You Said "Yes"...

As they approached the edge of the clearing, pain laced through the marks on Kurama’s back. He tried to ignore it, but by the time they reached the wards that marked the temple’s boundary, he couldn’t force himself to move on. He fell to his knees, panting as he struggled to regain control over the sensations that flooded his mind. He was hardly aware of Yusuke bending over him in concern, or of Genkai’s arrival. His back burned where Karasu’s claws had dug into his skin. Vaguely, words flowed around him, high and anxious, but none of them reached him. The release from pain was so sudden his mind fled his body to recover.

Yusuke carried the unconscious kitsune, following Genkai back to her temple. The old woman’s expression was tense, bordering between fear and anger. Hiei walked to his side, a hand on Kurama’s ankle. This surprised Yusuke. He didn’t have time to ask, though, nor did he feel comfortable asking in front of Genkai. Red eyes met his gaze and the koorime nodded slowly. Yusuke returned the gesture, taking it as a promised that Hiei would explain when he could. They reached the stairs and followed Genkai as she led them to a room. “Put him on the futon,” she directed, adding, “on his stomach, dimwit,” when Yusuke was going to lay the kitsune as he’d carried him.

“I gotta get him down before I can turn him over,” the teen snapped, glaring at the woman as he placed Kurama on the mattress. He glanced at Hiei before carefully rolling the unresponsive kitsune over. He brushed the long red hair to the side, wincing away from the pulsing energy along the kitsune’s back. He moved to kneel at Kurama’s head, watching Hiei at his feet as Genkai knelt where he’d just been. As unobtrusively as possible, he held one of Kurama’s hands where it laid near his head Brown eyes sought out red for any reassurance, but Hiei was completely focused on Genkai, his hand still resting on Kurama’s ankle.

The master held her hands over the barely breathing redhead. She was silent a long time as her hands slowly felt the swirling energy. She frowned as she felt cold darkness consuming the warmth of the kitsune. She also felt Hiei and Yusuke’s energy mixed with Kurama’s. “How did you find him?” she asked.

“He’d drained himself to defeat the demon who marked him. He had ward marks around his wrists and what looked like wounds on his back when I looked at them with my jagan,” Hiei answered. “They’ve gotten stronger since we found him, though the wards are gone.”

“How’d you get the half-with to cooperate?”

“I didn’t give him a choice,” Hiei answered. Yusuke tensed, but a glance from Hiei kept him silent. “It had to be done.”

Genkai returned her attention to Kurama, frowning deeply. After a moment, she looked back to Hiei, “The body?”

“Burned.”

A small noise at the door drew all their attention. Yukina stood in the doorway, her hands just below her chin as she took in the scene. “You shouldn’t have destroyed the body,” she murmured, moving into the room.

“Why not?” Yusuke asked, glancing at Hiei before returning his attentions to the maiden. His attention was drawn to the redhead when Kurama squeezed his hand.

“Kurama?” Yukina asked softly as she knelt between Genkai and Yusuke.

Green eyes appeared between red locks and the maiden pushed them out of the way revealing clearly the pain around them. “Yukina,” he replied, his voice barely audible.

“What did he want?” she asked, bending over so Kurama didn’t have to strain to answer her question.

“To share intimacy,” the redhead answered, his voice shaking. Yusuke watched his eyes disappear again, pain distorting the kitsune’s fine features. Green reappeared and he added, “He was quest class.” Kurama closed his eyes again, but his breathing let them know he was still conscious since it remained quick and occasionally a whimper would escape him.

Yukina held her hand over the prone body a moment before speaking again, “Please, all of you. I can help him, but I need you to leave.”

Hiei rose, not looking at anyone else in the room, and left. Genkai followed him. Yusuke squeezed Kurama’s hand and followed them, closing the door behind himself. Hiei was on the edge of the clearing, looking ready to leave when Yusuke called to him, “Hiei, don’t go.”

The koorime turned to face the detective, his eyes hard. “This is my fault,” he growled, not quite looking at the teen.

