Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Damien, Eriol, Jake, Veronica, Winston, and nameless characters are mine.
Chapter One- Secret Life
The streets of Sarayashiki, Japan were well-lit, yet seemed empty of life, a fact that did not please the hunter. How could he feed if there were no humans to feast on?
Footsteps caught his attention and he looked down from the rooftop he was perched on. Hunger filled his emerald eyes as he examined his prey. The hunger faded when he realized who he was looking at: Keiko.
He couldn't feed on Keiko. Yusuke would be furious if he found someone had killed his girlfriend. Besides, she was a sweet girl and he vowed to never kill a friend just to satisfy his bloodlust.
He sighed. An empty street usually meant another trip to the bar. He despised having to pick up a drunkard to feed off of, but what choice was there? With another sigh, filled with resentment, he sped off towards the nearest pub.
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The hunter sat on one of the bar stools, swirling the water in his glass around in boredom. He didn't want water, he desired blood. Yet, for all appearances, he had to have something in front of him so as not to seem suspicious. His eyes scanned the room, trying to find the right human to be his prey.
He finally found one that would suit his purposes. He was tall and wide with big tattooed muscles and was totally drunk. And judging from his leather attire, he was single, too. Turning on the charm, the green-eyed hunter sauntered up to the man.
"My, my," the hunter purred. "It seems that I have found what I have been searching for in you."
"What you talkin' about, kid?" the drunkard slurred.
Flipping his ruby hair over his shoulder, the hunter replied, "I was looking for a big strong man to spend the evening with and you fit the bill."
"Do I now?"
"Indeed."
"Then, let's get started."
The redhead grinned as he led his unsuspecting victim out to the back of the pub. He planted kisses along the man's jawline and down to the neck. He licked and sucked at the skin that covered the main artery on the neck, making the drunk moan with pleasure. The moan turned into a scream of pain when the hunter sunk a pair of white fangs into his neck.
Within minutes, the drunk fell to the ground, completely drained of blood. Wiping his mouth, the vampire, Kurama, whispered regretfully, "Thank you very much. You have absolutely made my evening." Then, as silent as a cat, he slipped away into the shadows.
Chapter Two- The Bite
Full from his meal, Kurama headed for one of the many empty houses he lived in. He no longer lived with his mother, even though he still loved her. He was afraid that his bloodlust would get the better of him and that he would end up killing her. He couldn't take that chance. He also didn't want her to worry about him so he left her a note the night he left, saying that he had been accepted as an exchange student in America.
Approaching his house on Whip Way, he ascended to the second floor and laid on a beat-up mattress he had retrieved out of a dumpster. There, he laid and thought. His mind drifted to that fateful day when his world was turned upside-down:
Kurama walked out of Genkai's temple and into the late afternoon sun after a Spirit Detectives' meeting. Even though everyone else was still inside talking, he felt it best to head for home right then and there. He wanted to get home to look out for his mother. It wasn't because she was ill. She was fine. He felt guilty that he had left her alone when he had participated in the Dark Tournament.
His thoughts were interrupted when someone grabbed him from behind and dragged him into the shadows. A dark voice hissed in his ear, "Relax and this will be easier on you."
"Who are you?"
"Your...executioner!" The man plunged his fangs into Kurama's neck, eliciting a scream from the half-demon. This man was a vampire! A vampire was drinking his blood. He wanted to cry out again, but it felt like his voice had been paralyzed. In fact, his whole body felt paralyzed.
"Spirit Gun!"
Yusuke's voice was a pleasant sound. What wasn't pleasant was the vampire spitting out the blood in his mouth and onto the wound on Kurama's neck upon hearing someone's voice.
The force of Yusuke's spirit gun completely destroyed the vampire, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash.
"Kurama! You okay?"
Kurama rubbed his sore neck before replying, "It appears so. You saved my life."
"Was that a vampire?"
"Yes, it was."
