Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Par Tout Autre Nom ❯ More Questions than Answers ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimers: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho belong respectively to Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi.

A/N: Wow… LOL, this is just supposed to be just a present for Kazusa, but apparently, other people are enjoying it too. Thank you for those reviews, you're all very sweet to say such things, and I hope you enjoy the way the rest of this pans out…

~*~*~*~

By Any Other Name

~More Questions Than Answers~

Souta was practically bouncing off the walls by the time Kagome finally followed him inside, her attention still focused on that sensation she'd witnessed outside. Something about that man on skates, about his youki had sent a pulse through her, deep inside… like the feel of a shard back when it had still been scattered to the four winds. She hadn't recognized him, but he was still familiar, and if the youkai of this time still had the magic of illusions or even the less "romantic" explanation -like artificial hair color and salons work- it didn't necessarily mean every one of them she'd seen would look as exactly as they had in the past.

Thoughts of Shippou willing to sit in her laps for hours to have his tail and hair brushed had her smothering a warm laugh, eyes suspiciously shining with moisture as that lead to cozy nights spent just that way. If she closed her eyes she could still hear Sango and Miroku speaking and planning in low murmurs, laughing easily with each other as they made dinner. Inuyasha's ever watchful eyes on the house they'd restored in the taijiya stronghold after Naraku's defeat, the house they'd agreed to live in while she kept her promises. There was still a twinge of doubt, half-worried the peace was only an illusion after so many years of pain and fear, but the more time passed, the more they had begun to settle down into real, "normal" lives. Or at least as normal as things ever were for their group.

His golden eyes catching the light from the fire when he felt her gaze and turned to give her a reassuring smile, *Oi… You aren't getting moody again are you? That idiot bouzu might lose what's left of his mind if you don't finally settle down, and you know how Sango worries and starts her hovering thing. Just relax, Kagome, now isn't a good time for you to be getting upset.*

Kagome swallowed at the clarity of his voice in her head, opening her eyes and blinking back the shimmering haze the blurred the walls of the entryway as the memory receded back into nothing but a whisper, clarity slipping through her fingers the way it always did when the sun was still up. The peace and solitude of night always made it easiest for her to slip into a meditative trance, letting visions of her old life curl along her senses like a soothing balm, calming the burning ache of loneliness that seemed to only grow stronger with time.

That was the first youki I've really felt since I've returned, Kagome's chin dropped down to her chest, lips turning up at the corners in a smile that didn't hold real humor so much as wistfulness. It's just me being silly. Wishful thinking, her hand lifted to rest on her hip where the scar from the Shikon's original, brutal extraction still remained. She couldn't say why, but she'd half expected even that sign of her ordeal to vanish with that disastrous wish rather than serve as the re-entry point for the jewel to make itself at home within her ribcage before it dissolved. I just miss everyone, that's why I'm having these flashes.

"Nee-san! Nee-san!" Souta's shout bounced off the walls, uncommonly loud in the previous quiet and making her wince even as he suddenly reappeared to latch onto her wrist and yank her along towards whatever it was that had caused that glowing excitement. "This is the coolest place I've ever seen! Come on; come on! You have to see this stuff! You're never going to believe it!"

She couldn't stop the laugh bubbling up out of her at his enthusiasm, letting him drag her along down the hall until he reached the spacious main room, dropping her hand to again bow in respect to the altar against the north wall and not noticing the way his sister had gone perfectly rigid behind him.

Kagome suddenly wasn't so sure it was only wishful thinking.

"Are you seeing this?" Souta felt safe to hop down the low wooden steps without any others to witness his decidedly irreverent behavior, rushing towards the prominent display directly across from them. "Can you believe it? Do you think they'd teach me how to use these?"

"H-Hiraikotsu…" she whispered in disbelieving awe, eyes huge in her suddenly pale face as she took an unconscious step towards the unmistakable bone boomerang mounted amongst the vast collection of antique weapons. These are… my gods, these are all Sango's, and her family… Taijiya weapons!

