This chapter was very stubborn. I new it existed, but it didn't want to let me write it. I think we managed it at last…hope the fight isn't too boring…

His vision narrowing down to a dark tunnel, he was aware of nothing but the foul, all-consuming rage which burned his every limb with exquisitely painful fire. There was nothing now but complete freedom – freedom to act upon his rage, freedom to extract the vengeance his heart beat for.

The tunnel of his vision was sharp and cold, and nothing existed but his target.

The target, that small and quivering creature. His prey.

Yet that wasn't quite right. Prey should not cause such strong emotion. Why would he have reason to hate prey with a seething, acidic venom?

But this prey was something else. Something that had dared enter his territory and steal away something precious. This prey would not be eaten, but destroyed. Annihilated.

That would almost satisfy him.

Almost.

The prey was frightened, and that fear left a taste on his tongue more luscious than any he had ever imagined possible. Its fear filled his nostrils like fine perfume, breathed across his skin like silk. He wanted that fear, needed it, lusted for it.

The fear both calmed and ignited the flame of rage within him. He could feel his limbs trembling in anticipation, his claws begging for carnage. He bared his teeth in something that was both a smile and a snarl and he took a step forward.

Though the fear wafted from the prey to crash against him like the waves of the ocean, the prey's expression was remarkably free of it.

He tilted his head to the side as he observed the prey, enjoyment diminishing by a small bit. He wanted to see the fear, he decided. He wanted to watch the terror twist that ugly face until there was nothing recognizable in it. He wanted the expression of the prey's death to show to all who saw him what would happen when someone dared take what belonged to him.

The youko (he would not think of his as Kurama when he was so far out of his rational mind) began to recover from Yusuke's attack with surprising quickness. Hiei hadn't for a moment been concerned that Yusuke would do something to permanently damage their fox, but he was nonetheless surprised that the kitten had managed an attack that only served to incapacitate the youko for long enough to get him to stop attacking him.

He had been carrying the fox over his shoulder in a fireman's carry as he jogged through the carnage that was all that was left of the camp and was nearly to the edge of the site by the time the fox began to struggle against him.

He could ignore it for a few moments, holding tightly no matter how he thrashed, but then the youko tried to bite him, nails raking his flesh, and Hiei dropped him without ceremony to the ground.

"Don't start that kind of behavior unless you're willing to go all the way." He snarled, though he knew his lover would not be able to understand him. He had never been good at sexual innuendo, anyway. The fox might not have understood even had he been in his right mind.

Then again, Kurama could turn anything into sexual innuendo when he wanted to.

The youko snarled up at him from the ground, almost instantly springing to his feet. In the wild, natural foxes were largely non-confrontational, avoiding battles with other animals if they could be avoided.

Spirit foxes, however, were vicious – once they had been goaded into attack, there was no stopping them.

The youko sprang with a snarl, claws going for his heart. Hiei managed to dodge the first, but felt cloth ripping as the fox's other hand went for – and barely missed – his heart. He had sparred with his lover countless times throughout the years, and watched him in battle even more often.

But Kurama had always liked to play with his opponent. Even as a human he had maintained the sense of playful cunning, goading his enemy into making a tactical error in underestimating him, or infuriating said enemy into carelessness.

While the youko was certainly cunning, there was no play in him now. He fought because his instincts told him to fight, not because he might enjoy it, or because he had something to fight for.

The confrontation didn't take long. Hiei twisted around and grabbed a handful of the fox's silvery hair, forcing him to his knees before him, and forcing his head down until the back of his neck was exposed.

Youko struggled against him and, unwilling to pull the hair from his head, Hiei dropped to the ground behind him and used both his body and his other hand to press down on the taller demon and keep him still.

For a moment he was nearly overcome with emotion – at last, here was his fox, his skin so close and warm. Hiei moved closer to take in the familiar scent of him, closing his eyes as he nuzzled close to the back of his neck.

