Evolution

OooooO

Kagome had gotten no further than a few steps when vines wrapped around her form and pulled her into the clearing. Another sob escaped her. She didn't want to see them, she just wanted to wallow in her misery by herself. The entire time, they had been in a relationship, so what did that make her? Hands grabbed her shoulders roughly, spinning her around. She could see through her tears that it was Kuronue, his long hair pulled from its tie.

"Let go of me!" Kagome cried hoarsely, trying to fight against her restraints. Kuronue only gripped her all the harder, refusal to release her clear in his eyes. Youko was close behind him, ears pointed forward intently. Kagome tried to withdraw, closing her eyes tightly and stiffening. Kuronue shook her roughly, and Kagome's eyes popped open in surprise. Never had Kuronue or Youko been so rough with her, always mindful of their youkai characteristics that could cause harm to Kagome.

"Kagome, let us explain," Kuronue said, his eyes dark and imploring. Kagome smacked him squarely across the face, her hand slightly tinged with holy magic. Hissing more from shock than pain, the bat youkai released her and Kagome fought to escape the grasp of the thick vines binding her. This time Youko grabbed her, holding her wrists in a near bruising grip so she couldn't assault him.

"No! I've heard this before! Just let me go!" Kagome shouted. She pushed as hard as she could against the iron wall that was Youko, tears sliding down her face.

"Kagome, please, at least listen," Youko said, his deep voice echoing through Kagome. She shook her head and started to beat against Youko's chest, trying to escape from the words she knew would break her into a thousand little pieces. Sobs escaped her as her pounding slowly weakened until she was crying against Youko, tears staining his skin. Quietly, the vines retreated, slithering back into the forest. Strong arms encircled her and Kagome only cried harder. Imagined words whirled in her head. It was a sick scene she had seen before, only with different actors. And the words would be the same. The pleading for forgiveness, but never able to answer why…why they didn't choose her. But Kagome knew in her heart that she was, and always will be, second best.

There was a warmth at her back, and Kagome realized she was caught between Kuronue and Youko, both of them holding her while she cried. Eventually, Kagome's sobs became small sniffles as she tried to hide her face in embarrassment. How weak was she, who cried before anything happened, even while knowing the truth.

The youkai led her into the clearing and pushed her into a sitting position. Kagome weakly wiped her face, sniffing up snot so it wouldn't drip down her face. A finger trailed along her upper arms.

"We hurt you," Kuronue said, a note of apology in his voice. A sound escaped from Kagome' s lips, an attempt to laugh.

"I'm human…getting hurt happens," Kagome said, trying to avoid the inevitable speech where they told her they were interested in only each other, not her. Youko stood in front of her, tall and imposing, his golden eyes gazing at her deeply.

"Kagome, I don't know what's going on your head now, I don't know what insecurities you have, but don't doubt what we feel for you," Youko said. Kagome's eyes widened, shock washing over her.

"Feel for…me?" she whispered. Kuronue shifted beside her.

"You didn't think that everything we did for you was meaningless, did you? That we just did it on a whim? Kagome, you're very important to the both of us," Kuronue said.

"But, then, what did I just see…?" Kagome glanced at the shirtless youkai, confusion clouding her face.

"Kuronue and I have been together for a long time, Kagome," Youko said, "Is it not normal for a couple to be together in such a manner?" Kagome felt her heart starting to hurt.

"Then there is no room for me in that equation," Kagome said softly. Kuronue snorted. Kagome glanced at him, slightly hurt at his apparent insensitiveness.

"Haven't you ever heard of a threesome?" Kuronue asked. Kagome tilted her head in surprise with his crudeness. She nibbled in her lip and wrung her hands.

"I had thought of something like that…but a woman in love with two men is…wrong," Kagome said quietly, looking down at her legs.

"Who says? If you haven't noticed Kagome, we're not exactly practitioners of propriety. If we're going to be wrong, we can be wrong together. What matters is if you feel that it's right," Kuronue said vehemently.

"But I'm human, and a priestess and…" Kagome trailed off, trying to search for something they could possibly find wrong with her. This…it had never turned out like this before.