"My goodness! A beautiful lady who knows the family artifacts on sight? What a very… pleasant surprise," the calm, masculine voice came from right behind Kagome, jolting her at being able to sneak up so close without setting off her senses. Then again, the jolt may have been more from the fact that the voice rolling down her spine was one that she would have known anywhere…

Kagome's mind stuttered to a halt, slowly turning to look behind her and up at the man smiling down at her, his blue-violet eyes curious and demanding at the same time, pressing for answers under the illusion of piety. Those painfully familiar features were filled with the same mix of serenity and devilment that had been so obvious in his ancestor, a perfect copy of a certain perverted monk she'd had to leave behind, five hundred years in the past.

"Miroku," Kagome's voice failed her, lips forming the name without a sound.

Completely unperturbed by her silence, the young man straightened his shoulders with a decidedly regal air and reached out to take both her hands in his own before flashing her a charming smile, "Would you do me the honor of giving me your name?"

So close, Kagome had been half expecting to hear Miroku's infamous greeting to come tumbling from this stranger the longer he squeezed her limp hands in his, eyes never wavering from her own as he seemed to search for something in them. She could feel the tears pricking at the back of her eyes again, no doubt shocking the hell out of this poor monk when she ripped her hands out of his to throw her arms around his neck and bury her face against his robes.

Souta started in alarm at his sister's reaction, hurrying back to her side and reaching out for her shoulders when to his confusion, the monk closed his arms around her and subtly moved her just out of Souta's reach, "Please forgive me sister, she is… under a great deal of stress."

"Perhaps our holy temple can offer solace for her then?" he offered in a honey-smooth voice, features undergoing a subtle shift to a less "holy" attitude. "To enter here so easily, you must be… special."

Souta's mouth had fallen open, but before he could react to the accusation, Kagome started to laugh. The sound was watery and strained, but all the same it was still a laugh, and it had him relaxing slightly to prod her for answers, "Kagome?"

Those blue-violet eyes lit with recognition, brows rising in surprise and hands obviously going tighter on her for a split second before he tempered his reaction, "Kagome? Higurashi Kagome?"

"How did you-?!" Souta gasped out.

"Then that is your family name?" the monk interrupted, giving off an aura that seemed to be both delighted and smug at the same time.

It would have rubbed Souta completely wrong if he hadn't been so confused and curious by this person who looked to be no older than himself knowing his sister's name, Then again… didn't she just say-?

"I'm sorry," Kagome's murmur broke their staring match to draw their focus down as she reluctantly eased her choke hold on his neck and tried to step away, wiping at the tears dampening her cheeks. "I just-I… You remind me-"

"I have been told the resemblance is striking," the monk cut off her halting attempts to explained with a warm smile all for her, letting her go only as far as she seemed willing to step. "I'll have to remember to say that has been proven by your reaction. I have more faith that `Kagome-sama' has a much clearer recollection… all things considered."

Souta looked at his sister's white face, reaching out again and getting frustrated when the monk again managed to subtly maneuver her just out of reach, "Dammit, will you stop that? I don't care if you are a monk, I'll take you out right here if you get fresh with my sister!"

"Miroku-sama left a gift for you," the monk ignored Souta, watching for her reaction to that simple statement and feeling himself smile when those deep blue eyes filled with tears yet again. No mistaking… this is the one we have been watching for. Kagome-sama. "Our family has protected it and waited for when you found us again."

"Show me," her voice was low, intense with feeling and encouraging him to dip his head in a bow of respect before turning away to a door hidden in the wall behind the altar and slipping inside.

"Kagome, what's going on here? Do you know this guy?" Souta whispered in her ear, clasping her hand when she still didn't move, eyes locked on the place where the monk had disappeared. "Isn't Miroku the name of-?"

