I like milk.
Warnings: Yaoiness. AUness. Non-ownership of character-ness. 'Nuff said.
"Pat? Can't you see here I'm holding a baby hostage? I'll have to call him back!"
-Desperate Housewives
Like two angels they lay, arms tight around each other, a dark head tucked under a stubborn chin, a bandaged hand resting possessively atop a slim hip.
Angels.
If only he had brought his camera.
It was with considerable reluctance that Kurama knelt beside the sleeping duo, reaching out a hand to shake the shoulder of the smaller of the two.
Hiei struggled up from sleep, glaring blearily at him.
"What the hell do you want, fox?" He growled.
Unable to hide his amused smile, Kurama leaned forward to brush a kiss against his smallest lover's soft lips before motioning to the boy beside him.
"Quiet now, my dear, we don't want to wake our detective just yet."
Sitting up, Hiei blinked down at Yusuke for a few moments, visibly struggling to wake up. It was flattering that he recognized Kurama's energy well enough to have allowed himself to sleep so soundly in his presence. Anyone else and the small demon would have been on his feet fully awake, his sword drawn, the moment the tent flap opened.
"How did that happen?"
Kurama shrugged, continuing to smile. For some reason, the sight of his lovers in each other's arms had made him feel…happy.
"I left the tent to greet the morning and wash my face. When I returned, you were like this. You must have gravitated to each other."
Hiei glanced once more at Yusuke, face scrunched up ever so adorably, before shrugging and laying back down with a grunted "don't care."
"No, no, don't go back to sleep!" Kurama gave the smaller demon a shake, earning himself a glare, and couldn't help but to laugh. Mornings with Hiei were one of his favorite things about their relationship.
Who ever would have guessed that the prickly little man had the capacity for such…cuteness?
"I thought of something last night, and I need your help getting it prepared."
"It's too early to be kinky, fox." The small man growled, attempting, once more, to return to sleep. This time when Kurama pulled him back up, the small demon actually took a swing at him.
"Want to sleep!" The dark haired imp complained irritably.
"Come come now, my dear. I truly do need your help."
Yusuke awoke alone, the sheets around him already cooled and a note on his pillow.
Please tidy the bedrolls before joining us for breakfast.
-K
He bristled, but seeing as it was fairly difficult to argue with a note, did as asked before dressing and leaving the tent.
A small fire had been lit and his companions were gathered around it. Oddly enough, Kuwabara seemed to be munching on a cereal bar while Kurama drew on him, of all things.
"What the…?"
"Good morning, my dear." Kurama greeted, not taking his attention from whatever he was doing to the large human's arm. There were several shallow bowls around him, filled with what looked like paint.
"What's going on?"
Scowling, Kuwabara grumbled something Yusuke could not quite catch.
"There, finished." Kurama set his brush down and pulled back, surveying his work. On the larger redhead's bicep the graceful demon had written both he and Hiei's names.
"Can I go now?" The human boy demanded sullenly.
"Yes, of course. Thank you for cooperating."
"Yusuke? It's your turn, I fear." Kurama smiled, twisting his long, gleaming hair and pulling it over one shoulder as he motioned for Yusuke to come and sit near him. Hiei, munching moodily on his own cereal bar, hadn't yet even acknowledged his presence.
Obediently, Yusuke crossed to sit with his lover, taking the last cereal bar from the box as Kurama pushed up his sleeve and began to clean the skin of his bicep.
"What's going on?"
"I have to mark you, I fear."
"Mark me?"
"I was thinking about it last night, and I realized that it would be terribly dangerous for us to take you into a demon town as you are. The best way to protect you would be to mark you as belonging to us. Then, at the very least, most people will leave you alone."
"Belonging…like property?"
Kurama hesitated.
"Not…exactly." He answered.
Hiei snorted, looking up to bestow Yusuke with his intense, ruby-eyed glare. "Demons take humans for lovers all the time – and not always with the humans' full consent. It's common practice to mark them, that way if the human manages to escape anyone who sees him will know where to return him."
"Demons also mark each other." Kurama said, shooting Hiei a warning look. "It's the closest thing we have to marriage."
"I thought you guys were never exclusive."
"I never said it was common." Kurama plucked a blade of grass and Yusuke stared as it lengthened, the end coming to a sharp point until suddenly Kurama was holding a grass needle. "Now…brace yourself, my dear. I fear this is going to hurt."
"What the – HEY!"
Hiei caught his arm before he could jerk away and Yusuke found himself frozen under the small demon's gaze. The fiery pain in his arm suddenly didn't seem so important.
"The fox woke me up this morning so I could help him mix the inks." He stated gruffly. "What he did to the oaf is temporary and will wash off with an alcohol solution once we are back in the human world. Yours, however, will not be temporary."
"Why the hell not?"
