Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Bonds of Consent ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

- Chapter 2 -

As Koenma and Kurama watched the amusing scene between Hiei and Shizuru, Keiko was lost in thought....

'How could something like a simple bite feel so...nice.'

She blushed, recalling the sensations that had swept through her as Kurama had sank his fangs into her flesh. His lips caressing her skin had sent a tingling throughout her body that she had never felt before.

She brought her hands up to her burning cheeks, hoping no one noticed. Luckily for her, Shizuru and Hiei had erupted into an argument that only seemed to be getting louder and louder drawing everyone's attention.

In fact, the only person paying the slightest mind to her was Kurama, who was either amused or concerned, she couldn't tell.

'Oooh, blushing! Think she's having dirty thoughts about us?' Shuichi felt the tips of his ears grow warm.

Growling lowly in his throat, Kurama mentally shoved Youko back into the recesses of his mind. 'That will be enough out of you for now, do you understand?' In his head, Shuichi gave a silent cheer.

Kurama's eyes flashed gold as Youko attempted a take-over. The fox spirit knew he would be coming out eventually, but he didn't want to wait. Kurama clenched his teeth in concentration as Youko almost succeeded.

'Stop it!' Shuichi chided. 'Now isn't the time, can't you see she's uncomfortable?'

Youko's response was complete indifference. 'No time like the present to break her in. The girl is going to be our slave, she might as well start learning her place.'

Shuichi frowned, instead turning his attention to Keiko.

"Did you just call me your bitch?! Oh, that is too far!" Shizuru was livid. 'Time to try Keiko's method of discipline...' she thought bitterly.

Keiko looked up to see Shizuru attempting to slap Hiei. The small fire demon merely chuckled as he again zipped out of reach.

"Humans," he laughed derisively.

Keiko blinked. "Really, and I thought things were bad for me." She smiled weakly turning to look at Kurama. "She's much worse off."

Kurama couldn't help but agree, Shizuru was not the type of person to be in such a submissive position. Although, Hiei seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, he noted.

"Really," Hiei commented dryly. "What are you trying to do? You're supposed to be the submissive one."

Shizuru snarled and attempted to tackle him once more only to find herself flat on the ground. "You little worm!"

Youko seemed to chuckle. 'Oh, he's going to have lots of fun. It's almost a shame Keiko will be so submissive.'

'I wouldn't be so hasty to judge Keiko, Youko,' Shuichi spoke up. 'I've seen her handle Yusuke enough to know that even though she may be timid at times, she is not a pushover.'

Youko scoffed. 'I'll believe that when I see it.'

'See it? Who said you would see anything, Youko?' Shuichi chided. 'You are going to pretend, nothing more!'

A string of internal laughter followed. 'Really now, who do you think you're speaking to? As though I would be unaware of your interest in that girl. Don't try that innocent act on me. I say you simply hand over the reigns right now and I'll handle the submissive training.'

"Kyyaaahh! You beast!"

They peered over to find Shizuru on her knees and Hiei in front of her, holding her back against the half wall of the bar counter.

"Say please." Hiei smirked, eyes glinting down at his captive.

"Go to hell," she snapped.

He chuckled. "I changed my mind, this human is going to be fun."

Kurama would have chuckled at his friend's antics, but the statement that Youko had made left him feeling antsy. 'You're wrong, Youko. I feel nothing but the deepest respect for Keiko.'

A gasp drew their attention as Hiei and Shizuru once more drew their gazes. Shizuru's head was tilted off toward one side, lashes lowered halfway. Hiei had, apparently, just marked her. Kurama watched, noticing that Shizuru's eyes held the same glazed look as Keiko's had when she'd been marked.

Hiei leaned back, raising his mouth from her shoulder, licking his lips. He made no attempts to linger, but instead turned and went to stand by a nearby wall, leaning back and crossing his arms. It was at this point that Koenma made a statement which caused Kurama to close his eyes in apprehension and Keiko's eyes to widen in shock.

"Kurama, I think it'd be best if you changed into your Youko form for the rest of this training session..."

'Oh no....' Shuichi's dismayed voice clashed with Youko's ecstatic one. 'Oh Yes!' the fox spirit practically howled.

Keiko noticed the conflict that seemed to be going on within Kurama as she watched in awe as his familiar green eyes slowly began to bleed into smouldering amber.

"Uhh... wait. What do you mean change?" Keiko began nervously. "Why does he have to change? He's fine the way he is!"

"I'm afraid Kurama can't go on this mission in his human form, Keiko," Koenma sighed, shaking his head. "He will have to take his Youko form eventually, and it will be his Youko form that you will be working with."

Keiko shivered slightly, she'd never actually seen the other side of Kurama up close before. At least, not as up close and personal as this mission seemed to be calling for her to be. She glanced over at Kurama, seeing the apologetic look he was directing at her. Why hadn't he told her this part?

Kurama saw just when Keiko's uncertainty flared up again. He went over to her, noticing the way she was looking like a scared rabbit about to scamper away.

"Don't worry, Keiko. Youko will make sure that you are kept safe." he assured her softly, smiling when her body seemed to lose some of it's stiffness as she relaxed.

'Of course. She'll be my slave, I'll take real good care of her.'

'That's not what I meant, Youko.' Kurama closed his eyes, concentrating on shutting the stupid fox up once and for all, though he knew it was useless. Youko would be emerging within a few moments, after all, whether Kurama wanted him to or not.

Keiko bit her lip worriedly, but finally nodded her assent. "Alright, Kurama-kun, I'm ready."

Youko could hardly hold in his anticipation as he felt the bonds holding him weaken and then vanish. As the transformation swept over his body, it was as if his form had gone molten, rippling, stretching and changing into something else, something different. He was taller now, not that Kurama was short, but Youko was practically seven feel tall, with the pointed fox ears that emerged from the cascade of ice pale hair, adding another few inches. His eyes had faded to a cool silvery hue as well, and tilted at a different angle in a face with bones subtly changed. She could still see some similarities, but... There was no mistaking this creature for human.

