Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/2601329. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: F/M, Gen, M/M Fandom: 幽☆遊☆白書_|_YuYu_Hakusho:_Ghost_Files Relationship: Hiei/Urameshi_Yuusuke, Hiei/Mukuro_(YuYu_Hakusho), Hiei/Kuwabara_Kazuma, Kuwabara_Kazuma/Yukina, Kuwabara/Yukina-one_sided Character: Hiei_(YuYu_Hakusho), Kurama_|_Minamino_Shuuichi, Youko_Kurama, Urameshi Yuusuke, Kuwabara_Kazuma, Urameshi_Atsuko, Yukina_(YuYu_Hakusho), Yukimura_Keiko, Botan_(YuYu_Hakusho), Koenma_(YuYu_Hakusho), Mukuro_(YuYu Hakusho), Kuwabara_Shizuru Additional Tags: Attempted_Rape/Non-Con, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Alternate_Universe_-_High School, Kuwabara_is_a_bastard, Young_Hiei, Human_Hiei, Human_Yukina Stats: Published: 2014-11-11 Updated: 2015-06-20 Chapters: 6/? Words: 6160 ****** Lake-Lane ****** by Rosemariedelta Summary Kuwabara, gang leader and younger brother to drug lord Shizuru, has set his eyes on a certain pare of twins, but Hiei wont let him have him or his sister without a fight. One day, however the young man is cornered but something comes to his rescue... I'm not good at summaries but please read and review Notes I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho of any of the characters within but god if I did id be one happy lady See the end of the work for more notes ***** Chapter 1 ***** “God damn it!” cried out one of the four blue clad boys chasing him. The shout was followed by the sound of several things crashing to the ground and-from the sound of two of the crashes specifically- he could only assume a trash can and the body of the shouter were among them. This, he thought, was good. This was in fact one of the best sounds he’d heard all day. One less, one less, one less played like a mantra through his foggy head. For a moment he wondered which one of the men had cried out, but really he couldn’t have placed any of their voices with a name besides one, and it wasn’t him. How long had the four been chasing him? Too long. Aching and tired, he knew he couldn’t have kept going if not for the adrenalin coursing through his blood. But the hormone was always there for him, and with every jarring impact for every running step he took it only grew more potent in his system. For somewhere around 15 minutes (he guessed though it could have been longer) it had been holding him in its safety, ever since he saw them outside the school. If there was some way to express his gratitude to it he would have. It occurred to him that it was an very good thing he knew the allies of this area well. He’d have surly hit a dead end or one of the thousands of chicken wire fences scatted trough the turning maze of dumpsters and black grim covered brick walls by now if he did not. He took this way to school every day for the last year because of them. Screw them for making him do it, but it came back to haunt them didn’t it. Enma he was tired but he was also close to safety and this thought, along with the thought of the danger behind him, kept him running. “Hey!” it was the voice; the gravelly deep voice; the one he did know: Kuwabara. “Hey cutie! Stop and it won’t be so bad!” The two odd things about this sentence were that Kuwabara never lied, and that he knew if he stopped they’d rape him. As the leader of the local gang Kuwabara had certain morals to uphold. Yes, morals. No lying, no stealing from protected institutes, and as far as Hiei knew that was it. A man’s word had to be good for something in Kuwabara’s family business. This meant that in some twisted way Kuwabara thought that rape could be anything but the pure distilled nightmare it was. Don’t think about it Hiei, he told himself, focus. You can do this Hiei, he continued, you’ve been through worse at their hands. And he had indeed. The time at subway station, and while he’d had a concussion, and in that god damn washroom, all of them had been far more terrible and frightening, so he wouldn’t lose now. At those times he had been faster and smarter than those muscle bound idiots, and he still was. It had to remain that way, it had to and not just for him… No focus Hiei. “Fine shrimp! But when I catch you it’ll hurt” Growled the gang leader. Holding back tears he knew would only cloud his vision, he thought back. Why had it been him or, more accurately, them? They hadn’t done anything wrong; they respected Kuwabara’s authority as the brother to the gang lord of the area and the kid who ruled their school lives. There wasn’t even anything special about them besides the fact that they were twins, and there were other twins. So why!? Why!? Always he had known it must be in some way his fault, as it couldn’t be hers, but he never could find what he had done wrong. No matter how many times he shifted through the old memory of his nightmare’s beginning, he couldn’t find the fatal flaw he knew was there. He Remembered the first time like it wasn’t almost two years ago. Yukina-his beautiful, blue haired sister- had been pointing out