I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!

I've had this chapter out for a while now, but was being a pain and not telling me I had followers or reviews for this story! AGHHHH! I did not realize so many were waiting on a new update! GOMENASAI!

Time to get on with this show!

WARNINGS: Nightmares, Angst, Kurama being his foxy self. Nothing particularly gruesome.

Onward, at long last!

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CH IV

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First, again, because it was a LONG time ago:

"Well, I for one propose some good sleep, to start with." Kurama offerred reassuringly, touching Yusuke's shoulder blade. "We can figure it out in the morning." When he didn't move, Kurama sighed.

"Brooding over it won't solve the problem, Yusuke." He hated being so blunt when his friend was clearly still upset, but when Yusuke got in a broody mood, it could last for days - and that wasn't time they had. "You need some sleep, or at least a long rest. I'll stay with you, if you feel like it would help."

"Nah. You're right - as usual." Yusuke huffed, standing up fluidly from his position. Kurama followed suit, keeping an eye on his companion. "You can leave the door between the rooms open if you want to, but I think I'm okay enough to manage on my own." Realizing too late how rude he sounded, he backtracked. "But I appreciate the offer, man."

"Anytime, Yusuke." Kurama offered Yusuke a soft smile, the effect working it's magic and making Yusuke's whole disposition right then lighten just a little.

Kurama knew, though, that he would have nightmares tonight, and probably for nights hereafter - thus, his offer to stay by him tonight - but he also realized that Yusuke was a proud man, and respected his wishes for at least some privacy. Coaxing a smile onto his face, he followed Yusuke through the house, mentally prepared to lose some sleep tonight as he pulled out his cell to call his mother.

'It's going to be a long night.'

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Kurama had been right about his predictions, it seemed, as he awoke to the sound of a disgruntled noise coming from the other room. Yusuke had agreed to keep the shoji doors open, in case something went awry, and upon their threshold sat Hiei, who watched their friend sleep fitfully with an impassive look on his face. Kurama rolled over onto his stomach, watching Hiei cautiously.

"He's dreaming." Hiei said non-chalantly, a statement of the present state of things - but bearing a message of concern to only the fox's ears.

"Can you blame him, Hiei?" The reproachful look the fire demon threw him told Kurama that,yes, yes he could.

"You forget, Hiei. He was born and raised like a human - to him, this is all very frightening. He doesn't understand himself right now."

"I know that." Hiei snapped quietly. He sighed at length. "I know." He repeated, less bite in his tone. "But he's going to have to get over in quickly, or Koenma is going to lock him away. Be that with us, or in the spirit world, I don't know yet. But one way or another, he's going to have to be strong through this." Kurama could sense what was left unsaid there, nodding his head with a heavy sigh.

"And the only way he's going to do that is by leaning on me." Kurama finished, breathing deeply. "Though I feel like you are going to be just as instrumental in this as I am. You're expected to be harsh. It doesn't sting as bad when you tell the ugly truths, because that's what your image is like. Mine, though..." Kurama quelled the feeling of irritation in his belly. "Before you mock me, yes, I am aware I did it to myself." The fox whispered tersely. "But I can't help it. A human body means a human brain. Human brain -"

"Means human feelings. You've explained this a few times, fox. No need to keep justifying yourself when I already know." Hiei rose from his position in the doorway, coming to sit beside Kurama at a comfortable distance - one of only centimeters, in their case.

"I wouldn't get so defensive if you didn't mock me for them as if I have a choice."

"I don't." Hiei defended himself. "I know you don't have any choice. You hardly let me forget." Kurama glared at his sass, putting him back in line as he sighed once more. "I only mock you for them when I feel like they are clouding your judgment or making your decisions for you."

"You're really going to pull the 'I do it for your benefit' thing on me?" Kurama laughed shortly. "I know you better than that."

"I mean it." Hiei defended. "After all, what good are you as a leader if you can't lead yourself?" Kurama paused to consider this.

"Me? Leader?"

"Don't play dumb with me, fox. I know you better than that." Hiei said, an amused twinkle in his eye at having subtly mocked the fox. "The only person here who doesn't realize who the real alpha of this rag-tag group is is the one sleeping fitfully over there." Hiei said, lowering his voice consciously.

"That might be so -"

"Which reminds me." Hiei interjected, stirring an annoyed sound from his companion. "Why do you do it? If you wanted to, you could easily put yourself at the top of this pile. Every other demon knows, can sense, the real social dynamics going on here. Yusuke is the only one dull and unaware enough not to see that."

"And your point is?" Kurama snapped, louder than he'd meant to. They both went dead silent as Yusuke's shuffling increased, thinking maybe he'd awoken. After what felt like forever in the unfulfilling silence following, Hiei thoughtfully replied, "My point, fox," Hiei said quietly, softly. "is that you have every opportunity set before you to be what you are best at being - a leader. An alpha, if you will. Yet, you let Yusuke run about like a little kid well past his years, oblivious to the social heirarchy which defines practically everything we demon's know." Hiei's voice grew more stern as he spoke - reminding Kurama uncomfortably, though somewhat proudly, of himself. "Don't you think that's rather dangerous?" Kurama pondered it a while in a much more comfortable silence.

"For now...for now, he's better off not knowing. He wouldn't trust me if he did. Yusuke hates authority figures. If I come out and put him in his place the way I do you, he would buck and fight me all the way. There'd never be any peace between us, even if it never came to physical blows. It's one of those situations in which I am better off leaving him alone. Besides..." Kurama turned in on himself a little as one of his major insecurities grabbed hold of his ankle like a vice, threatening him once again to drag him into the dark waters of his past. "I don't ever want to live like that again. Power hungry, careless, reckless - I've ruined myself once, Hiei." Kurama whispered softly. "I don't want to get carried away is all." Kurama said with a finishing air, letting Hiei know he wasn't going to be continuing the conversation. As if to accentuate his unspoken statement, he also laid back on his side, opening up the covers.

"Are you going to sleep here for a while, or...?" Hiei sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes in a similar fashion. This is what made it worthwhile to follow him. This is what made it worthwhile to stay at the fox's side like this. Because he was an...interesting kind of character.

'I never know what you are thinking, or what you will do next.' Hiei thought with a dark smile as he lay beside the fox, letting him spoon behind without complaint.

'Yes, indeed. I should think I would like to stay by your side a while longer, Kurama, if only that I might see how this new development pans out for you...and if you fall, if your unspoken, unbidden crown should fall, you know, as well as I, that I will be there to catch the both of you - though which I grasp onto first even I don't know yet.'

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WHOO! Glad to get this up!

I want to note something here -

Hiei and Kurama's characters, as I am sure you've noticed, are a bit...colder, than they appear. There's a good reason for that, one that's not explained untill a LOT later. So I'll give you the run-down explanation now, just to clarify what's going on here.

Demons...are not human. Their human forms are illusions, and their true natures are more animal than anything. Why, then, would they have human emotions?

Kurama, as is implied, is an exception to this. He has a human body, a human brain - but a demon soul. That's a huge conflict of interest - humans are meant to feel a range of emotions. It's what lets them live cohesively and help each other. Demons inherently serve themselves - they don't have the same social structure as humans. Everything exists in a ladder - and often, demons are not above knocking each other down to claw their way to the top. Such is the way of the animal kingdom - such is the way they shall be here, and true to mythology as well.

With that in mind, I'll let you imagine what sort of chaos will ensue between Kurama and Yusuke in the near future - and what will become of them and Koenma as well.

Just a reminder, reviews (when FF lets me know there are any!) make me update faster.

Until next time! :)