"Because, Yusuke," Kurama's voice, tight with concentration, was somewhat amused. "We plan to keepyou."
"Hey, you know, this is actually pretty cool." Yusuke said with surprised happiness, flexing his bicep in front of the mirror Botan had provided. The small ferry-girl was currently very busy grumbling and complaining as she and Kuwabara cleaned up the camp without the help of Kurama, Yusuke, or Hiei.
Unlike the names Kurama had printed on Kuwabara's arm, the fox had actually marked Yusuke with his and Hiei's symbols.
"These are much more recognizable." He had whispered in Yusuke's ear, the soft feel of his breath on his skin making him shiver. "Most demons can't read."
Yusuke hadn't known Kurama possessed such artistic talent (was there anything the fox wasn't good at?) The "mark" on his arm was a beautiful image of a dragon twined around a rose, and it reminded him of some old Chinese paintings he had seen once…far too beautiful to be a tattoo.
"Do you like it?" Kurama asked, wiping ink from his hands with what looked like a silk handkerchief.
"It's one of the best I've seen." Hiei remarked.
"It's amazing!" Yusuke agreed. "You could do that for a living."
"I have before." He answered with a nonchalant shrug. "It didn't pay as well as some of my other occupations. And I find marking the unwilling most unpleasant. Still, I am quite glad you like it. Does it still hurt?"
"Not at all."
"Good. I added a mild painkiller into the ink; I was hoping it would work."
Hiei's lip twitched as he fought a smile. Realization struck Yusuke like a blow to the gut.
"You used an untested formula on me?"
"The risk was only mild, my dear."
"All right, you guys are ready to leave." Botan called with a glare for the trio. "Thanks for all the help." She added sarcastically. "I'll be back tonight."
Kurama stopped, shading his eyes.
"There." He said quietly, motioning to a small dark spot nearly indiscernible on the horizon. "That is our destination; the town of Dai'shaal." An unfamiliar twist to his mouth, the only evidence that something was upsetting the normally perfectly-poised young man.
"Kurama?"
"I had hoped…" He trailed off, shaking his head, and offered Yusuke a smile that failed to reach his eyes. "Pay me no heed, my dear. I believe we can reach the town by nightfall; shall we proceed, then?"
"I'm up for it." The human boy agreed, a touch hurt that his lover would not confide in him.
The hurt feeling grew when it became apparent that Hiei knew exactly what it was bothering the graceful redhead. The small demon glared at their lover until the fox was forced to meet his eyes.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here?" He demanded.
"Don't be silly."
Grudgingly, Hiei nodded. "Fine. Then our only concern is that the detective is able to keep up with us."
"Why don't you bite me, Hiei?"
"Where?" He countered, an evil glint in his eye.
Yusuke snorted.
"Don't start flirting with the shrimp!" Kuwabara groaned, looking quite ill. Each day his discomfort at being forced to travel with the three had grown, until he scarcely spoke at all anymore, except to complain. It had been amusing at first, but by now his homophobia had become quite annoying to Yusuke.
"I am not flirting!" Yusuke glared. Did the oaf think that the fact he was sleeping with Kurama meant that he was willing to jump anything male? Hiei was…was…
Hiei was what? His mind taunted unsettlingly. Attractive?
Inaccessible, he answered himself reluctantly. Whatever he felt for the small, irritable demon, whatever his unexplainable attraction, Hiei was simply out of reach. Only someone as lovely and skilled as Kurama could ever have hope of breaking past the prickly man's defenses, and Yusuke was neither lovely nor skilled.
Hiei ignored both humans as completely as only Hiei could do, excluding them as if they had somehow ceased to exist.
"If we're going into the town, we'll need to find a room in an inn tonight." Hiei informed Kurama. "However, one more day shouldn't hurt if you want to stop early."
A small, amused smile.
"Are you suggesting one last night camping out?" He asked, love in his eyes. Hiei was the only one he ever looked at in such a way, though he claimed not to care about either of them that much.
"I am quite afraid I am incapable of such emotion," He had informed Yusuke the one time the youth had breached the subject, "At least in a romantic sense. I fear there is not a romantic bone in my body."
It had made Yusuke sad to realize his lover was so jaded. Yusuke himself was no innocent, bright-eyed schoolboy by any means, but even through all the trials with his mother he had still retained a part of him that believed in love. How strange that he, with the home life he had endured, still retained that small measure of hope when Kurama could not.
Whatever Kurama believed in though, Yusuke was certain he loved Hiei.
And certain that Hiei felt the same. The diminutive demon was too devoted not to.
Still, Yusuke was too selfish to give up the home he had found just because he had realized his housemates loved each other.
"You're very considerate," Kurama was telling Hiei, his voice bringing Yusuke back to the present, "However, I cannot hide forever."
"Hide?" Yusuke asked. "From what?"