"Well, maybe you should get home before a werewolf or something attacks."
"Agreed." Still rubbing his wound, Kurama trudged home, his senses on the alert for anymore threats.
Luckily, none appeared and he arrived safely at his house. He snuck upstairs to the bathroom to wash off his blood before going to his room. He threw on a pair of jeans and a turtleneck to cover the bite mark. It had stopped bleeding awhile back, but the mark would take longer to heal and fade.
Pleased with his clothes, he headed downstairs and prepared dinner for his mother and him. Once the dishes had been done, Kurama headed upstairs to begin his homework. However, fate had other plans for the fox demon.
No sooner had the boy entered his room then a searing pain from the bite shot through his neck and body. Clasping a hand to his neck, he cried out in pain, thankful that his bedroom door was closed. The mark was positively burning. He started to bite his lower lip to contain his screams, but a sharp prick hit his lip and he retracted it. He ran his tongue along his teeth and came across a pair of razor-sharp fangs.
"I'm becoming a vampire! But, how?" Kurama gasped. The blood! The vampire had blood in his mouth when Yusuke appeared. His attack was so sudden it startled his attacker and he had spat the blood onto the wound.
"His saliva has mixed with my blood. That's why I'm turning." A pain in his heart caused him to clutch his chest. He could feel his heart beating wildly at first, but then it started to slow.
'The death stage is beginning. My heart will soon stop and I'll die, only to reawaken as an undead creature.' Upon this realization, the human and demon halves of him started to wash their feelings over him. The human, Shuichi, didn't want to die. But the demon, Yoko, was curious to find out what powers a vampire possessed.
After several long minutes, the heart ceased beating and the human, Shuichi Minamino died, his final breath rattled in his throat.
&&&&
It had been a month since Kurama had risen from the dead. Though his heart no longer beat, he still possessed emotions as well as displayed them. As the scenes and recollections of his death played in his mind, tears spilled down his death pale cheeks. He couldn't go to school because the sun burned his skin. In fact, the sun prevented him from doing most of the things he used to do when he was alive. The daylight was reason enough for him to find homes with the windows completely boarded up. Sighing, Kurama closed his eyes and fell asleep, just as the sun peeked over the horizon.
Chapter Three- Revelations
"Hey, Urameshi!"
"What's up, Kuwabara?"
"Have you seen Kurama lately?"
"No. Why?"
"I ran into his mom on the way here and she's worried. She says he left for America a month ago and he hasn't called or nothin'."
"I doubt he's in America, otherwise he would have told us. This sounds like a job for the trusty Demon Compass." Yusuke pulled back his sleeve to reveal the hidden compass. "Good thing Botan got it replaced after that deal with Rando."
"Well, turn it on!"
"After school, pal. Kurama can take care of himself. Besides, Keiko will have my hide if I skip again."
"Yeah, you're right."
"Okay. We'll meet right here after school."
&&&&
Following the compass's arrow, Yusuke and Kuwabara ended up in a run-down area of the city, south of their middle school. The poorness of the area greatly surprised the spirit detective. "Why would Kurama be in an area like this? I thought he would be at Genkai's."
"Maybe he's in trouble."
"Possibly. According to the compass, he's stationary. In fact, he's...over there." Yusuke pointed to a vacant house.
"Heh. How convenient."
The beeping from Yusuke's compass became faster as they approached the stairs. Pounding up the flight to the second level, the compass emitted a long drawn-out beep. They found Kurama!
Shutting off the compass, Yusuke reached the top and noticed the sleeping boy nearby.
"Urameshi. Something about Kurama looks wrong. He's so pale."
Yusuke noticed that his friend was right. Kurama's skin was as pale as a corpse. As they drew closer, Yusuke placed his fingers on the sleeping boy's wrist. He frowned in concentration before pulling back, eyes wide.
"K-Kuwabara? Kurama's dead. I-I couldn't find a pulse."
