, then the next time I would be the one to be…"
"Correct."
He watched the bewildered human think it over. Quickly, Yusuke looked at him, eyes just a little too wide.
"I'm not offending you, am I?" He asked hastily. "It's just…you know…" He lowered his voice, flushing in a most uncharacteristically charming manner. "I've never been with another guy before…never even thought about it before you. I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with…"
Kurama placed a hand on his knee, watched him jump, and leaned in to brush a kiss against his temple.
"There's no rush, my dear. But now you know how I feel on the matter…and that I am not against something more than friendship between us. But realize also that what happened last night can never happen again unless my terms are accepted. I cannot bend in this."
He nodded, miserable with the weight of the decision.
"Kurama?" He asked as the demon rose to his feet.
"Mmm?"
"Does Hiei have to follow the…the rules?"
The fox permitted himself a small smile. "No. There's no need; the rules mirror exactly my relationship with him. I created them at his urging, after he saw how much I allowed my other lovers to hurt me…I cannot speak on it further." It hurt too much to think about; he hadn't done so in over a century.
He tilted Yusuke's chin up and kissed him once quickly before moving away.
He hoped to make his escape before the human boy asked any more questions.
Yusuke called his name as he reached the door and he was forced to pause, turn back to the dark haired human boy who looked to very young and vulnerable all the sudden. How long had it been, Kurama reflected, since the last time he had seen the boisterous, energetic Yusuke Urameshi he remembered?
"Do you care about me?" The boy asked, a child alone in the dark and afraid of the unknown monsters that lurked in the shadows.
"Define 'care'." Kurama answered carefully, lifting his shoulders in a graceful shrug. "Am I in love with you? No. Am I your friend? I would like to think so. Do I find you beautiful and exhilarating and addicting? Very much." Kurama turned to him fully, allowing a full, real smile. "I do want to see you safe and happy and warm though, whatever that means to you."
Yusuke was carefully not looking at him.
"The thing is," He said hesitantly, "I just really need you to care. I just really…really need that right now." A shuddering breath. "I want a relationship, Kurama. Whatever that means. Sharing you with Hiei, sharing dominance…whatever it takes. I really need this."
"Good then."
He looked up, eyes dark and confused. "It's nothing personal, though. I think right now I would be willing to pounce on anyone."
"Then you're lucky you were first found by a friend." Kurama smiled.
"But is that all right?"
Kurama hesitated. "Sometimes, my dear, it is better to avoid emotional attachment."
To Be Continued
Yeah, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. Why? All the awkward conversations, of course. But they were necessary and now they're over and everything's peachy. Yeah…
I can't decide if Yusuke is ooc or not. He's very vulnerable right now, so I don't think my portrayal of his is entirely out of line, but it does seem like a long time since he's been "classic Yusuke." Part of the problem, I think, is that the cannon Yusuke is so one-dimensional…Anyway, let me know what you think – but be nice about it!
Response to Reviewers:
Well, apparently, this isn't allowed anymore. Someone explain to me please why has to be uber nazis about everything. I'm serious. I'd post somewhere else, but I'm a review whore and one does not get as much response in other places. Still, I am getting tired of being dicated to...anyway, if you sign in when you review, I'll try to reply...even though this way is much easier...for those who don't or can't...I'm sorry! I still love you! (Considering breaking rules...)
Kit! That announcement's been up for weeks and you just now notcied it? Yeah, well, I don't read the announcements. I was in a bad mood to begin with and now I'm pissed. (Does not like being told what to do...)