"The monk, with the Kazaana," she nodded once in acknowledgement, heart pounding so loud in her ears she could barely hear her brother. Left a gift… for me? "My… very dear friend, and Sango's husband."

"Wasn't he some kind of pervert though?" Souta asked in confusion.

"Please!" the affronted exclamation preceded the monk's return, an obsidian box taller than he was, but only about a foot wide held carefully against his side as he maneuvered back to them with extra care. "My ancestor was a great monk."

Kagome burst out laughing, wrapping her arms around her stomach tightly as she shook her head, sagging against Souta when the strength drained from her legs at hearing such words come out of this person's mouth, "You are just like him." It's too much… so much at once… Don't faint, Kagome, if you faint you might wake up alone and this will have all been a dream!

He smiled again, presenting that box to her with a flourish as he knelt down and gently placed it on the floor, resting his right hand on the surface and winking when he saw the way she stared at the violet wrapping around the palm, "The first born son of every generation is charged with carrying on the history of the line, and we take our duties very seriously."

Kagome pulled Souta down with her, sitting back on her heels as she reached out to rest her fingertips on the edge of the case, eyes glazing at the hum of holy magic radiating off it, Miroku blessed this himself?

"Nee-san, what is it?" he shifted his weight impatiently, wanting so badly to do the same as soon as he felt the levels of energy coming from his sister's "gift," but refraining when he saw the monk respectfully fold his hands in his lap and let her be the one to guide their actions. What the hell is going on? Why would Miroku leave her a present for the future? What would he leave?

"My father told me that this has been passed through the generations with strict instructions to only be given to the miko of the Shikon no Tama, and to tell her that `there are no words,'" the monk recited softly when he saw her trace her fingertips down to the sealed latches, trying to hold in his awe as they melted away under her skin.

Souta fell silent when Kagome clasped the edges of the box and lifted it up out of the way, leaning closer to see what had caused his sister to go so very still. He'd only just had a glimpse when the lid slipped from her fingers unnoticed, wincing at the loud clatter it made against the wooden floor while she made a choked sound he couldn't quite decipher, A… staff?

He and the monk stayed kneeling as Kagome reached out, closing her hand around the perfectly preserved steel and rising to her feet while the tears again poured unheeded down her cheeks. The rings filled the temple with their melodic jingle as they were lifted free of their resting state, the sound penetrating deep into Kagome's mind to pull it backwards, teasing her with crystal clear images if she would only open up to receive them.

Her other hand lifted, tracing along the gold for a moment before she leaned forward and closed her eyes, resting her forehead on it lightly in a show of trust. Miroku had understood what it was like more than the other, spent long nights helping her understand… if he had left impressions for her to him, she would let that energy pour from the staff into her.

Kagome nearly fell at the sudden flood of images that flashed behind her eyelids: pictures of a life she would never see, friends lost to her under the inescapable pull of time and space. She could hear them all, but the voices overlapped with the sounds of his rich laughter echoing in her head until she couldn't separate a single one to guess on the words being said. Not until the others slowly retreated back into the silence and left her with a single whisper.

Be happy where it has taken you.

Her shoulders shook as she slid back to the ground, clasping the staff and holding it upright even as she practically crumpled to the floor with her brother and the monk letting out sounds of concern and reaching for her. Her throat worked with effort, warning them away with a harsh, "Don't."

Souta's hand froze at that tone, pulling back with a strangled gasp when her skin took on a pink glow, hair rippling as though wind started to blow only around her before thin traces of iridescent streams streaked from her body to curl around her on the floor, "Nee-san?"

Kagome shook her head, still not opening her eyes as the heavy pulse of her soul made the air around them vibrate like a heartbeat, taking in a deep breath and letting it out as she forced the backlash of energy back under control, "Not yet… If you try to touch me right now, Souta, you might go through me."

His eyes widened in fright, "What?!"

