Well, did this border work? I hope so. I didn't like writing BORDERBORDERBORDER as a border. You want to know what's worse? I can't put in my smiley faces anymore!!! See!? (If it worked, I'm going to feel really stupid.)

WARNING: This has been rated for language. And this is a Yaoi story. That's right, K/H. Not at first, but later on it will be. Well, you can tell from the first paragraph that Kurama loves Hiei, but . . .

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, not even the clothes on my back. Wait, yeah I do.

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Kurama sat at his open window, looking out at what seemed like nothing. While it was true you could see a magnificent sunset from his current position, Kurama had no interest in it. His mind was on a certain fire demon.

The shade of the setting sun turned blood red, fiercely reminding the kitsune of Hiei's red eyes. His red eyes were one of the fire demon's most beautiful qualities. Kurama loved those eyes.

As the sun continued to set, the sky turned into a dark blue, once again reminding Kurama of Hiei. Most people thought that Hiei's hair was black, but Kurama knew better. His fire demon's hair was a shade of blue, barely distinguishable from black. Kurama had spent a great deal of time studying Hiei's appearance, and had noticed this small detail months ago.

There was little about Hiei that Kurama didn't know. But one of these things that he didn't know was, did he feel the same for Kurama as Kurama felt for him?

This was the million-dollar question.

Kurama knew very well that his past would one day come back to haunt him, but he never once thought it would come back like this.

Kurama was once a very active fox, and he had had more bed partners in five weeks than most people had in five years. How was he supposed to get Hiei to believe him when he said he loved him, when he had used that very line to seduce countless others in the past?

"Don't try to seduce him," Youko advised. "Just pull him to the bed and show him exactly what it's like to be with a fox."

"I can't do that to Hiei," Shuuichi replied. "I love Hiei. I don't want him to think he's just like every other demon I . . . you slept with. He's special to me."

"You're too soft, Shuuichi," Youko said. "The best way to show him you love him-"

"No! That wouldn't be the best way!" Shuuichi mentally yelled. "You should know how sensitive he is. You once teased him and he disappeared for two months without telling anyone! I don't want to hurt him."

Youko let out a sigh. "Fine. I give up. I'll just let you stay here, brooding quietly. It's what you're good at."

With that, Youko fell quiet. "I hate it when he's right," Shuuichi whispered.

As of late, Shuuichi and Youko had been having many differences of opinion. Shuuichi was finding it more and more difficult to control the murderous fox while at school or while out with his friends.

He was constantly trying to refrain himself from killing the numerous girls who followed him like obedient slaves, and he even wanted to kill the teachers for praising him on such tedious things. So what if he could speak English fluently? The Makai language was a lot harder to speak. And Japanese wasn't the easiest language on earth, either.

Dear Inari, he wanted to strangle people sometimes. But then he would realize Youko was the one talking. Not him.

Kurama needed a vacation.

Hmm, a vacation at a hot spring, with a certain fire demon in the water next to him . . . maybe doing a bit more than simple relaxing . . .

Kurama quickly shook himself free from the fantasy. No matter how much he may have wanted to take a dip in a hot spring with Hiei, he still didn't know how Hiei felt about him.

"Damn him for being so vague!"

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Clear across the city, Hiei was sitting in a tree, looking at the very same sunset Kurama had been looking at.

And like Kurama, he was in his own inner turmoil.

He was as much in love with Kurama as Kurama was in love with him, but he knew very well of the fox's past. A creature like Kurama was too good for him. The Forbidden Child. All Hiei would be able to get out of the fox would be a pity screw. Nothing more.

Even though Hiei wouldn't entirely object to that . . .

But no. Kurama was too good for him. Someone like him didn't even deserve to call the fox a friend.

Hiei looked at the diminishing light. The sunset was beautiful, yes, but it was nothing compared to the beauty of his fox.

His fox? Where had that thought come from? Yes, Hiei wanted to tell Kurama that he loved him, but since he was so afraid of rejection that he kept quiet, he had no right to claim the fox as his. Even if he did only say that in the privacy of his own mind.

Hiei was perfectly content to watch Kurama from a distance, like he had been doing with his sister. Neither one knew the truth of how he felt for them. And Hiei would never tell either of them.

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"Shuuichi, wake up or you'll be late for school!" Shiori called from downstairs.

Kurama rolled over in bed, looked at the clock and groaned. "Seven thirty already?"

