Yesterday he was so gentle… today he was back to his usual self… Kurama did not even try to wipe away the blood trickling down the side of his face. He lay shivering on the hard wooden floor, staring with dim eyes at the moon shining so brilliantly above him. How can something be so bright and beautiful when there is such pain and heartbreak in life? The fox had no more tears left to shed. I just don't care anymore… just let me die… my life is worthless…I'M worthless…

Kurama was completely unaware of the small figure watching in furious horror from a nearby rooftop. Hiei could see the pain in the fox's eyes, the hurt, the betrayal, the heartbreak. He needs help! That stupid fox…why hasn't he come to one of us for help!? How can he love that son of a bitch? Is that why he refuses to confide? Because he's in love with him? Hiei turned away from Kurama, unable to watch the fox suffer any longer.

::Yusuke… go to Yusuke…:: A little voice in the back of Kurama's mind gently chanted Yusuke's name. ::Go to him… he can protect you; he's strong even if you're not. Go now, before Karasu returns. Yusuke, go to Yusuke…::

"Leave me alone…" Kurama said aloud, closing his eyes. "I don't want to move… I can't move."

::Yes you can. You've been through more pain than this. Get up. Stop being a wimp and get up and go to Yusuke.::

"He'll know… he'll hurt me…" Fear trembled through Kurama's voice.

::He's going to hurt you if you don't go, you fool. Yusuke can offer protection. He loves you even if he doesn't know it::.

"What's the use?" Kurama sobbed. "He'll just turn on me too…"

::Fool. You know how loyal Yusuke is. He's an inherently good person. Karasu is not. Go to Yusuke and stop being foolish. You need help and he can help you. Go.::

Slowly Kurama uncurled his abused body, crying out in pain. He stood, leaning on the table as his lower back throbbed. Clothes… The fox sloppily pulled on his wrinkled pajama top and even more wrinkled bottoms. Every movement was agonizing. His whole body throbbed. As he watched, ugly purple bruises were forming on his chest and thighs. Kurama looked at his reflection in the mirror and laughed desperately. I'm a mess… Blood dripped from where he had banged his head on the floor. A bruise was forming on his cheek and angry red marks peppered his neck and shoulders. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, and the bags under them more profound.

How Kurama managed to make it to Yusuke's, he had no idea. The little voice urged him on gently, but where the fox found the physical strength to haul himself two and a half miles was a mystery. With the last reserves of his strength Kurama banged on the door until he heard Yusuke grumbling in irritation.

"What the he—Kurama!" Yusuke caught the redhead as he fell forward, noting with dismay how light Kurama was. He pulled his injured friend inside and set him gently on the sofa.

"H-help me….Yus…uke…" The fox managed to rasp before falling into blissful unconsciousness.

Yusuke stared at Kurama's bruised face, feeling rage welling up inside him. Was this Karasu? It couldn't have been. Kurama's in love with Karasu, --the jealously rose up again—and Kurama would never love someone who would do this to him… Oh Kurama, why didn't you come to me sooner? I wouldda kicked his ass if you only asked! The human looked up as Hiei arrived, looking furious and worried at the same time.

"Kurama's miss—oh," Hiei blinked as he noticed Kurama's still form lying on the sofa. He sat down on the window ledge and stared out into the night. "I saw the whole thing…" he whispered.

Yusuke looked up. "Was it--?"

Hiei nodded. "I imagine he wants to tell you himself so I won't say more," the Koorime shot a strange look at Kurama before leaving as abruptly as he had arrived.

Yusuke sat down next to the fox's head, being careful to move Kurama's hair out of the way. Kurama…

The fox's eyelids fluttered for a moment before he opened them. Kurama stared so desperately and helplessly at Yusuke that the Detective was caught completely off guard. "Yus…uke…" he whispered. "H-help me, Yusuke… please…" a tear found its way over Kurama's darkening cheek. The fox buried his face in the sofa cushion. His body shook violently as he cried.

Yusuke didn't know what to say or do. He watched Kurama cry, rage building with every tear that rolled down a smooth cheek. It took a long time for the fox to cry himself dry, but he lay with his face buried in the sofa cushion for a moment or two after before he finally looked up at Yusuke. The Detective met the pained green eyes nervously.

"I need you, Yusuke," The fox whispered, taking the human boy by surprise. "I need your strength, I need your rage, I need your protection. Please, Yusuke."

Yusuke nodded, touched. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Kurama," he muttered, "I'll stay here, I promise."

Kurama laid his head in his friend's lap and closed his eyes. "I know, Yusuke. I trust you will. That's why… I came to…you…"

"Maybe you should do something about your head… it's bleedin' pretty bad," Yusuke said quietly.

Kurama looked tired. "Is it?" He reached up to feel the injury. His fingers came away bloody. "I hadn't really noticed. I've had other things on my mind…"

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Yusuke spoke. "D-do you need anything?"

