Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

Chapter 10

The next night, Kurama was walking through the park, searching for Hiei. He had told his mother he was going to bed early and snuck out the window. Hiei's secret had been bothering him all day, and he was slightly annoyed that he could not find the fire demon. He closed his eyes, searching for the familiar aura.

He smiled as he felt it, turning around. "Hello, Hiei," he greeted the diminutive demon standing behind him. "What is it you would like to show me?"

Hiei's lips twitched upward slightly. Although Kurama's demeanor was calm, the fire demon could tell that he was intensely curious. He has probably been wondering about it all day, Hiei thought, amused. Smirking slightly, the fire demon turned. "Come with me."

Kurama followed Hiei deeper into the park, easily moving through the bushes as the fire demon led him off the beaten path. It wasn't long before they came to a portal. Hiei started to enter, but Kurama grabbed his arm. "Hiei, your probation--" he began.

The fire demon pulled his arm out of Kurama's grasp. "I have permission," he said, disappearing through the portal. A little surprised at this news, the kitsune followed him.

Once they were both through, Hiei took off running, making sure Kurama could match his pace. They ran for a few minutes, the redhead having a pretty good idea of where they were headed. Hiei reduced his speed as he neared one of Kurama's lairs.

Slowing to a walk, the two moved between the plants guarding the den. The flora brushed against Kurama as he strode past them, as if welcoming him back. "Hiei, why are we here?" he asked.

"I picked up something two weeks ago and stored it here for the time being. Oh, you also need to clean the den you have near the northern part of the Kinmotsu Marshes. I left a bit of a mess when I was there," he explained, nonchalantly.

"While I do not mind you using my lairs from time to time, I do expect you to clean up after yourself, Hiei," Kurama reprimanded him. He was not going to become the fire demon's maid, especially not in his own den.

"Time was of the essence."

Kurama entered his lair, reeling back as the stench of bodily waste assaulted his sensitive nose. "Do I want to know what you've kept in there?" he asked.

Hiei strode past him, not saying anything. Shaking his head slightly, Kurama followed.

The kitsune stood in the room, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. In the center of the room there was a demon lying on the floor. Around him were symbols that appeared to have been drawn on the floor, forming a large circle around him. Several containers were on the floor next to him holding either food or water, perhaps both, as well as the broken remains of empty bottles near the circle of symbols. The demon sat up, glaring at Kurama as he grabbed a bottle and threw it at the kitsune.

Kurama ducked instinctively, but the bottle shattered as it hit a barrier, the broken pieces falling down to rest near the now glowing symbols. The redhead looked at the demon curiously.

"So, you've come back, have you, Kurata? You always were a slippery little vixen. You even managed to survive my poison," he said, his hatred apparent in his shaking voice. The fear in his eyes was visible as his gaze slid over to Hiei.

Kurama blinked, taken aback. His gaze narrowed as the information sank into his mind. "Kurata? You think that I am that weak little kitsune? A vixen?!" he hissed, a hard edge in his quiet voice.

"Do you know who this 'Kurata' person is?" Hiei asked quietly.

"Yes. She was a low level red kitsune, an assassin and a bad one at that. She made the mistake of crossing me approximately seventy-five years ago and I put her out of her misery," Kurama growled out between clenched teeth. His hand was clenching and unclenching at his side, as if longing for the feel of a familiar weapon.

Hiei's Jagan glowed, the symbols on the floor flaring in response before fading completely, freeing the demon from his prison.

Kurama closed his eyes, struggling to calm himself. It is all because of him... He thought back over the past two weeks, remembering acutely the constant torture he'd been forced to endure, the anguish enough to make him wish for death. Kurama clenched his shaking fists, trying hard to control his fury. He is the one who did this to me and he doesn't even know WHO I AM!! His eyes snapped open, the cold amber gaze practically glowing with rage. Red hair lengthened and changed to silver as his nails turned to claws. His school uniform was replaced by a flowing white tunic, his tail swishing almost violently behind him.