The white tunic that flowed over his body did nothing to hide the wiry strength of his muscles, or the grace with which he could move. Somehow, even being still, he conveyed a feeling of wild power and swiftness that almost took her breath away. Wildness and danger. He was not a man, no mortal charmer, but a fox-spirit, dangerous and unpredictable.

And he was smiling at her. His eyes almost seemed to shimmer, and his teeth seemed so white, and almost sharp. Somehow, Keiko wasn't quite certain if she wanted to know what was so amusing to him.

Youko flexed his fingers and blinked his eyes as though amazed to be in control of a body once more. After several short moments of adjustment he turned his stare down at the girl before him. She seemed to be shaking. He towered over her, her head of unruly brown hair not even reaching his broad chest. He reached forward, touching a hand lightly upon one of her shoulders as he leaned down to face her nose to nose.

"Hello, Keiko." He paused. "It's good to meet you. Well, face to face anyway."

Keiko had never thought of herself as the fainting kind, but at that very moment she was almost certain that it was a very real possibility. She had agreed to help out on this mission as Kurama's concubine. The nice, mild-mannered red head. Not the infamous Makai thief Youko! Taking in a shuddering breath, Keiko managed to reassemble her scattered nerves as well as her manners long enough to respond, "Um... H-hello," before collapsing into the fox's arms.

The kitsune pulled his arms around her, turning his head up.

"Keiko!" Shizuru exclaimed.

"She's fine," Youko grinned. "I'm just a lot to handle at once."

He swept the girl up into his arms. Keiko, not even out five minutes, began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped, meeting his bright gold eyes.

"Eh... " Her eyes drifted up to the top of his head. He could only guess that she was looking at his ears. "C-Could you put me down, please?"

He turned his head away, looking thoughtful. "Training starts now. No requests from slaves."

She gaped. "W-What?!"

"You'll need to obey my orders completely. When not servicing me you'll kneel at my feet. Do not speak unless spoken to. Never raise your voice. I will decide your clothing and how you wear it. And most importantly, before the thought even crosses your mind, you stay in my bed."

'Youko...' Shuichi's warning voice came from the recesses of Youko's mind, but the kitsune ignored it.

Keiko's jaw dropped even as he continued.

"If you intend to stay alive and uninjured you'll listen to what I tell you. Slave markets are harsh places. You will be mine, but it is not out of the ordinary for other slave owners to attempt punishing the slaves of others if they feel offended."

Hiei turned a sidelong glance at the female still on the floor. "Got all that, woman?"

Shizuru snapped her head toward him, gritting her teeth. "Consider yourself lucky I don't want to be knocked around by some big ogre with a club, otherwise I'd kick your ass."

Youko grinned. "That could be fun."

At his words, Keiko paled and began to struggle within Youko's arms. She fought to keep her heart rate at a normal pace, but the damned fox just kept throwing her for a loop. This mission was getting more and more intense by the minute. She looked back up at him, momentarily forgetting that she was not supposed to do this without permission.

"Is all of that really necessa-"

"This is why training is necessary. You are already breaking my rules. I'll just have to punish you." With a gasp, Keiko's struggles increased tenfold. "Come now, Keiko. You are mine, remember?"

'Punish her?' Shuichi asked, his voice tainted with horror at the mere idea.

Pulling out a chair, Youko sat down, flipping his little slave over so that she collapsed into his lap. Immediately she tried to straighten herself. Koenma and the others all turned their attention toward the struggling pair. Youko merely pushed her back down across his legs.

'Youko, is this really necessary?' Shuichi questioned.

'Absolutely. Now be a good little boy, Shuichi and shut up.'

Youko sighed as he felt Shuichi receed, then turned his attention to the squirming girl lying across his lap. "It's been too long since I've gotten to punish a woman."

Keiko looked up in shock at him and he licked his lips. Hurriedly, she looked away and whimpered.

Shizuru leapt to her feet. "Don't you think this is a little too far? It looks like he's going to spank her! She's not a little girl!"

"Silence, woman, or you will recieve the same reprimand." Hiei snapped.

Shizuru threw another glare at her "master" before turning it back on the Reikai prince.

Koenma simply shrugged, "I am sorry, Shizuru, but this mission is too important to blow on even the most minuscule mistake. You've both got to learn to act accordingly or the mission will fail."

Shizuru turned around when she heard the sound of Youko's hand strking the tender flesh of Keiko's bottom, which elicited a feminie yelp from her, but only saw Youko with his hand raised, about to strike Keiko's backside once more. He was grinning as he brought down the open palm of his hand against her again.

Keiko squealed, then grimaced before blushing furiously as she felt his hand press against the curve of her backside, rubbing in a small circle. 'What is he -' Before she could complete her thought, or respond to the action, he had raised his hand, striking her once more.

"Be still," he ordered when she shifted. "Complete obedience, Keiko."

She trembled, but even as the next blow landed, she couldn't help but think that they weren't as hard, nor as painful as they probably could have been. Her struggles had caused her skirt to ride up slightly, revealing the creamy skin of her shapely backside. Koenma blushed slightly and turned away. Hiei didn't seem perturbed at all and continued to watch. Shizuru was growing more and more upset. That is, until Keiko let out a low moaning sound that sounded more rapturous than tortured.

Although each of Youko's blows were stinging, there was also the soothing touch that followed after each blow as he rubbed his hand over her rear. Keiko's eyes, shimmering with unreleased tears, widened as she began to feel a foreign throbbing sensation grow between her thighs at that touch. She tried to deny it, but found that she couldn't. She knew what was happening to her and it was totally and utterly embarassing. 'Oh Kami-sama, I'm getting turned on while being spanked by a demon!!'