“How is it your fault? Kurama didn’t tell us he’d be there until it was too late. You didn’t know the creep did anything permanent. How could you? You wanted Kurama to have some peace of mind. I don’t see how it’s your fault.” Yusuke glared, his hands akimbo. His expression wilted, “It’s probably more my fault. If I hadn’t…”

“You helped him, detective,” the koorime countered.

“I wasn’t exactly willing.” He moved to sit by one of the trees, wincing a little as he did. Kneeling had spared him the reminder of what they’d done to save the kitsune. He adjusted his body and propped his elbows on his knees, holding his head with his hands.

“I didn’t give you much of a chance to be willing,” Hiei remarked, moving to stand next to the boy.

Yusuke looked up, a wry twist to his lips, “You did what you could to make me comfortable. You were as gentle as you could be. I appreciate that.”

Hiei sat next to the detective, “He was planning on how to approach you. He wasn’t sure you’d accept his advances.” The quality of his voice made it a question.

Yusuke’s lips turned to a bitter expression, “A lot of humans label same sex relationships as something bad.”

Hiei looked puzzled at the detective, “Why?”

Yusuke shrugged, “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Do you?”

“No, but I don’t know how I feel about three…about the three of us…is that…won’t that get weird?”

Hiei shrugged, “Why? What does it matter how many of us there are as long as we are satisfied?”

Yusuke looked at the koorime a while before he answered, “You have a point. I’ll have to think on it, though, since I was raised in the Ningenkai.” The last was added wryly.

Hiei looked at the temple, trying to see through the walls to what Yukina was doing. “Do you object to us pursuing you, detective?” he asked softly.

“Are you two together?” Yusuke asked, avoiding answering the question directly.

Hiei frowned, “I suppose you could say that.”

“What do you mean?” Yusuke pressed.

“We find each other convenient.”

“Do you like him?”

Hiei looked at the detective, trying to understand why this was so important to the boy. “I don’t hate him, nor do I dislike him. I suppose I like him.”

In answer to the unspoken question, “My mother went on about how she didn’t like my father, how she just wanted to do something crazy. She sounded very bitter about it. I don’t want to regret this later.” He looked away from the koorime, focusing on the sky above the temple. His eyes widened when a sword calloused hand touched him, turning him to look into red eyes.

“We won’t regret you,” Hiei murmured as he brought their lips together lightly. He kept it short when he heard motion in the temple.

They both looked over and Yukina was coming down the stairs, her face grim. Silently she knelt in front of them and they could see the fatigue around her eyes. She looked down and they both waited silently for her to begin, the tension becoming palpable between them. Finally, she took a deep breath, “He’s not doing well. When a quest class demon dies, it is possible for their ki to continue, especially if they die with something incomplete.” She looked at them, “There is a limit to how long ki can last with the body still around. Without the body, though, I’m not sure if it will take more or less time. With the body, it would be a week.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Yusuke asked quietly.

A tired smile crossed the maiden’s face, “If you’d be willing, the both of you, he still needs your energy. If you could stay with him tonight, I’ll be back in the morning. I have to rest.”

Yusuke blushed, “Do we…?”

“Just hold him while he sleeps, that’s all.”

“We will,” Hiei answered.

Yukina smiled at them, “Eat first. You’ll need it. He’s awake, Genkai’s feeding him. The wards at the perimeter of the temple grounds complicated things.”

Yusuke groaned, “We did so much wrong…”

“No, you did the right thing. You didn’t know so you did what you believed was right,” Yukina argued with him. “You did save his life. Had you waited to act until you got him here, or even brought him here directly after you found him, he would have died.”

Before Yusuke could argue more, Hiei stood, “Let’s go then.”

Yusuke stood, his back complaining, “Thank you, Yukina.” He moved quickly to catch up to the black clad figure that walked swiftly across the compound.

Genkai met them outside the door to Kurama’s room. She pointed to the next room, “Food’s in there. Eat first.”