"Don't worry," the glow died down completely, leaving her slumped over and clutching at the staff with a white-knuckled grip. "It's not as bad as it sounds."

"How could that not be as bad as it sounds?" Souta demanded as though she'd just gone certifiably insane between one minute and the next. "Go through you? Why would my hand go through you!?"

Kagome shook her head, opening her eyes and turning to him with a more serious expression than he'd ever seen her turn on him before, "There is always a price to pay for victory, Souta."

There was a long space filled with nothing but Kagome's heavy breathing and the faint sound of Miroku's rings brushing against each other with the faint shaking of her hand until the monk sat back and stuffed his hands up into his sleeves and cleared his throat, "Then all the stories are true."

She nodded with one more deep sigh and leaned back to sit more comfortably on her heels again, never once taking her hand off the staff as she reached with the other to hold palm up to him, "Your ancestor was not the type of man to have spoken lies about important matters. He was a great monk… but he was a great pervert too."

He blinked and started to chuckle, bringing a loosely closed fist up to his mouth before he reached it out to hold her hand and tilted his head in a particularly boyish motion. He offered her a wry smile as their fingers laced together, "At least now I know where I got my eyes."

Souta frowned at that strange remark, looking at Kagome to see if she understood and brow furrowing when he saw the way her eyes had filled with longing, her hand lifting to brush his bangs away from his face, "Nee-san?"

"The manners of your family are slipping if you've gone this long without telling me what they named you," Kagome scolded as her magic swept into him, reading through the paths of his own aura to get her own, deeper questions answered before returning to her in a warm rush that made her shiver. Then this is true as well.

"Ah… forgive my rudeness, Kagome. They had debated about naming me for him, but in the end, they settled on Shinju," he offered instantly, the faintest touch of pink rising in his cheeks at the chastisement in her voice despite his efforts to hold it down.

"Figures," she couldn't help but laugh again, letting his hand go and sitting back to reach over and give Souta a reassuring pat when he gripped her sleeve urgently.

"I should take offense," he pressed his gloved hand to his heart and tried to look hurt at her amusement. "I have lived up to my name perfectly!"

"I'm sure," Kagome remarked dryly, giggling when he put on his best version of a hurt expression, using the staff to rise to her feet and look down at Souta. "Call Mom."

"Call-? Wait, no? But Kagome-!" he started to protest, certain that this would be the place that his sister thought good enough to continue his training. Sure the monk was strange, and there were weird things happening one after another, but hadn't he learned more about what had happened to her since they got here? First the weapons, and then the monk, and the glowing thing-

"This is the one," she looked over at Shinju and on to the display again, lifting Miroku's staff to stare at the innocent looking rings, and letting her expression ease into a warm smile. "You should learn from family after all."

~*~*~*~

Hiei was already sitting on the railing when Kurama stumbled inside, his very posture radiating exhaustion as he dropped his keys carelessly on the kitchen counter on his way out to the balcony. When the kitsune didn't even bother to close the doors to the interior before more or less collapsing over the rail with a groan, the shorter youkai turned to glance at him and inquire with false innocence, "Rough date?"

"One snicker and you're going to wake up bald and tied to a flagpole somewhere, Hiei, I swear to gods," Kurama muttered into his arms, not lifting his head to see the amusement he could practically taste rolling off his friend.

"Oh c'mon," he folded his arms behind his head with a grin, leaning back against the wall in what had become one of his favorite positions in Kurama's apartment. "You have to admit that it's getting to the point of just being silly."

Kurama turned a glare up on him that clearly showed he was contemplating some rather unpleasant things against him, "It's goddamn ridiculous, Hiei, not silly."

Hiei arched an eyebrow when Kurama huffed and went back to practically draping himself down over the railing, one hand over his eyes as he obviously tried to soothe his frustration. He tilted his head, pondering what had possessed the kitsune to undertake such a stressful pastime, and asking for what he knew had to be the hundredth time, "Are you sure this is what your mother wants?"