Youko paused in his spanking when his nose detected it. A certain female scent that immediately riled his senses. He stopped, pulling her up and sitting her sore bottom across his legs.

He leaned close. "Hmmm, like that do you?"

"Eh?" Keiko's misty eyes widened in surprise.

He tilted his chin up, purposely sniffing her and watched her face turn crimson. He grinned in response. "I guess this means we'll have to do all your punishment in private."

Keiko squeaked, unable to utter anything else, as she felt Youko's hand tighten promisingly on her thigh. She quickly leaped from the smirking kitsune's lap, putting as much proximity between them as possible. She reached Shizuru's side, and the older girl reached out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, kiddo?" Shizuru asked, as she noticed the still damp tear tracks streaking Keiko's cheeks.

Keiko nodded jerkily, but refused to meet her eyes. "It.... it's okay, Shizuru. It wasn't that bad..."

"Really, looked like she was enjoying it from over here."

Keiko turned semi-horrified eyes to the fire demon who was smirking every bit as arrogantly as Youko.

Shizuru threw a harsh glare at both demons before Koenma exaggeratedly cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention.

"I think now would be a good time to discuss some of the particulars of the assignment."

The distracting comment was enough to draw the attention of Shizuru and Keiko. Koenma took a seat while Keiko and Shizuru sat as well. Youko and Hiei didn't move from where they were, Youko two tables over and Hiei still leaning against the side wall.

"The Hiretsukan is an infamous group known to most demons, although typically only the more powerful ones. They specialize in women, most specifically, human women.

"To accomodate their supply needs - they have runners who round up and steal young girls from earth. A variety of females are snatched, the price tags run differently from the young school girls, to blonde colored females, or even to the gaudy women of sex clubs. There's a demand for all sorts - as long as it's human and female.

"Your job, specifically, is to find and bring Ankoku, their leader, back here. We've been wanting to get our hands on him for quite some time now. He is, however, very dangerous, so you'll need to be on your guard. That will be the primary responsiblity of Hiei and Kurama, you girls just need to do what they tell you. That's very important," he emphasized, tossing a stern look at Shizuru.

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever, toddler. Listen, I can handle my part, you just better tell tall, silver and horny over there to lay off Keiko." she muttered, thumbing in Youko's direction.

Her remark was met with deep chuckles from both demons. Keiko was blushing again, though she tried to hide it by bowing her head. Koenma shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Shizuru. You four must act the part convincingly. Just make sure that you don't carry the charade too far."

About that time, an ogre entered the room. "Koenma-sama, it's time for your evening meal, sir." the orange ogre bowed to the young prince.

Koenma waved him away before turning back to the others. "Well, I suggest you all get something to eat and continue with the lessons. I'm sure there are a few more things that the girls will need to know how to do." With that, the Prince swept from the room.
~*~

The office of Koenma Diao was, as always, bustling with activity as mutliple ogres went in and out with stack after stack of documents and other important files. Koenma sat behind his large desk, having already changed back into his chibi form with a napkin tied securely around his neck. He had just taken a sip of his drink when George burst through the office doors.

"Koenma-sama!!"

"Pphhhttt."

Koenma's large eyes blinked comically as he took in Goerge's dripping wet face. "Damn it, George! How many times do I have to tell you, do not disturb me while I'm eating!"

"I-I'm sorry, sir, it's just that I've been handed some important information that you simply must know about." the blue ogre handed over the message he'd acquired.

Koenma snatched the paper up, unfolding it and reading the contents. He promptly sweatdropped as he read what was contained within the letter. "What?! Oh, this isn't good at all.... Hiei is not going to like this." Koenma's expression then turned thoughtful. "Unless ... we don't tell him. Hmm... GEORGE!"

The blue ogre was caught by surprise, having been in the process of sneaking a bite of the young prince's dinner, and leapt a few feet in the air. "WHAT!?"

"George, get out of that! Have you shown this to anyone else?" Koenma asked, leaping up onto his desk in order to better look the ogre in the eye.

"Uh, no, sir. Just you, me and the messenger who brought it, sir. But I don't believe he read it..."

Koenma nodded, "Oh good... In that case, forget what you've read on this piece of paper immediately, George."

"But, sir!"

"No but's, George! You heard me. Now carry on with your job and leave this particular situation to me."

Large, blue shoulders slumped as the ogre bowed to his boss before exited the office. Koenma turned back to his plate, though by now he'd completely lost his appetite.

"There's no way in the three worlds Hiei can find out about this..." the little prince moaned miserably. "There's no telling what he'd do if he were to find out Yukina's been kidnapped again."
~*~

Keiko turned a glance to Shizuru after Koenma had left. "How far is too far?"

She shrugged. "Don't worry yourself, Keiko. Just leave it all to me."

Keiko turned back to see a grinning kitsune and frowned. "That doesn't seem like such a great idea..." She murmurmed, eyeing his expression. It almost seemed... lecherous.

"Since we're here, we might as well use the opportunity. I want a drink, bring me one."

Keiko blinked at the all but growled tone.

"Get used to it. You aren't my lover, you're my slave." He replied at the look upon her face.

Keiko stood, ready to obey.

"I will also have one." Hiei added, smirking.

Shizuru turned an impatient stare toward her master. "I suggest-"

"That you get it right now," Hiei cut her off.

Shizuru slammed her hand down onto the table, rising from her chair. "Okay, that's it. Find someone else to be your part time whore, I'm not cut out for this."

"Please calm yourself, Shizuru-san." She glanced toward where Youko had crossed his legs and was now leaning back quite casually. "Hiei and myself are very experienced in such markets, he is only doing what is best for you."

Her mouth twisted into a disgusted frown.