"Now you're just trying to find a reason. Listen, Kagome, for I might only say this one time. I love you. No matter what happens, that will never change," Youko said. Heat blossomed in Kagome's chest, and his words reverberated throughout her being. In that moment, Kagome thought she might never forget those sweet words.

"Hey," Kuronue said, "I…love you too." He mumbled, a blush stealing its way across his face. An ironic laugh escaped Kagome as tears escaped her eyes. Both youkai jumped forward, concern lighting their eyes.

"Kagome?" Kuronue inquired.

"I'm…I'm so happy. I love you guys too. Just…just don't ever leave me, okay? I won't be able to take it," Kagome said, looking up at them with a shining face and glowing smile.

"We promise," Youko swore, "But I want to know…who hurt you before?" His well placed question pierced Kagome with coldness. 'I guess I was a little too obvious.' Smiling now to cover her feelings concerning Inuyasha and Kikyo, Kagome looked away from Youko's searching eyes.

"Nobody," Kagome replied.

"It had to do with Kikyo, didn't it?" Youko pressed, "When you tried to save Tei, before you passed out, you said you weren't like Kikyo. And then when you told us about how Inuyasha loved Kikyo…you were in love with Inuyasha, who rejected you for Kikyo, though I can't imagine how, since she's dead." Kagome bowed her head in embarrassment.

"Right now, you don't understand Inuyasha's feelings. But let me put it into perspective. You say you love me. If I were to die, then be resurrected, could you turn me away, even if I was just a pale image of what I was before? Could either of you? That is what Inuyasha faces every time he sees both Kikyo and myself. To him, I resemble the love he lost, for I am her reincarnation," Kagome explained.

"I'll kill him," Kuronue said firmly. Kagome glanced at him with surprise.

"He hurt you, Kagome, and I won't let him get away with that," he explained. Kagome shook her head.

"Kuronue, you don't need to kill him over something like that. Besides, if it weren't for Inuyasha, I might not ever have met you guys in the first place," Kagome said. The two males scoffed to themselves. As if they would grateful to another man for finding Kagome. Kagome yawned loudly, feeling drained after crying and the roller coaster ride of emotions. Strong arms picked her up and Kagome was startled to find herself being cradled by Kuronue.

"You shouldn't be running around at this time of night when you have to wake up early in the morning," Kuronue said. Kagome smiled, the dried tears on her face cracking.

"You sound like my mother,"

XevolutionX

The days seemed to pass by in a blur, and Kagome couldn't have been happier. She couldn't see why Kikyo didn't enjoy her work as a priestess. There were many duties to carry out, but life was almost ignorant in its simplicity. All that was left was for her friends to return to the village and her little dream world would be complete. In the village, she was close to the well and so could see her family any time she wanted to. Youko, Kuronue, and her friends would all be together, and Seiryoku would visit on occasion when she had some free time outside of the clan. Of course, that was little more than a fantasy. There was no way her friends would get along with Youko, Kuronue and Seiryoku. And yet, despite the simple life, Kagome could sense something on the horizon. The urgency with which Kikyo would return at night to train Kagome was palpable, and some days, she wouldn't show, leaving Kagome to believe she was trying to delay Naraku. Kagome did not understand Kikyo's relationship with the hanyou, nor why she would willingly work with him when he had been the one to kill her. But Kagome supposed it was one of those things she would never know.

At the beginning and end of each day, Kagome would patiently wait twenty minutes and watch the horizon, wondering if she might see her friends walking down the path to the village. But each day spent waiting was in vain, as she never seen hide nor hair of her friends. She could feel that Kuronue and Youko were becoming restless. Well, perhaps Kuronue more so than Youko. Youko had once lived in a human village, and it was easily for him to slip back into the rhythm. Kuronue however, had been raised that humans were scum. While he had never displayed that particular attitude towards Kagome, she could see that to him, humans were something to be ignored unless they provoked him, a mere curiosity at best. But in any case, they were both still relatively young youkai, and they both knew that there were adventures yet to be had, and hanging about an idyllic human village was not the place to get it.

