Hola! Kisses to the dedicated reviewers and followers. I think I'm going to transfer all my stories over to AO3. The tagging features are divine and there's not enough YuYu Hakusho over there. What do you think?

Looking forward to your comments as always. Lots of love to you!

~Yasha's Sis

Chapter 26:

Introductions

Yusuke let her sob until her chest ached.

It was nice. In a painful, lance your boils kind of way. Izumi felt raw cradled against her brother's chest and it probably should have embarrassed her that she wanted to stay there clinging to him like she was a toddler once more. It didn't, but Izumi was pretty sure normal emotional responses to life just weren't in her anymore.

Damn she wanted to sleep.

"So, what's the plan?"

Shifting to rub her face on the last patch of dry cloth, Izumi nudged her brother's arms down and pressed her face into the pillow at his side. Yusuke released her with a noise of disgust as he saw the state of his shirt but didn't do anything more as he waited for her answer.

"You won't like it." She said after a long silence, voice raspy and soft.

Yusuke scoffed. "As long as you're not taking the toddler's deal, I'm sure I'll like it a hell of a lot more."

I wouldn't bet on it.

So, Izumi told him the most obvious idea.

To say he was cautiously skeptical would be a bit of an understatement; but, in the end, the alternative wasn't much of a choice.

They decided to wait until returning to Kaidan.

Genkai would more than likely humor their not so distant attempt at idiocy, if only for her curiosity, but Hiei and Kurama looked a little too disquieted to be willing to let her chat up her brain leech.

Koenma and Boton were obvious no votes.

Kazuma, on the other hand, would probably trust them enough to leave them be should they follow through with Izumi's Hail Mary. And, even if he didn't trust them, he knew they were stubborn enough to do it anyway, with or without his support. Often, Kazuma usually just went with whatever idiocy Yusuke pulled out of his ass with only token complaint. He asked questions only after he'd already committed himself and Izumi usually mourned his lack of common sense but in this it would be a useful oversight.

Grey eyes squinted at her suspiciously. "You want me to do what?"

Unexpectedly, Kazuma's self-preservation instincts pipped up enough to have the orange haired teen wary.

Izumi gave him her more beguiling look, to which Yusuke quietly gagged at their taller friend's back. "I've been thinking that Kurama would probably be the best person to help you with your materialization next to Genkai and she's already got her hands full helping out Yukina." The old woman didn't, but Kazuma's fixation on Yukina was driving Hiei wild and Izumi wasn't going to be able to defend his life if she was comatose communing with the undead. Kurama needed a distraction and Hiei's been blatantly stalking Kazuma ever since he realized the teen was serious about his declarations for love for the ice apparition.

Which was weird. Why the hell did Hiei care so much? Kazuma would spoil the ruby eyed demoness rotten and Yukina was kind but not cruel enough to lead Kazuma on. If she didn't like his advances, she'd send him on his way. Hiei didn't need to treat Kazuma like he was panting after someone who was either naive or defenseless. Yukina was not the first option and Izumi would castrate Kazuma if he so much as touched her face without permission.

Yusuke got twitchy whenever Izumi brought it up, tipping her off to a secret of some kind but she would dig into it later. Right now, she needed to make sure Kurama was properly occupied.

"Have you asked him to give you pointers?" Izumi continued, half-curiously. What did Kazuma think was adequate training?

The tall teen scratched his neck. "Uh, no. He always seemed busy, you know? And you two weren't talking for a while…" Kazuma trailed off with a blanch. Izumi waved her hand, dismissive. They weren't talking right now either so it wasn't like it was a secret nor she was ashamed of the continued silence. He was mad at her for keeping secrets and feeling guilty because she got hurt. She was mad at him for not trusting her and feeling guilty about partially proving him right with the lack of trust. Their issues were significant, but it wasn't serious enough to lose their friendship. Just thinking about the last time Kurama flipped his shit when she got hurt, Izumi could never question the strength of their friendship.