But the scent was not his lover's aromatic perfume of leaves and herbs and flowers, but the heady musk of wind and soil – wild and untamable and exhilarating…but not Kurama.

He scowled and drew back quickly, feelings of safety and home slipping quickly away like water going down a drain.

With a snarl he tightened his hold in the fox's hair hard enough to make him whimper and struck, biting down hard on the back of the youko's neck, right over his spine.

He hadn't been sure if it would work, but at his display of dominance the fox's final struggles ceased and he stilled beneath him. He held him a moment more before beginning to slowly, carefully draw back.

Youko followed, arching back against him and tilting his head back against Hiei's shoulder, exposing the long, white column of his neck.

Despite the fact he knew that the animal below him was not currently his beloved fox, he found himself bending toward his smooth and inviting throat, felt the silk of the youko's skin under his lips.

Youko made a small sound, pressing closer so that his back was molded against Hiei's chest, shifting slightly against him in obvious invitation. Hiei had bested him, and so he deserved to mate.

This time it was much more difficult to move away; it took effort to pull back from the beautiful form writhing against him. He stood, fighting to compose himself even as Youko put his hand on his thigh and slid it upward, gazing up at him with raw need on his face. Hiei forced himself to meet those lusty, half-lidded golden eyes, forced himself to see that the personality behind those eyes was not his fox.

Kurama had suffered too much in his life – if Hiei took him when he wasn't in his right mind, he would never forgive him. It would breach the sacred trust that had always existed between them, and that was unforgivable.

With a snarl, he pulled the fox to his feet by the hair.

A small, playful smile crossed Youko's face as he purposefully stumbled against Hiei, arms going around his neck as he leaned forward to brush his cheek against Hiei's.

The small demon pushed him forcefully away.

"Follow." He snarled, turning and beginning to walk away. Within moments the youko was at his side, grabbing up his hand and rubbing his face against it, staring at Hiei with lust-darkened eyes.

It was difficult walking with the youko hanging off him, but at least now he would no longer have to worry about fighting with the fox. He was more annoying and distracting now than dangerous – and if Kurama remembered all of this once he was returned to his rightful mind, he would be sorely embarrassed for his actions, but at least he wouldn't be sulking over fighting with Hiei. He would have a hard enough time dealing with the damage he had done to Yusuke.

Hiei gritted his teeth and did his best to ignore the fox, and in short order they reached his and Yusuke's campsite from the night before.

Blood splattered in the thin arc across the ground as the prey went flying, and he waited patiently for it to gain its feet once more before he threw himself into it, sending it back down.

He ended up sitting on its hips, pinning down one of its wrists in one hand while the other held the prey's chin, kept its gaze centered on him.

When he was sure the prey was watching, he tightened his hold on its wrist until he felt the bone crush under his grip, taking immense satisfaction as pain and terror filled the prey's eyes.

He drew back, holding those eyes with his own, and plunged his fist into the prey's gut, digging out his innards and watching carefully for the moment the life fled those deliciously terrified eyes.

Hiei had been forced to tie the youko to a tree just to get him off of him, then set himself to readying the camp for nightfall. More than once he caught his hand drifting toward the glass sphere that contained Kurama's humanity, using it as a touchstone to reassure himself that his nightmare was nearly over.

Hiei turned to get something, and found the youko watching him.

Slowly, the fox smiled.

"Hiei."

The small demon's heart froze in his chest. His voice shook horribly as he rose.

"Fox?"

The smile grew.

"Are you planning a fun new game, my dear?" Kurama teased gently, tugging slightly at his bindings.

Hiei's throat was too dry; he couldn't speak. Instead he merely shook his head, taking an involuntary step forward.

"Is it really you?"

"If you're not planning anything kinky, Hiei, then I must request you release me." Kurama pouted.

Hiei only stared, unable to move. They stayed frozen like that, staring at each other for several moments – Kurama smiling knowingly, Hiei unwilling to look away – until a crashing through the bushes drew both of their attention.