Hiei glared at the woman and stepped around her to look into the room. Yusuke looked over his shoulder and could see green eyes looking at them, less pain in them. Hiei grunted and turned to enter the room Genkai had indicated. Yusuke remained in the doorway a little longer and saw a small smile cross Kurama’s face before he sighed and let his eyes close. Reassured, Yusuke followed Hiei, kneeling next to the silent koorime and eating, though he didn’t taste the food he put into his mouth. Just before they left the table, Yusuke broke their silence while continuing to look at his plate, “Hiei?”

The koorime paused, looking at the detective. When the boy didn’t continue, he asked, “What?”

Yusuke looked up and smiled, “Thank you for staying.” Not waiting for a reply, he stood and left the room.

“Hn,” Hiei groused, “ningen.” He followed the boy into Kurama’s room.

Genkai was in the room, kneeling next to Kurama as she waited for them to finish their dinner. “You’ll need to take off your shirts,” she instructed. “If you need anything, yell; don’t leave until Yukina and I come back in the morning. Understood?” She pinned a glare on Yusuke.

“Yeah, I get you, granny,” the boy groused on cue.

“Then show me, dimwit.”

Yusuke pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. He noticed Kurama’s eyes on him, the green just showing around Genkai’s body. They were appreciative of the revealed sight. Yusuke was hard pressed not to blush as he walked around the futon to lay opposite Genkai. Kurama turned slowly to watch him as he climbed in the bed, reaching for the brunet. Though he tried to suppress it, he couldn’t help the gasp that escaped his lips when Kurama’s hand touched his arm. There was a surge of energy between them and Yusuke could feel it flowing. He could also feel the dark ki that sought to consume the redhead. Reflexively, Yusuke brought up his other hand to try and fight off the darkness.

“Save your strength,” Genkai muttered, “you’re gonna be here all night. Just keep it from growing.”

Yusuke glared at the woman, about to say something when Kurama squeezed his arm. The brunet nodded. Genkai rose and Hiei laid on the futon. Yusuke felt the koorime’s ki join his and the kitsune’s, taking control of the flow of their energy. Kurama sighed and closed his eyes, his breathing slowing. Yusuke heard the master leave the room, closing the door behind her.

Hiei reached over the sleeping redhead and pulled Yusuke’s arm. When brown eyes looked at him in confusion, he replied, “We need to hold him, detective. That way, we won’t lose contact when we fall asleep.” Holding Yusuke’s hand on the kitsune’s arm, Hiei rolled Kurama so that the redhead was on his side, nestled against his chest. He then pulled Yusuke, instructing, “Turn so your back is against his chest.”

Yusuke did as he was told, finding the motion awkward with his hand connected to the kitsune, but when his back touched Kurama’s chest, Hiei let go of his hand, allowing him to get comfortable. The koorime draped his arm over the two and Yusuke held his hand, thinking over their conversation. He hadn’t had time to think about how he felt. He laughed a little, “This is the first time I’ve ever slept with anyone.”

Hiei’s hand tightened around his, “Me, too.”

Yusuke twisted and saw the koorime propped up looking over the sleeping redhead’s shoulder at him. There was something in the koorime’s expression that he wanted to touch, to feel in his body, but as he moved awkwardly to reach for it, Hiei moved his hand to hold him still, “Later. Sleep now.”

“But, I want…”

“Sleep,” Hiei ordered.

Pouting, Yusuke turned away again, finding his eyes heavy. He closed them and sleep overtook him quickly.