He was her best friend and she wouldn't give that up for anything. Didn't mean they couldn't get pissy or fight. They would make up later.

…Once they actually talked about the growing quagmire of shit between them.

"It was just a thought, Kazuma. I know you want to be stronger too."

Comically, his chest puffed out. "Of course, I do." Glancing around, Kazuma shrugged. "I mean, I guess it couldn't hurt to ask him."

Score!

"Great, because we need you to distract him for a bit." Grey eyes widened in alarm, but Yusuke was already elbowing his best friend in the ribs.

"Don't fuck this up, Lurch. And afterwards, you better be able to do more than just stretch your measly blade a bit."

Izumi turned away as Kazuma squawked and a scuffle broke out. Awesome! One less thing to worry about-

"Oi, hold up Izumi." She jumped a bit, not expecting the boys to pause in their wrestling.

The youngest Urameshi twisted back to see Kazuma's head pop up from the odd contorted position Yusuke twisted him into.

"What's up, Kazuma?"

"I said I'd help, but I need to know," the punk began, giving Izumi a disappointed look. "You talk to Keiko yet?"

Izumi's eyes widened. Oh.

Shit…

"I'd talk to her, if I were you." Kazuma advised, smoothly twisting out of her brother's grapple to slam the older twin's face into the dirt. Izumi winced sympathetically when Yusuke backhanded a fist into Kazuma's momentarily smug face in retaliation.

She sighed. "I will. I promise." Izumi was not looking forward to that conversation.

But, she also couldn't put it off for much longer. School started Tuesday and she couldn't ignore Keiko like she had been before her summer camp from hell experience with Tarukane.

Her friend deserved better than that now. Though Izumi had no idea how she was supposed to make it up to her.

She sighed.

Best get this over with.

Izumi slunk into class Tuesday morning with Kazuma's reassurances that Keiko would of course forgive her.

Clearly, her orange haired idiot did not know Yukimura Keiko.

The two girls caught eyes and Izumi offered a weak smile that stunned the shorter girl before her face closed off and Keiko ignored her following attempts to catch her attention.

Swell.

Izumi deserved this, she knew. Hurting Keiko was one thing, but Izumi hadn't offered her the time of day, let alone an apology as the days bled to weeks before she skipped school to go save Yukina. Keiko, more than likely, would require Yusuke level groveling to appease.

The Spirit Detective tried not to bristle at how fucking irritating the process would be. She was more than a little certain her brain leech was influencing her disdain of the interaction.

But, Izumi also didn't want to spend the better part of a week waiting Keiko out. She had shit to do, damn it, and her very soul on the line here so catering to Keiko's usual temper wasn't going to fly-

Brown eyes widened in inspiration.

Actually… this was probably one of those moments where following Yusuke was the more moronic option.

Necessity being the mother of inspiration and all that.

Decided, Izumi waited until the bell following English class to chime before she ignored Keiko's other friends forming a protective circle around her and bullied her way to the teen's side.

The shorter girl's eyes widened momentarily before cooling. "Urameshi-san," and ouch. Way to stab a girl while she's down, "Did you need something?"

Some harpy, who Izumi never took the time to remember their name, despite three years of sharing a classroom with, gave a mean little smile. "Keiko-chan is awful busy today and doesn't have time for-"

Izumi's hand shot forward with an enthusiastic wave, interrupting what's-her-face mid-sentence. "Yukimura-chan," Izumi inserted, because why the fuck not at this point, "My grades have really taken a dip and I need help from the best student in the class right now to catch up. Do you mind sparing a moment to possibly tutor me?" Izumi saw the moment Keiko bristled- Izumi had always been ahead of her in half their classes and comfortable second in the others. To point that out right now was goading but Keiko's anger was far more useful than her fear or her hurt. "You are the best student in Sarayashiki High and the class president is obligated to look after less fortunate students."