Yusuke stumbled into the camp, covered with blood and gore, clothing ripped, eyes unrecognizable. His gaze only fell on Hiei for a moment before turning to Kurama.

Only then did Yusuke become something like himself once more. He moved forward as if in a dream before, abruptly, falling to his knees beside Kurama and throwing his arms around him.

"Hiei," Kurama pled, shifting in his bindings once more.

The small demon moved forward at last, also kneeling beside Kurama. The fox lifted his face up to him, smiling radiantly, and Hiei forcefully covered his mouth with his own, kissing him as he cut his bindings.

Kurama immediately took advantage of his sudden freedom, encircling Yusuke with one arm as he buried his other hand in Hiei's hair, keeping him from moving away. Beside him, Hiei could feel Yusuke trembling with some unnamed emotion, and reached for him.

"Has he been this quiet the entire time I've been gone?"

Hiei glanced across the camp where Yusuke was busy cleaning himself and the tattered remains of his clothing before meeting Kurama's eyes. There was some hesitancy in him that made Kurama hurt inside – just another reminder of how much was going to change between the three of them. They were anticipating the good changes, and trying to ignore the unpleasant ones, but it was clear that things would never again be the same.

How much had his lovers suffered in the time since his capture? They still had yet to tell him how Yusuke had become a demon, and though he found the new form very attractive, he knew that it was going to cause problems. It was impossible not to notice how Yusuke tended to keep his tail wrapped close to his boy, or how he fidgeted whenever someone's eyes lingered for too long on his ears. The new form made him uncomfortable, at the very least, and it would take time to convince him that there was nothing wrong with it, that, in fact, it was a very beautiful figure.

"No." Hiei answered at last, turning his attention back to fixing their evening meal as if that answer was sufficient.

Kurama frowned. Hiei's reticence to give him an answer was worrisome as well.

What a mess. Had Yusuke not already killed Arcillian, Kurama would have taken great pleasure in doing so himself. Not for his own suffering, but because of what the creature's actions had put his lovers through.

"Are you angry with me now?"

"No."

"Hiei…"

The small demon looked at him again, and Kurama fell silent at the look in his eyes. No, he wasn't angry. He was…

"Hiei?" he managed at last, voice a rasp.

Hiei leaned forward for a quick kiss before turning away once more.

"Go and talk to the detective; he needs you now. You're better at this kind of thing than I am."

Kurama didn't try to correct him. His human form was, indeed, better at offering comfort and understanding. However, without the help of his humanity it wasn't the case. Neither did Kurama try to remind Hiei of all the nights when their relationship was new when the small demon had had to be the one to do the comforting.

"Answer one thing, first." Hiei ordered, all his attention seemingly focused on chopping and slicing.

"Anything."

"If you hadn't been trying to protect us, you wouldn't have said those things, right?"

"Of course not."

"You wouldn't reject me?"

"Never."

Hiei gave a small smile, and Kurama wondered how that one word could suddenly make him so very happy.

"Go talk to the kitten."

Kurama frowned at Hiei a moment more, but the dark little demon now seemed content to ignore him. Deciding that no matter how long he knew the man he would never fully understand him, Kurama rose and moved to join Yusuke.

Yusuke glared at the tattered remains of the clothes he had worn to attack the camp, unsure if it was even worth trying to salvage. If he tossed the clothes, though, he would be left with nothing but what he was currently wearing. It had been a long journey, he reflected.

With a sigh, he decided to try to make them work. There was no telling how long it would be until they were able to get back to the human world – or if they'd be able to get back at all. After all, technically they were all currently outlaws.

Yusuke grew very still as he felt someone sit beside him, hesitating a moment before accepting the thread and needle his new companion held out to him.

He couldn't help but to jump, however, as fingers lightly brushed his tail. He turned his head to meet the amused, inquisitive gaze of youko Kurama.