Hiei remained alert, relieved that Yusuke had responded to the subtle pressure he’d exerted. He needed time to think. Though Yusuke wasn’t aware of it, Hiei knew the boy had channeled the redhead’s feelings when they touched. With that and the conversations he’d had with the teen and the memory of that expression, the need, the hunger and desire Yusuke had when he’d moved toward Hiei, the koorime was left uncertain. Yusuke’s hand tightened around his as the boy continued to sleep Kurama sighed in his sleep, his body remaining deceptively limp as his ki fought to remain whole and separate from the blackness that Karasu cursed him with. Hiei sighed, letting the disturbing thoughts slide away as he focused on drawing Yusuke’s ki and wrapping it around the redhead’s, trying to protected the kitsune. Thoughts again tried to surface as the other two wrapped his ki with theirs. Did it matter they “liked”?

The kitsune’s ki had the same quality of wanting his close as Yusuke’s did. Did that mean the redhead liked him? Hiei frowned. Didi it matter? He wondered again and again as he lay awake.

Yusuke murmured in his sleep, his body tensing. Hiei tightened his arm around the brunet and the boy quieted. Kurama gave an anguished moan and Hiei nuzzled the redhead, wrapping his ki more tightly around the weakly trembling kitsune, calming him. It may matter, he decided as midnight approached. He looked over hs shoulder as Genkai opened the door.

“Good, you did understand what needed to be done,” she commented as she entered the room, crossing it to kneel where Hiei could see her more easily. Hiei grunted in response, waiting for the woman to continue. She sighed, looking at the three of them a long time before she spoke again, “Are you willing to stay until he’s recovered?”

“I am still here,” Hiei pointed out, his voice soft not to disturb the other two, but his tone clearly indicating what he thought of the question.

Genkai gave a wry smile, “I know that, but for how long, Hiei? We both know you don’t like being held anywhere for any reason. That is the largest part of the reason you agreed to parole, after all, even though you dislike working for Koenma.”

“I’ll be here as long as I am needed,” Hiei countered. “I am here by choice, which is vastly different from being here by obligation or by force.”

Genkai looked at Yusuke a moment, looking down to where his and Hiei’s hands joined. “Will you be here as long as you are wanted?” she asked softly, looking again to Hiei’s face.

The koorime frowned at her a moment. “I am here by choice,” he repeated.

Genkai continued to look at him a long moment before nodding, “I’ll prepare a room for you to sleep in during the day.” She rose and left the room, leaving the koorime with more thoughts to join the ones already disturbing him. Just before she closed the door, she murmured, “He’s liked both of you for a while, but didn’t know what to do about it, how to act. Don’t be too callous with him.” There was concern that he’d never heard her use when referring to the detective in her voice.

Hiei looked over his shoulder, “I will take care of both of them.” Genkai was looking over her shoulder at him. Her face relaxed slightly as she nodded and closed the door behind her.

His thoughts chased each other around, interrupted when he needed to refocus his attention on the kitsune or the detective to keep them quiet and safe. As dawn approached, he understood, or at least reached a point where his thoughts were not disturbing. Though he didn’t understand the need for “liking” when it came to sex, he supposed he did like the detective and the fox. Why else would he voluntarily confine himself for an unknown period of time? He sighed, let the thoughts wash over him as the two he held continued in their sleep, though it was not a quiet slumber. Yusuke would likely want to sleep most of the day with as much ki as was being used to protect Kurama. The redhead would also probably sleep, though he would have Genkai and Yukina to watch over him.

As dawn approached, he heard Yukina return to the temple. He listened to the small sounds as she moved around the temple, the hushed conversation as she and Genkai broke their fast.

A small movement next to him pulled his attention to the redhead nestled in his arms. Kurama turned slowly, his eyes peeking out from under heavy lids, a small smile forming on his lips as Hiei propped himself up to watch. “I’m glad you’re here,” Kurama whispered, his voice barely leaving his lips.

“Hn,” Hiei moved a couple of the stray locks of red hair to the side, “where else would I be, baka kitsune.”

Kurama’s smile deepened, but he made no verbal reply, his eyes closing again as his body relaxed back into what could be called sleep. On the other side of the redhead, Yusuke began to stir, shifting restlessly as he approached He turned, his face scrunched into a pout before it relaxed and he opened one eye to look at Hiei blearily. “Feels like I’ve been running all night,” he muttered. He yawned, stretching, arching into the redhead, before turning to face the koorime again, “Looks like you’ve been awake all night?”