All of this is commentary Keiko would lecture when Izumi rolled her eyes at tutoring. She hated dumbing things down for anyone she wasn't close to unless they were a child. Everyone in her grade should be able to manage the course load. But, Keiko always preached the virtues of tutoring their classmates, so much so that Izumi got suckered into a few English sessions as a favor. If Keiko turned her down now, she'd be the hypocrite of the worst sort. Especially because Keiko made it a point to help people who asked her directly for help.

Manipulating her into a corner probably wasn't the kindest route in making amends, but Izumi did. Not. Have. Time. Keiko deserved the truth and Izumi would give it to her because she owed her that at least before possibly succumbing to either her brain leech or Koenma's shitty soul suppression. This method was the most expeditious route.

Keiko's narrowed eyes showed she was wise to Izumi's ploy. "It's alright, Ayame-san." Izumi refrained from smirking at the nosy chit who tried to spurn her away. "Urameshi-san has fallen a great deal in the academic rankings. It's only right that she ask for help."

Izumi kept her face from scowling at Keiko's jibe. Once upon a time she would have cared for her class ranking but looming death and reincarnated memories sort of put things into perspective.

Keiko favored the three girls at her side a kind smile. "It's alright. Urameshi-san and I will hash out a study plan and I'll be back before you know it."

Her sycophants seemed displeased but eventually bowed to Keiko's word, shooting Izumi stink eyes until they exited the classroom. "Don't know how you deal with them."

"They don't lie or try to hurt me for one." She shot back lightly which made Izumi want to flinch. She did not regret her actions that day after the school massacre but bringing it up like that…

Yeah.. I probably let this sit for too long.

Trying for playful, Izumi pouted. "So mean, Kei-chan."

"Don't!" Izumi stalled at the harsh response. Keiko's eyes were shadowed behind her fringe, but her voice was clear. "Don't pretend like nothing happened, Izumi. I can't- I won't pretend."

Damn. Maybe regret was there, just past the spite.

"I know." Izumi murmured as they reached the stairwell and made their way to the roof. It was kind of shitty of her to act as if nothing had changed. Everything's changed. "I'll explain what you're willing to listen to, Keiko. I owe you that."

Wary brown eyes glanced up at her and Izumi felt an irrational swell of self-loathing for it. Keiko had needed to be dissuaded. She would not regret that. Still...

"I mean it, Kei. I was wrong to snap on you like that."

Dark brown eyes sharpened as they reached the roof access. "But not for the message you got across." Keiko accused, shrewdly.

"No," Izumi admitted. "Not that." She sighed. "There's a lot… a lot you weren't privy to when I bit your head off, but I meant what I did." Keiko's breath hitched and Izumi smothered the spike of empathy. "It's why I've been gone so long. There's… there's a lot of dangerous aspects of Yusuke's and my job, Keiko. I didn't lay out the nitty gritty details because I never thought…."

I never thought it would affect you directly. And she was an idiot for that oversight.

Izumi shook her head and leaned against the shaded wall on the east side of the building. "I'd hoped you wouldn't need more than a crash course explanation on the shit Yusuke and I get up to, but I see that's wrong and I'm willing to explain it to you."

Keiko folded her legs under her in the shade, just far enough away to be outside of easy reach and Izumi tried not to let that hurt her too. "I'll listen." She straightened her shoulders and gave Izumi a determined look. "I don't know if I'll be able to forgive you anytime soon, but I'll listen to you, Izumi."

Izumi's smile was fleeting. "Thanks, Keiko."

Really, that was all she could ask for.

Two days later, Izumi's eyes opened to an unfamiliar ceiling.

Her gaze swept the area critically for any sense of recognition and she's not entirely surprised she didn't manage to find any.

The home she was in- because the fire pit, old fashioned futon, and decidedly traditional architecture all spoke to a small, well-crafted but utterly unfamiliar home- was warm. Izumi glanced down and blinked at the flowing yukata. It was black as ink, with harsh red sakura petals flowing along the collar and sleeves. She lifted her arms from the thin blanket and stared. Her hands were pale, callused in an unfamiliar way, and Izumi fought the urge to pull back the top of her robe to view what she was wearing underneath because her… assets were a significantly different size than she remembered.