Kurama smiled at him, but did not answer, merely following placidly as Hiei began to lead the group toward the town.
Twilight was fast becoming darkness as the group reached the town at last, and the guards at the gates barely gave them a second glance before letting them pass.
"Not too concerned with security here, are they?" Yusuke muttered under his breath.
Kurama answered without thinking.
"All kinds of people are permitted within the walls of Dai'shaal. It is leaving that is difficult."
Hiei shot him a Look, but he ignored it pointedly, flicking his hair leisurely over his shoulder as if completely unconcerned. Hiei, of course, would be able to see right through the act, but Yusuke was not able to read him quite that well, yet.
"It, of course, can create quite a few problems having so many lowlifes enter a single town; even by demonic standards, this is a dangerous place." It was nice to have Yusuke's full attention on him, even if the subject he was speaking about was…distasteful. "Each year a 'cleansing' is held to rid the town of unfavorable subjects; however, the guards are more than susceptible to a bribe, monetary or otherwise."
"Huh…"
Kurama drew the young human to his side, glaring over his head at a demon who had been eying the boy speculatively. Yusuke didn't even notice.
"What, my dear?"
"Well…I didn't realize…"
"You didn't realize that demons had a culture all their own? You may be surprised."
A few moments passed in silence before Yusuke noticed the attention he and Kuwabara were receiving and moved even closer to Kurama's side, wary eyes scanning the crowd.
He only jumped a little when they were, at last, challenged.
"Well, well, if it isn't Master Kiltai's little Silver."
Kurama looked up – and up – at the creature blocking his way, thankful that after centuries of practice he had at last learned to shield his emotions from the eyes of others. He was very proud of how steady his voice came out.
"I'm sorry; do I know you?"
"Don't play coy with me, pretty. I was at the tournament; I know you and Silver are one and the same." A leer filled his scaly face and he gave a dark chuckle
"What an extraordinary accomplishment for you." He murmured, releasing Yusuke and giving him a light push backwards into Hiei's arms. "Stringing the two parts of the equation together to form a suitable answer must have been most difficult, not to mention painful and exhausting. My congradulations."
The creature's face reddened in fury.
"Don't speak to me that way, whore!"
Kurama easily avoided the man's hand, and the blow passed harmlessly by rather than land on his face.
"I fear I must apologize, sir. Clearly I am not the same being you seem to remember so clearly. I believe it is only fair to warn you that I am far too dangerous to be taken as lightly as you seem to be doing." He smiled, allowing the threat to show clearly in his eyes. "My companions are very dangerous as well, and rather protective, I fear." He added.
The sneering creature seemed about to comment, but stopped, eye catching something going on behind Kurama. Hiei, no doubt, making his threat known. Probably Yusuke as well. There was no need to worry with those two at his back.
It didn't take long for the creature to back off. The group began to wade through the crowd once more.
Yusuke broke away from Hiei and returned to Kurama's side, grasping the demon's wrist hard enough to make him gasp. Human though he was, Yusuke was strong. Certainly a delicious thing in bed, and very useful in battle, but not a trait one wants in someone who may or may not be angry at him.
"We need to talk." Yusuke hissed, anger and hurt undisguised in his voice.
Kurama nodded, refusing to look at his newest lover. Surprising even to himself was the fact he was afraid of what he would see in those lovely chocolate-brown eyes.
"As soon as we have a private moment." He promised reluctantly.
"Why in hell are we only getting one room?" Kuwabara complained loudly, before the door had even closed behind them.
The walls of the room they had rented were thin, but Yusuke couldn't help but to wish that the larger human would either keep his voice down or wait until there was some semblance of privacy before overreacting like that. It was embarrassing.
"Isn't Spirit World paying for this mission? We can afford one room, right? I ain't sleeping with three hom - !" He choked off what he had been about to say at a glare from Hiei. Trembling, he somehow managed to find the courage to put in his final word. "If you try to turn me…"
"Turn?" Hiei snorted contemptuously. "Don't involve me in your sick fantasies."
"I think you're safe, Kuwabara." Yusuke assured him with a snort of his own, busying himself with unpacking the supplies Botan had just dropped off. He spared a moment to glance at Kurama, who had positioned himself at the window the moment they had entered the room.
The lovely man had gone silent after the incident on the street, though he had kept Yusuke tightly to his side until they reached the inn. Whether for comfort of for the human's own safety, he didn't know – and wasn't sure he wanted to know. Logically, Kurama would have reached for Hiei had he needed comforting, but Yusuke really didn't want to think about it.
Kurama had gone completely still the moment he had sat down. Still in an unnatural, frightening sort of way. Yusuke couldn't even see him breathe.
Behind him, Kuwabara and Hiei were squabbling – a mixture of cheap insults and sharply-edged death threats. Yusuke ignored them as he moved toward his lover.