"Shuuichi!" his mother called again.

"I'm up!" he called back as loud as he could. His loudest only heard by his mother from the many years of practice.

Shiori chuckled quietly to herself as she started cooking breakfast for her son.

Kurama got out of bed and pulled his uniform out of his closet. "I hate pink," he muttered to himself as he laid his uniform neatly on his bed.

Stepping into the bathroom, Kurama took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess, but other than that, Youko could find nothing to complain about.

Kurama turned the water on and stepped in. There was a slight ache in his lower back, right where his tail would be had he been in his true form. "Strange."

After his shower, Kurama pulled out his brush and started to brush out the tangles. "What?" he whispered. "My hair is longer than it was ten minutes ago."

Utterly confused, Kurama decided not to think about it. After all, it was only noticeable to him because Youko was so vain. There was no way any one else would notice the difference.

After Kurama had finished blow-drying his hair, he carefully placed all of his seeds into their rightful places. His hair may be longer than usual, but his seeds still had their places.

But this was still strange.

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Hiei was being very careful to mask his ki as he watched Kurama while he was on his way to school.

Wait a minute, his hair is longer than it was yesterday! Hiei was sure it had been shorter by a full centimeter!

Hiei almost laughed at himself. A centimeter? How could he tell if something that insignificant was true? It was just a centimeter.

Hiei decided to leave when some of Kurama's fan club members joined him. Hiei had found it very hard to ignore the urge to kill the girls who stalked his fox.

Oh, man, there we go with the possessiveness again. He really needed to stop doing that.

Hiei had turned around to leave when a spike in Kurama's energy forced him to stay. Something wasn't right. Unless he was mistaken, Kurama was . . . angry. But at what? There's no way he could have sensed Hiei spying on him.

"So what do you say, Shuuichi? Want to go to a movie with us after school?" one of the girls asked him. "We're going to see that new comedy that came out last week."

"As tempting as that sounds," Kurama said, "I have other plans after school."

Hiei was sure he had just heard contempt in Kurama's voice, but it just didn't make any sense. Kurama had infinite patience. He would never loose his calm over a few girls. Youko would, yes, but not Kurama.

As soon as Hiei came to this conclusion, he noticed Kurama gently rub his lower back. Where Youko's tail would have been.

"This can't be good," Hiei whispered quietly before he left. He would be speaking to the fox later about this.

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Hiei wasn't the only one to notice the tone in Kurama's voice. Shuuichi noticed it as well.

"Why are you getting so pissy with those girls?" he asked Youko.

"I don't want to go to any movie with her. That girl is a true stalker! I've seen thieves with less stalking ability than her!"

Kurama rubbed his lower back again. The conversations he was having with himself were starting to give him a headache. Actually, the headache was on the top of his head.

Where his ears should be.

With this sudden realization, Kurama wasn't sure if going to school today would be the smartest choice.

He had two places on his body that were aching. One where his tail should be, the other where his ears should be. His hair was growing, presumably it would stop when it got to the same length as Youko's hair.

Kurama was transforming and he didn't know how to stop it!

"I'm going to be free soon?" Youko thought to Shuuichi. "I didn't think I would be able to get out any time soon. Thanks."

"I had nothing to do with this!" Shuuichi replied. "If I had things my way, you would never be able to get out!"

"That's not very nice," Youko said in a mock hurt voice. "Especially after all the times I've saved you. Oh, that's it, isn't it? You don't want me to leave. You want to stay the one in control. You want me to help you, knowing that I don't have any need for your help. You wouldn't survive a week without me."

"I hate you, Youko! You're wrong about that! It's you who needed me!" Shuuichi yelled back. "You wouldn't have survived if you hadn't found me, so you are in my debt!"

"Foolish boy," Youko hissed. "I may have been in Shiori's debt, but not anymore. I made you into the perfect son. She couldn't ask for anything more. All I have to do now is find out how to escape this shell and I'll be free!"

"You can't do that!"

Kurama had a very large headache by the time he arrived at the school, and it was not from the pain of his ears trying to grow on the top oh his head.

"Shuuichi," Kaito said as he spotted the redhead. "Is something wrong? You look a little pale."

"Kaito, there is indeed something wrong," Kurama muttered quietly. "Youko is trying to get free."

Kaito would have had a look of pure terror if it wasn't for the fact that he was able to control his facial expressions. But the fact that he could control his expression couldn't hide the fear Kurama smelled.