All thoughts to freaking out about her decidedly not Izumi body fled as the door to the modest home snapped open.

Izumi would have jerked upright if her body wasn't calmly righting itself on its own, turning to catch the silhouette of a tall man with long, spiked hair.

The Spirit Detective felt her mouth move. The words though were muffled as if coming from a great distance as the man at the door stepped in enough to close the door behind him.

It shut with a particularly ominous snitch sound and Izumi felt this body shiver once as if cold. The Thump-thump-thump of her heart against her breastbone seemed to block her ears as her apparent guest took slow, silent steps to stand before her, face silhouette in darkness but chin moving in unheard speech.

This man was lithe, his steps gliding across the floor. It was graceful in a way that made Izumi take notice but the teen couldn't scoot back or shift herself into a defensive position.

Why can't I move?

Silence echoed within her as her guest moved into the firelight and knelt.

Pale hair, like harvested straw left to bleach in the sun, hung in heavy spikes about his head. The bulk of his mane managed to be held back by a golden headband and Izumi balked as her hand raised to lightly trace the crescent of a blue tattoo carved below his right eye.

Eyes the deep purple of amethyst tracked her hand as it reached, caressed, his face and Izumi was uncomfortably aware of the bewilderment in his gaze. He looked hunted, like a man torn between disgust, panic, and desire, and Izumi doesn't know what fucked up dream she's having but she wants out. Now.

The point of diving into her mind like this was to find her guest, not creepily live through the naughty time of some subconscious desire.

The man's lips peel back in a huff, canines gleaming in the firelight, and Izumi's breath caught. He leaned forward, gaze intent and hungry-

"Enough of that."

Izumi's eyes opened again.

She was home this time or some simulation of it. The loveseat still had that chewed on corner from the previous owner and Izumi dug her toes into the thick carpet of the living room. A Hello Kitty crop top winked up as she glanced at her attire. Dark blue flannel pajama pants with the ragged bottoms covered her legs and Izumi relaxed at the recognizable scars curved along her hip and forearm. The familiar, barely noticeable pull on her shoulder made her sigh in relief.

She never thought she'd be so grateful to sit in her own flesh.

"You've been looking for me."

Shifting to put the couch between them, Izumi cut her gaze to the voice coming from the balcony.

Mouth opened to snarl a litany of expletives at her unwelcomed guest, Izumi's tirade fizzled out as the figure registered. "It's… you."

The man- demon- from her earlier vision, stood against the balcony door in dark green cotton pants and a burnt orange sash. He was shirtless now and Izumi flicked her gaze over him clinically, comparing the hollower cheeks and paler skin. The blue tattoo on his face shone like a brand against his formerly dark bronzed flesh and the one on his chest seemed stretched or sunken in. It outlined every fiber of muscle painted in the azure ink.

"You've been looking for me," he said again, amused this time. The amethyst gaze sat half-lidded on her form and Izumi shivered.

It reminded her a little too strongly of the before dream. "Who was that woman?"

"Ah," The demon began, taking a slow breath through his nose. His eyes closed briefly as he answered, "A memory of a love long past."

Love? She opened her mouth to question that.

"Why are you here?"

Izumi's surprisingly reluctant to move off the woman, his lover apparently. In the grand scheme of things, she supposed it wasn't important, but something bothered her about the vision.

If it's your memory, why did I see it through her eyes?

Shaking her head to remove the useless thought, Izumi favored him with an annoyed glare. "I came to figure out why you're haunting me. Lingering, I guess. It is you, isn't it? I'm not dealing with another dead person clinging to my thoughts?" She squinted at him suspiciously, "You aren't human so you can't be a ghost." She wasn't sure what happened to demon souls after death, but ghost seemed too… plebian a thing.