"Besides, you could use witih some discipline, I'm sure you'd enjoy it." His lips quirked into a smile that was somehow less than polite.

Keiko, seeing she was about to be abandoned, quickly jumped to help.

"Y-yeah, I'm sure it'll be okay. Just give it a shot, okay?"

Shizuru stood and walked around to the bar.

Keiko turned back. "So, if we're only to follow orders, how am I supposed to know what you want? Am I allowed to offer you things? Food and stuff, or just silently obey only what you tell me?"

"Only what I tell you," Youko replied.

Keiko nodded and followed Shizuru who had gripped a milky glass colored bottle of sake. Keiko followed her lead grabbing another bottle and cup. She headed toward Youko's table, halfway there before he decided he wanted something else.

"I'm hungry. Bring me something to eat also."

She stopped, turned back and headed toward the counter once more. There was a small half fridge on the floor under the counter. She quickly rummaged through, but found only a few sparse offerings. Gathering what she could she headed back over and laid out the minute feast before him. She popped open the bottle and poured him a glass of sake.

He took one sip and pushed it away. "Warm it for me."

Keiko sighed softly, taking the glass from the kitsune's hand and walking back to the counter. There was a convientional microwave sitting along the back wall and so she placed the drink inside before setting the timer. After the ding, Keiko returned with the newly warmed sake. She fidgeted slightly as she waited for Youko to taste it.

"Perfect..." Youko finally conceeded after he had drained the entire glass. "Very good, Keiko, you've done well."

Keiko felt a ridiculous sense of pride swell within her chest at Youko's compliment and quickly stamped it back down. About that time a menacing growl came from across the room.

"Feed you! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Keiko's eyes widened as she watched Shizuru blow up at Hiei yet again. The fire apparition smirked as he sat calmly in a chair. "Do it, wench."

Shizuru was about to snap at the annoying midget again when she caught Keiko's gaze, her light brown eyes pleading with the older girl to at least try and cooperate. Taking a deep breath, Shizuru composed herself before turning back with a forced smile on her face.

"Yes, master." she barely mananged to say without grimacing.

Picking a grape from the bunch that sat on the table, Shizuru bent forward and placed the tiny piece of fruit into Hiei's open mouth. Once she'd completed her task, she snatched her hand back quickly, as if afraid that the demon would bite it off. When behind them the door slammed open with a loud clatter, Keiko and Shizuru both jumped in fright.

"Good day, ladies, how are things going? Why are you standing up? You should be kneeling at the feet of your masters, aren't you teaching them?" Koenma asked, raising one skeptical eyebrow.

Shizuru turned toward the young prince, a disdainful twist on her lips, about to lay into him about barging in when Youko cut her off.

"We're getting to it. Why have all the fun at once?" The pale haired kitsune asked, turning his playful gaze toward the short brown haired girl.

Keiko gulped, and thought, 'Might as well get this over with...' Walking over to where Youko sat, she sank as gracefully to the floor at the kitsune's feet as her clothing would allow. Youko immediately placed his hand on her head, startling Keiko as he began to stroke her hair gently.

Hiei looked meaningfully at Shizuru, who rolled her eyes and walked over, flopping not so gracefully at the fire demon's feet.

"Now see? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Koenma smiled. "It's a good thing too, because I've come to tell you that the mission has been moved up. You leave tomorrow, so it would be your best bet if you all stayed here tonight and get a fresh start in the morning."

"T-Tomorrow?" Keiko gasped. "So soon? But I'm... I'm not ready!"

"Can't be helped," Koenma replied primly.

'Comfort her!' Shuichi's voice emerged. 'She's obviously worried, this has to be scary for her.'

Youko repressed a yawn. "Don't worry about it. Hiei and I will be doing all the work. Your job is an easy one."

Keiko looked up, unable to tell what to make of the response. Youko's amber eyes gave her a warning look, causing Keiko to realize her mistake. Immediately she lowered her eyes from the silver kitsune. Was he going to punish her again? A blush quickly spread over her cheeks as she recalled her reaction to the last time he had.. Would she react that way every time? The blush deepened. She did not want to be punished again anytime soon! Holding her breath, Keiko waited silently to see what Youko would do for her inadvertant disobedience. She released it in silent relief when she felt the kitsune's hand return to her head, continuing to stroke it gently.

"Yeah, don't worry, Keiko. Just think of the greater good, we're saving innocent girls from big, ugly demon hordes intent upon raping them."

Keiko glanced toward Shizuru, meeting her gaze. "Ah... right."

"Yes, well, go eat and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day." Koenma didn't stay any longer, instead opting to head out to make some progress over the monsterous stack of paperwork building up again on his desk.

Keiko reminded herself to keep her head down as she waited for Youko to say something.

"Well, I suppose that only leaves dinner and bed," Youko commented, pulling himself to his feet. "Come along, Keiko."

She stood hesitantly.

Something's wrong.... Shuichi warned and Youko turned back to Keiko.

"Problem?"

"When you say bed... " she trailed off uneasily.

Youko grinned. "With me, of course."

Keiko swallowed hard, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. If things went like this, not staring at Youko wouldn't be difficult.

Shizuru looked toward Hiei and he looked toward her. His lips quirked into a grin and she frowned.

"You might be my master but you better keep your hands to yourself, got it?"
~*~

Keiko walked down the hall behind Youko as they made their way to their room, remembering to keep her head bowed down as she'd been taught. She groaned softly when she realized that at that angle, her gaze was naturally directed toward the lower half of the kitsune's body. His backside to be precise. And what a backside it was. Shaped perfectly against the slimness of his hips, it looked to be very nicely toned. And the tails... five of them, she counted. They all sprouted from the base of his back in the location of his tail bone, and swayed behind him in rhythm with his long hair as he stepped. Keiko felt her face beginning to burn with a heated blush yet again, as she felt the abrupt urge to reach out and stroke one, if not all, of the long fluffy appendages.