"Youko's trying to get out?" he whispered. "You shouldn't be here if that's the case. Go see Master Genkai. Maybe she can help somehow."

"Yeah, and maybe I can help her find her grave. This is a little more serious than you may think. If Youko really does get out, then no one is safe. Youko doesn't really like any of the team. Well, he doesn't mind Hiei and Yusuke, but he can't stand you, or any of the others." Kurama was finding it harder to talk to Kaito. Youko's urge to get away from the boy was strong.

"Shuuichi?" Kaito asked in a worried voice. He had seen a look of condescension cross the redhead's face for a split second, and he was sure his eyes had been amber.

"You're right. I should leave. I'll go call my mother and tell her I'm ill." With that, Kurama walked into the nurse's office and asked to call his mother.

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"Shuuichi, if you were feeling ill this morning, you should have told me," Shiori said in a worried voice as she drove the car up the driveway.

"I know you worry about me, but I felt fine this morning," Kurama said.

"Well, go back to bed, Shuuichi. Hopefully you'll feel better when you wake up."

"Alright," Kurama said and went to his room. He heard his mother mutter worriedly about her son before she got back into her car and drove to work.

"Kurama," said Hiei from outside in the tree, making Kurama jump in surprise and almost making Youko attack.

"Hiei, don't do that!"

"What's going on?" the short demon said.

"Youko's trying to get out," Kurama said in a quiet voice, still not happy that it was the truth.

"I am able to see that," Hiei deadpanned as he jumped into the room. "But why is this happening?"

"I don't know," Kurama said in a whisper, and Hiei was almost sure he could hear fear in Kurama's voice.

"Kurama?" Hiei wasn't sure if he had heard correctly or not. Kurama didn't know something?

"I don't know!" he yelled, and this time there was no mistaking the fear. His voice trembled with it. "I don't know why Youko is trying to get out, but what I do know is, if he gets out, I'll die! In the beginning, Youko needed me, but he doesn't anymore! And when he fought Karasu in the Dark Tournament, he gave all of my life energy! I'm only alive because he is."

Hiei's eyes were wide in surprise. He had never heard Kurama so upset. He desperately wanted to take the fox into his arms and let him cry out his fears, but that would have been suicide. Hiei had never seen the fox cry. He wasn't even sure if he could.

"Go ahead and laugh, Hiei, but the fact is, I'm scared. I don't want to die," he finished, returning to a quiet whisper.

"Maybe," Hiei started, "you will transform, but you won't be separated."

"No," Kurama said, still whispering. "He's found a way to get out completely. It's only a matter of time before I loose control. I'm just barely able to keep him locked inside right now."

Hiei was at a loss for words. While it was true that he had once felt Kurama would be better off in his true form, he had seen the way Kurama lived his life and knew that the fox liked his life the way it was now. And that was the Kurama that Hiei loved.

"How much longer until he breaks free?" Hiei whispered.

Kurama looked at Hiei with amber eyes. "Mere seconds."

A flash of silver light came from Kurama's body and swirled around him. The silver light turned into the shape of a fox and landed on the ground. As soon as the light landed, so did Kurama. The body of Shuuichi Minamino landed on the ground with a loud thump.

Would it be mean for me to leave it right here?

The fox transformed into Youko, who looked at the body of Shuuichi. "Hmm, I don't think it's fair for him to die," the fox said quietly. "After all, I am the one who needed him first." Youko stepped up to the lifeless form on the ground and kneeled next to him.

"What are you going to do?" Hiei asked.

"Give him a bit of my life energy," Youko answered simply. "I was living off of his life energy, now he can live off of mine."

Youko's hands started to glow slightly as he put them on Shuuichi's chest. The light moved from Youko to Shuuichi and Youko got up.

"Out of respect for him," Youko said, "I will let you go. But don't even think of following me, fire demon." With that said, Youko transformed into a small fox and jumped out the window.

Hiei looked out and saw him disappear behind a corner.

Looking back at Shuuichi, Hiei felt that the energy in the boy would indeed last him the rest of his human life, but he would never again be able to wield plants. He was only a normal human now.

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Well now. This was fun.

Ack! Dodges tomatoes, bricks, and anything else that was thrown.

Don't hurt me!!! Youko can't be that hard to find. Right? . . . What have I gotten myself into?

Please don't kill me. I'll make this into a good story. I promise.