Kurama lay flat on the ground, staring up at the sky, his arms out wide. "And would you imagine… now he's even refusing to fuck me in his SLEEP."

"Oh really." Shishi flipped the page in his book, not really listening to Kurama's pathetic whinings about his sexual doings.

"Yes, really! Really!" Kurama sat up on his elbows. "I'm horny as fuck, running low on energy… I'll starve to death unless he changes his mind and decides to fuck me."

"Can't you find someone else?" Shishi questioned, barely paying attention.

"He said he would refuse to help me at all if I did. But I'm going to starve to death before we even GET to Karasu," Kurama fell back onto his back, rolling onto his side. "I just want to fuck something… Is that so wrong?"

"I understand."

"I've tried everything I can think of. Begging, pleading, beseeching… everything short of crying and ripping my clothes off and touching myself. And I'm planning on trying that tonight," Kurama finished.

"Oh really." He continued turning pages, clearly not listening to a single word Kurama said.

"Mm." Kurama didn't move. His crimson hair fell in his face. "Aren't I beautiful? Aren't I desirable? On a scale of one to ten on fuckability, I'm a ten, right?"

"Mm-hmm…"

"See! So why do I have to suffer this way?" Kurama sighed. He got to his feet. "Thanks for listening, Shishi. I'm going to get him this time." He said, triumphantly.

"Yeah,"

Kurama headed off, back towards their hotel room. They were staying the night in a one horse town, a tiny town with few to no people in it. Kurama was hoping that he'd find someone sexy and available but no one presented themselves. Yusuke was off doing something, Kurama wasn't sure what but he was sure he'd see the demon hunter eventually.

He entered the hotel room and Hiei was sitting on his bed, arms and legs crossed, clearly defensive. He glared at Kurama, showing he still didn't forgive him for previous slights.

Kurama sat down on his bed, running his fingers through his own hair. "Hiei, we need to talk."

"No."

"You haven't even heard what I have to say!" Kurama said, indignantly.

"I'm not going to have sex with you," Hiei frowned, deeply.

"I… but…" Kurama was at a loss. He decided to pull plan B. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Please, Hiei, I'm so hungry I can't stand it. I'm going to starve to death before we get to Karasu… Then I'll never be able to beat him and get my harem back and set you free."

"Not my fault."

Kurama lay back on the bed, pushing his pants down. He felt the demon's sexual energy peak at the sight. "Please, help me… I'll do anything you want me to, to you, and later once I get more energy I can be anyone you want me to be…" Kurama pleaded. "We can make it be any way you want. Whatever turns you on."

Hiei got to his feet and headed for the door. "Fuck off." He slammed the door behind him.

Kurama lay there a moment before pulling his clothes back on. He rolled over and closed his eyes. Hiei had to come back sometime. Kurama could hit him with the sleep powder and try seducing him again. He has to feed me.

Hiei didn't come back that night. The next morning, they all met up outside their rooms. "Good morning, boys," Yusuke grinned, looking excited. "We ready to get rolling to the next village? I have a good feeling about this one! We're going to run into Karasu soon, I can feel it."

They walked out into the town square. "Yeah, and I'm not going to be ready," Kurama bitched. "I'm not going to be ready at all." Kurama looked at his hands. "I need someone… Someone stupid, and easily manipulated… someone like…" his incubus eyes scanned the crowd. "Like that idiot, there," he pointed across the square.

A redhead was standing there, yelling and causing a big scene. His hair was styled into the most ridiculous pomp, and his voice was the most annoying Kurama had ever heard. Kurama winked at them. "Excuse me a moment," he glided over to the redhead. "Excuse me, something wrong?"

"This guy here told me it would be 4 bits for this food but then when I ate it, he told me he would have to charge me 8 bits! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" he yelled.

"Why so much more?" Kurama asked the shop owner.

"The way he was eating, he ruined another 4 bits worth of food!" the shop owner yelled. "Spraying food all over the place!"