The demon's eyes widened in recognition as the youko took a step towards him. "No... Youko... Kurama..." he whispered, his breath coming in short gasps as his fear consumed him.

"I'm so pleased you've heard of me," the silver kitsune said, looking down on his victim. "Your offense in angering me is a serious one. I'll show you true pain. You shall wish for death, but it will not come. I will make you suffer even as I have suffered!" he said, his voice low. The venom in his tone made Hiei flinch, taking an involuntary step back, as the youko pulled a seed from his hair. "The longest I have been able to keep my victim alive before I grew tired of torturing him is six months. Shall we try to break that record?" he asked, advancing toward the demon cowering on the floor in front of him.

Several small birds flew from the surrounding trees as screams echoed through the night.

. . .

"Come on, Yuusuke!" Keiko said, pulling his arm. "If we don't hurry, we won't have time to eat before the movie starts!"

"I'm comin'," he said, not bothering to speed up his pace.

They entered a restaurant, stopping in front of a girl sitting at a desk. She wrote something on the paper before looking up at them. "Party of two?"

"Yeah," Yuusuke said.

"Right this way, please," she said, grabbing two menus off the shelf behind her as she walked around the table and led them into the restaurant. "Would you prefer a table or a booth?"

"Booth," Keiko answered.

The girl stopped at a booth, waiting until Yuusuke and Keiko had sat down before handing them their menus and laying out two sets of silverware. "Your server should be here soon," she said, walking back to the front doors.

Never having come here before, Yuusuke picked up his menu, searching for something good to eat. He was about halfway through it when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"May I bring you something to drink?"

"Kurama?! What are you doin' here?!" Yuusuke asked.

The redhead smiled. He was holding a pen and pad of paper in his hand and his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. There was an apron tied around his waist with several pens and an extra pad sticking out of the pockets. "I work here, Yuusuke," he replied.

Yuusuke blinked. "Oh." He paused, considering something. "Hey, students can't have a job unless they get special permission," he pointed out.

"Yes, that is true. However, I would appreciate it if you would keep your voice down. I had to create some false identification papers to get hired. This is actually my first day on the job," he explained, his voice low.

"Oh, I see. But, why do you have a job in the first place?" Yuusuke asked curiously.

Kurama lowered his eyes, staring at the floor. "Well, it's actually because of Hiei," he said.

"What?"

"Hiei wrote out a list of things for me to buy him. Unfortunately, he asked for a Firebird, among other things, and that cost more than I had. I used all of my college funds to purchase it and I'll still be making payments on it for some time. Mother, of course, doesn't know what I've done, and I hope I can replace the money I spent before she finds out, but..." Kurama trailed off, not looking at Yuusuke. "Unless something drastic happens, I may have to put off going to college for a few years. Mother is going to be so disappointed when she finds out," he said, softly. He shook his head. "At any rate, this means that I won't be able to help with most of the missions, as I'll be working."

"But, why'd you buy him a Firebird? I mean, why didn't you just say no?" Yuusuke asked, alarmed at how far his joke had gone.

The redhead sighed. "By traveling through Makai to find the antidote for me, Hiei saved my life. When one demon saves or spares the life of another, there is an unspoken law that the demon whose life was saved must work to pay off his debt to the one who saved him. It is usually done through servitude, but that is ultimately decided by the one to whom the debt is owed. In my case, Hiei made a list of things I must buy him," Kurama explained.

"But, don't you have a treasury or something? You know, from your days as Youko?" Yuusuke asked. He'd never imagined Hiei's wish list had been so important.

Kurama chuckled softly. "You make me sound like a dragon in a fairytale, hoarding all my treasure in a dark cave somewhere. The truth is, Yuusuke, I never kept any of the artifacts I stole. I sold them shortly after stealing them and the money never lasted very long," the kitsune explained. Yuusuke nodded, chewing his bottom lip and looking very nervous. I am surprised he believed me. Does he honestly think I would sell anything I put that much effort into stealing? Really, Yuusuke, I thought you knew me better than that, Kurama thought, being careful not to let any of his thoughts show on his face. A quick glance at Keiko showed that she was doing a wonderful job at keeping her face expressionless. I am pleased she decided to help. It would have been rather difficult arranging this, otherwise.