new growth on the trees lining the road they were making their way to school on. She was 12 and from the age of two had loved spring, well really every season, she loved most things. Hiei had been agreeing with her and admiring the innocence and joy that flowed around her, which he would have found idiotic looking on anyone else. It had been normal and, though he didn’t think it at the time, perfect. Then there had come the gravelly deep voice into their world “hey you two!” and suddenly it all changed. But he didn’t have time to think about the rest, he didn’t want to either. There was no point: it was done. He couldn’t undo it so the least he could do was not relive it every time they did this to him. If he couldn’t have anything else, he’d have that. That building was familiar! His home was six blocks away now at the most; he just had to turn down the next opening between brick walls. Yukina would be at home and she’d make him dinner. They’d forget all about Kuwabara, they’d do their home work , they’d chat, and then he’d sleep and she’d sleep. It was going to be fine. More than that good. He flew down to the opening and the gang of boys was trailing, perhaps they sensed they were beat. He liked that thought. He had beat them. But suddenly…. It was a fence. It was glossy white and wood picketed. There was a fence where there had never been before. His brain processed this for a moment not understanding, and then taking this information in with more wonder than fear. This would beat him. It was too tall to jump and there was no gap he could have a hope at fitting through. If it had been created from wire or the crossing pieces that connected it together were on his side he could have climbed it, but as it was he could not. For a moment he thought of punching it and breaking through, but he was not strong and would only hurt himself. Yes if he were taller stronger or even smaller than he was now, perhaps he stood a chance. But he wasn’t. Short even for his 14 years of age, scrawny and petite with no means of self defense Hiei was finally struck with and he started to cry quietly. Pride was all he had left in his possession, and he decided they wouldn’t get the satisfaction of hearing him do this despicable childish thing, child though he was. He faced the wall and tried to stop the tears leaking down his face. “well about shit time” muttered a random member of the gang. Hiei turned to him and then moved close to the wall. He ran his hand over the cold grained surface of it and for some reason felt marginally better, like he was safer nearer to it. Pushing himself against it he watched as the two other members and Kuwabara rounded the corner. Trying to move even closer to the wall Hiei only succeeded in scuffing his shoes against the pavement below him. “Out of luck cutie” muttered the gravel voiced oaf, “but I knew it was coming. Do what I say and it’ll be easier on you.” He didn’t, he couldn’t “ No!” whimpered Hiei as his attacker mover closer. “I’ll pretend that was a yes.” Said Kuwabara as he pushed down on the shorter boys shoulders. Hiei ended up very unwillingly on his back and away slightly from the wall. His blue, gold, and white kimono stile school uniform caught on several pieces of the loose pavement. Pressed between his slightly spread legs was Kuwabara’s knee which put an uncomfortable pressure on the clothed area at the apex of his thighs. Crawling desperately away from the large orange haired boy, Hiei finally did cry out pitifully but loudly for an instant before he felt Kuwabara’s hand around his thought. “no, if you don’t do what I want you’re gonna make it worse for not you, I’ve decided your too cute to be mean to, but your sister. Got it? You have to play nice, and you will like this so it won’t be hard. Or well, it will be hard, I guess would work better here right?” he chuckled Hiei made no response, and in fact did not move at all in any way. “you can’t tell me a cute little thing like you is straight, look at you, I mean… “ Kuwabara grabbed the boys chin, “you have a face like a pure little girl. Your adorable. And your eyes well, didn’t think they came that color.” Hiei continued to say nothing. It could not be expressed in words how much he wanted to do something, anything, but for his sister… “Whatever” muttered the oaf above him. There was a moment of stillness and then Kuwabara moved his hand to Hiei’s waist. The small boy closed his eyes. ***** 2 ***** A hand. A large unskilled hand rubbing it's way down his now bare chest. The skin against skin friction made and unappealing sound. It's palm was wide and presented hard, almost painful pressure while long calloused fingers searched for he knew exactly what. How could this happen? It couldn't. It needed to stop and now that they had him they'd take Yukina. No! Enma why?!He'd kept her safe for these two years with the deal. He'd tried so hard. The hand moved lower. "Just don't" he whispered Kuwabara chuckled and then was echoed by his gang. They were