Kagome appreciated their patience while she waited for her friends. Despite their tentative confessions to each other, Kagome just couldn't put her entire life on hold like she had been for the past few months. She needed to go back to her old life and finish the Shikon no Tama. Then she could think about a life of her own that wasn't bound by duty and obligation. She would be free to do whatever she wanted and live with whoever she wanted. She only hoped that Youko and Kuronue would be willing to wait. Kagome knew how hard it was to wait for someone, holding on to the hope that they would choose you. Kagome thought that the youkai knew that she would ultimately choose to be with them of her own accord. It was just going to have to wait until Naraku was defeated.

Kagome sighed. She had run low on medical supplies again. She shouldered her heavy pack. With winter closing in and the rush to get firewood dried and ready for future winters, the men had been injuring themselves quite a bit with their sharp pointy tools. That didn't count the new frost that made things slippery in the morning and caused accidents, the joint aches that seniors were getting with the cold, and other bumps and bruises brought on by winter. All on top of that were regular injuries experienced in Feudal Era villages. A splinter here, a broken arm there.

"Kaede, I'm going to my home again to pick up some supplies. I'll be back in three days," Kagome told the elderly priestess. Kaede nodded absently, carefully grinding up some herbs to make a salve to stock up on. It was inevitable that Kagome and her advanced supplies would be leaving soon, and she needed to be sure she had plenty of healing salves on hand. Kagome ducked out of the hut and into the village, heading in the direction of the forest.

"You're going to be gone for three days? Why so long?" Kuronue asked. Kagome let out a startled yelp. The bat youkai was perched on the hut, staring down at her curiously. Kagome placed a calming hand over her heart, slowing her breathing before she answered him.

"Well, Kuronue, I actually have a family on the other side of the well that I like to see on occasion. And my mother doesn't like when I disappear for a long time without warning. I have more than just myself to worry about," Kagome replied. Kuronue hopped down from the hut.

"You should. Worry about yourself more, I mean. You can be selfish sometimes. It's not a big deal. What's life when you can't do what you want, whenever you want? To be free and do anything without inhibition. That's life," Kuronue said. Kagome shook her head, feeling bemused.

"I do have the freedom of life, Kuronue. I've just chosen to use that freedom to care for my friends and family over myself. That's freedom. To able to choose. And I've chosen to be this way, to care for everyone but myself, because they're all important to me, and I want them to be happy. Besides, you wouldn't like me if I wasn't the way I was," said Kagome.

"But why? Why would you not do what you want?" Kuronue persisted.

"Because I want to," Kagome started. She paused. He just wouldn't be able to get it. She started again, " One day, Kuronue, you'll understand." Kagome smiled and tilted her head, hair spilling over her shoulders. Kuronue huffed and folded his arms.

"You and Youko behave while I'm gone, okay? It won't be long," Kagome waved and walked away.

XevolutionX

Kagome patted the fluffy towel around her head, making sure it was still held tightly in place as she walked from the bathroom to her bedroom. Trails of water continued to make their way down her legs and the sides of her face. Kagome opened her dresser drawer and peered inside, looking for appropriate pajamas when a breeze caught her attention.

"That's strange," Kagome whispered to herself. She never left her window open when she using the bath, too paranoid that someone might see her when she came back to change into her clothes. As she approached the window, she saw that it was indeed open, the curtains fluttering in the night wind. She shut it with a firm snap and locked it shut. When she turned to go back to her dresser, she released a high pitched scream.

The pretty red haired youkai that was an, in the least, acquaintance of her cousin, stood in the corner of her bedroom, eyes glowing an intense gold color. It would seem, that besides being a youkai, he was some kind of weird stalker or something. Kagome swallowed, grateful that at least her family was gone and wouldn't be in any kind of danger. However, Kagome on the other hand, clad only in a towel, didn't have the same luxury.

"Don't be afraid," he said. Kagome shook her head, the towel on her head wobbling dangerously. She clutched her body towel closely, the only thing preserving modesty. He stepped forward, and she stepped back, her legs hitting her bed. He took another step forward.

"You know me, Kagome. You don't need to be afraid of me," he insisted.

"All I know is that you go to the same school as my cousin, and you're top of your class. That's it. Get away from me, you creep! I, I'll call the police!" Kagome threatened desperately. It was the red head's turn to shake his head. He muttered something to himself, before looking earnestly at Kagome.