The fox smiled, warm fondness in his eyes.

"Have I mentioned, my dear, how very beautiful you look in this transformation?"

"Uh…thanks."

His hand reached out, fingertips brushing against his cheek. "The planes of your face are so much sharper," the fox mused, "And your hair…it's like black silk. Beautiful." He let his hand drop, tilting his head to the side as he observed the former human. "Do you like it?"

He shrugged uncomfortably, turning his attention to mending his clothes.

"Doesn't really matter to me how I look." He grumbled.

"Surely it must be strange though, to wake up and find you are no longer quite yourself." He pressed. "A body you have never before possessed, with no transition…your senses and powers changed almost beyond recognition without explanation…surely it's been disconcerting."

"What do you want me to say?" He demanded, still refusing to look at him.

"I want to help you adjust, of course. After all, there's nothing to be done for the changes but to accept them – and already I fear I have become quite fond of them." Long, elegant fingers grabbed Yusuke's chin and forced him to look at him. Yusuke could barely see the Kurama he loved behind those inquisitive alien eyes. "Yes; I am certain I am already fond of them." The fox murmured with a soft smile, leaning forward to brush his lips against Yusuke's.

Yusuke was the first to draw back.

Kurama frowned. "What's wrong?"

It took Yusuke several tries to get his voice to work.

"We can't just pretend that everything's all right…that everything is normal." He shook his head, staring at his hands. "All I've been able to think about these last few weeks has been how to get you back. Now that I have you…"

"You don't know what to do with me? I assure you, my dear, I will think of something."

The teasing was exactly like the Kurama he remembered, but the human Kurama he loved would have said the words gently enough as to give Yusuke an escape if he wasn't interested. The human Kurama would have said it in such a way as to allow for them to pass his words off as a joke.

Youko Kurama was not joking. His eyes were confident and knowing, the hand resting on Yusuke's knee having more weight than it should. There was no modesty to him, no humility, no…understanding.

It hurt; he was Kurama and yet he wasn't. One moment he would seem so much like the man Yusuke loved, and the next the cat demon would find himself talking to a stranger. There was no predicting this Kurama, no understanding him.

At last not for Yusuke.

Kurama's expression turned grim as he correctly read Yusuke's response to the comment. The only movement he made was to draw his hand away; however, it suddenly felt as if he were miles away.

"I may be permanently stuck in this form, Yusuke." Kurama informed him, annoyance in his tone. "Even if I am not, it is the form which I will take when my human body at last gives out. Whether now or in the future, eventually you will have to face this…aspect…of my being if you are to be with me."

"I know that."

Kurama frowned, a sudden thought occurring to him – a thought he clearly didn't like.

"You would not honestly tell me," he began, a delicate thread of anger in his voice, "That after all that you and Hiei went through to find and rescue me, you would let this…?"

"No!"

Kurama continued to stare at him, face unreadable. Yusuke forced himself to look away once more.

"You are different now…and it will take a while for me to get used to, I'm not saying it won't…but I still want to be with you. I…" Yusuke shook his head, feeling stupid about what he was about to say. "At the core, you're still the same, even if you are really…intense…now."

"Hiei is intense."

"But I'm used to him being that way." He said helplessly. "This is…different."

"I hardly see how."

Was he pouting?

Was Youko Kurama actually pouting?

"Look," Yusuke turned his face away to hide his sudden amusement. "What I'm trying to say is that, even though you're different now, I know you're still you. You're still Kurama…and I love Kurama. I just need time to get used to all this."

"How much time?" Kurama pressed after a few moments of silence.

"Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?"

"Of course I do. What does that have to do with anything?"

Yusuke sighed. This time there was no stopping a smile.

"Not long, okay?"

A silence. Finally: "Okay."

Yusuke jumped as Kurama lightly stroked his tail with his fingertips once more. The fox leaned in close, breath tickling his ear.