"Yes. A shower."

The Detective struggled to shove that mental image away. Now is definitely not the time, you hentai. "I kinda meant is there anything you need that I can get for you?"

Kurama shrugged and winced a little. "Nothing you can get for me, no. But thank you."

"No proble—"

"Just don't leave," the fox had turned his face and whispered into Yusuke's thigh, his body trembling again.

"I already told you, I'm not goin' anywhere," Yusuke responded.

Kurama sniffed. "N-no, I mean, right now. Don't leave me alone…" With a pained groan the fox pushed himself up onto his elbows and then into a rather awkward sitting position. Yusuke ran his eyes over the angry purple mark manifesting itself on the flawless cheek, the shadowed eyes, the cut lip, and the blood trickling down his face from under his hair. His eyes lingered on the livid red marks decorating the fox's jaw line and throat. Already they were fading into an ugly brown. Finally Yusuke dragged his eyes back up to the emerald ones.

"Kurama…"

The fox cut him off. "I know… I'm a mess. A sticky, bloody, itchy, pained mess. I know."

Yusuke blinked. That… wasn't what I was gonna say… Yusuke shook his head. "I was gonna ask if you wanted a bandage for your head, but O.K…."

Kurama nodded. "Although I suppose I should wait until after I've showered…" he sighed. "But I can barely sit up straight right now, so I don't think I'm getting up and walking to the bathroom anytime soon."

When Yusuke managed to find some gauze and tape, he gave them to Kurama, who promptly made a rough bandage, just enough to stop the bleeding. The injury was at his hairline and the bandage made the fox's hair stick up at a funny angle. Yusuke bit his lip and tried not to grin. Kurama looked at the clock and grimaced. Yusuke snorted.

"Four in the morning… I'm definitely not going to school tomorrow…"

The fox rested his cheek on the arm of the sofa. "I'm sorry to impose like this, Yusuke."

Yusuke grinned. "Meh, it doesn't matter. I probably wouldn't have gone tomorrow anyway."

But Kurama was finally asleep.

------------------

Yusuke growled and smashed the alarm with his hand, effectively silencing it. He was about to go back to sleep when he remembered Kurama. He'd want me to wake him, even if he did only get two hours of sleep and looks like he got hit by a train. Yusuke mused over it for a moment before deciding to endure the fox's wrath and let him sleep.

Kurama sighed and tried to roll over, halted by the sudden throbbing in his head. Oh, right... What time is it? Surely it's time to go to school…

The fox's eyes flew open and he stared at the clock in a sort of horrified incomprehension. What!? Noon? Oh, Yusuke, don't tell me you forgot to wake me… Kurama experimented with the idea of sitting up, and was pleased to discover the pain in his lower back had subsided greatly. Slowly he stood, and took a few steps forward before straightening and hobbling into Yusuke's bedroom.

Kurama sighed fondly as he saw Yusuke sprawled out on his bed, snoring slightly. "Yusuke… Yuuusssukeee…"

"Nnnehh, just a few more minutes, mom…" the boy rolled onto his stomach and resumed snoring.

"Yusuke, get up! It's noon."

The detective growled and cracked an eye. "Oh. Hi K'rama."

Kurama pulled the blankets off his friend. Over Yusuke's protests he said, "Yusuke, why didn't you wake me? Surely you didn't think I was going to skip school!"

Yusuke finally sat up. "Yeah," he yawned, "I thought about it… I knew you'd want me to."

"So why on Earth didn't you?"

"Because there's no way I was gonna let you go to school on two hours of sleep!" The boy muttered. "'Sides, you can barely walk, you're in pain, and you've got a great big piece of gauze on your head!"

Kurama turned to wobble out of the room as Yusuke got up to get dressed. If I leave now, I can still make the afternoon classes…

"Kurama don't even think about sneaking away now!" he heard Yusuke shout. The bedroom door opened and the half dressed Spirit Detective glared at him from within. "I know you hate missing any more school than you already have, Kurama, but there's no way I'm lettin' you out that door," Yusuke's voice was soft but his eyes were serious. Kurama sighed and nodded.

I do need a shower… even more than last night—or this morning, whichever—because now it's all dried on me… He sighed and headed for the bathroom

------------

He's probably gonna be in there for a while… I hate to leave him alone when I said I wouldn't but… Yusuke cautiously grabbed Kurama's keys from where they lay on the table and stuck them in his pocket. He snatched up his jacket and broke into a light jog to reach Kurama's apartment.

He had no trouble getting inside; Kurama had not set any of his usual precautions when he had left. Yusuke swiftly pulled a suitcase from a closet and swept all of the fox's clothing, schoolbooks, reading books, pictures, and anything else he could find into it. Stupid Yusuke…now it weighs a thousand pounds! With a sigh the detective dragged the bag back to his own apartment as fast as he could.