"Kagome, don't you remember? I was the one who gave you that mark on your arm," he said. Kagome gasped in surprise. She stared deep into the golden eyes, which were softer and wider than the ones she knew. And yet, what she staring at wasn't an illusion. She'd be able to see through it.

"This is just an avatar, Kagome, not my real form. But, if you need to see..." Before her eyes, the form of teenage boy, almost a man, really, began to change and grow. Shoulders became broader, arms gained more muscle, and hair warped from a deep, crimson red to a glistening silver. Kagome felt her mouth fall open. Standing before her was Youko Kurama in all his glory, the familiar mist that was his youki swirling around his feet and crackling in the air of her bedroom. This time, when he approached her, Kagome did not flinch, but rather, relaxed and welcomed him with a smile.

"You survived..." she breathed. Finally, a sign that the past had really existed. A small smirk upturned his lips.

"To see you, I wouldn't do anything less. I wouldn't have come here, but I needed to feel you again, damn the consequences," Youko said, his face changing into something more filled with longing and desperateness. Kagome blushed and nibbled on her lip.

"That's sweet and all, Youko, but I really need to get changed," she said, more than aware of her state of undress. Youko chuckled before reaching over and pulling the towel off her head and tossing it on the floor. Kagome's damp hair fell down from its pile, curling around her body, some short pieces falling to frame her face.

"Gods, you're beautiful," he murmured. Kagome fidgeted, before trying to duck around him. Her maneuver failed, and instead, Youko trapped her in his arms before gently pushing her down onto the bed, caging her underneath him. He chuckled again and brushed his lips against her ear, voice just as silky as ever when reprimanding her.

"You know better than to try to run from me," he chided softly. Kagome frowned.

"Youko, you really need to let me up. This isn't appropriate," she said. He ignored her, instead pressing kisses to her jaw and using his deft hands to loosen the towel wrapped around her. Kagome tried to protest again, but Youko silenced her with a deep kiss. He nipped softly at her lips and Kagome opened her mouth with a small mewl. Her hands came up to rest on his shoulders, but instead of pushing him away, she instead pushed the folds of his tunic off his shoulders, baring his chest to her. At the same time, Youko succeeded in unwrapping Kagome from her towel and proceeded to palm her breasts. Kagome moaned lightly and arched up into his touch. She grabbed an ear and gave it a firm rub, scratching it slightly, grinning when she was rewarded with a growl. A flick of fingers across her nipple had her squeaking a rather unattractive sound. Kagome traced her fingers down Youko's torso, admiring the rippling muscles across his front and back. A hand gripped her hip firmly, strong fingers testing her softness, remembering her every curve and swell from so long ago, and Youko groaned at feeling Kagome underneath from after so long.

The same exploring hand trailed lower and Kagome gasped when a new feeling at her center had her legs instinctively falling open while simultaneously sending little shocks throughout her body. Youko smirked. He still knew what made her tick. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him back down for another kiss. In the midst of it, Youko rolled her nipple between his fingers, while giving a little tug to her nub between her legs. Kagome sighed into his mouth and linked her legs around his waist, clinging to him like a burr. Youko groaned when he felt her heat press up against him, and he ground against her. Kagome moaned and rolled her hips back into him. They repeated the motions, rubbing their bodies against each other, mimicking the act they were so close to completing. Youko began to slide his pants off in preparation. A cough cut through the lusty haze in his mind. Immediately, Youko covered Kagome with his body, knocking the air out of her, while plants in his hair began to grow, weapons already being formed to defend against anything. Youko's sharp eyes glanced around until he saw the source of the noise.

Hiei stood in Kagome's bedroom window, scowl marring his face and arms folded tightly against his chest.

"I can't believe you have the guts to go around fucking human women while in your youkai form, Kurama," Hiei said scathingly. Youko growled deeply in his throat.

"Watch who you're talking to, whelp. Get out of here. Your presence is upsetting my woman," Youko said coldly, face not betraying any of the bodily reactions he had to the squirming woman beneath him. Kagome, meanwhile, buried her face in Youko's neck, his silver hair somewhat hiding her from the other man. Her embarrassment at being caught in a compromising situation had her wiggling slightly from an instinctive urge to go and cover herself. A subtle squeeze to her hip stilled her instantly.