"All human mothers want their sons to get married and have children, and Shiori is no different," Kurama grumbled, straightening up to stretch out the kinks in his back. "She may not be saying it, but they have a gift for the subtle hints… You remember how Keiko acted when she wanted to get pregnant that first time?"

"How could I forget?" Hiei was instantly snickering at his fond memories of Yusuke's extended torment.

"It's a little like that," his expression twisted sourly for a moment, raking his hands through his hair. "She `just happens to notice' couples with their kids, baby clothes… not that she's saying anything, she'll just stop and stare at them until I notice that she's staring and then wave if off like it's nothing and walk off. But then she sighs the rest of the day and makes a point to hold my left hand. You know that western tradition? Rings?"

"Humans are so strange," Hiei rolled his eyes, letting one leg dangle off the rail to kick it back and forth lazily with his boredom. "No wonder you've started getting more violent with the little ones that make it through. Working out your frustration?"

`Ask him how pleasant he would be if he had to put up with the people you've been approaching,' Youko muttered in annoyance. `I would be much better at this since you refuse to take off our old experience. If you weren't trying to push that whole boundaries thing, you'd realize we're better at this than humans. Just let us blend, Kurama, we'll have the kid for Shiori with someone acceptable, and we'll all be happier for it. Technically we shouldn't be able to argue with ourselves like this… it can't be healthy.'

Shut up, Youko, I'm not going give up just because we've been having bad luck, Kurama shot back, turning to look back in his kitchen and making a motion with his hand to ask his roses to boil water for tea.

`We might not look like we age, Kurama, but that doesn't change the fact that you've been picking idiots for almost a year. The humans around us aren't getting any younger either,' Youko gave him every impression of wrinkling his nose in disgust. `Can't we find even one girl who doesn't care that we disappear now and then?'

"They think we're sneaking off to be with other women," Kurama turned his back to the rail, propping his elbows on it to brace his weight for the lazy position. "Can you believe one of them was actually in bed with someone else when I visited? And then had the gall to tell me that I shouldn't mind if she was having fun on the side since I didn't expect her to ask questions when I never called or came by?"

"Youko must have loved that," Hiei snorted in a particularly deprecating manner.

"We might not be all out telling them that we're intending to have a baby, but we aren't going to let someone we're looking at as a potential girl to sleep with every human who passes her door," he nodded, unconsciously agreeing with the emotion coloring his friend's voice at that observation. "Youko was disgusted."

`Understatement.'

Hush, he held out a hand and smiled at the plant that slipped onto the balcony, holding up a teacup to him. "It's not like we feel some driving desire to get a virgin, but we would highly prefer someone who's been selective," he was vaguely aware that he was more or less rambling his irritation out loud to the one person who was fully conscious of the entire situation and taking supreme glee in his discomforts.

`So I'm picky, sue me,' Youko scoffed. `Humans are so much harder to pick from than youkai… they're so damn plain, and weird, and… well, boring. Then there's that whole fucking purity thing! Are they all so uptight about sexuality?'

"He's right," Hiei shrugged and interrupted before Youko could get worked up onto one of his favorite topics. Still, he couldn't hold back a slight chuckle when Kurama slanted him another rather dark look, "What? You're a kitsune; you're instinctively accustomed to a higher level of standards with that pretty face. Even if you tried to separate yourself from the worst of that arrogance in your human life, you remember on the inside."

Kurama's eyebrow twitched when Youko agreed with that, taking the chance to pressure him into accepting more of his soul's nature, "Look. I know that we're used to being selective, but humans just can't compare with demons like that, and we all know it. Especially when you put them beside kitsunes."

