~Oh, very nice try.~

'Sigh.'

The moon was a silver illuminance that concealed as much as it hid. Moonlight caught the shadows of four trailing humans, as their footsteps whispered against ruined concrete. They had been following Kurama and Keiko for a few minutes, and Kurama had decided not to mention the fact to Keiko, unless neccessity permitted. After all, they were almost to Keiko's house.

"Hey, Yukimura. So nice of you to bring a friend along. Think she'll be more cooperative than you?"

'They think Kurama's a girl?'

'Oh, Inari, not that again!'

"You didn't think you could get away, did you?"

"Don't you guys know when to take a hint?" Keiko retorted, even though she didn't turn around. Instead, she laced her arm around Kurama's and kept walking.

"Oh, so you're that way? No problem with me baby, bet I could change your mind if you give me the chance."

~Heh... You know, my good looks have gotten me accused of being gay before, but this is new.~

Kurama was caught between amusement and irritation. He felt Keiko's grip tighten on his arm and knew that the idiots' taunts were beginning to get to her. He figured the best thing to do was to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.

But first, a warning....

"I would advise you to go on your way and leave us alone."

"Like Hell we will!"

Sigh. "Very well then."

Gently, Kurama disentangled Keiko's arm from his own. He turned to face his opponents, and made no further move, waiting for an attack. The shafts of moonlight filtering down through the tree branches lining the sidewalk, lit up Kurama's features, revealing the deadly stare he was projecting towards the others.

"Hey! She's a he!"

"Uh... she is? Er, I mean, he is? Grrr.. how the heck can you tell, man, he looks just like a girl?!"

"Heh, don't matter much if he's a guy or not. Hey, girly man, why don't you be good and step aside, we've got businesssettsettle with the real woman here."

"I'm trying to ignore this, but you're not making it easy." Kurama said.

They were displeased at this revelation. In a fit of anger, one of the tallest thugs, a baseball capped teenager, lunged at Kurama.

The red head smirked, his head tilting to the side in a gesture which held multiple meanings. One being, he was amused at the situation. Two, he was contemplating how best to not hurt them, for they were obviously not a real threat. And three....

From out of nowhere a rather low hanging tree limb whipped in a non-existant wind just in time to smack the lunging thug in the face, effectively knocking him to the pavement while dislocating his nose.

~Can noses be dislocated?~

'You're always so philosophical during fights. But no, it's only a fracture. For their sakes, let's hope I don't have to fracture any other bones.'

As Thug Number One managed to pick himself up, and stagger about in a drunken fashion, his friends glared at Kurama.

"Lucky shot," the supposed leader of the gang said, "But let's see if your luck holds out against this."

With his words, the lanky guy withdrew something small and narrow from his pocket. Kurama tensed as, with a flick of his wrist, the grinning thug was now holding a deadly looking switchblade.

And without further ado, he lunged at Kurama.

~Not very creative, are they.~

"You should be careful with that. Sharp edges can hurt people." Kurama dodged more carefully this time, and quickly snatched the switchblade.

From behind Kurama, Keiko watched with a worried expression. She was totally unaware as Thug Number One crept up silently behind her. She was taken off guard when he slipped a pair of strong arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides as he held her tightly against his chest.

Kurama turned to check on Keiko, finding her in the clutches of the thug who's nose he'd previously broken. There were a few seconds left to help the girl and Kurama was prepared to launch a particually nasty seed... Until he saw Keiko move her head forward, as if in deep thought. He quirked an eyebrow as, suddenly, her head jerked backward. The momentum brought the back of her skull into painful contact with the thug's face, thus, earning her a swift release. In which she thanked him for. By turning around and slapping him in the nose.

Hard.

"Oh GOB!! NOD AGAIN!!! My dose...." Trickles of blood splattered over the concrete, as Thug Number One bewailed the misfortune of his twice injured nose.

"When did you learn to fight, Keiko-chan?"

"Been taking lessons at the local dojo. I didn't figure it was any use telling Yusuke about it, he always wound up coming to my rescue, regardless."

A pleased look appeared in Kurama's eyes. 'He seems happy that I can take care of myself. But, its not like I'm helping much...' Keiko noted before he was thoroughly tackled from behind by the remaining three thugs. Keiko gasped as all four went down in a jumble of punching arms and flailing legs.

Taking a chance, Keiko ran up, bringing her foot forwards with all her might. It connected with the side of another thug's head. Sending him sprawling off of Kurama, who managed to throw off another. Now it was just one left.

This time, she didn't see Mr. Twice Fractured Nose (aka Thug Number One) coming. Before she could protest, he took advantage of her inattention (she had been checking on Kurama) and slammed his body on top of hers; when they hit the concrete, she was the one who took the brunt of their fall.