His chuckle rolled through the air in velvet waves as the demon gave a mocking bow of his head. The noise made her take a step back. She hasn't met many people who have that tone of goosebump inducing laughter. She did not want to be reminded of any of them here.

"Not a ghost, Anuraya. I live." His mouth twisted oddly.

Izumi's eyes narrowed. That wasn't her damn name and she knew he was aware. "Then why are you harassing me?"

A smirk cleared the displeased expression that held his lips for a time and the demon shifted off the balcony doors with a roll of oddly familiar motion "Harassment?" He purred, purple gaze capturing hers as he fucking prowled towards her. "Does my presence offend you so, Anuraya?"

"Consent is sexy." Izumi snarked back, clenching her fist to keep from backing away again from the strangeness of this creature. She couldn't access her spirit energy in the dreamworld, she knew that from Yusuke, but Izumi reached for it anyway, desperate for some reassurance. "That doesn't answer my question. Why are you here? Why are you interfering with my life?"

He hummed, low in his throat. "Because I was curious."

Izumi tensed when the demon held out his hand, gaze patient and unnerving.

She caved and took a step back to give them more than two feet spacing, ignoring the proffered palm. Her voice remained flat. "Curious." Izumi's done nothing but bitch and fight and attack his presence since she took note of it. By no definition could anyone take that as welcoming and yet-

He laughed. "When you live as long as I, curiosity becomes the last of life's pleasures. You, Anuraya, are a curiosity."

"Who are you?" She asked instead of pointing out none of that was an intelligent answer.

The demon fluttered his fingers in a brief come here wave. "You may call me, Toshin." Izumi blinked at the immediate answer.

"Toshin? Really?" It sat wrong as she mouthed the name, mahogany gaze narrowed in focus. The echoes of her former dream made the name feel… false. Izumi shook her head and ignored that too.

"Why are you here, Anuraya?"

Izumi lowered her eyes to glare at the still proffered hand. "You keep calling me that. You know it's not my name."

Silence answered her. It stretched to the point that Izumi flicked her gaze back to his and bit her lip to keep from scowling. His smile was far too fond for the twin's tastes. "Would you rather I call you Izumi-hime?"

Izumi's eyes widened as a flush warmed her cheeks. "No." She snapped, immediately. Only Kurama dared to say her name in such a horrifyingly affectionate way and she sure as shit wasn't going to take it from her trespassing not-ghost who had a thing for dark haired women.

His eyes twinkled in mischief. "As you wish, An."

"Jackass." The curse was vehement and only caused the weird bastard to laugh again. "I want you to leave me alone. You used me like a shitty puppeteer and I'd beat you bloody if either of us could truly get hurt in this world. Get out of my head!"

"Hn," He said, body leaning towards her and arm twisted to slowly rub his fingers together in the space between them. "And if I refuse?"

She held his amethyst gaze and let her lip curl. "Then I get sealed for the rest of my life and you never get a chance to creep on me anyway."

It was that which finally caused his arm to drop and Izumi felt a petty sense of satisfaction. His face blanked.

"That would not be wise."

"Oh?" Izumi prodded, pressing her hip against the couch now that he seemed less inclined to crowd her personal space. "Unless I get answers, that course is the only course, wisdom be damned.

Silence held for long enough that the Spirit Detective was ready to sigh. This bastard was chatty damn near any other time.

His head cocked abruptly, and Izumi refused to flinch at the suddenly predatory stare. "You pulled on my power."

Blinking rapidly, Izumi held out her hand in a stopping gesture. "Roll that back. I did what?"

"You pulled on my power." Toshin repeated in an obnoxiously slow way. "Had you the strength to achieve your goals, I wouldn't have needed to reach you in the first place."

The jab at her weakness stung but the teen focused on the important part of that statement. "I pulled- How would I do that? I don't even know you."

Izumi's lips parted to sneer something else when she felt more than saw him flinch at the admission. Her eyebrows rose. What the hell?

"We are linked, you and I." He said in her silence. "It is the way with our kind. You pulled, I answered."