'Maybe he'll let me touch them later', she thought before turning her mind and eyes away from the kitsune's frame. 'Bad thoughts, Keiko.'

When he paused, sliding open the door to their room, Keiko too stopped. What did she do?

"Go in." Youko ordered.

She did so with some uncertainty. This was going to be so hard. Did she have to wait for instructions on everything? What was she going to sleep in? Was he going to give her clothes? Should she stand there and wait for him to give her orders to change? What if that perverted kitsune ordered her to change right there in the middle of the room?

"You can wear this," he tossed a garment over his shoulder and it landed haphazardly on her shoulder before slumping to the floor and she had to reach down for it. She examined the garment a moment before determining what it was: a shirt.

A simple white, waist length shirt. 'This is it?'

She turned toward him, eyes wide, only to find him grinning.

"It should fit perfectly." he smirked.

"Oh..." she said uncertainly as she rubbed the material between her fingers. The soft satiny feel of the material caused Keiko's mind to wander once again to the kitsune's tails. Did they feel as soft as the material of the nightshirt? She glanced toward the futon against the far wall of the room and gulped. Would she be finding out first hand once she crawled into bed? Averting her gaze from the futon and her mind from such thoughts, Keiko scanned the room in search of something to go behind in order to change. Her heart made a downwards dive to somewhere around her feet when she realized that, no, there was nothing that she could go behind.

"Umm..." she hesitated, not wanting to say anything for fear of punishment, but not knowing how to relay her predicament. After a few moments, Youko resolved the problem for her.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The amusement in the kitsune's voice was tangible. He really expected her to change right there!

It wasn't as though she were really wearing all that much to begin with, and in reality, she might feel a little more covered in the t-shirt. With the notable exception that she was wearing a thong underneath, so she might be more exposed after all.

Was he going to make her wear this when they were working too?

He shed the tunic and propped himself up on the futon leaning on one elbow as though awaiting a show. He was clearly not going to turn away.

Taking the shirt she pulled it up over her head and kept her arms still inside while she worked off the tight leather around her breasts. 'Whoever picked this out', she thought bitterly, 'didn't have any idea the hell it was to wear it!' Finally working it off, she found she couldn't shimmy it over her hips and growled.

Youko, avidly watching, began to chuckle at her plight, but didn't outwardly comment. She worked the leather back up and, with some straining, over her shoulders. She stuffed her arms through the shirt holes and slipped the garment out from underneath her shirt and over her neck.

'Yeah', she thought, dropping it to the floor, and pausing.

"So, what are you waiting for? Off with the rest of it."

Keiko was about to look up at Youko in shock at his comment, but remembered just in time that it was forbidden, and so instead she looked away. He thought she would actually be able to sleep in this little skirt? She wasn't all that happy about the thong, but since her master ordered it, she had to strip down to it.

Gripping the zipper on her right side, she began pulling it down. The progress was unintentionally slow, unknowingly giving Youko a bit of a show. Once she was out of the mini skirt, she undid the clasps holding her stockings up and slowly slid them down her legs, her hands keeping contact with her skin almost the entire time.

"Hurry up and finish, and then come to bed," Youko said with a grunt, not wanting the strip tease to continue until he was beyond his limits. Which Keiko happened to be pushing.

Keiko hurriedly got out of the garter belt and went over to the futon, crawling under the sheet that Youko held up for her.

Facing away, she lay on her side, intending to remain as far away from him as she could get and still stay on the futon. Her plan was thwarted, however, when Youko's strong arms reached out, encircling her waist as he drew her back flush against his chest in a spooning position. Her eyes grew wide in shock, and she emitted a small squeak, as she felt something long and hard prod the small of her back.

'Oh, please don't let that be what I think it is,' she silently chanted.

She shivered when Youko spoke, his voice causing his chest to rumble slightly against her shoulder blades. "Now... isn't this comfortable, Keiko?"

He expected her to reply, but she found herself incapable of forming words. So instead, she finally nodded stiffly and tried to relax into the kitsune's arms. She was hesitant, but held firm to her trust in Kurama's assurances that Youko wouldn't hurt her.

'Get yourself under control for once! This is Keiko!' Shuichi's voice drilled into his head. That other half of him was like the conscience he didn't want or need but couldn't kill.

'Go to sleep,' Youko replied. 'I told you I'll take care of Keiko.'

'That is not taking care of her. That's terrorizing her!'

'Terrorizing?' Youko broke into a fit of mental laughter. 'If you think this is terrfying just wait until I get the girl to market. Then you'll really love it.'

Shuichi was momentarily silent. 'Youko!'

'Damn it, she fell asleep.' Youko thought with a frown staring at the girl in front of him. How could she fall alleep so easily?

Shuichi seemed relieved, but Youko shifted, rubbing up against her and her eyes flew open once more.

'Oh, she was pretending! What a cute little thing...'

'Youko, just keep it in your pants, would you,' Shuichi told him more than asked.

'Ah, but if I'm not wearing any pants,' the kitsune chuckled. Blocking out any more thoughts from his counterpart, Youko turned his attention to the girl pretending to be asleep in his arms.

He was quite shocked when she started moving around some, obviously trying to get comfortable in his arms. Unfortunately, her movements were causing him to become even more uncomfortable.

Growling at her a bit, he tightened his arms about her, holding her still. Then, firmly pressing his hips into her backside, he ground out between clenched teeth, "See what you do to me? Now stop moving or you'll have to do something to solve my little problem. Understand?"