"How can he be dead if he's breathing?"
Yusuke mulled over this question as he studied the pale boy. "Well. There is one possibility, but it seems impossible."
"And what's that?"
"Vampire."
"Oh, come on! Kurama's no vampire!"
"I am now," said a new voice.
The two boys looked down to see Kurama's green eyes wide open.
&&&&
Kurama's ears detected voices nearby. Intruders! He felt fingers touch his wrist briefly and guessed that they were vampire hunters. And amateurs as well.
'They'll make a fine meal tonight,' he thought. He sensed that the sun had just gone down and he was ready to strike!
Slowly, he opened his eyes and was shocked to see Yusuke and Kuwabara standing over him. His hearing focused in time to hear Kuwabara declare that Kurama wasn't a vampire.
"I am now," Kurama spoke up startling his friends.
Kuwabara was the first to react. He quickly backed up, fingers held out in the shape of a cross. "Stay away," he warned.
Sitting up, Kurama laughed gently. "No need to worry, Kuwabara. I made a vow to not hurt my friends."
"That's good." Kuwabara relaxed and came back to Yusuke's side, who knealt down beside the bed.
"How did this happen?" he asked.
"The day I was attacked. You see, the vampire had some of my blood in his mouth when you attacked and he spat it onto my wound. His saliva had mixed with my blood."
"And it turned you?"
"That's correct."
Yusuke felt terrible. He tried to save his friend's life and instead he ends up cursing him. "I'm so sorry. I could have tackled him instead of shooting him."
"I will be alright, Yusuke. Though, I do wish I was truly dead."
"How about not drinking blood?" the tall teen asked. "You'll die then."
"I tried, but some kind of self-defense mechanism activates and I lose control of myself and start killing anyone in sight. I would rather kill consciously then unconsciously."
"Then, maybe a cure."
"I have yet to find one. Mostly, because I have resigned myself to this fate."
"No," Yusuke stated forcefully. "You're not giving up now. We'll find a way to cure you starting right now. Come on, Kuwabara. Kurama, you go ahead and kill a mugger or someone like that."
"All right." Kurama didn't want Yusuke to find a cure. Not in the state he was in, in any case. Yusuke was feeling guilty and guilt can drive a person to take extreme measures in order to solve the problem. Kurama did want a cure, but he wasn't going to keep his hopes up.
Chapter Four- The Search
"Oh, come on Botan! There has to be a way to cure a vampire without killing it!"
"Sorry, Yusuke. Exposing the vampire to sunlight or driving a stake through the brain are the only listed methods."
"Unacceptable! I know there's a way! There's has to be!"
"Why are you so keen on curing a vampire? You usually rather kill a menace to humans."
Yusuke hesitated. He didn't mention Kurama, due to his determination to find a cure. Should he tell Botan? No reason why he shouldn't. Before he could say anything, Botan cut in.
"Yusuke, was Keiko turned by a vampire?"
"No. But Kurama was."
"Why didn't you say so in the first place!?"
"Because I was more concerned about a cure!"
"Well, there isn't one!"
"Then, Kurama's stuck?"
"I'm sorry. If I knew a way, I'd tell without hesitation."
"We should at least tell Hiei. He deserves to know."
"I would give you The Mystic Whistle in order for him to come to you, but he broke it when I last used it."
"And he can confuse the compass so that won't work. Guess I'll have to find him the old-fashioned way."
"Meanwhile, I'll go to Spirit World and check to make sure there isn't a cure."
"Check every type of vampire on record. Kurama says he loses control when he doesn't drink for a long time."
"Sounds like he was turned by a demon vampire. Those types are devious and are hard to kill because they can hide in the shadows quite easily.:"
"What else do you know about them?"
"Demon vampires drink human blood like most vampires, but they crave demon blood even more. The mere scent of a demon can make them lose control of themselves. You're lucky Koenma didn't give you a case in tracking one."