Hiei scoffed at the fox youkai. As if that tiny little human beneath him was his woman. Probably he meant, "my fuck for the night".

"Perhaps she's upset because you didn't finish the job, Kurama. Go ahead, carry on. Don't mind me," Hiei replied, a dark smirk crossing his face. Kagome squeaked in horror. Gods, she was so mortified. She would never, ever forget this moment for the rest of her life. Youko's chest trembled with the force of his growl.

"What do you want, Hiei. Make it fast, before I feed you to one of my plants," snapped Youko. Hiei's smirk stretched a little bit wider.

"Well, someone's got their panties in a twist. Are you getting blue balls?" Hiei ruthlessly teased. A loud snarl rent the air, and Hiei knew he had pushed far enough. Anymore, and not only would he have a serious fight on his hands, but a vengeful fox as well.

"Some youkai are causing some problems at old border between the worlds. The detective and the idiot are already on their way. I stopped by to get you because you weren't answering your communicator," Hiei said pointedly. Youko shrugged.

"I left it at home. I didn't want to be bothered," he said. Hiei sniffed.

"You should have tried harder. I'll give you five minutes to get your ass outside and ready to go, so make your little goodbyes quick," said Hiei. He flickered out of sight. Kagome heaved a sigh of relief.

"God, let me just find a hole and crawl in it and die, now, please," Kagome murmured, completely mortified. Youko gave her a soothing nuzzle with his nose, licking at her neck.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I'll make sure the runt gets what's coming to him," Youko said. Kagome shook her head.

"No, its fine. We never should have been caught doing anything like this in the first place," Kagome paused, "It sounds like you're needed somewhere. You should go." Youko nodded, and gave Kagome one last, long kiss. She smiled shyly and looked up at him beneath her bangs.

"I'll see you later, Youko," Kagome whispered. He readjusted his clothing, nodded, and dashed out the door. She never heard his last words.

"No you won't, Kagome. You won't ever see me again."

XevolutionX

On the third day, Kagome decided to come back at night instead of the morning of the fourth day. Did it really matter where she chose to sleep? She'd spent her three days in her time, and no one would know it if she left or arrived a bit early. She had on her pajamas beneath a loose pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, so she could easily prepare for bed and get a good night's rest. The night when future Youko had visited her puzzled her. Clearly, Youko missed her, leading Kagome to believe he had been forced to wait all five hundred years for her. And yet, if he missed her so much and knew where she lived, why didn't he go to see her? It wasn't like she was going to throw him out of her house. In fact, Kagome blushed, she would do the exact opposite, and she hoped her previous reaction to him would show him that. And also, where exactly had Kuronue been. Those two were never far from each other, and to have Youko unexpectedly drop in and not Kuronue...Kagome's stomach clenched.

Kagome sighed once she reached the top of the well. Oh, she couldn't wait to slip into bed and go to sleep. As she balanced herself after climbing out, a hand clamped down on her arm. Kagome gasped and looked into the eyes of the Youko of the past. They were as intense as ever, but there was a new hardness when looking at her. Kagome swallowed. She had a feeling she was being punished for something.

"We're leaving."

OooOooOooOooOooOoo

I LIVE!! Sorry for the incredibly long wait, but here it is, the new chapter of Evolution. And Thank you all who continued to review in my absence. Thanks to the continued devotion of my readers, I now have over 700 reviews. My mind is completely boggled. A little Hiei interaction for madmiko, a diehard Hiei fan. What did you guys think? I'm actually impressed with myself, since I can't write his character well, and I thought that scene turned out well enough. Even if you didn't like the Hiei part, you still got two whole paragraphs of lime. Also, just a note to those of us who miss Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha, now that the series are over. There is a new series that I am particularly fond of, called Nurarihyon no Mago. It is found on onemanga dot com. It is awesome and needs to be loved. I think fans of YYH and IY will love this new series. I mean, you got tons of demon and human interaction, plus plenty of fights, almost one per chapter. What's not to love? Go check it out!