.
Silence. For what seemed like hours (but was in fact no more than a minute), no one moved. The only sounds were Shiori's sobs and Kurama's labored breath. Karasu continued to stare at Yusuke until the youth turned away completely, eyes squeezed shut.
Genkai was the first to move. Grunting softly, she knelt beside Kurama, lifting his head to probe at the Youko's wound. Grimacing, she focused her reiki to heal the redhead. She might have done it out of the kindness of her withered old heart, but Karasu doubted her motives were so pure. More likely than not, she was doing it to spite Toguro. If he could show compassion to the kitsune, well, she could go a step further and heal his possibly life-threatening wound.
Kurama's eyes fluttered open and met those of the old woman. His sigh was barely audible as he slipped back into unconsciousness. Genkai shook her head and stood. "He'll be out for a while," she said to no one in particular. "It would probably be best not to move him."
"But we can't stay here." Shura was still clinging to the ningen boy, and his voice shook. "I think all 'Tousan's advisers and guards were scared away by the fight, but they'll come back, and..." He gulped, pressing himself against the boy.
"Fine, then. Let's go." Yusuke turned to leave.
"Urameshi... what about Kurama?" Kuwabara took a tentative step toward his friend.
"If he can't move, we leave him." Yusuke whirled to face his friend. "Unless you think you can carry him all the way to the Ningenkai."
"Yusuke." All eyes focused on the ningen woman as Shiori stood, wiping away tears. "Yusuke-kun, I realize my son has brought you grief. But please, don't blame him. He did it because of me." She took a deep breath. "If anyone is to blame, it's surely me."
Yusuke bit his lower lip. "Shiori-san-" He shook his head, mouth twisting into a grimace. "Look, Shiori-san... Ku-er, Shuichi didn't just betray us. He betrayed every youkai who fought Yomi because he was evil. He betrayed you, too, even if you don't understand how. Yomi could have succeeded in taking over the Ningenkai because of Kurama."
"But Yomi's plan failed- because of Kurama. Yomi was defeated because Kurama freed us." That earned Kuwabara several startled glances. Karasu quickly reformed his opinion of the carrot-top- maybe he wasn't so stupid, after all.
"And Hiei died because of Kurama." Yusuke stated flatly. The inescapable truth made even Kuwabara wince.
"Urameshi..." Kuwabara frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder if Hiei holds that against Kurama."
"Nani?!"
Kuwabara's blue eyes glittered triumphantly. "I bet if Koenma lets us talk to Hiei, he'll tell us he doesn't blame Kurama. And if Hiei doesn't blame Kurama, then you sure as hell don't have a reason to." He nodded, satisfied.
"Regardless as to whether or not Kurama is forgiven," Toguro said dryly. "We still need to leave before Yomi's lackeys build up enough nerve to come after us. Unless you want to stay and fight?" His grin was bloodthirsty.
If looks could kill, Yusuke's would have destroyed Toguro in an instant. "Iie... we go. But-" he cast a scornful glance at Kurama's limp form. "I'm not traveling with him."
Toguro shrugged and bent down to scoop Kurama up. Shiori held the hands of the two children and eyed Toguro uncertainly. Sighing inwardly, Karasu stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her arm.
"Don't worry, Shiori-san," he murmured politely. "We'll take you and Kurama back to the Ningenkai." The ningen woman gave him a grateful look.
"You're a- still a friend of Kura-chan?" she asked shyly.
He smiled sadly, though she couldn't see it. "Hai, Shiori-san. We're still.. friends."
The ningen boy regarded him curiously. "Are you Niisan's boyfriend?" He raised an eyebrow at the kid's perceptiveness, while Shiori gave him a horrified look.
"Shuichi!"
He rubbed the side of his nose with a weak grin. "'Tousan says that Niisan doesn't date girls- he dates boys."
"Well, as a matter of fact-" He caught Shiori's eyes and held them with a challenging stare. "Kurama does date boys, and I am his boyfriend."
Shiori nodded slowly as Shuichi grinned. "I knew it!"
"Ah, Shiori-san?" Kuwabara and Genkai approached, the former somewhat hesitantly, the latter unconcernedly. "I think it would be better if you came with us. With myself and Genkai-shihan- and Urameshi, of course- we'd be more capable of protecting you. Not that they're weak or anything," he added hastily. "But they have to protect Kurama..." he trailed off uncertainly. Toguro was giving him a dirty look.
"I'll be there," Shura announced. "I can take care of anybody who messes with us!"
"Toguro is capable of taking Kurama on his own," Genkai told them blandly, ignoring Shura. "Shiori-san, you and the two children can come with us. Karasu may accompany us, as well." That was a command if ever he'd heard one.