Keiko instantly stilled, gasping at the action and nodded furiously as a flabbergasted look etched across her face. Oh, why hadn't she realized how movement like that would affect him? 'Come on, Keiko. You're smarter than this! Think about the consequences next time!' Her silent berating of herself was cut short as she felt something warm and fluffy wind its way, or rather 'their' way around her hips and legs. 'It's his tails...' she realized. Her earlier musings of what they felt like were answered as her eyes fluttering closed at the delightful sensation of downy soft fur caressing her bare skin. 'Oh... that feels nice...' The random thought emerged, taking Keiko completely offguard.

The soft fluttery feeling of his fur was soothing. Ah, and there was more than one too... Youko pressed his chest closer to her back and slid his leg forward, pushing her top leg forward so that it wasn't lying on the other. Keiko softly sighed as a fluffy appendage began to caress the inside of her thigh, sliding down toward her knee and up again. Oooh, she felt like melting.

Youko smirked. She wasn't resisting his advances, though he could still hear his other half clammering for his attention. Finally becoming sick of all the noise, he turned part of his attention to his other half long enough to hear his complaint that the human had promised they would both protect her.

'I'm not hurting her in any way, and she isn't protesting. So just shut up.'

Blocking Shuichi from his mind once again, Youko focused back on the girl in his arms. And his tails. Though his arms stayed stationary around her, his tails were still working their way between her thighs. He nearly groaned out loud when his sensitive nose once again picked up the scent of her arousal.

Deciding to take a chance, he slid his hand down to meet his tails that were now nestled nicly between the juncture of her thighs. Slowly, he slipped his fingers under the edge of her thong, giving Keiko plenty of time to protest before he continued.

'Unless,' the kitsune pondered, 'She is just acting her part as my concubine.'

Youko decided he wanted to know and so withdrew his hand, slowly turning the girl in his arms so that she lay on her back, giving him a clear view of her face. She had her eyes closed tight, he noticed, and her lips were pursed in a tight line of determination. Youko sighed. She was aroused by his touch, but it was obviously an involuntary response.

"Keiko, look at me." he ordered, using a gentle, soothing tone.

Keiko's eyelids unclenched and fluttered open, revealing confused brown eyes which immediately fixed on him. Propping himself up on an elbow, Youko looked down at her for a moment before asking his question.

"Are you allowing me to do this because you want it, or because you think you'll be punished if you don't?" She looked away as a blush emerged, but he caught her chin with gentle fingers and turned her gaze back to him. "Answer me, Keiko. Please." He added the last word in order to show her that, for the moment, the charade was dropped.

Keiko stared a moment longer at him before she shrugged, deciding an honest answer would most likely be best. "A little of both.... i think."

He repressed a growl of irritation. Given her answer, he wondered at how she was so much like the 'honesty' policy that Shuichi held so dearly. He rolled away from her, disappointed. He might not have given up so quickly on changing her mind had Shuichi, who had finally wormed his way back into his thoughts, not started pestering him again.

Turning his back to her, he muttered, "Get some sleep. We have a long day and you'll need your rest."

'Oh, would she ever', he thought, imagining the rounds of grimacing and wincing she was going to be doing when she saw a slave market up close and personal.

Keiko was a bit shocked that Youko had given up on her so easily. Shocked and extremely confused. He obviously wanted to, and her body didn't mind, even if her mind didn't like the idea of being easy. Instead of worrying about it, she rolled over so that she faced Youko's back and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back, in hopes of comforting her kitsune companion. The oddness of the thought hit her as she began drifting off to sleep, but her sleep deprived brain wouldn't allow her to think on it.

Smirking, Youko allowed his tails to slide over Keiko's legs so they wouldn't get chilled with just the lone sheet covering them.
~*~

Hiei felt his temper flaring as the nightshirt once again came flying through the air in his direction. This time he took precautions and stepped quickly to the left, allowing the simple garment to land on the floor. He felt he had been more than generous when he had given it to the human wench so that she would not be without hybernating apparel. Obviously he had missed something because she didn't seem to want it. The first time he had threw it at her, ordering her to put it on, she had simply held it , looking at it with a critical eye long enough to judge what it was before flinging it back in his face.

He had growled lowly, removing the garment from where it had landed on his head, and balled the fabric up in his fist.

"I said dress in this, wench." He had ordered again, launching the shirt back at her.

She'd barely caught it before she flung it right back at him again. He'd glared at her and threw it a final time. She had of course, returned the favor and now the shirt lay crumpled on the floor to his right. He eyed Shizuru with contempt before pointing at the discarded garment.

"Put this on now, or I will be forced to dress you myself." he warned.

Shizuru crossed her arms defiantly. "I dare you."

He stared and started to move when he abruptly stopped. A slow, cocky grin spread over his lips as he turned a silently victorious glance at her. "You have two choices. You sleep in the shirt, or you sleep in nothing."

She stood there, silently eyeing him and then the discarded shirt as though weighing the possiblity that he'd actually disrobe her. Perhaps not disrobe she thought, torn was more the word that came to mind. If he did tear them off, an uneasy possiblity, what would she wear tomorrow? She could see him now, smirking and telling her she should've obeyed his orders, then she wouldn't have to walk around naked and how it was all her own fault.

Shizuru wanted to hit the short fire demon, but knew he would punish her for it if she did. Holding out her hand, she barely growled out the word fine. She quickly caught the shirt as it was thrown back her way. She glared at him, hoping he would get the message that she wanted him to at least turn around, but it looked like she wouldn't be getting any privacy. Her thoughts were confirmed when Hiei spoke.

"If you expect me to leave, you're sorely mistaken. Now I suggest you change."

With a growl, Shizuru made to turn around to gain a sembalance of privacy, but she stopped at her master's words.

"Who told you that you could turn around? I certainly didn't."

Shizuru felt an eyebrow twitch in aggitated annoyance. 'Why that little hentai,' she thought fiercely.