"Even luckier is that Kurama prefers drinking to denying himself of it."
"Yes, it is."
&&&&
Kurama hid in the shadows of a deserted alley, watching the humans as they passed. Seeing them go about their lives made him sad. He lost his humanity and was now an undead demon. Kuwabara had come by after talking with Botan and told him her theory of being a demon vampire. He also said Yusuke was hunting down Hiei to tell him the news.
A scent reached Kurama's nose and he sniffed again. A demon was nearby. This fact caused a familiar sensation to envelope his mind. He was losing control again! The unsuspecting demon victim was driving him crazy!
'He's close. Just a few more steps.' When the victim made those last steps, Vampire Kurama swiftly and silently snagged the demon and sunk his fangs into the neck. The sweet-tasting liquid entered his mouth and into his system. Oh, and what a sweet taste it was! Much better than the human victims he had in the last month.
"Kurama!" his victim cried.
Startled that his victim knew his true name, Kurama regained control of his mind and pulled back. His former victim whirled around and Kurama was staring into the red eyes of Hiei.
"What in the Makai was that for?" the short demon demanded, rubbing his neck.
Kurama licked his lips to remove the last traces of blood from them. "Well, you see, it's like this. I was turned by a demon vampire."
"You're not serious."
"I am serious. I bit you, didn't I?"
"That's hardly proof. There are a lot of demons that bite others."
"Alright. Here." He held out his wrist and put Hiei's fingers on it. He waited a minute before saying, "Feel anything?"
Hiei frowned. "No."
"No pulse and yet I'm still breathing."
"Okay. That's proof enough for me." Hiei smirked. "By the way, there's still blood on your fangs."
Retracting his teeth into his mouth, he ran his tongue across the fronts, cleaning them.
Hiei smiled inwardly. 'Overlooking the need for blood, the vampire look makes Kurama kind of...cute.'
"Hiei, do you know anything about demon vampires?"
"Quite a bit, actually. No control when smelling a demon is one fact."
"I can vouch for that."
"There's also the craving for demon blood."
"You can testify to that."
"Here's one you probably didn't know." Hiei grinned. "You didn't kill me, so that makes us mates."
"It-it does?"
"Yes." Hiei sidled up to the vampire. "And I, for one, don't mind a bit."
Kurama's head whirled at this latest twist. Not killing a demon while feeding made him/her the vampire's mate! And Hiei didn't mind! Obviously, Hiei loved Kurama before his change and his bite made this love even more liable.
"Hiei, I admit that I loved you for a long while."
"I had my suspicions."
Kurama pulled the fire demon to his chest and buried his nose in his midnight black hair, inhaling the scent of fire as well as the blood that leaked from the mark. The blood's scent aroused the vampire's senses. "Hmm...want me to lick off the excess blood from your neck?"
"Yes, please."
Grinning, Kurama leaned down and delicately licked the blood off the skin, prompting a moan of pleasure from his mate. Aroused, Kurama licked at the neck's skin, carefully avoiding the mark, lest he ended up turning him. The only response was more moaning and Hiei's arms wrapping around his neck. Kurama could have stayed this way forever, except for one thing.
Pulling back, Kurama said softly, "I must go. The sun's about to come up."
"Meet me in the park tonight, okay?"
"Agreed." With one last lingering look, Kurama headed for home.
Chapter Five- Kidnapped!
"Hiei! There you are!"
Hiei looked down from his perch in a tree. He had been daydreaming about his meeting with Kurama that night when Yusuke's voice interrupted him.
"What do you want, Detective?"
"I've got some bad news."
"If Kuwabara's dead, I won't be mourning."
"It's not about Kuwabara. It's about Kurama."
"I already know. He's a demon vampire."
Yusuke blinked. "How did you find out? Kuwabara and I just found out last night."
"He attacked me last night."
"What!?"
"He wasn't in control of his actions, a flaw of demon vampires. He regained control when I cried his name, however."
