Tsuta

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author's Comments ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay... everyone who's read Tall Blue Drinks (which happens to be one of my fav. YYH fics, btw... go Windlily!  Keep 'em coming!), will notice that I kinda sorta *cough* 'borrowed' part of an idea from it...  but I'm giving credit here, so don't get mad, please?  Repeat: the beginning here was NOT really my own idea... though later on it does get original, ok?

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Kurama awoke to the sight of a beautiful summer morning outside his window, and an even more wonderful sight curled up next to him.  He smiled and softly kissed Hiei, being careful not to wake him, then crossed to the window and threw it open to the fresh morning air.  He blinked.  What was that aroma?  It couldn't be tsuta... but it sure smelled like it.  Yum!  He hadn't had any of the youko delicacy for years!

          He didn't give it so much as a second thought, blurring into a large silver fox as he  leapt from the window.

* * * * * * * *

          Shiori hummed softly to herself as she patted the soil firmly over the roots of her pretty new ground cover.  She'd tried a new garden shop earlier that morning, and the friendly young saleswoman hadn't had to say much to sell her on this new variety of ivy.  She rocked back on her heels to admire this addition to her garden.  Strangely, though most ivys she'd seen were a glossy blue-green, this one was a bit lighter, with silvery fuzz on each leaf.  And such uniquely shaped leaves, too... they were vaguely canine, or perhaps lupine in shape.  If you squinted, the two little points up near the stem could be the ears, and the one at the tip formed a muzzle, with the fuzz giving each leaf that furry touch.  And with the slightly spicy scent... Shiori thought it was just lovely.

          "Eeek!"  She shrieked, throwing herself backwards across the garden path.  A silvery shape had leapt into her new plant bed, less than a foot away from her.  It seemed to be a dog... no, a fox.  But why on earth would a wild animal be in the middle of Tokyo?  And in her garden in particular?  In fact... she lost her train of thought, noticing the animal's behavior.  It rolled around in her ivy, nosing and licking at the fuzzy leaves, making peculiar little yipping sounds.  She edged even further away as a thought occured to her... it could be rabid.  Didn't rabies make animals act strange before they began foaming at the mouth?  She should call animal control... the police... do something besides sit here and panic!

          "Kuso!"  someone growled.

          Shiori blinked, and suddenly a figure stood between her and the fox.  Short, black-clad, spiky black hair... wasn't he one of her son's friends?  Yes... the small, silent one.  She fumbled for a name... "Hiei?"

          The boy... man?... flashed a ruby glare at her, then returned his eyes to the fox.  She read the intent in the set of his shoulders.

          "Hiei, don't!  It's wild... it won't let you touch it!  And it might be rabid!"

          Once again that discomforting glare focused on her.  "Stupid nin... woman.  It's not rabid."  He grabbed the fox suddenly by the scruff of the neck, ignoring Shiori's frightened gasp, and glared suspiciously at it.  He grimaced.  "Get some water, he's covered in this stupid plant's sap."

          "Wha..."

          "Do it!"  Shiori snatched up the nearby hose and held it out to him.  "And what am I supposed to do with this thing?" he snapped.  Hadn't he ever seen a hose before?  Questions swirled through her mind as she turned on the water.  She'd never heard him say so much... was he actually worried about the animal?  And why had a wild animal allowed him so close, anyway?  How had he known it would?  And those red eyes... she dragged her attention back to the present, where Hiei was hosing down the fox, and blinked, all her confusion boiling down to one question.

          "Um... Hiei?  Are there really five tails on that fox?"

          "Shut up and get a towel."

          "Well!"  She huffed, fetching one.  He roughly dried the poor fox... and when had it become a poor fox to her?  Oh, well... she snagged Hiei's arm, ignoring the lethal glare he gave her.  "Come inside.  And bring the fox... I've got some questions for you."

          "......."

 * * * * * * * * * * * 

          Kuso!  He should've grabbed Kurama and run when he had the chance... now this stupid ningen woman had dragged him into her house, was going to ask questions... and Kurama would kill him if he hurt her.  He cursed again under his breath.

          "Now," the woman... Shiori... fixed her eyes on him from an armchair.  "I want to know...  why does that fox have five tails?"

          Hiei shot her his most intimidating glare, and got a surprise when she matched it with one that was equally stern.  He hid his discomfort, carefully wrapping the towel about Kurama's limp fox-body.  "Hn.  Stupid fox."

          The lids lifted, revealing two glazed amber eyes.  Kurama slowly lifted his head, his tongue lolling out, and indulged in a lazy stretch.  ::Mmm... sexy little youkai...::  Under Hiei's and Shiori's apprehensive (for very different reasons) gazes, he placed his forepaws against the youkai's chest and licked his face.

          "Kuso!"  He sputtered, trying to turn away from Kurama's increasingly enthusiastic licks and hold the towel in place around the kitsune's form... more specifically, over the wagging tails.  "Cut it out!"