like a pack of hyenas gathered around the out side of a lions kill. They circled and pointed and called out offensive and vulgar things every now and again. It almost seemed to bother there leader. It had been building for awhile, they just didn't understand how he felt about the kid. They'd call him a hot little piece of ass and a pure little bitch, and while Kuwabara thought that the kid was those things, it just wasn't right for them to say because that's all they saw him as. Hiei was also strong, a fighter, a family man.... Someone Kuwabara admired. His sister, shiziru, had been on him to find a semi-permanent girlfriend or boyfriend and with Hiei and Yukina he could honestly see a future. His sis had a husband and a "spared" on the side she liked to called it, so why couldn't he? "Leave." He commanded of his gang "What? Why?" Was muttered back "Because I..." But he was cut off "WHAT THE FUCK!" Everyone looked to the shouter. A raven haired boy who looked pissed and ready to punch whatever walked in front of him looked back. His chest was bare and he wore ripped jeans. "Well?" Asked the young punk "Yurameshi" muttered the red head gang leader "Kuwabara I thought I smelt a complete failure. Let the kid go." Yusuke took a step towards the gravel voice giant and his gang moved to protect him. "But he doesn't want to leave." Kuwabara placed a protective arm around his prize. "He?" Asked yusuke with a chuckle "Yah, Ya got something to say you piece a shit?" "Just let him go, then I won't have to beat the crap out of you and we can go our separate ways" "Hmm, no" Kuwabara grabbed the bulge in Hiei's pants The young black haired boy had stayed quiet until now. He had heard of this yurameshi and had no idea of what to make of the situation. Yurameshi was Razen's grandson the heir to a gang territory west of shiziru's. He was known for being ruthless and uncontrollable. He wouldn't help. But now anything was better then this. "Stop! Stop him!" Disgust and horror crossed the face of the boy who Hiei prayed would save him. His face then crinkled up into a terrifying expression and Kuwabara's gang inched away from him. "I-I can't believe you! I thought you were just messing the fuck around! You sick piece of shit!" Yurameshi yelled as he ran forward to punch Kuwabara. The two brawled for awhile until as always the darker haired boy won. He would have beat him to death if he hadn't have thought of the kid still on the ground, and Kuwabara's hyenas hadn't dragged him off. Yusuke walk over to the young man lying on his back. He saw a blue and gold piece of fabric thrown meters away and picked it up, then gave it to the prone figure. "Ok kid?" "Yah" Hiei put his shirt back on, "I owe you" Yusuke smirked, crouched down and patted the spiked hair on the top of Hiei's head "I guess you do, but don't sweat it kid" "No. What do you want. I'll give you anything." Maybe he'd ask for something easy or something difficult.... He couldn't ask for sex could he? The street punk seemed against that sort of thing. He'd just see. Hiei moved his face closer to Yusuke's "Anything?" Yusuke asked moving even closer. Fuck. Was he that attractive? Well.... Urameshi was better than Kuwabara and maybe if the young man liked it he'd ask for it again. In return he could ask for protection for him and Yukina.... He'd do it for his sister "Yes." "Then come with me." ***** Chapter 3 ***** Chapter Notes Thanks so much to anyone who's reading this! All my love Sadly I do not own yu yu hakusho He wasn't sure why but he was now drinking tea sitting in a warn wooden chair of this Yusuke's. The tea tasted something like autumn lake sludge but at least it was warm, so warm. Warm like fires on icy nights. Suddenly he found himself almost more grateful for the tea then the rescue and that only meant one thing. He owed the black haired boy more. Said boy had left him in the room he guessed was the kitchen of the shabby apartment that was apparently Yusuke's home. Hiei did not understand how a child of such importance to a mob boss could end up here. For five minutes his savior had kicked the uncooperative stove he now sat in front of which worked after the onslaught. Why kicking the stove had help Hiei had-again-no idea. Then the boy made tea and left saying "sit tight shrimp k?" Hiei wondered at the raven haired teens behavior. As far as he knew tea didn't help sex along and why else was he here? Certainly he couldn't have miss read what the other male had meant. No. Not with the tone he'd used. The waiting bothered him a lot. He felt like crying again and the idea disgusted him. Weakness of the body he was use to but his emotions he could usually keep to himself. Yukina said he shouldn't but it was the only kind of strength he really possessed. Damn that Kuwabarra!! If only he was a little more strong like every other guy ever... Or taller even... Or rich... With a creak a door to Hiei's left opened revealing once more Yusuke this time with an assortment of black and white