Yusuke then noticed the bite mark on Hiei's neck and flinched at the thought of being attacked like that.
Hiei lightly touched the mark. "It does sting a bit, but I'm fine."
"If it stings, then go get it treated before it scars."
"I want it scarred. It's a special mark."
"How's that?"
"If a demon vampire doesn't kill his/her victim, that means they're mates."
"You're mates!?"
"Yes and I'm rather pleased. I loved Kurama before he was turned."
Yusuke scratched his cheek, embarrassed. 'Heh, heh. Okay, Hiei's officially weirding me out. I can't believe he's gay.'
"Well," the detective said. "that's all I came to say, so I guess I'll be on my way."
"Detective."
"Yeah?"
"If you know where Kurama lives, tell him I'll be waiting for him here at eight tonight."
"Right. Eight o'clock. All right. I'll tell him."
Hiei nodded before speeding off to who-knows-where. Yusuke left too, planning to leave Kurama a note. Both were unaware that someone had been watching and heard everything they said.
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"Is he awake, yet?"
"Yes, human. He just woke up. You can see him now."
The human, Jake, meekly enter the room, head down in respect. He kept his eyes down as he stopped foot from the regal throne before. He bowed to the vampire sitting on the throne. "Master Damien."
"You have news on our latest member?"
"Yes, Master. Kurama plans to meet his mate in the park at eight."
"And who is this mate?"
"A demon called Hiei."
"A demon! He dares take a demon as a mate! Demons are our blood meals, not mates. It's been that way for centuries."
"But, Master, others have taken demons as mates before."
Damien leaped forward and struck Jake, sending him flying across the room. "Underling! Never argue with me! I know others took demons as mates and they died for their love."
"Yes, Master."
"Leave and tell Eriol to round up the warriors. We will kidnap this Hiei and use him to lure Kurama to us."
&&&&
Kurama yawned as he sat up in bed. He had slept very peacefully and even dreamed about Hiei and him having sex as only vampires can, despite Hiei being a demon. He blushed happily at his recollection until a piece of paper caught his eye and he picked it up to read it better.
Kurama,
Hiei said to meet him in the park at eight.
Yusuke
'Hmm. Eigh, huh? Hiei's taking into consideration the fact that I might be hungry when I woke up. And he was correct.' Without another thought, Kurama left his house in search of prey.
&&&&
Hiei leaned against a tree trunk, patiently waiting. He had a reason for wanting the meeting at eight. It gave his mate at least an hour to kill a human and get to the park. Of course, knowing Kurama, he'll choose a criminal as his victim. To Hiei, any human was considered prey, though he might unconsciously avoid killing his 'friends'.
Dark shadows caught the fire demon's attention. Jumping onto the ground, he immediately withdrew his katana. The shadows didn't back down, so Hiei decided to tap his speed ability in order to swiftly kill his adversaries.
But, before he could take one step, the shadows stopped and a figure emerged from one of the shadows. A strong, black-haired man stood before him, flashing a malicious fanged grin. He was a vampire!
"I know of your swift speed, Hiei. But, I suggest you not pull it unless you want us to kill Kurama."
Hiei was startled that he knew his and Kurama's names. Apparently, this was a demon vampire. When a victim is turned, the local circle somehow finds out and that included when he/she takes a mate.
Sheathing his sword, Hiei said, " Who are you and what's your point?"
"I am Eriol. And you will come with us or Kurama will truly be dead."
"Given a choice. I'll take the former."
"Very wise. Come." Eriol led the demon towards the circle's underground lair, but not before planting a note where Kurama would find it.
&&&&
"Hiei?" Kurama glanced around. He smelled Hiei's scent all over this area of the park, yet there was no sign of him. As he passed the bench, he caught sight of Eriol's note.
If you don't show in our underground lair by midnight, then your mate will die.