Her eyebrows migrated past the hairline. "Our kind?"

Toshin smiled, slow and fanged. "If you let your humans seal you, you will lose connection to Spirit energy."

Izumi knew that. She cared more to be free of his influence. "I've given up more for less."

The tall demon took a step forward, eyes glittering. "If you truly wished to be bound, you wouldn't be here."

Her lips pursed. Point. "I don't relish the thought of being pushed to the sidelines when those I care about are in danger. Sue me for hoping the demon lurking at the back of my skull will listen to reason. Call it my human naivete."

The demon smirked. "Human naivete?"

"I'm human." She insisted. "You seem to be confused about that."

His sigh shouldn't have sounded fond. "I do not deny your humanity."

Izumi bit back a snarl of frustration as well as the first, second, and fifth comments that sprung to her tongue. This line of questioning was going nowhere. "What do you want?!"

Amethyst eyes carded over her features with a leisure that made her self-conscious.

"I want to learn." He said, simply. "Allow this and I will refrain from intruding upon your thoughts and battles."

"Learn. What?" She felt her hand flex in frustration. "And I don't just want you out of my thoughts. I want this connection gone!"

"You know not what you ask." Toshin warned with the first frown of the evening. "A complete severance is not possible without either of our deaths and I will not allow my end to come before ensuring my legacy." Izumi glowered at him and his frown eased. "Indulge my curiosity. I will separate myself as much as possible to encourage your autonomy as you attempt to control your power."

Encourage my autonomy. Izumi mocked in the comfort of her mind. Like he had any fucking say on what she wished to do with herself. Attempt to control your power. Because she would have such trouble managing her abilities without him nagging her. Arrogant Bastard.

The death condition was disappointing. She'd research that on her own and she couldn't risk some half-cocked assassination mission when she didn't even know the extent of their bond. The only thing Izumi knew was she couldn't truly rely on anything this guy said.

"Ignoring your blatantly wrong implication of having sway over my life, let's get back to the important part. I should mean nothing to you. We've never met and if we do, it better be with the aim to close this link between our minds else you should expect absolute violence of the worst sort."

He chuckled. Chuckled. Like her promise to tear out his ass and feed it to him was a cutesy comeback. "No, we have not met, but Anuraya," He began with a heavy air of promise. "You have no idea what you are or what you would mean to me. I would teach you if you were willing."

Teach me?

She squinted, suspiciously. "Was that a pick-up line?" No, focus. You came here to get him to back off. If there's a way to keep from sealing myself, I should consider it.

At his blank expression, Izumi huffed and marshaled her thoughts. Bargaining. She could bargain. "What exactly do you want to learn about? I feel like these are specifics we should hash out now. Or, do you intend to keep the nebulous desire of 'learning'?" Izumi demand came with complementary air quotations. Toshin watched the motion curiously.

"Is that a physical depiction of your sarcasm? The tone seemed sufficiently pointed without the addition."

The honest interest in his voice spawned a snort that Izumi resented the moment it sounded. "Christ. Ok… how exactly are we supposed to come to an agreement if you don't know what you want to learn?"

He hummed, eye lids lowering to that ever-present half-mast state. The demon's tone shifted to something indifferent. "I would learn what circumstances would force a child to nearly kill themselves in defense of those around them." Toshin tilted his head back and gave her an uncompromising stare. "I would learn of you, Anuraya."

The teen frowned thoughtfully. "I don't understand why you're so focused on me. Haven't you spied enough on my life to understand why I did what I did for them?" She sighed explosively and rubbed her face with her left hand. Growling and being angry wasn't going to get her better answers. If anything, it endeared him to frustrate her more. Best try for politeness, even if it rang a little forced. "Look, Toshin-san," And that nicety felt like pulling teeth. "Killing demons is my job, which makes our connection a little awkward." She let her hand drop and didn't hide how tired she was. "Can you answer that at least? Why do we have this connection to begin with?"

There goes that chuckle again. It made her brow tick in aggravation. "It would be easier to explain in person."