cloths in his hands. Jumping the smaller boy tried not to fall all the way off his chair and looked wide eyed at the person who had just entered. Some part of him had not expected him to come back, even though that was a stupid thought. Urameshi eyed the creature cowering behind his table appraisingly. What was with this kid, he'd just saved his ass? Why was he so freaked? Whatever. "I got you these, smallest I had cause your kimono got sorta..." He trailed of. Hiei's school uniform had been ripped jaggedly from collar to navel. ".... That is ok.... Do you want me to stay?" Let's just get this over with he mentally added "Where do you live?" Asked Urameshi suddenly diverting the conversations corse Confused Hiei answered with a word "...why" "Just wonder if you can make it back. Don't worry I'm sure that idiot will come to his senses and stop trying to....uhhhh yah" the teen tried for a light tone not quite accomplishing it What did this idiotic over muscled boy know about what Hiei had been trough?! "Well he hasn't yet!" "Huh?" Asked a shocked Yusuke Hiei blushed "nothing" he whispered In cold tones the words "Has he hurt you." Drifted trough the air. "N-no" "Then wha..." "I have a sister" "..... He mixed you up?" Asked Yusuke ______ confused Telling him was necessary now. "Yukina, Yukina" he whispered to his protesting senses "she needs to be kept safe." Now there was nothing between her and that cruel pervert. He had swore he'd die before it came to this.... *** "No please!" Screamed Hiei as boys in blue wrestled his sister to the ground. He remembered thinking how odd the weather was earlier in the day. It had been such a cool day in summer, finally ok for him to venture outside with Yukina. She burned easily. A curse in disguise. "Don't worry you get a turn to" a gravelly voice shouted over to him Nononononononono. Anything but this. He bit, he scratched, he punched he struggled his way free of the one restraining him. "She can't defend herself!" He threw himself over the young girl "she's sick don't hurt her!" "We only want to make her feel better" "You too" "All better" Said a sequence of Kuwabarra's hang members in chorus and then from the leader himself: "You'll take her place then?" "Go brother you could make it, Hiei please" whispered a voice from below the small boy "I'll be ok" Hiei huddled over his sister. "Please it's not fare" The red head was always a fan of "fare" Hiei had learned from bribing a few more outer members of the gang of Kuwabarra. "Weeeellll I'll tell ya...." Kazuma trailed of in thought "guess it's not" Hope took root deep in Hiei but withered as he saw his would be rapist smile. "How 'bout I give you guys a chance? You, cutey, get to run and we get to chase. Till we catch you everybody's good, but when I do I get a matching set of twins." "Please just..." Hiei tried "Oh and I get a kiss from you, a real one for being so nice" Kuwabarra smiled evilly "tongue and all." Nasia over came the boy.... But how could he refuse? It was yukina's only chance and just for a kiss. No matter that this would be his first it would be well spent and he would never, never, be caught. If nothing else he was fast. *** "He wants both of us! He wants a matching set! Please don't let him hurt my sister! I don't care about me, just please, please!" Cried a defeated child to a dazed and revolted teen. ***** Chapter 4 ***** Chapter Summary Im sorry, I try to update quicker but it tends not to happen. Thank you so much for the comments I live on them, and the kudos. All my love, Rose Marie He prayed to God he had misunderstood what the boy him said. The older boy looked deep into the younger's eyes. Yusuke was good at reading people like this; in fights some had even closed their eyes desperate to disguise there true intentions from the Phoenix, as the punk had been dubbed. But the street kid had never faced eyes like these... Endless dark red that could hide pain or fear deep in their depth as easy as anything. Lies could also lerk in there. Without saying a word he sat in a chair facing Hiei and studied the dark wisp as a whole. He was panting hard as if the plee he had just made caused him some physical pain. To Yusuke this made perfect sense. In the teens to big cloths Hiei looked lost completely, and his unruly black mop of hair seemed a final defense for his face. It could be true. It really really could but... No he wouldn't let this kid fool him. No matter how cute he was or how much he resembled a hurt kitten who was still ready to scratch your eyes out. No, there was to much a chance that somebody was out to recruit him again, and it wouldn't be the first time they sent a damsel in distress to do the job. Would be the first time it was a guy though. He didn't think anyone knew about his personal preference when it came to that .... He'd just have to test the kitten. Yusuke leaned in to the boy I front of him. closer, closer. This whole test thing might be ok actually. He like the look of the boy after all. Not