“I was,” Hiei answered.

Yusuke frowned, “Why?”

“It needed to be done.” When Yusuke frowned in confusion, Hiei continued, “I had to be awake to direct our ki so that it wouldn’t be overtaken. I will sleep today while Genkai and Yukina are with him, as will you.”

Before Yusuke could argue, the door opened and the two women entered the room, Genkai speaking brusquely, “There’s food in the same room you had dinner in. You know where the bathing facilities are. Yusuke, I called your house, but your mother didn’t answer the phone. I left a message that you were here. After you’ve bathed, I’ll show you to your room.”

“I can just…” Yusuke began.

“No,” Genkai countered, “you need to be here, we need to keep an eye on you and you need to be close should he need you.”

The boy paled, “You’re not…” his voice trailed off, unable to continue, but his blush making it obvious what he meant.

“You won’t have to do that again unless you want to,” the woman countered testily, “but since it’s yours and Hiei’s ki, you need to be near at hand because you can strengthen it better than Yukina and I can. Now, get up and get out of here.”

Yusuke would have argued more, but a slight tightening of Hiei’s hand around his silenced him and he followed the instructions he was given, giving the still form of the redhead a long lingering gaze before he left the room.

Hiei rose slowly, taking his time disengaging himself from the slumbering kitsune. Neither of the women remarked on their reluctance to leave, standing aside and letting them exit the room. Yusuke was kneeling at the low table when Hiei entered, his face a study of rebellion and determination. “Why can’t we fight off whatever it is? Why do we just keep it away?” he demanded, his fisted hands coming to rest on the table around his place setting.

Hiei knelt at his place, struggling to frame an answer for the boy. Finally, he picked up the chopsticks and speared some of the food on his plate, “He has to defeat it. If we do it for him, he will be haunted by memories and worries. It will make him weak if we help him.”

Yusuke frowned a moment, “But, we can keep it at bay until he’s ready?” Hiei nodded, glancing at the boy as he continued to eat. Yusuke began to eat as well, his expression thoughtful.

The meal was silent as Yusuke thought and Hiei watched him with new eyes. He knew the boy had to have some intelligence, some intuition that made him a great fighter, but he’d never truly seen it in action because the detective was usually in the middle of a physical fight while his mind turned things over. He watched as understanding replaced confusion and Yusuke nodded, his eyes, though tired, full of determination. “We’ll do our best, then,” he smiled as he stood from the table.

Hiei couldn’t help the slight turning up of his lips as he rose and followed the detective to the bathing room of the temple. Here, though, the boy turned suddenly shy, not wanting to take off his jeans though the koorime freely stepped from his pants. Hiei frowned at the boy, “I’m not going to do anything,” he groused.

“It’s not…it’s not so much that, it’s…” Yusuke’s face was bright red as he turned away from the koorime.

“What is it, Yusuke?” Hiei’s voice was gentler than the boy had ever heard it.

“It’s just kind of weird, after…” His words trailed off and the koorime looked at him confused. Yusuke took a deep breath and began again, “It’s just that, well,” he looked at the floor, watching his toes wriggle as he tried to think of words, “just that, well, I kinda…am curious, y’know.” His ears were red as he stared at the ground.

“Curious about what?” Hiei asked. He was sure he knew what the boy was wondering about, what was on his mind, turning his chest bright red as the color bled down from his face.

Yusuke looked at the wall opposite Hiei before answering, “You said you’d make me comfortable and…” He stopped when the koorime laid a hand on his arm, looking into red eyes that were surprisingly compassionate.