Yuusuke looked back at Kurama. "Well, what about stealing?" he asked, having enough sense to keep his voice low. Normally, he wouldn't suggest it, but he knew how much it would hurt Kurama to have his mother disappointed in him like that. If she ever found out...

The kitsune shook his head. "Koenma has been keeping a close eye on me since I joined the Reikai-tantai. I would be thrown back in prison before I was halfway through the heist."

Yuusuke was silent for a moment before looking back at the redhead. "Do you know where Hiei is?"

"Yes, he's staying at Genkai's temple for a few days." Kurama paused, knowing what Yuusuke was going to do. One more thing and then I'll let him go. "Yuusuke, Hiei asked for a Firebird and I am bound to give him one. It's not your problem. Although, I cannot figure out why Hiei would want a ningen car..."

"Look, man, I'm sorry," Yuusuke said, not making eye contact.

The kitsune gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Why should you be sorry, Yuusuke? It's not your fault..." Kurama let the sentence hang, fighting the urge to laugh.

This, of course, made the detective feel even worse than before. Without a word, he ran out of the restaurant, intent on finding Hiei and getting the car back.

"Yuusuke!" Keiko yelled, running after him. She stopped at the door, making sure he was out of sight before looking back at Kurama and giving him a thumbs-up. Then she calmly exited the restaurant, walking down the street towards her house.

Having accomplished his task, the redhead took off his apron and walked over to a girl sitting across the room. "Thank you for letting me borrow your uniform, Hatsue-chan," he said, handing her the apron.

"Oh, no problem, Suuichi-kun," she replied, blushing.

"I hope I didn't get you in trouble?" Kurama asked, pulling the hair tie out of his hair and running his fingers through it, shaking it out.

"N-no, not at all," Hatsue replied.

The redhead smiled at her and left the restaurant. I suppose even fangirls are useful, once in a while, he thought, getting into his car. If he hurried, he could get to the temple before Yuusuke did.

. . .

Hiei sat in a tree outside of the temple, waiting. His eyes were closed; although the warded bandana had been removed, allowing his Jagan to keep track of what was going on around him. There was a faint rustle in the brush a little ways away.

/Hiei, Yuusuke is on his way over here. Just remember what I told you./

Hiei opened one eye, looking down on the silver fox hiding in the bushes below. "Hn."

The two demons didn't have to wait long before they felt Yuusuke's aura nearing them. Kurama pressed himself against the forest floor, suppressing his energy so the detective wouldn't realize he was there. Hiei didn't move from his spot, or hide his aura.

Yuusuke spotted the fire demon relaxing in the tree and made his way over to him. "Hiei, you've gotta give the car back," he said, stopping underneath the tree the fire demon was occupying.

Hiei opened one eye, acknowledging Yuusuke's presence, before letting it fall shut again. "Hn."

"I mean it, Hiei! What do you want with a human car, anyway? You can't drive," he pointed out.

"Hn. Shows what you know."

"Seriously, Hiei, why do you want a car? I mean, it's much slower than you are, you can never find parking anywhere, you have to abide by stupid human laws on driving..." Yuusuke said, trying to convince the fire demon why he should give the car back. The detective got a mental image of people being run over on the sidewalk, a manically laughing Hiei behind the wheel. Not only did I ruin Kurama's human life, but Koenma's gonna kill me, too. "Please, Hiei, you gotta give it back."

"I can't."

"What? Whaddya mean, you can't?" Yuusuke asked.

"The old hag crashed it while out on what the baka called a 'joy ride,'" Hiei said, his tone bored.

Yuusuke's eyes widened. "You can't be serious..." he trailed off, taking off running towards the temple.

Kurama stepped out of the bushes, jumping up to sit across from Hiei on the branch, his tails hanging down behind him. /That went rather well/ he said, humor evident in his voice.