that he should be thinking that considering what the kid had been through. damn. Only a messed up fuck would have that kind of idea right after.... But then that's what he was after all. "Worthless baka" screamed a familiar female voice in his head.... He shook it off. The kid was blushing but that was the whole point. To see if it was real he'd have to push a bit. If he backed out, well then he had an answer. Hiei could smell the sent of the dark boy more clearly the closer he got: steel and.... and faintly .... blood. This man had killed something not to long ago. Panicking his mind flipped windy from thought to thought.Who's to say Hiei wasn't next on this guys kill list, who's to say what this ----clearly to him now--fag liked? What if he was a pervert!? In to s&m?! He was so close... "Kid what the hell have you got yourself mixed up in?" Urameshi stood completely and walked across the room turning on a faucet and grabbing the tea kettle. "Wha... I... I..." The smaller boy blushed deeply. "Kuwabarra...." "How bad?" Yusuke scrubbed the kettle furiously even though it had been clean after the first rinse of water. At the small boy seated at his table made no response besides to scoff. Yusuke decided on a different question. "How long?" "Years." Years Years "That rat bastard!" A kettle when flying, hitting the wall hard and denting before coming to rest on the floor. Hiei flinched hard though it hit no where near him. "Well he won't no more. Ok?" That... That God damn pedophile! It was sickening. What the fuck! What the fuck! Kuwabarra might be fucked up but he was under Shizeru. She wouldn't put up with this shit if she knew. Oh that piece of shit gang head cunt was going to get a god damn earful about her fucking bitch pervert brother. Shizeru would kill Kuwabarra for this... Maybe. Or she'd see it her brothers way. On her list of unforgivable sins he knew breaking a deal was high, and stealing from protected businesses but rape... He didn't know.... Fuck it. "Tell you what kid I'll stop him, ok?" Hiei looked at him and then away. Yes this is what he wanted but he know found himself unable to except it. Pride was inbound in him from birth. He remembered his mother gentile voice"now Hiei we don't except hand outs, we're not so bad off" and his fathers far more distant and gruff "no boy. No." People had often offered the twins things when they were young. It seemed twins were everyone's fetish. How fortunate. Yusuke had no idea why he was searching for justification from the boy but he was, and he'd have it. "Ok? Ok?" "Ok." Poor kid could only manage a whisper. Shit. It was just so... Shit. "My sister" oh yah the sister, Yusuke had almost blocked out how sick the whole thing was. He'd make sure both of them were fine if he had to kill Kuwabarra. "What's her name?" It was aegis a question as any. He didn't want to come right out and demand to be told all of the kittens personal information. He'd need it if he was going to protect them but it seemed less offensive to do it by intervals. "Yukina." After a moment of silence he realized he wasn't getting any more for now. "That's good. You'll both be safe." "I can't let you help for nothing" It came almost before Yusuke had finished his statement. Man Urameshi didn't want anything from the kid. From the look of it he didn't even have much to offer. Nothing the punk couldn't get elsewhere, but he understood the pride in the boys eyes all to well..... When he was younger.... Let's just say a child of a crime lord like Razen could come by a better living situation if he asked nicely. If he worked the right cases and followed the right rules, Razen's son could live in a palace with fuck boys licking his feat but that just wasn't his style. Rules were for idiots, he lived by his own morals and that was it. His life might be crap but it was worth a damn. "Fine kid I got something you can do. ***** Chapter 5 ***** Chapter Summary Tiny bit of a lemon but not really in this chapter. Don't worry Mukuro isn't staying to long. Please r&r All my Luv Rose Mukuro watched Hiei walk calmly into school that morning. Odd. Peculiar. A contrast to the usual scurry inside and peek out the window routine. A routine that wasn't just a habit, but a way of life for.... People like the two of them. It worried her. "Hiei." she shouted over the din of school room conversation that was the norm before first bell rang. People stared at her for a moment, but then, people were always staring at Mukuro for some reason or another and shed long ago grown immune. "Come over here." She commanded with the same authority she ordered most. Her spicky haired..... well.... How would she describe him? Comrade? In any case, he obeyed her summons. This, she thought, was a very good sign. Mukuro liked the consistent, the usual, and her power over people, and Hiei was currently demonstrating all three. It was when disruptions came to one of these that she got wild, hurt people if she was able and screamed if she wasn't. Ran and