“When Kurama’s feeling better, we can explore more. For now, just wash.” Hiei saw that weight in the brunet’s eyes, the need that had been there last night when he’d reached for him. This time, he allowed the boy to pull him closer. The feeling of electricity that coursed through his body as Yusuke’s hand slid up his arm surprised him, though his expression remained mostly blank, only his eyes betraying his own need. Yusuke’s hand slid into his hair as the boy’s face moved closer to his and they hesitantly allowed their lips to meet. Hiei put a hand on Yusuke’s chest as their lips met again more firmly. When the boy moved in closer for a third kiss, Hiei held him back. Yusuke whined and Hiei repeated, “When Kurama is feeling better.”

“Why?”

“Because you are still uncertain, Yusuke.” Hiei stepped back, turning to the sink before the boy’s eyes could look down. The kisses, the touches had affected him more than they should have. His body was reacting as if the boy had touched him more than just his arm, hair and lips. It normally took actual contact before his shaft began to lengthen. He didn’t understand fully, though he figured it had something to do with the liking that Yusuke was so adamant about. “Wash yourself, and then we need to rest, Yusuke.” He kept his back to the boy, moving to follow his own directions. He was acutely aware of every movement, every breath the boy took, though, his mind filling in the details, playing the scenes his eyes wouldn’t take in. He could see the boy stripping off his jeans, tossing them to the side, though his eyes never took in the scene. He heard the water start and watched jealously as the water traveled paths he wished to over the brunet’s body. There was a slight hiss and he knew that Yusuke was still sore from helping Kurama, but the thought of where the boy’s hand had to be to draw out that sound excited Hiei. He shook himself and moved the washcloth he couldn’t remember picking up under the running water before wringing it and running it over his chest. He washed lower without looking, without thinking, trying to ignore the pleading that was beginning in his body. Now was not the time for these feelings, these sensations to rise.

The water in the shower stopped and Hiei froze. He’d been lost in thought, his hand and the washcloth lingered around his shaft. Quickly, he moved his hands back to his chest as Yusuke murmured, “You can have it now. Thanks.”

Awkwardly, Hiei turned away from the detective, walking around him to enter the shower. He turned on the cold water, hoping that it would cool the fire beginning to burn in his body. The timing was bad. He knew that, and he had enough self-control to wait until the timing was better. He took a deep breath, relaxing as the water doused his hair. He let his awareness of the room lapse as he turned his thoughts inward to calm himself. He turned off the water and reached for a towel without opening his eyes, rubbing his head rapidly before wrapping it around his waist and stepping out of the shower.

Yusuke was leaning against the sink, his towel wrapped around his hips, his eyes appreciative as he watched the koorime. When Hiei met his eyes, he remarked, “The curtain is clear, you know?”

Hiei fought the urge to turn around to look, “And?”

Yusuke blushed under the koorime’s continued scrutiny, “I liked what I saw, but you’re right. I’m not ready for more.”

“Oh?” the petite demon couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice nor off his face.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about Kurama. Watching you, seeing you hard, watching you wash yourself and I couldn’t stop thinking about him.” Yusuke looked at his toes. “I like you, I liked what I saw, but…” his words trailed off.

Hiei sighed, “I couldn’t stop thinking about him, either.” Yusuke’s head came back up and Hiei continued, “I guess I do like him, and you.”

The brunet smiled, but any reply he would have made was cut off by a pounding on the door and Genkai entering with a bundle that looked like it might be clothing. She separated it into two piles and tossed one at each of the room’s occupants, “Get dressed and quit dawdling. You two have to be back with him in seven hours.”

“Seven hours?” Yusuke asked.

“We are going to be rotating every eight hours or so to save our strength.” She turned back to the door, saying as she pulled it shut behind her, “You have thirty seconds to get out here.”

The two quickly pulled the sleeping pants out of the bundled pajamas, slipping them on under the towels while avoiding looking at the other. As Yusuke was pulling the shirt over his head, Hiei placed a hand lightly on his chest, stopping him. The boy lifted his shirt above his head and Hiei whispered softly enough that the words just reached Yusuke’s ears, “As soon as I can, I will pursue you, detective.” Red eyes met astonished brown, “I will pursue you and Kurama, Yusuke.” As suddenly, Hiei stepped away, pulling the shirt over his head and leaving the room.