Hiei opened his eyes, his lips turning upward into a smirk as he replaced the bandana over his Jagan. "The detective is unbelievably gullible. I wouldn't even expect the baka to believe that ludicrous story," he replied, although he found it just as funny. "Demons being honorable enough to pay off a life debt, indeed. That's almost as laughable as expecting the ningen to do it."

/So, how long do you think before he checks your story against Gen--/ Kurama's question broke off into a yip as someone grabbed one of his tails and pulled on it. He was yanked off the branch, claws scrabbling for a hold, before finding himself held upside down face to face with an angry Yuusuke. The kitsune grinned at the irate teen.

"So, you think you're pretty funny, don'tcha?!" he demanded, shaking the fox. If anything, Kurama seemed more amused by Yuusuke's anger.

Without warning, Kurama lunged forward, nipping playfully at, if not coming dangerously close to, Yuusuke's face. Startled, the detective dropped the silver fox. Kurama twisted his body, landing on his feet, and darted out of reach before Yuusuke could recover. He stopped a little ways away and faced the black-haired teen, crouching on his front legs as he watched the detective, his tails swishing through the air behind him. He growled teasingly, seeming to be daring Yuusuke to try and catch him.

The detective rose to the challenge, his previous anger fading and a slight smile touching his lips as the fox mocked him. "Oh, that's it. C'mere, ya little rodent!" he yelled, lunging at Kurama. The fox easily evaded, running through the brush with Yuusuke hot on his tails.

The silver fox darted through the bushes and in and out of trees, running fast enough to only just stay out of the ningen's reach. They ran for a few minutes, Yuusuke continually calling out threats, until Kurama was once again grabbed by the tail and hoisted up into the air. This time, he found himself face to face with Hiei. He stared at the fire demon for a few seconds before his jaw opened in a canine grin, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted. /Were you feeling left out?/ he asked teasingly.

"Hn. I think that's enough nonsense for now. Some of us have better ways to spend our time than to listen to you two. I was trying to take a nap before you came," he said, dropping Kurama back on the ground.

"Aw, Hiei, you're no fun," Yuusuke said, plopping down on the ground.

Kurama shifted back into his human form. "As you wish, Hiei. I did not realize we were disturbing you," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Hn." Hiei turned away, recognizing the look in the redhead's eye and not wanting to be pulled into any of his games.

Chuckling, Kurama glanced at his wrist, checking the time. "Oh, I had better get going. I promised the little demon we'd continue his...treatment this afternoon," he said, turning to go.

"The little demon?" Yuusuke asked curiously.

"Yes, he's the one that informed Hiei about the antidote," Kurama explained.

"Told Hiei about the antidote? Then that means--" Yuusuke started, his eyes widening a little bit.

"He's also the one that poisoned me a few weeks ago. Hiei was kind enough to spare his life until I was feeling better. By the way, Hiei, are you sure you don't want to come?" Kurama asked, looking at the fire demon.

"Hn." Hiei turned away, not making eye contact with the kitsune. Shrugging his shoulders, Kurama left.

Yuusuke stared after the fox. Hiei found that demon only a day or two after Kurama was poisoned. Why didn't he kill him? Well, obviously, he was saving him for fox-boy to deal with, but... What was that 'treatment' he mentioned? Kurama had it pretty bad. What would he do to the demon that was responsible? he wondered. His gaze shifted to the fire demon, noticing the distinctly green tinge the koorime's face had taken after the kitsune's invitation. Yuusuke shuddered. Hiei once told me that, if you threaten him, Kurama gets vicious in ways that even he doesn't like to think about. If this treatment is bad enough to make Hiei queasy, I really don't think I want to know what it is... he decided.

Yuusuke shook his head, clearing all gruesome thoughts from his mind. He blanched, remembering having left Keiko at the restaurant before they even started their date. Oops. Keiko's gonna be so mad at me. Oh, well. "So, Hiei, I've got some free time-- wanna spar?"

. . .

The End