"Kurama?"
Nothing. Tentatively he reached forward, brushing his fingers against the silken fall of the other man's hair.
"Kurama?"
A shuddering breath. Life seemed to flood back into the redhead's body, making him seem somehow more real.
And more sad.
"I'm going out." The fox stated quietly.
"What? Why?"
Kurama turned his head to look at him, and for a moment Yusuke wondered if his lover had even realized he was there before. A light smile spread across his lovely face, an expression that didn't reach his striking emerald eyes.
"This is not a vacation, my dear. We have much work to do."
"I know that." He scowled, kneeling beside the red haired man. Kurama's pale, manicured hand reached for him, stroking his cheek gently, and he leaned into the touch.
"Tonight I shall lay the groundwork while you and the others prepare the room here. There are many people, as I am certain you can well imagine, whom we must speak with. Tonight I will look for the beginning connections which must be made and tomorrow our work may begin in earnest."
"But…"
"Yusuke, I am the most familiar with Dai'shaal." He pointed out gently. "Surely of us all I am the most well qualified."
"Hiei; have you heard this shit?"
"Leave the fox alone, detective."
"Kurama! You can't…you shouldn't go out there alone!" He gripped the fox's hand until he saw a small glint of pain in the other boy's eye, but he refused to release his hold. "This place frightens you." He hissed, lowering his voice and hoping Kuwabara, at least, would not be able to hear him. Kurama would certainly not appreciate something so personal being revealed to the large human boy. "I can see it."
"Fear…" He mused. "It's nothing to run away from, my dear. I would like to think that I am strong enough to walk into the fire, at least in this instance."
"But you don't have to be that strong – not when you have…" Feeling heat flood his face, Yusuke dropped his eyes. "At least let one of us go with you." He mumbled.
A hand on his cheek, gently lifting his face. Lips brushing gently against his own.
"I am flattered that you are so concerned, my dear." Kurama murmured against his mouth, the warmth in his voice sending shivers up the human's back. "However, I assure you that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"I know that, but…"
"It is stunning that you care enough to be so insistent. I know the value of your loyalty, as well as how very careful you are with gifting others with that loyalty. Trust me to take care of myself."
"I do trust you…"
Kurama pressed his forehead to Yusuke's. "When this mission is over, I will tell you anything you like. I will answer all of your questions."
"Are…are you sure?"
"You've certainly earned that much from me, my dear – and so much more. But please, let us wait until we are home. Neither of us can afford the distraction."
"Does Hiei know?"
"I fear there is nothing hidden from Hiei."
"I want that." Yusuke said, suddenly fierce. "I'll agree to wait – if you'll agree to give me it all. Can…can you do that?"
"Certainly." The two shared a smile.
Kurama was the first to draw back, pulling Yusuke to his feet as he stood. The human boy allowed himself to be pulled into his lover's arms, even going so far as to allow himself to feel the comfort the demon's arms usually brought him.
"I practically grew up in Dai'shaal, my dear." Kurama whispered into his hair, voice warm. "I lived here until I met Hiei…It was not an easy life before he found me, and it is not a time in which I take any pride in. One…one does what one must will survive."
He drew back, eyes holding worry.
"Will you leave me the truth is too difficult to accept?"
"No!"
A smile. This time it did reach his eyes; lighting up his entire face.
"Then that is all I need to know."
Kurama reached for him, and they shared another long embrace.
"If anything unfortunate does happen, make me a promise." Kurama whispered, lips against Yusuke's ear. "Promise me you will take care of Hiei. He is not quite as strong as he would like to think."
He didn't wait for an answer; trusting that Yusuke would agree to what he asked. He left the room without another word to any of them, and did not say goodbye to Hiei.
He had no need to say goodbye to Hiei.
To Be Continued
Special thanks to Tazzy whose review back in chapter three inspired the "marking" scene.
Feel happy, dear readers. I was almost too tired to finish this chapter on schedule this week.
Feel happy, because once the holiday break begins, I will not be able to update again until 2006. I should be able to put up one more chapter sometime next week, but after that there will be no more updates until the Spring term begins.
Sorry.
I'm getting less reviews since the whole "no responding within chapter" thing, andsince I'm a reviewwhore,I've decided on the perceived loophole I've found. If your review is signed, I will certainly answer using the new "respond" feature. If your review is not signed, however, I will respond in-chapter, since there is no other way. Ha. If anyone wants to report me, you must be really bored.
Thanks for reading, everyone. As always, you have all my love, and my eternal loyalty. Muffins for everyone who reviews chapter eight!
-Kit
Unsigned Review Response for Chapter 7:
kit-kit - Thanks!
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cryptic.kitsune - Thankies!
kit-kit - Well, I thought those two would need to talk about that kind of stuff. Glad you liked.
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