Kurama had just finished disposing of the final thug (by manipulating a few vines that ran along a nearby building) and the poor guy was now plastered against the brick wall, wrapped in foliage. Funny thing was, it felt nice to let out his anger once in a while. But he was about to get alot angrier. Keiko was trapped beneath the last thug.

~I'll get the salt and pepper. Or perhaps wasabi? Idiots always taste best in wasabi.~ Offered an anxious Youko.

"No one poaches on my territoy."

The unexpected outburst caused Keiko to still in her struggles. 'Is he calling me his territory?'

"How does it feel to taste the ground, bitch?"

Mr. Twice Fractured Nose got in one good insult and one good grope before he realized he had been discovered.

Green eyes glared with raging flames in their depths...

"Keiko," Kurama's voice sounded strained. "Are you alright?"

"...Yes... I'm fine. But I think... my ankle may be sprained."

The thug was still on top of Keiko, frozen. He realized that it was quiet. Too quiet. His friends were not there to help him out anymore. Looking up, he realized that they hung in wall creeping vines, like flies waiting for the spider's poison, and... The girly man's eyes looked demonic.

Mr. Twice Fractured Nose suddenly felt very, very scared.

Afterwards, Kurama carried Keiko home...

"I'd better not see you on your feet tomorrow."

Keiko blinked, "Nani? Kurama, it's just a little sprain. I'll be fine."

"Nevertheless... You'll be missing work. Not such a big loss in that regard."

"Gee, Kurama, you sound like my mom." Keiko grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as Kurama settled her onto the sofa in her living room before sitting down beside her. 'But he wasn't very 'motherly' to that thug...' her inner voice said faintly. She squashed the thought.

Kurama tried to ignore Youko's laughter at that remark.

~Is Mommy going to kiss and make it better?~

"Yes, I am well aware of my feminine appearance." Kurama sighed. 'Now is not the time, Youko.'

~Meaning, there will be another time for kissing?~

Keiko's eyes widened, "Oh, no! That's not what I meant at all, Kurama. Yre mre more beautiful than most women, including myself, but your beauty is masculine... it's..."

Kurama found himself watching in interest, as she continued to ramble, not really paying attention to anything but the sound of her voice. Just watching. Listening. She fiddled with her hands nervously, chewing a little on her bottom lip.

It was utterly adorable, he decided. 'It makes her nearly as cute as when she blushes.' Kurama was astonished at the thought. He... thought Keiko... was... cute?

"-- So you're more beautiful... But not in a feminine way."

Kurama blinked. Once the words set in, he felt like hiding. How utterly embarassing. How... how wrong.

Keiko noticed a slight tint to Kurama's cheeks and suddenly realized how she must have sounded. 'Oh no, I was just trying to assure him and now I've gone off and insulted him. Ohhh.. I hope he's not mad!'

~None of my doing.~

Kurama could swear he could hear innocent whistling. Keiko had stopped talking and was looking at him in concern. 'What if she thinks that the only reason I saved her was because,.. I like her? She's looking at me funny. I can't handle this...'

Kurama suddenly bolted to his feet. "Uh... Gomen, Keiko-chan, but it is getting late. I... should be going."

"Oh... I was going to offer you tea..."

He shot her an apologetic smile (albeit a half hearted one). He really didn't think he could stay here much longer. For some reason he was nervous as hell, which was strange. He'd never been nervous around her before.... "Maybe some other time?"

Keiko wilted deeper into the couch as he inched closer and closer to the door. The cushions were suffocating. "Ok... See you later, then," she smiled weakly. 'Pathetic. But its all your fault for making him nervous.'

The click of the door closing signaled the beginning of an unearthly silence. No noise reached her ears except the faint ticking of the grandfather clock against the far wall and her thoughts. She tried to push away the feelings that were edging closer and closer by telling herself that it didn't matter if Kurama was upset with her or not. That it didn't matter what he thought of her...

'Then... why is it that I have this enormous urge to cry?'

Hours passed. They seemed to drag on forever as she sat, staring out the window, a blanket cradling her shoulders. Far beyond the rooftops, red tinged the horizon... spreading lazily to paint the sky with roses. Slowly. Relentlessly. The sight made a small smile touch her face. In the blooming light, things began to look a bit better, her mind becoming capable of pushing away dark thoughts and feelings. But try as she might, she could not dispell the image of what Kurama had done to Mr. Twice Fractured Nose. She could still see him, lying in a crumpled heap just within the entrance of an alley, his arm twitching almost hypnotically as Kurama carried her away from the scene...

TBC...