fought and in some cases.... But now wasn't the time for that... Not yet. "Mukuro" he greeted. "You look happy." It was an accusation not an observation. The boy shrugged looking disinterested and she wondered if she ripped him open would the secrets fall out. He had been hers for awhile now and still they couldn't share somethings and she didn't understand why. For a reason she couldn't imagine the darkest things came the easiest. She knew his tormentors like they were her own, and he knew all about her father who raped her weekly. He bore her scares and she his... But the lighter things seemed always to be hushed secrets that if shared might offend the other, or be pulled from them entirely. "Between us, secrets are poison Hiei." It went unsaid that secrets between those two and the rest of the world were necessities to their safety. Mukuro had gone to somebody once. It wasn't pretty. "I had no choice, Kuro, they caught me and I had to protect her so I asked for help." Her world shook, just a bit. Enma his fucking sister. That little whore never liked her, said she was a buffer or some shit and that he shouldn't listen to her and now... Now she was the reason that Hiei was going to get screwed over and probably leave her. Dumb pure Yukina, who knew absolutely jack shit. You can't get 'help' when it came to gangs. "Hiei." How could he be so stupid? "Don't worry about me, Kuro" then who was going to? Nobody else loved Hiei and had the skills to. She was messed up. She knew that. She also knew she had sought Hiei out because she saw her own fear in his eyes and never would have given him a second look otherwise, and that that was messed up too. But so what? The whole world was messed up. 'Innocent' people got raped and murdered, the starved and died; you had to be ready and follow every unwritten rule of you wanted to get by. Mukuro learned that the day she lost her arm. "Come on" she dragged him from classroom 4B and people looked, but people always looked. This wasn't unusual, it was consistent to the norm and it showed her power. Their destination was nursing station 2. Hiei never resisted. Long ago the school had been house to more students, enough to justify two nursing stations but within the last five years regulations had dubbed this school to small to hold so many and someone had built another newer better one, which was built in a better part of town, which better kids went to. Wasn't that the way. The point was though, that this ward with a single mattress went unused, and if you were clever and determined you could get in. They'd never gone all the way. Mukuro slid her student card through the slit in the door and the lock clicked as she forced it. She pulled Hiei in behind her. She kissed him roughly, taking the clear lead and pulled him over to the cot. It wasn't quite comfortable but she liked that about the make shift place they had together. Mukuro straddled Hiei's hip and groaned down hard looking at him intensly. She shifted her rhythm every ten seconds keeping him on his toes and not really allowing him to join in. The friction was always good. It got her hotter, got her blood flowing and pressure built in her stomach. "K-kuro, we need to talk" she appreciated his panting and led his hand up to her chest as a reward. "Talk then" hissed the red head concentration not quite on his words. "He says he'll help me and..." He gasped at a particularly hard grind and moaned hardening. "I have no choice" "Where's the ketch" managed the girl nearing her peck. She needed it, she needed calming. Hiei would have responded but he was built up too high. Crying out as quietly as he could manage he scratched her nipple through her school uniform and massaged her boob. Then her grabbed her hips trying to gain some control. He showed her how he needed it. Granting his request she ground right into that spot she knew brought him to finish quickly. Just a few more moments for her and she feared he might outlast her. "Cum Hiei" she moaned pushing her hips hard into him for one last time. In the end they were clumsy and inexperience but they got their jobs done. Panting hard Mukuro feel to Hiei's chest and he wrapped an arm around her. He had not quite gotten to his hight but he hadn't really wanted to somehow. Mukuro had never really been a person he wanted like that but she had and objecting had never made sense. They were best friends after all. "He will protect us Kuro and all I have to do is be a go between. He, the person that will help, has trades to make. I'm fast. I'm smart. I can do it." It was clear he believed it. Perhaps he could, but when it fell apart she'd be here to hide him. To save and keep him. ***** Chapter 6 ***** "Explain this to me again." Stated a cherry redhead sitting with his legs crossed in a chair that had been occupied by Hiei only a day before. He flipped his hair over his should-- an old habit-- and scowled down in the direction of a streaming mug held in both his hands. Most could not have sensed