--------------

Even after he turned off the water, Kurama stood in the steam with his head bowed, staring blindly at his feet. Finally he wrapped a relatively clean towel around himself and emerged.

"Yusuke, I'm afraid I don't have any… more…clothe..." his voice trailed away as he stared at the gasping boy with the bulging suitcase at his feet. "Y-you didn't…"

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, I did, actually. Dunno how it all fit but I got everything I could find. Oh, here are your keys. Sorry."

Kurama brought himself as close to a smile as he possibly could. "That's alright, Yusuke," The fox toyed with the edge of the towel. "Would you please hand me something—preferably something soft—to wear, Yusuke?" He asked.

"Already on it," Yusuke was already digging through the bag. "Here," he tossed the fox some clean underwear and continued searching before he pulled out a rather rumpled pair of pants and a white collared shirt.

"That's fine, Yusuke. Thank you," Kurama disappeared back into the bathroom, reappearing a moment later looking decidedly better than he had the night before. The fox half-smiled at his friend and resettled himself on the sofa, watching in amusement as Yusuke rifled through his extensive collection of reading material.

"What the—is this in English?" He stared at the vaguely familiar letters on the cover of one book.

Kurama sighed, though not in annoyance. "It is not printed in Japanese," he explained. The fox was about to say more when his stomach interrupted him.

Yusuke grinned as his own stomach responded. "Wanna order in or what?"

"No, not really."

-------------------

Idly, Karasu watched them from his perch. So, he's gone and run to the Detective, has he? Very well, my fox, I'll play along. He got up and turned, glancing back over his shoulder. I'll let you think you've won… for now.

-----------------------

The fox could not concentrate on the book in his hands. His mind kept straying to unpleasant areas no matter how hard he tried to stop it. Yusuke noticed Kurama's uncharacteristic restlessness and watched him from the corner of his eye, finally giving up the television pretense when the light in the green eyes seemed to dim.

"If you wanna tell me anything, you can, Kurama," he said quietly, not looking at the fox.

To Yusuke's surprise, Kurama laid his head on his shoulder and sighed. "I-I know… thank you, Yusuke." He hesitated. "I'm just—so ashamed of myself! And don't try and tell me it's not my fault Karasu is an asshole, Yusuke. As true as that is, it is my fault that I was stupid enough to believe him when he said he loved me, and then stupid enough to fall in love with him."

Yusuke felt tears seeping through his thin shirt. Awkwardly he put his arm around Kurama's shoulders, once again at a loss for words. After a moment Kurama pulled away again, smiling sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Yusuke. It's bad enough that I'm imposing upon your home and hospitality, but now I'm bothering you with my own soap-opera-esque personal problems as well."

Yusuke grinned at him. "You're not imposing on anyone, Kurama. Don't forget, it was me who went back to your house and gotcha your stuff. Besides," he sobered, "what else are friends for if not to dump all your personal shit on?"

The fox smiled again. "Thank you, Yusuke," he felt marginally better now, able at least to pick up his book where he had left off.

Yusuke continued to watch Kurama from the corner of his eye, unsure that the fox was as fine as he said he was. He's such a strong person…. It's amazing what something as random and uncalled for as heartbreak can do to a guy who usually isn't scared of anythin'. Damn you, Karasu… If you ever show your prettyboy face around here I swear I'll make an appointment for it and the pavement! He sighed aloud and turned the television back on, only to turn it off a moment later. Kurama looked up.

"Why don't you go for a walk or something, Yusuke? You seem so restless," he asked, closing his book again.

Yusuke played with a string on the couch. "Restless… and hungry. We never ate today. Wanna order in again?"

Kurama shook his head. "Absolutely not. Come on."

"What? Where are we going?"

Kurama picked up his coat and turned. "Shopping. I'm not eating take-out for the rest of my life. I'll pay, I don't care."

Yusuke grudgingly picked up his own jacket. "Why do I gotta come?" he whined.

Kurama sighed again. This is going to be a long day….

------------------------

"Yusuke don't turn around, but there's somebody following us," Kurama's eyes did not stray from the street in front of him.

The detective shrugged. "It's probably just Hiei."

His friend glanced at him. "Why on Earth would Hiei be following us to the supermarket, Yusuke?"

Yusuke laughed. "He's been as worried about you as I have, Kurama," he finally said. "Except he can hide himself a little better."

Kurama bit his lip. "Hiei has been tailing me?" Yusuke nodded. How much does he know? How much has he seen?

"Don't tell him I told you, 'cause he kinda told me not to," Yusuke said, rubbing the back of his head.

Kurama sighed. "He's a telepath, Yusuke, remember? Hiding it from him is useless. Here we are," They had reached the grocery store. Yusuke growled.

"I hate shopping…"