Damien, King of Demon Vampires
Anger clouded Kurama's eyes. Hiei had been kidnapped! And by his own vampire kind, too! Holding the note under his nose, he took in the scent of the vampire who wrote it. Kurama felt lucky his fox demon half had a sensitive nose. Once he took a good sniff, he headed for the sewers to find and rescue his mate.
'I'm coming, Hiei. I won't let them hurt you.'
Chapter Six- Demon Vampires
Hiei took in the vampires that guarded him. There were only five, not counting the two outside the room. Two were staring at him appealingly, two shifted restlessly on their feet, and the last one scowled at him.
The fire demon, upon arrival at the lair, noticed normal humans mixing with the undead beings. He wondered why while noticing no sign of his mate anywhere. He was jolted from his thoughts when he became aware of one of the appraising vampires leering especially close to him.
"Hi, there. My name's Veronica. I want you to know that I find you very desirable. A shame you're already claimed," she said in a conspiratory tone.
Hiei was about to respond when a pain-riddled scream echoed through the lair. "What the hell was that?"
"Mmm. Sounds like we have a fledgling."
"A what?"
"We have humans living with us, as you've clearly noticed. They study our code of survival, preparing themselves for the night when our king deems them worthy of receiving their fangs."
"Do you not feed on them?"
Veronica laughed. "Oh no. They're our future brothers and sisters. It would be wrong to feed on them."
"That's your opinion," the scowling vampire retorted.
"Oh, stuff it Winston. You always think you're superior to the lot of us."
"I am superior." To Hiei, he added, "I was born a demon vampire. Most of my brethren were turned. They may be vampires, but their blood is tainted."
"Who's to say they're not your equal?" Hiei taunted.
"They could never be my equal."
"Oh, I was mistaken. It would take a lot of work to reach the level of your turned siblings."
"You bastard!" Winston screamed, storming toward the Jaganshi with the intention of drinking him dry.
"Don't touch him," a voice commanded. In the doorway stood a tall man wearing a long red cloak. His long black hair made his pale skin even more obvious as well as his crimson eyes. His regal pose told all there that he was the one in charge.
"But, King Damien, he has insulted us born vampires. He will die for his arrogance." Winston turned back to his "victim".
"I said don't touch him!" Damien roared. Leaping forward, the king withdrew an extremely sharp silver sword from its sheath and drove it straight through Winston's head. It exited out the back, blood and brain matter covering the blade. The brain-dead vampire's eyes rolled up into his head and he hit the floor with a wet thud.
Yanking out the sword, Damien wiped the blade on the demon's clothes. "I warned him," he said casually and without emotion. Re-sheathing the sword, Damien sniffed the air and grinned at his captive. "It seems your mate has finally arrived."
'Kurama's finally arrived? I've been deceived!'
Kurama appeared in the doorway. His nose told him that the main in the cloak wrote the note. "Where is he?" he demanded calmly.
"He's right here," Damien answered as he stepped aside to reveal Hiei, unharmed and restraint-free. Hiei zipped from his chair and into Kurama's open arms, where he was protectively embraced.
Kurama breathed in the scent of fire and ash that came off the demon's hair before glaring at Damien. "Why did you kidnap him?"
"To bring you here obviously."
"Explain."
"You chose a demon as your mate. That is not allowed. While we can't harm him, we can harm you. And you will be punished for your choice." Damien snapped his fingers and his warriors appeared behind the red-headed vampire.
"Kill him!" Damien commanded.
Chapter Seven- Escape
Hiei smirked. Damien was a fool. 'If he thinks I'll just stand idly by and watch Kurama be murdered, he's sadly mistaken. Besides, I have some revenge to dish out for being deceived.'
As quick as a wink, Hiei drew his sword, zipped behind Kurama, and killed the warriors in one swipe. Unfortunately for Hiei, the true battle-hardened warriors had hidden behind the inexperienced ones. Before he could react, the vampires tackled the three-eyed demon, football-style.