the irritation deeply wound in the civil tone which Kurama always kept up. Not even Yusuke, who had known him since birth, could really find it within the words, but when he met the teens forest green eyes he got the idea. "You got it the first time Kurama, you're the smartest nerd in the world." Muttered the dark haired teen skulking. He could be such a child. "Yes but I thought, perhaps, if you said it one more time you might hear the stupidity." Tea swirled around and around Kurama's spoon. "It's not stupid!" The reason Yusuke felt the need to elevate his voice when there was only the two of them in the room was lost on Kurama. It was to exaggerate his point maybe but really, he did it every few minutes so it didn't have much sway. "You know I thought you had some real concern when you called me over not just..." But Kurama was cut off by a hand slamming down in front of him shaking the table violently. It might have cracked if it hadn't been rather old and used to the abuse. There was a silence in which the red head rethought the few options he had. It was clear that Yusuke had decided to care and--considering similar situations dating back to their mutual third year--he never would give up. Further more those who didn't help the punk were usually the worse for it either by his hand, or fate. Lady Luck favored the boy. No matter how little faith Kurama had in divinity, it seemed just statistically that something had to be in play there. So... "Fine." "Knew you'd come through fox boy, now how can we.... Do it?" Eloquent as always, but he supposed at the moment that wasn't entirely the point. Now was the time to strategize but in such a way as to steer his friend away from this dark haired junior high boy. And he knew that he had the ideal plan for it. "Well what do you know about his situation?" "He's being attacked by....!" "Yes that I know but beyond that." Now if Yusuke would only realize that the scrap of a thing he had saved was not the angel incarnate he had described and that really, he wasn't anything, Kurama might just get his free time back. When one of his oldest friends had called in need of help the red head had hurried to his rescue as usual even if his brother had claimed to need help in some new enterprise. Apparently the older of the Minimoto brothers had been having problem with the logistics of.... something. Waiting around to find out exactly what would only have meant keeping Yusuke waiting and, from his tone, this could cause certain death or at the very least the destruction of worlds. Sometimes it really was, and this always kept the fox haired young man on his toes, even considering the number of false alarms similar to this one. "He lives... Someplace around here cause that's where he was going to...." "Uh huh" "He has-" "A sister, you said as much, what does she look like?" Kurama twirled his hair purposefully patronizingly, they were getting somewhere. "Didn't meet her." Good. Now: "His families situation?" "Don't know b-" Playing right into his hands, "His affiliation with the gangs?" "Hey! I'm sure he doesn't..." And going in for the kill, "Last name?" "......" Kurama smirked internally sensing victory, "favorite color?" He added with a slightly mocking tone. "Doesn't matter." "Oh no? Well not the color maybe bu...." "No. He needs help." Oh crap this, Kurama might be screwed "How can you be so sure?" "I am." "Yus-" "I am. You'll help." "I said I would" Kurama murmured dejectedly, feeling the smallest amount of guilt. They had know each other since Yusuke's birth; they had been friends since Yomi had forced a civilized young boy to sit next to a ragged vagabond dressed in a tailored, tiny suit. Later pieces of that same suit was used to tie a dead rat to lady Mirocous heal... It was legendary. Maybe he should have helped with out question.... "Then we'll help the kid." Yusuke wasn't asking. With a sigh Kurama said "Yah, I have an idea. Shizeru and I have strong connections from--" In a teasing tone the black Haired punk suddenly interjected "You dog you-- " and attempted to wrap an arm around the his pissed off--though it didn't show on his face--friend. Kurama shoved hard against him though Yusuke only stumbled back a bit. Even that Kurama knew was just for his benifit; sadly he was not quite a match for Yusuke physically. "No. From the destruction of Toguro's gang." He was such an idiot. An amusing idiot. Why were they friends? "But what do you have going Huh, heard there's a girl!" There was, but he'd let him dangle. "No." He was smiling if only slightly. "Yes there is!" One of the teen boys jumped on the other--I'm sure you can guess which-- and a vicious battle began. The small smile never left the leaner teens face while the others smile grew and grew. In the end it wasn't until a few hours later that the plan was actually discussed. End Notes So what do you think? sould I keep going? please please please Review!!!!! I'll give you cake! Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!