Turning so that she was fully facing Hiei, Shizuru dropped the night shirt onto the floor before her as she began to undress. She had a little less trouble than Keiko did, and unlike her friend, she removed the pitiful excuse for clothing as quickly as possible. Starting with the top, she stripped it off before tackling the zippers on the skirt. She finally got around to the garters and undergarments and soon she was completely nude. Not even once did she look in the fire demon's direction, she leaned down and retrieved the shirt, pulling it over first her head, then her body. She noted with a good deal of annoyance that the shirt barely brushed the top of her thighs.

'Humans are humans,' he thought, as he watched her undress. She didn't dare look at him, a fact that brought him a strange amount of pleasure. They were all the same - from one to the next, only varying by gender. Such a simple fact should've been easy to digest and move on, but his gaze lingered as she pulled off what little clothes she had on and dropped them nonchalantly to the floor.

He wasn't willing, at least by admission, to concede that Youko's interest in humans wasn't as debasing as he'd originally thought. He caught a stray thought here and there, mostly what he thought of as inane human chatter. Some remark about being perverted did get his attention as he swept his gaze up her t-shirt clad body.

"Starting tomorrow, wench, I will no longer allow you the luxury of the shirt." he informed her.

She motioned at him, about to lay into a verbal thrashing when she noted the shirt rode up quite high so she hastily dropped it.

"Wench, you do realize this will go much more smoothly if you do not fight me on every single matter? And if you do continue to fight me, you will blow our cover," Hiei told Shizuru as he moved towards their shared futon.

Laying down and getting underneath the sheet, Hiei motioned for her to join him. "And before you even begin to argue, if you do not sleep next to me, you will sleep at the foot of the bed like a dog."

Sighing in resignation as she walked to the futon, Shizuru crawled under the sheet and laid down, almost robotically.

"How would you like me to lie," she asked.

"Roll over on your side," he told her. He watched as she began to roll towards him, but stopped her. "No, your other side."

Shizuru hesitantly rolled to her side with her back facing him. She stiffened quite a bit when he moved up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist, the other moving under her head to act as a pillow. She was quite surprised by his behavior, thinking that it could almost be called nice, or kind.

"Don't get used to this. Like the shirt, this is a one time thing," Hiei told her, his voice dashing all thoughts of kind actions from the fire demon.

Shizuru rolled her eyes and sighed in resignation. But as she drifted off, the idle thought of how good it felt being held against him, arose in her mind... and then she slept.
~*~

Sometime during the night, Youko was awakened by a familiar tug at his mind. 'What is it, Shuichi?' the kitsune asked his human half.

'I wanted to thank you for not pressuring Keiko earlier.' Shuichi said softly within his mind, though there was no need to keep quiet.

Keiko, who was still curled up against Youko's back, murmured something unintelligible as she snuggled closer. Youko heard Shuichi's inner sigh and smirked. He knew how his human counterpart felt about Keiko, and to tell the truth, he could almost understand why he had taken a liking to her. She was sweet, innocent and definitely pleasing to the eye. It had taken a good bit of control to not just simply take her before. There was something more than that, though, that drew both halves of Kurama to her. Youko sighed, knowing that the human half would not take the steps needed to claim her. At least, not without the proper motivation. Maybe he just needed a sample of what he would be missing?

'We've got a big day ahead of us. Go to sleep, Shuichi.' Youko said, smirking as he felt the other's presence dull in his mind as his human side conceded. He waited a few moments more, and then, when he was sure he wouldn't be detected, the kitsune allowed his control of the body to slip. The transformation went quickly as Youko allowed the red-haired form of Kurama to emerge. Oh, he couldn't wait to feel the human side's surprise when he woke up the next morning.
~*~

Rays of sunlight streaming through an open side window awakened Kurama. There was a warm body next to his. He blinked. What was he doing out here? When he had fallen asleep, his kitsune counterpart had been in complete control of their shared body. As his mind went over the possible reasons, the warm body next to him shifted, drawing his attention to Keiko as she slept. Her face gave off a look of innocence as she slept and Kurama felt his heart soften in the familiar way it had recently begun to whenever he looked at her. He noticed how her sienna hued hair was fanned out against the pillow that they shared, entwined almost intimately with his own scarlet locks.

Deciding it was best if they were not so close when she woke up, Kurama moved to slip away, only to find he couldn't. Keiko's arms were around his waist and his around her, and, to his misfortune, one was beneath her. Should he wake her? She was so soft and warm, staying in bed seemed like a much more pleasant way to spend the day.

The red head smiled as Keiko snuggled against him, letting out a small contented sound that matched exactly how Kurama was feeling at that moment. He gazed down at her with such tenderness filling his eyes, that they seemed to shimmer vibrantly. He wondered briefly what had possessed Youko to allow him back in control of their body before his attention wandered back to the girl who was now stirring at his side. He watched as Keiko opened her eyes, blinking slowly as sleep left her.

Her lips looked soft and pink, and he could see just a hint of her teeth as she looked at him, a slight gasp of what he assumed was surprise. He found himself staring at her lips, and then, somehow, without knowledge that he was doing so, his lip were descending upon hers, and they were so soft...

Keiko tensed slightly beneath him as she felt Kurama's lips make delicate contact with her own. Feeling her tenseness, Kurama traced his fingers gently down her cheek before moving behind to cup the base of her head. Massaging it soothingly, he heard her sigh softly before her body relaxed once more. Keiko's mind, still in a post-sleep haze, could only register the fact that it wasn't the kitsune spirit Youko who was kissing her so tenderly. It was surprisingly, Shuichi, the human half, who was gifting her with such tender attentions. The half of him that she was more familiar with. More comfortable with. Perhaps that alone was the reason that Keiko did what she did next.

With a low, meaningful moan, Keiko surrendered to Kurama's sweet kiss. Her lips parted, allowing the tongue which begged for entrance, an open welcome. Both became lost in one another, caught up in the perfectness of the moment. And yet, somehow, both knew exactly where they belonged.