"But... Kurama..."
"Will be fine." The old woman was getting impatient. He narrowed his eyes, but caught the look Shiori was giving him. A pleading look. 'Come with us. Don't leave us alone with these people who hate my son.' Grimacing, he nodded.
"Very well, old woman." He brushed his fingers across the soft skin of Kurama's pale face, and briefly pressed them against the silky lips. "Ja ne, koibito." he whispered softly.
"Toguro-san." Shiori took a step toward him. "You will bring my son home?" He nodded. "You know where we live?" Toguro nodded again, and Shiori looked surprised. Of course Toguro knew where the redhead lived. The big man believed that one should always know one's enemy. Karasu figured that concerning the Urameshi Team, if it was on a piece of paper somewhere, he probably knew it. Sakyo had made doubly sure of that.
He took Shiori's arm gently. "Come on, Shiori-san," he said. "I don't think Yusuke will wait much longer."
Pain. Terrible, excruciating pain. He tried opening his eyes, but there was a red haze over everything, and it hurt something awful, so he quickly shut them. Everything hurt. His head hurt, his arms and legs and sides hurt. Especially his sides. Every breath he took sent pain like lightening lancing through them. And the solid rock he was resting against did nothing to ease his painful condition. He hissed softly as the rock shifted, causing him an endless amount of pain. He was relieved when blackness took him again.
When his eyes fluttered open sometime later, he noted with detached amusement that the darkness was now filled with tiny points of light. Sugoi... Oh, wait. No. Those were stars. Frowning, he turned his head. Tiny blades of grass brushed his cheek in gentle, feather-light caresses. There, to his side, was the uncomfortable rock. It turned it's head to look at him.
"Rocks don't move," he informed it, wincing inwardly at the pain speaking caused.
"No," the rock agreed.
His brows furrowed in puzzlement. "Shh!" he hissed softly. "They don't talk, either."
Toguro studied the redhead solemnly. Obviously, that old hag Genkai hadn't done a very thorough job in healing him. Snorting softly, he reached out and brushed blood-red bangs from the Youko's face, then held up three fingers.
"Ne, Kurama, how many fingers am I not holding up?"
The kitsune frowned at him. "One."
Toguro blinked small eyes at the redhead. "One?"
Grimacing, Kurama propped himself up on his elbows. "One. You're not holding up one finger... and a thumb."
"Ooh."
Kurama almost shook his head, but decided against it. That might be painful enough to send him tumbling back into oblivion- and while it was pleasantly devoid of all physical sensation, it was not what he wanted. Drawing a deep, painful breath, he forced himself to sit completely upright. It was a most disorienting experience, and Kurama swayed in his semi-upright position. Not going to faint not going to faint not going to faint not-
The next thing he knew Toguro was crouched beside him, one thick arm around the Youko to steady him. Kurama collapsed against him with a groan, head spinning. The big man cradled the redhead in his arms as he fought for consciousness. One large hand hovered over his face, and two big fingers pressed against his right temple. The dizziness and pain were washed away as strength surged briefly through his limbs. He tensed, then went limp in Toguro's arms, taking deep, painful breaths.
Toguro smiled at the dazed look in Kurama's eyes. "It may seem as if I care for nothing but fighting, but this old dog has picked up a few other tricks, too."
The redhead chuckled softly at that. "Nothing is the way it seems at first glance," he agreed with a smile, marveling at the delicious lack of pain. He gently pushed Toguro's arm away and sat up. Without the headache, all his other pains had become far more bearable. Hissing softly through clenched teeth, he stood, ignoring the pain on his side. Undoubtedly a few of his ribs were broken, but that could wait until they were back in the Ningenkai. Chewing absently on his lower lip, he glanced around. He didn't recognize the place, but it was definitely in the Makai.
"Where are we?" He placed one hand on his hip, turning curious eyes on the man. "Why are we here?"
Toguro summarized what had occurred in the palace after Yusuke had beaten him unconscious. "Then I decided to take a different route to the Ningenkai. It's longer, but far away from the path the others were taking." He shrugged. "But you were in pretty bad shape, so I decided to stop for the night."
Kurama nodded. "I guess we shouldn't continue till morning, then. It'll be harder to find our way through the dark."
"You plan on walking back?" His tone was decidedly amused.
Kurama gave him a wounded look. "What, you think I couldn't do it?"
The smirk on his face said it all. Kurama's lips curved in a petulant pout. "I could, too! And I could probably beat you in a fight with my hands tied behind my back even-" He broke off, Toguro quite suddenly looming in front of him. The bigger man grabbed his elbows, doing nothing but holding them, but Kurama could hardly move his arms.