"Oh, I see," Kurama paid the shop owner. "Please, forget this ever happened. I'm sorry he ruined your food." He smiled beautifully at the shop owner, dazzling him. He pulled the idiot away from the stall. "That was an easy enough fix, wasn't it?" Kurama looked up at him, hanging off his arm. "Aren't you handsome?" his emerald green eyes stared straight through the other man. "What's your name?"

"Oh me? My name's the Great and Powerful Kuwabara!" he flexed his muscles. "Pretty hot, aren't I?"

"Of course!" Kurama said, overdramatically. "Absolutely amazing," he put a hand on Kuwabara's face, ignoring the group watching him from behind. "I like you, very much. What do you say we go back to my hotel room… and spend the day together, hm?"

"Woah! Hey, no!" Kuwabara shoved Kurama away, with a bit too much force. Kurama stared at him shocked, looking totally shaken. "Sorry about that, but it's just… I have a girlfriend. A really beautiful, wonderful, kind, amazing girl! She's so beautiful! She's like a little flower. A beautiful snow flower! I would never betray her! She might be apart from me right now by the cruel hand of fate but I don't care! I would cross oceans, tear down mountains and move the very EARTH to be by my beloved Yukina's side! Even if she was stolen from me by an evil incubus, I will not let myself be discouraged!"

"What. Did. You. Say?!" Everyone jumped when they heard the rage flowing from Hiei's mouth. "Did you say something about an ice maiden named Yukina?"

"Do you know my beautiful Yukina?" Kuwabara asked, excited to the point of stupidity.

"She was kidnapped by Karasu?" Hiei flashed his fangs at Kuwabara, furious beyond what anyone had seen him.

"All of us here have had someone important to us kidnapped by the incubus Karasu," Shishi explained. "We are on a journey to find him and kill him. Please, join us. Your presence would be welcome here among us."

"I would be happy to join with you!" Kuwabara said, boldly. "I would gladly do anything to save my precious Yukina!" Hiei was trembling with rage. Kuwabara noticed him. "Hey! Shrimp! What's my precious Yukina got anything to do with a jerk like you?"

Hiei's eyes flashed. "It's none of your business! Either way… the incubus Karasu has made this personal. He's going to regret doing that."

Kurama passed in front of him, moving close to him. "Then can I trust you to do anything in your power to help me defeat Karasu?" he stared at Hiei, seriously. "I'm defeating Karasu to save everyone from his evil power. He has a great power that he is abusing, and I'm stopping him not just to benefit myself, but to rescue everyone who has been tormented by his sick abuse of his powers."

Hiei stared into Kurama's eyes, full of loathing. "I will defeat him on my own!"

Kurama sighed, doubling over. "Fine… If that's the way you insist on playing the game." He straightened up. "The saddest, most tragic part of all this is that I am literally surrounded by hot men, except Kuwabara…"

"Hey!"

"Apologies. But I still can't get laid, despite the fact that I'm surrounded by incredibly hot guys." Kurama sighed again. "My life is a sad, confusing puzzle where all the pieces are blank."

"What does that mean?" Yusuke frowned.

"I can't even get laid by the ugliest and stupidest guy I've ever met. Even he is refusing me." Another long, drawn out sigh. "I guess this is it, really. This is really the end of me. Look at how far we've fallen, Kurama."

"Oh shut up," Hiei rolled his eyes. "Pathetic. Let's just start walking. Maybe he'll catch up."

"Do we want him to do that?" Yusuke asked, as they walked toward the edge of town.

"I don't know if we do or not," Hiei frowned. "I do know he's not going to stop wallowing until he's done. We might as well get some distance on him."

"Hey, his ugly and stupidest guy comment… I wonder who he was talking about," Kuwabara spoke up.

Shishi rubbed his head. "Umm… I'm not… not sure either. I wonder who that might be."