Yusuke pulled the shirt quickly over his head, moving to leave the room as he did. He followed Genkai silently as she led them both to an inner room without windows. There was a candle on a low table between two futons that was the only light in the room except for the spill from the hallway. “Sleep, both of you, separately. No more talking, no more working things out. You’ll have time enough for that later. You both need to sleep.” She turned and left them standing in the hallway without another word.

Hiei moved to take one of the futons, curling on his side to face the other, watching as Yusuke pulled the door shut and laid down, facing the koorime. “Good night,” Yusuke whispered, wanting to say more, but not sure where to even begin.

“Good night,” Hiei returned, watching as fatigue closed the brown eyes before he let himself fall into a dreamless sleep.

Yukina woke them, tiredness ringing her eyes, her hair limp. “He needs you,” she whispered, collapsing on the bed next to Hiei. He rose to his knees, alarmed, about to touch her when Genkai’s voice from the doorway stopped him.

“Don’t.” Hiei looked over and the woman looked as exhausted as the maiden. “Go to him now. We just need to sleep.” She sighed, moving to take the futon Yusuke left, “If he doesn’t rally soon, we’ll have to call in Kuwabara and Shizuru.”

Hiei pulled a face and moved to leave the room followed by Yusuke on his heels. When they opened the door to the room the redhead was in, they found him thrashing about wildly on the floor, having rolled off the futon. Hiei was across the room, Yusuke a breath behind him and they both touched the redhead at the same moment. Kurama’s body stilled as he pulled heavily on the ki of the other two, drawing in their energy and using it to fight the darkness that was trying to consume him. His energy writhed, twisting while his body lay still, avoiding the lunges and grabs of the demented demon’s ki. He used Yusuke’s and Hiei’s ki as weapons, slashing and blocking blows, pushing the darkness back, surging forward until it left his body, leaving only scars where it had entered and tried to poison him. Yusuke and Hiei collapsed on the redhead, drained.

A/N: Isn't that just...the worst place I could leave off? :D Poor Kurama, poor Hiei, poor Yusuke. *sniff* I think I'll stop before someone wants to really strangle me.

Ryukotsusei: I can't wait to see how...errr...wait, I'm supposed to know what's going on, aren't I? Ooops...Ah, well, glad you're enjoying this :D

tinkle time kelly: Glad you're liking it... :D

sisko66002: Well? Ch'a like?

Hoshi-chan: Kinda wish my darling muse had stuck with the original question...*sigh* would have been a lot easier to write

Anon aka NyteKit: I didn't mean for it to follow the Ankoku Bujutsukai...really, I did start out with the premis that Kurama would enjoy it. *sigh* Yeah, it's kinda weird not writing Kurama all crazy loud, isn't it?

shiorifoxiesmom: As Blue points out below you, I can't seem to avoid this trio...but, I have written duos and solos...but, I like writing the trio better...I like the dynamics...the greater degree of give and take...the emotional investment in achieving balance...all that.

BlueUtopiah: This one wasn't supposed to be the OT3, really...I swear I intended, when I started to write Karasu/Kurama! I swear I did. Blame George! It's his fault! *sigh* I'm glad you enjoyed it...it just seemed logical to have his ki travel since he could control it out of his body and bombs are a kind of fire energy...so the "what if" game led to traveling ki that would feel good... ;) We'll have to play that game, won't we?

KyoHana: I'm glad you read and liked this even though you don't care for Karasu. Yes, strictly medical sex. We should all try it sometime...and clear shower curtains. And...George, the muse...is a he...my muse is a gay male...*sigh* which explains why I've written up with things that can't be on my body demanding attention...

anon: It wasn't meant to be a tease...it was supposed to be Karasu/Kurama...*sigh* Glad you liked it anyways.

Okay...now...I'm off to write my will...aka the next chapter...please don't kill me, ne?