"So what do you intend to do?" Hiei didn't even try to hide the smug grin on his face, easily imagining a good long run with this particular form of entertainment. "Youko's observation about your track record is correct… you have yet to find someone you both like who is willing to put up with your responsibilities to Reikai without knowing them. It should narrow your search-"

"I intend to find someone," Kurama gritted his teeth, hand tightening on his cup in lieu of his desire to do the same to Hiei's neck at the moment. "I'm over a thousand years old, dammit, I can manage to find a human acceptable and willing to bear a child for me."

`Damn right!' Youko encouraged him, perking up happily at hearing Kurama start to refer to them singularly instead of separate. `Now, are you sure you don't want to just find a reborn human soul in Makai? It would be a lot easier, and we could definitely make the baby appear human. Illusions and all.'

I am not going to find a human who's life earned them a place in Makai, Kurama made a sound of frustration. I can find a human here and not have to watch my back when I'm in bed with them at home.

`Good point,' Youko conceded. `It would be nice to just sleep beside a cute, warm girl and not have to be on the alert that she would slit our throat. Ooh! Just think! If we were all tired and coming back from one of those ridiculous missions, and it was late, we could slip in behind her and-`

"Are you going to stand out her and fantasize all night in front of me, or are you actually going to plan on a better way to find a girl who fits your requirements?" Hiei's dry question cut into the vivid little picture Youko and Kurama were drawing in their head behind swirling, heavy-lidded green and gold eyes. "It's a nice thought, but really… won't it work better with a real girl instead of a fantasy?"

`I'm starting to dislike him,' Youko grumbled, annoyed at having his pretty thoughts disrupted before he was done with it. `I was really getting into that one.'

Me too, Kurama hid his expression behind his cup for a sip before shifting uncomfortably at the reminder of just how "into" Youko's fantasy he'd been. Frustrated in more ways than one now, he gave into the juvenile urge to stick his tongue out at Hiei, "Unless you start paying rent or buying groceries, the next time you have the urge to spoil what little chance at peace I'm having for my evening, I'd suggest you keep it to yourself unless you want to spend yours getting friendly with my roses."

"It's rude to space out into a sexual fantasy while someone is trying to have a serious conversation with you," Hiei stretched out lazily, lips curving up at the violently snarled threats bouncing around in Kurama's head. "Although that frustration certainly seems to have done wonders for your creativity," he couldn't poking just a little more.

Kurama already knew that the little demon wouldn't be there when he lashed out at the railing, feeling the stone crack under his fist and turning a scowl up at where he'd simply perched on the edge of the overhang, "Hold still and I'll show you creative. I'm not in the mood to waste my energy chasing your scrawny ass around my building."

"Ooh, name calling now," Hiei's smile grew wider. "Aren't we a little old for that?"

"Bald on a flagpole, Hiei," he growled out, eyes flashing gold in the darkness. "Don't tempt me after the night I've had."

He was back to chuckling, dropping back down with his singular grace onto the railing to settle comfortably again, "What happened to that amazing calm you like people to think you have? You keep acting so much like a demon and they're going to call you on it. Do you really want Yusuke and Kurabara to hear about your private mission?"

"I'd rather die," he grumbled, slowly sinking down until he was sitting on the floor, back to the rail and staring into his dark apartment. "Can you imagine? They'd love to have the chance to mock the `demons' for dealing with this."

"Leave me out of this," Hiei snorted and shook his head. "I'm not the one who felt the sudden urge to find a human girl and breed with her. I just don't think it's their business to be involved."

"You're a twisted little bastard, you know that, right?" Kurama sighed heavily, tucking one knee up to his chest and leaning back. "You don't mind milking whatever excitement you can from this mess, but you don't want anyone else to do it. What would people think?"

`Maybe he's jealous,' Youko pointed out with a snicker. `Maybe he's the reason we're fucking up. He doesn't want us to have a lover, so he's following us and making the humans think other things.'

"You're doing fine on your own, why would I disrupt the delicate balance of your misery?" Hiei rolled his eyes at the stray thoughts he was picking up from the kitsune. "It's more fun to see the breed best known for seducing others left and right making such a royal ass of himself to a bunch of human girls."