Izumi blinked and then grinned. "Well then, come on over to Spirit World. I'm sure the toddler can get a conference room set up or something. That's about all he's good for." She muttered more to herself than the demon at her front.

He didn't say anything and Izumi turned back with a scowl only to still at the look in his eyes. What's wrong with him?

She hesitatingly took a step forward and it was enough to draw him from whatever weird moment he fell into. Toshin shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, his sun-bleached hair swaying as he moved. "No." He said like he didn't just lose his grip on reality for a second there. "Spirit World would not be a safe place to bring you should they learn the truth and if they didn't, they would attempt to kill me for merely existing."

The look he gave to that thought was decidedly malicious.

Izumi was torn between demanding this so called truth and boggling on the horrible reaction he just described. Asking about their connection would gain her nothing, he's ignored her inquiries on the subject at every turn, so she'd let that lie for now. Her lack of safety regarding their connection, from Koenma's people, made her uneasy. Who was this guy to make him a threat for an immediate kill order, especially if his help was requested by one of Koenma's Detectives?

She knew there were a few perks to being in this position and being able to schedule a meeting between two hostile forces was supposed to be one of them. "Killing you during a diplomatic meeting seems a bit extreme."

Dark purple eyes watched her amusedly. "Dangerous things are best locked away if they can't be destroyed." It is said with an air of knowing.

Alright then. "So Human World."

He gave a slow blink. "If Spirit World balks at my presence in their halls, how would you expect the Ningenkai to welcome one such as I?" Izumi sighed again. Seriously? "This is a moot point when the barrier was designed to keep demons of my stature away from Humankind."

Izumi sucked in a short breath to laugh. There were only three worlds after all, so if the first two didn't work… "Demon World? Me? You know my Spirit Energy is practically poisonous to demons when I'm not actively controlling it?" It wasn't quite that bad anymore, but she didn't really want to go to hell.

"I know." Was whispered with something like pleasure. It sucked the humor right out of Izumi's lungs hard enough to make her choke.

Toshin loomed. Bleached hair fell over his shoulder to nearly brush her face, he was so close. Izumi was disconcerted at the sudden motion and her lack of reaction. "You will be well protected. I can send my men to meet you at the border and escort you to my home."

A part of her, the terrible, terrible part that poked at Kurama when he was livid and teased Hiei on his blackest moods, was interested. She couldn't deny the curiosity thrumming in her chest on how this connection was made and who he really was to warrant such harsh response from the Spirit World…

At the same time, she was not stupid.

"As exciting as running off with my inner demon would be, I'm gonna have to decline. Yusuke would kill me if I walked into so obvious a trap."

Another slow blink. "Your brother. He would be welcome." Her strange demon mind leech seemed conflicted for some reason. "Though, I do not know how well he would fair in Demon World."

Izumi stared at him, incredulous. "You think Yusuke wouldn't survive Demon World?"

Izumi's never had someone be more concerned about Yusuke's safety when fighting Demon kind than her own. Izumi's always been viewed as the weaker one, the damsel. Even amongst the boys.

That Toshin didn't view her as someone to save made a kernel of warmth nestle in her chest.

Stupid. Don't get friendly with him. He's an unknown. Untrustworthy.

She turned away and scratched her cheek as he spoke. "I've seen little of your brother and then, only through your eyes. He has not reached for my power."

"You mentioned that," Izumi swung her head back to watch his expression. "How did I reach out to you?"

The demon's eyes darkened as his lip curled. "You were dying. Your Spirit Energy wished to heal but it had no focus. It lacked… direction." The demon slouched a little closer to Izumi and sniffed. "I provided the needed guidance once the connection was made."

The classroom.

"Why?" Izumi asked in a low tone. She killed his kind regularly and, while she didn't enjoy it, she certainly wouldn't cringe away from killing someone who was actively trying to murder her. Why wouldn't he let her die?

"I already told you, An."