"O-k-a-y, so maybe not." He squirmed a little, luminous green eyes sparkling as he assumed an expression of mock-hurt. "Golly gee whiz, you're always so mean to me. I'm beginning to think I ought to find some new-mmph!" Whatever else he had meant to say was muffled against Toguro's mouth as the bigger man gave him a lip-bruising kiss, his tongue flicking through Kurama's parted lips to caress the inside of his mouth.
He tried to pull back, but Toguro jerked him closer, refusing to let him go. He began nibbling lightly on Kurama's lower lip. Finally, the mountain of a man came up for air. A very dazed Kurama slumped in his grasp, prodding at swollen, wet lips with his own tongue.
"Ahh.. Toguro?" The large man smiled and released him, turning away.
"You'd better get some sleep, Kurama," he called over his shoulder. "If you're going to walk in the condition you're in, you'll need plenty of rest."
Kurama shook his head slowly in confusion. And people had had the audacity to call him fickle!
It was dark again when Toguro knocked politely on the door of the Hatanaka-Minamino residence. And Kurama was once again tucked in Toguro's arms like some child who could hardly walk. He walked for four hours, slowing them down considerably, before the pain in his sides had become unbearable and he'd been forced to allow Toguro to carry him the rest of the way. After that, they'd made much better progress.
It was Kazuya who opened the door. "Can I- oh! Shuichi!"
"Kura-chan?" Shiori elbowed her husband aside, placing a hand on his forehead. "Are you all right? What took you so long? Karasu-san said you should've been here by early this morning, at the latest."
Toguro inclined his head politely. "We would have been- if somebody here hadn't decided that he'd rather walk in the condition he's in." He didn't even look at Kurama.
"Oh." She tenderly brushed aside his bangs. "Silly boy- oh!" Blushing, she stepped back. "Come in!" She herded both Toguro and her husband into the house with a gesture. "How rude of me, keeping you standing out in the cold. And after all you've done for my son!"
Soon enough Toguro found himself seated in the living room, with Kurama leaning awkwardly on his stepfather's shoulder. Shiori bustled off to the kitchen, muttering about hot tea. Kurama tried to support his own weight, mouth twisting with suppressed groans.
It was then he noticed Karasu, seated on the couch. He was wearing his usual dark pants and shoes, but was wearing a crimson sweater. 'He looks good,' Kurama thought. Kazuya shifted, and he winced slightly.
"Let's get you in bed, shall we?" his stepfather muttered. "Unless you think you need to go to the hospital?"
"Iie," he whispered. "Bed is fine."
They made their way (slowly and painfully) to Kurama's room. He was surprised when his stepfather took most of his weight the last couple of feet, all but carrying him to bed.
"H-hatanaka-san-"
"How many times have I told you," his stepfather said reproachfully. "I'm your father now. How many children are so formal with their parents, hmm?"
"The Emperor's children, I bet."
Chuckling quietly, Kazuya pulled down the blankets. "Do you need help undressing?"
Kurama shook his head. "I'll be fine.. 'Tousan. Thank you." Kazuya nodded and left. Sighing, Kurama tugged futilely at his clothing, irritated at his own weakness.
"Need some help?"
Kurama jerked up, then cried out in pain caused by the sudden movement. He flopped back down, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. Karasu closed the door behind him and walked quietly to the bed, one hand reaching up to remove his mask. He set it on the nightstand, then regarded Kurama with a slight frown.
"Yeah, I think you do need help. Lover." He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, not wanting to cause his beloved any more pain. "Here, let me." Kurama didn't protest as Karasu swiftly undressed him, even when it obviously caused him pain. Karasu smiled tenderly at his lover, admiring his bravery. His smile faded as he stripped off the redhead's pants, though.
Dried blood and bruises on his thighs... Karasu clenched his teeth in anger. If Yomi hadn't already been dead, he'd have killed that bastard for harming his fox! Slowly, and painfully.
Kurama bit his lower lip, noting the expression on his lover's face. "Karasu-"
Karasu shook his head. "It's all right, Kurama. I understand."
Kurama sucked in his breath at the echo of Hiei's words. The beautiful crow folded the black jacket and neatly set it aside, then pulled off the pouch containing Hiei's teargems and set it on top of the jacket. "Do you, Karasu?"
He regarded the fox solemnly. "Actually, I'm not sure that I do," he conceded with a smile.
Kurama sighed. "Maybe tomorrow," he murmured softly. Catching the hint, Karasu chuckled and bowed from the waist.
"Well then, pretty one. I bid you goodnight." He swept out of the room, the sight of him calling to mind a strutting rooster.
"Popinjay," Kurama muttered fondly as the door closed behind his lover.
. .