`We're just looking at the wrong girls,' Youko sounded just as offended as Kurama was feeling, muttering yet again about all the ways he'd love to torture the demon smirking down at them in such a superior way. `We should try a different town… maybe over closer to your other companions. Aren't they used to less natural things with him in the neighborhood?'

Kurama blinked at that thought, tilting his head and turning up to look at Hiei, "What do you think?"

"You're asking me?" he chuckled, expression showing he thought Kurama was finally losing it. "Are you forgetting that I'm using your romantic failures to assuage my boredom?"

"I'm asking you seriously, dammit!" Kurama seethed up at him. "Can you forget that you're acting like a human teenager for two seconds and give me some advice I can use?"

"If you're going to continue to call me by such names, I may leave you to wallow in your troubles without even my company," Hiei turned up his nose.

Kurama just barely stopped himself from tearing out his own hair, counting to ten with Youko rattling off his plans for the removal of vital organs in the background, "Hiei."

"What could it hurt," he acquiesced grudgingly, but he still knew better than to push Kurama too far beyond a certain point. He didn't earn his respect and friendship with only that pretty face, after all, "Maybe it would be easier if you weren't the strangest `human' in the town. If they're used to Yusuke and the company he keeps already, they may be more likely to accept your… quirks."

`I'll show his ass quirks,' Youko's growl actually spilled over, making Hiei's attention snap down to him with a warning look.

"It's my house, I can growl if I want to," Kurama shot back, covering his own concern at such a blatant mingling of their personas.

Hiei continued to stare silently for a long moment, eyes narrowed and piercing until Kurama looked off at the night sky again, "Perhaps being around those humans will do you some good. You were always more focused on giving off those `nothing could possibly shake me' vibes when they were around. And if you're getting pissy you can always play one of your tricks on them without giving yourself away."

"There is that bonus," his lips curved up slightly at the thought.

Kurama wearily tucked his other knee up to his chest, resting his forehead on his folded arms and closing his eyes to let the sounds and smells of nature the breeze carried to smooth over his senses. `You know… we should really get a place out farther. It's not that difficult for them to get to us with all that portal shit, and we could actually be close to trees and real plants. That'd calm us down.'

`Not now, Youko,' Kurama shook his head. `We need to be where we can get to everyone and still have our privacy. We've been over this.'

`Yeah well, it sucks,' he retorted. `We can't thrive in such unfeeling environments, and our offspring will hate it. Or grow up weird and humanized… like those other kitsune we've seen here and there.'

`We're getting ahead of ourselves,' Kurama cut him off rather than admit he was confused by the almost wistful tone to his voice, almost like Youko was actually starting to want to succeed instead of feeling as indifferent as he first claimed. `We have to actually make the child first.'

`Details,' Youko waved that off with the kind of perfect confidence only a kitsune could have.

"Are we going to kill what's left of our sanity by staying in Yusuke's neighborhood, or aren't we?" Hiei interrupted again, mildly irritated at Kurama's ability to exclude anyone around him simply by striking up a conversation with Youko. "You're going to have to focus or you're going to be just as unsuccessful there as you have been here."

Kurama blinked up at Hiei, tilting his head as he pondered just what had brought on that almost scolding tone, "I'm not an idiot, Hiei."

"Then stop acting like one," he stood up, setting a hand on his hip before scowling off at the random flashes of youki swirling in the shadows. "Come on. We'll have time to take out a few minor troubles before morning, work off some of your frustration."

`He's still not forgiven,' Youko grumbled in the silence that followed, even as Kurama rose to his feet.

"You're breaking my heart," Hiei scoffed, stretching his arms up over his head.

"If you had one to break, I would," Kurama shot back, climbing up onto the rail and taking in a deep, cleansing breath of air. "Don't fall behind," he taunted before leaping off the balcony.