"We'll see how long you can hold out." He whispered, voice holding promise of tangled, sweating bodies and silk sheets. Kurama began to rise.

"Kurama?"

He stopped, blinking in surprise.

"Yes?"

Yusuke motioned for him to sit back down, and he did so, a confused look on his face. Yusuke couldn't help but to snicker.

"If I'm going to become more familiar with your fox side, then I'm gonna half to spend time with it, right?"

"That's what sex is for. And don't call me 'it'."

Yusuke laughed. Yes, Youko Kurama definitely did pout.

"The whole reason we got together in the first place was because you helped me through all the shit I was going through with my mom. When something was bothering me, you were there to talk through it with me. Do you remember?"

"Vaguely." He answered warily.

Yusuke forced the words out of his mouth, though it was something he really didn't want to voice.

"I really…really enjoyed killing that bastard." He managed at last.

The fox returned to fondling Yusuke's tail, seemingly enamored of the new appendage.

"And?" He prodded, not understanding.

"That's not…it's not a good thing, Kurama." He shook his head, the events of the morning still running through his mind in an endless loop of gore and fury. "I was pissed as hell, and that asshole deserved to die, but I shouldn't have enjoyed doing it. It's not…it's not right. You know?"

"No."

"Kurama!"

He sighed, bringing up Yusuke's tail and brushing it against his face as he thought.

"You're thinking like a human, Yusuke," he said at last, "And you simply are not one anymore. The same rules of morality just…don't apply to you anymore."

"Why not?"

Kurama frowned. "You have new instincts now, my dear," he explained at last. "And you are not just any demon, but one with an animalistic form – as am I – which is, perhaps, as far from human as you can get. You see things differently, smell and taste things differently. Even your emotions, as I'm certain you have begun to see, are different. Some are stronger, some weaker."

"But…"

"You have always enjoyed battle, have you not?"

"Well, yeah."

"Killing is only the next step after that. You were angry, and your instincts told you that the only way to satisfy that anger was to lash out. Following your instincts does not make you evil. And as far as demons go…you may as well be a saint for not rampaging on the city when you were finished with your opponent." Kurama leaned forward to nuzzle his neck, clearly bored with the conversation. His patience had belonged solely to his human side.

But, even bored, he said what Yusuke needed to hear.

"Kurama?" he asked, sinking back against him as the fox's arms encircled him.

Kurama gave his neck a tiny nip.

"Yes?"

"I'm really glad you're back."

"As am I." he murmured. "Are we finished having a conversation? There are so many other things we could be doing with our time, you know. More…productive…things. We have yet to appropriately celebrate my return, you know."

"Hiei said we had to wait until nighttime."

"Hiei can be…persuaded. Are we finished?"

He hesitated.

"There's just once more thing." He said at last.

"Mmm?"

"I…erm…I have no idea how to be in a threesome."

From the campfire, Hiei began to laugh. Yusuke could feel Kurama smile against his skin.

"Surely you'll be able to figure it out once we've started, my dear."

"Yeah, but…I mean, how's it gonna' work without someone getting left out?"

"Never fear, Yusuke." He murmured fondly, turning his attention back to ravishing the cat demon's neck. "Hiei and I will take good care of you."

To Be Continued

This is the second version of this chapter. I think I'm finally happy with it now.

I mention Hiei and Yusuke's hearts in this chapter. While demons do not have hearts the way humans do, I assume there is something within them that keeps the blood pumping. I won't use the word "core" or, worse, "dark core" because they make me think naughty things.

Hiei's show of dominance is one which large cats use. Yes, I know that foxes are canines, not felines, but though I did my research, I failed to find a canine equivalent that didn't involve urine. I think most people will agree that it's sexier this way.

Did you know that foxes mate for life?

Response to Unsigned Reviews:

BballAnimeLover89 - But Hiei got to do...other things.

Cryptic.Kitsune - (basking)

kit-kit - likies?

That's it for this chapter; thanks everyone!