"Hiei!" Kurama cried. Over five hundred pounds of demon vampires had just landed on top of a demon that was just under five feet tall. An anger unlike anything he had ever felt before coursed through his veins. Dark energy crackled around his body, a power inside him awakening once again. White mist consumed Kurama, hiding him from view. Slowly, the mist dissipated, but the figure there was tall with flowing silver hair, a furry fox tail and ears atop his head. Yoko Kurama had appeared.
Yoko heard his name being spoken in frightened whispers. Even undead demons have heard of him and it gave him a feeling of superiority. A sensation in his chest gave the kitsune pause and he quickly placed a hand on that spot. His eyes widened slightly. His heart. It was...beating again. Had his transformation cured him of his vampire state? Placing this thought aside, he turned to face his adversaries. Using his spirit energy, he shot lamp flowers throughout the room where they attached themselves to the floor, walls, and ceiling. Yoko smirked as the light shined on the vampires, causing them to shriek in pain as they turned to ash. His energy manipulated the flowers so that they acted like miniature suns.
He frowned, however, when he saw Damien still standing, unharmed. "I am surprised to see you still standing."
"It will take more than your little light flowers to kill me."
"Is that so?" Yoko's voice was icy calm as he took in this information. "In that case, I believe I have just the plant for you." Focusing on his energy again, Yoko summoned the Ojigi he used against Karasu in the Dark Tournament. The plant's mouths swayed menacingly before zeroing in on Damien, who was unaware of the plant's ability. Like mutated Venus flytraps, they converged on the king, their mouths opened wide, prepared to consume him. It was futile for Damien to try and escape for the plant had blocked the doorway. Damien turned from the door frame in time to see gaping teeth, dripping with saliva. Then, there was oblivion.
&&&&
Yoko, certain the plant wouldn't attack him, dug through the pile of ash until his groping hand came into contact with flesh. Grasping it, he hauled Hiei out of the pile. The demon was unconscious, but a check revealed his chest rising and falling. He was alive. Cradling the demon, Yoko headed for the door (the Ojigi having curled up in a secluded corner of the room earlier). None of the vampires bothered to stop him, seeing as how he was a legendary bandit who would kill anyone who tried to stop him.
The sewer's stench was quite strong to Yoko's nose and the demon wanted to gag, but dignity was important to him, so he settled for breathing through his mouth. In almost no time, Yoko exited the underground and headed for the park where he placed Hiei on a bench and waited for him to awaken. The wait didn't last long for Hiei's eyebrows started to twitch.
'He's starting to stir. I better switch to my human form.' Amber-colored eyes closed, focusing on the form he had previously been in. When those selfsame eyes opened, they were softer and the color of an emerald. They focused on Hiei, who was now awake.
"How are you feeling, Hiei?"
"Like shit. At least, I'm alive."
"Yes. Fortunately." Kurama smiled, placing his hand over his heart. He frowned, then put his fingers on his wrist.
"What is it?" Hiei asked.
"My heart. It's not beating anymore. When I had transformed into Yoko, it was beating."
"Why would that be?"
"Perhaps it is because I was in my human form when I was turned. I guess I was hoping my transformation had cured me."
"Kurama, I don't care if you're alive or undead, I still love you."
"Do you really?"
Hiei felt a pang in his heart. He hated to see Kurama so depressed. It was likely that Kurama just realized that he was immortal and Hiei wasn't. Perhaps, in the future, he would allow Kurama to turn him so they would always be together. But, for now, he needed to bring Kurama out of his depression.
"I do," he stated forcefully. "And I'll prove it."
"How?"
"Take me to your home and I'll show you."
Kurama's eyes widened at Hiei's suggestive tone. This was beginning to seem like the dream he had this morning. He smiled. "As you wish." Scooping up the demon, Kurama hungrily kissed him as he bounded off to his house to finish the night with the heat of passion.