Izumi sucked her teeth at the dissatisfactory answer. "Right. I'm a delightful curiosity." Her dream space rippled aggressively and Izumi frowned at the ceiling. Someone was trying to drag her out.

"Hime," Heat curled at Izumi's front and she stilled as the demon caught her frantic jab in one hand while his other brushed against the skin of her throat in a deceptively gentle hold. "If this must be the last we speak, know I wait for you, both of you, in Demon World."

The dream space tore, splintering the glass of the balcony, and Izumi brought up her other hand to grab the unsubtle threat. She hissed like a rain sprayed cat when the demon twisted her around to drag her back flush to his chest. Her hands forced to cross her bust as he released her throat, snagged her hand and caged her with her own arms. The ease at which Toshin curtailed her burned.

"I will grant you this privacy, Anuraya. A boon." His breath tickled the side of her face and Izumi snarled in outrage as the light of her dreamscape faded. His parting words filled the space.

"From one dangerous beast to another."

"Fucking Asshole." Izumi hissed before her eyes even opened.

Condescending, arrogant, bastard! She'd beat the shit out of him whenever she found him. She swore it on her fucking life.

Incensed mahogany eyes snapped open and Izumi glared at the red head trying to melt her face with his stare. "Kazuma did a shit job at distracting you." She said, fury still high enough to make her words deepen into a snarl.

In an instant, Kurama's hand was on her throat, firm enough to bruise, as her spirit energy flickered in upset. Emerald eyes watched her carefully, face smooth of expression as his fingers tightened.

Izumi's glare grew harsher. "If you think choking me is going to make me lose control, you've forgotten who Kuroko is." The words are strained, almost unintelligible but Kurama understood. Didn't stop him from holding her by the neck, back flush against the wall, and legs awkwardly dragged before her, unable to support her weight.

"You are many things, Izumi Urameshi," he whispered with his head bowed, voice furious. "But stupid was never a quality I attributed to you." His hand relaxed, finally, and Izumi slid to the floor with a thump. Kurama didn't move from the crouch he previously held her in. "What were you thinking?"

She didn't dignify his manhandling with the throat rub her neck whined for. Instead, she rasped, "Don't you think you could have asked me that before you strained my vocal cords?" A warning growl rumbled from his chest.

"Answer me."

"Or what?" She sassed back, coughing a little at the end. "Plan on punishing me for my disrespect?"

His head lifted. Kurama looked like he was two seconds from hitting her.

I fucking dare you, her eyes said, to which his left hand twitched tellingly in response.

"What," he hissed again. "were you thinking?"

She was thinking how much force to put into her punch to rupture his liver. Fucking asshole.

Footsteps thudded down the hall and Yusuke burst through the door with a glare of his own and a rather large knot on the side of his head. "What the hell, Kurama?"

"Get out, Yusuke." Izumi demanded at the same time Kurama barked, "Leave."

Yusuke bristled. "What? Fuck the both of you. He came in and tossed me out of the way like I was trash. Red doesn't get to order me to do anything. And you! You sound like shit. What happened with ghost guy?"

Kurama stiffened. He turned mechanically in Yusuke's direction and his spirit energy swelled like a cobra's hood. "You knew?!"

Her moronic brother shot him an annoyed look. "Of course, I knew. I figured that was why you hit me."

Izumi flickered her hand in her brother's direction, lilac shining in a whip to slap Yusuke out of the way and shut the door. He tumbled backwards with a yelp and then she snapped a barrier into place in the wake of the slam.

"Idiot." She muttered, fond, but only in a distant kind of way. Izumi shook her head slightly, spirit energy curling along her throat to ease the damage as she watched her best friend through her lashes.

"Alright Kurama," Izumi said, tilting her head back to move her bangs from her eyes. "Let's talk."

The moment he opened his mouth to speak, Izumi punched him.

The crack of his jaw was music to her goddamned ears.

*~ADMW~*

(A/N): Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

Next Chapter: Unexpected Invitations!

~Yasha's Sis