Together.

Kurama leaned, pressing his weight more firmly on one side as he leaned back from her, eyes glazed. Within, he felt Youko's characteristic stirrings, and knew, despite his quietness, the kitsune was avidly aware of the scene before him. He shifted slightly from his uncomfortable position, half leaning over the girl in the bed with him. Keiko merely watched in silent complacency, eyes half lowered in a dazed sort of fashion. He felt his lips begin to quirk into a gentle smile when from behind them the door slammed open, banging back against the wall.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Both nearly leapt in fright as Koenma entered, flanked by two horned assistants.

"You're going to be late!" He snapped, voice prim. "We don't have- You can't go like that!"

"You have ten minutes to get dressed and be out in the bar. And Kurama, I want you out there with Youko in control," Koenma ordered, leaving the room almost as quickly as he had entered.

Kurama glanced at Keiko, quite embarrassed, then he scrambled away, going to the water basin to wash his face, leaving a very confuse Keiko still lying on the futon. He took a few minutes to gather his thoughts, also giving Keiko time to get dressed.

Keiko, seizing the oppurtunity while she had it, dashed from the futon with the sheet wrapped around her body and grabbed her clothes. Keeping an eye on Kurama, she dropped the sheet and quickly put her garter belt and thigh highs back on. Grabbing her mini skirt from the pile of clothes, she wrapped it around her waist and zipped it up. Finally, regretfully, she stripped off her t-shirt she had slept in and quickly replaced it with the halter top.

Once fully dressed, Keiko found herself reluctant to look back at Kurama. Finally drawing enough courage to do so, she turned to find that the red head was gone and Youko was once again in his place. Immediately, Keiko lowered her gaze from her pseudo-master, keeping her eyes trained on the floor. Youko's deep chuckled caused her to startle, and much to her dismay, she felt herself growing warm in forbidden places. What was wrong with her? Getting turned on while being spanked? Letting a demon caress her intimately. Allowing Kurama to kiss her? This mission was wreaking havoc on her mind, not to mention her image!

"Come, Keiko. I fear that Koenma might throw a tantrum if we don't arrive soon." Youko's smooth voice commanded, breaking through her mental ranting.

"Yes, master." Keiko answered automatically, then winced as Youko chuckled again.

That had come out almost too easily... as if it were natural for her to call him that. 'Oh boy, this isn't a good sign.' Keiko thought. Her head remained down, as much to hide the blushed state of her cheeks than anything else, as she followed the kitsune from the room.
~*~

Shizuru woke up first, her sleep clouded mind confused by the extra weight laying on her chest, making it somewhat difficult for her to breathe. She didn't want to open her eyes, knowing that when she did, she would be greeted with the bright sunlight that now shined on her closed eyes lids.

She felt around where she slept in hopes of gaining information without having to open her eyes yet. She knew she now lay on her back, sprawled out on the futon her and Hiei had shared the previous night, and both her hands reached the edges of the futon without obstruction, meaning her bed partner was no longer laying next to her. And she felt something hard nestled between her thighs, pressed intimately against her womanhood. It felt almost like a rod was pressed lengthwise against her.

Deciding to think more on it later, Shizuru shifted her attention to the odd weight on her chest. In fact, if it had been a person, she would have said they were using her breasts as a pillow. Finally confused beyond belief, Shizuru decided to open her eyes, to hell with the sunlight. Once her eyes were open and adjusted to the sunlight, she looked down and nearly screamed.

Hiei was laying on top of her, and he was, in fact, using her breasts for a pillow. Not only that. His lower body was nestled between her thighs, quite how a lover might rest after a round of love making.

Her whole body tensed at the intimate contact, although she couldn't deny that there was also a slight shiver that ran through her at the same time. The realization hit that, basically, there was no way to get out of the position they were in other than to wake the sleeping fire demon up and get him to move off of her. She could try to push him off, but thought better of it. There was no telling what Hiei would do if startled awake. So instead, Shizuru settled on lying there, albeit impatiently, until she felt the dark haired demon stir.

Eyes fluttering open, Hiei blinked a few times to focus them, noting that he was lying most comfortably. His head was resting on pillows that nearly cradled him and although he was used to sleeping in trees, the softness below him felt gloriously warm and welcoming. Though he would never admit this aloud. He shifted slightly, groaning as the evidence of his morning curse ground against something soft, sending sparks of heat through his viens. There came a slight gasp from the vicinity of his 'pillow' and Hiei tensed suddenly before raising his head. It was then that he became aware of the situation that he had somehow come to be in.

He wasn't lying on the softest futon ever made, no. He was, in fact, lying atop the human wench whom he had the pleasure of calling his slave. Bringing his red-eyed stare up, Hiei met Shizuru's brown eyes. There was silence between them for the longest moment, and then he watched with a frown as an amused smirk creeped onto her lips. A frown which was immediately followed by a glare when she finally spoke.

"Was it good for you?"

Before either of them could move or say another word, the door to their room was flung open and Koenma stormed in, two ogres flanking him.

"What is it with you four this morning," Koenma complained as he entered the room, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes landed on the futon.

Blushing at the couple as they lay in a compromising position, he slowly began to back out of the room. "Maybe I should give you two a minute," he said just before closing the door.

As soon as the demi-death-god had closed the door, Hiei turned back to the woman he still lay on, a growl spilling forth from his lips. "How dare you try to take advantage of me in the middle of the night," he accused.

Shizuru snorted. "In case you forgot, you're the one that's on top, you little perverted demon," she responded, her voice rising a bit towards the end. "Now get off me, before you lose something vital," she warned.

Still growling, Hiei rolled off of Shizuru and strode over to the wash basin, muttering obscenities about wenches under his breath while Shizuru moved to get dressed.
~*~

TBC...