"If I had to guess, I'd say he was talking about you," Hiei stared straight at him. "After all, you are the ugliest and the stupidest guy among us."

"Hey! What? You want to fight?" Kuwabara blurted, angrily.

"I'd prefer not to fight with an idiot," Hiei shrugged.

"I'm going to knock you out!" Kuwabara swooped at him, but Hiei dodged effortlessly.

Kurama caught up with them, but he chose not to say anything. He was clearly depressed by the entire situation. They walked for hours, and finally, they set up camp for the night. Kurama disappeared into the brush several hundred feet from the encampment, growing it up thick and tall around him, to cocoon him in, away from everyone else.

Hiei stared after him, making a disgusted face. "Don't tell me he's going to be weak and pathetic for the rest of this trip."

"I think he is." Yusuke wrinkled his nose. "He's so… desperate. I mean, I like to get laid as much as the next guy but that guy is OBSESSED."

"I think someone's going to have to take one for the team," Shishi spoke up.

"Oh hell no! Not me!" Yusuke scowled, waving his arms. "No way! My ass is closed for business all year round! If anyone's going to take one, it's not going to be me. Maybe you should!"

"Aha… um, no," Shishi put his arms up, protectively. "Not me."

"Never, as long as my beloved Yukina is in my mind…" Kuwabara said, dramatically.

"Oh but if that girl wasn't in your world, you'd do it?" Yusuke snickered.

"I think he has standards," Shishi spoke up.

"You're right, Kurama has higher standards than that," Yusuke laughed.

"Hey!" Kuwabara leapt to his feet. "Do you want to fight?!"

Hiei got to his feet. Everyone looked over at him. "I'm going for a walk,"

"Okay," Shishi nodded.

Hiei walked off, leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara to fight amongst themselves. Hiei circled around and appeared around the other side of the bush Kurama was hiding in. Kurama was so pathetic…

"Leave me alone," Kurama responded, hollowly.

Hiei settled against the back of the bush, waiting. The bush opened a bit, and the vines reached out and grabbed Hiei, forcibly pulling him inside the bush, and closing up behind him.

"Mm, now you can't leave without doing what I say," Kurama wrapped his arms around Hiei, one arm sliding underneath his shirt, and the other gliding over the back of Hiei's neck. "Shouldn't have come to check on me."

Hiei tensed. "Stop…"

Kurama flicked his tongue along the back of Hiei's neck. "It's been a few days for you, too."

Hiei stiffened. "… Y-yeah, so?"

"So… help me get stronger," Kurama murmured. "Help me defeat Karasu,"

"..." Hiei looked over his shoulder, seeing Kurama lower his head to his neck, running his teeth across the delicate skin, before flicking his tongue along the scrapemarks. He bit his lip as he felt Kurama's fingers pinch his nipples. "Everyone's right behind us, they'll hear."

Kurama reached lower, his fingers gracefully undoing Hiei's pants. "You'll have to be quiet."

The next morning, Hiei woke up before the others. They were all lying around the clearing, sleeping everywhere. Hiei sat and waited for them to wake up. He heard the bush Kurama was sleeping in rattle and shake as the incubus awoke for the morning. It parted and Kurama rose out of it, yawning as he stood and stretched. His clothes looked wild and his hair was sticking up in all different directions. He seemed to be feeling good as he walked towards the stream to wash up. He gave Hiei a wink when he caught the demon looking at him.

So far so good… he hasn't pissed me off yet… Hiei frowned. Usually he's pissed me off already… His mind reflected on how good the night before had been and his mind brought him around to what he had learned. She's been kidnapped by him as well… His eyes darkened. This Karasu will regret the day I find him and get my hands on him. He will wish he were dead…

Kurama paused on the edge of the clearing, glancing back at Hiei, raising an eyebrow. Kurama adjusted his shirt, playfully. He tipped his head toward the river and Hiei realized that Kurama was inviting him to join him. Hiei got to his feet and headed towards Kurama, having resigned himself to his fate.