          ::C'mon, Hiei-chan, it'll be fun...::  The mental tone left no doubts in Hiei's mind as to what the insatiable fox meant.

          "NO!  Quit that!  What's gotten into you?!"

          ::Not you... yet.  Let's fix that.::

          "WHAT?!  No!  Cool it!"

          The fox's eyes narrowed, and Hiei barely caught the last thought before he was holding a fully human Kurama, wrapped only in the towel.  (author's note: yummy!)

          Shiori went dead white.

          "But you LIKE it hot, my little youkai, and you know it!" he said as he curled up against Hiei on the couch, the smaller demon frantically keeping the towel in place around the redhead's hips.  Ruby eyes caught Shiori's horrified face as he fended off the fox's attempts to nuzzle him.

          Suddenly, Kurama yelped, losing his balance when the Koorime sped from the room, returning in seconds with a heavy robe in his arms which he forced the kitsune into.  "Now, you are going to wear that."  Hiei snapped.  "You will STAY on that couch, WITH the robe on, WITH it tied shut, and if I see so much as one leaf, I'll..."

          Emerald eyes shone as Kurama clasped his hands before him eagerly.  "You'll what?  Are you going to spank me?  Tie me up?  Whips and chains and..."

          "NO!"

          ".......... Please?"

          Hiei gritted his teeth.  "Or else... I won't do ANYTHING.  At all."

          "Oh..."  Kurama sank into the cushions.

          "Now... are you aware your mother is right there?!"  He pointed to the stricken woman.

          Kurama blinked, gave Shiori a goofy grin, and wiggled his fingers.  "Hi, Kaasan."  He said this distractedly, leering at Hiei, and this only annoyed him more.

          "Have you gone insane?!  What in the Makai did that plant DO to you?!"

          "Plant... I like plants..."  He giggled, crossing his legs and bouncing slightly on the couch, his eyes never leaving Hiei.  "That's tsuta outside, you know.  It's completely harmless.  The Clans love it... the leaves have an effect similar to alcohol... or some aphrodisiacs..."

          Hiei choked.  "Tell me you're not..."

          "High on tsuta?  I am... and YOU are driving me crazy!"  He pouted.  "How am I supposed to catch you if you stay all the way over there?"

          "Shu... Shuiichi..."  Shiori seemed to have found her voice.  "What is going on?"

          "Oh.  I suppose I should... Hiei?  Can I move from the couch?  Please?"  Kurama batted his eyes at the stoic Koorime.  "I'm gonna explain things to Kaasan..."

          "Before you sober up?" 

          Kurama nodded.

          Hiei rolled his eyes and muttered, "You're gonna kill me for this.  Shiori, you sit on the couch next to him."  He dragged the woman from her chair.  She couldn't seem to move of her own will.  He settled her next to Kurama, flitting away from his grasping hands.  "Dammit, Kurama!  Cut it out!"

          "But..."  The redhead sighed, and put his arms around his mother, resting his head on her shoulder.  "I'm sorry, Kaasan... you wanted an explanation."  His voice lowered slightly, the inflictions becoming those of an old, old man rather than a teen boy.  "I'm much more than I seem, Kaasan.  My body is human, but inside is the soul of a youko, a centuries-old kitsune fox-spirit, and it's not an innocent soul, either, Kaasan."  His eyes closed as he sank into recollection.  "Perhaps I should tell you about him, about Youko Kurama... about before.  It wasn't an exemplary life, not in the least.

          I was, quite frankly, a thief.  The best thief in the Makai, it was said; rumors in the taverns, stories found deep in someone's cups, many of them mentioned my name.  I stole just about everything; from money and gems to hearts and lives... if it caught my eye, it was mine.  And that went for people, too... I left a trail of broken hearts for a night's warmth, and I never thought twice of it.  Life was a game, and if you took it too seriously, that was your problem.  But after a few centuries, my lifestyle caught up with me, and I was left lying in a pool of my own blood..."  An ancient, jaded chuckle escaped.  "Ah, but they hadn't quite finished the job.  Not that there was any way I could recover from my wounds; they were definitely fatal.  But I was Kurama, greatest thief in the Makai, and I wasn't done playing the game.  Not by a long shot.  The kitsune are clever tricksters, who think nothing of cheating... and I was a kitsune to the core.

          I don't think anyone had ever done this before, and I doubt it'll ever happen again... but I managed it.  I left my broken body behind in search of a new one, someplace to lick my wounds and hide from my enemies.  What I found was perfect... not a single soul knew it was there.  Except me.  So I moved in, finding my new form to my liking, and settled down to wait.  Eight months later, I was born, and my new mother named me Shuiichi...

          I waited for my human mother to abandon me, as the vixen had centuries before.  And I waited.  Soon, it dawned on me... she intended to care for me!  It was something of a surprise, to say the least.  I had heard of mothers caring for their children, but I hadn't expected it to happen to me.  Someone who loved me, wanting nothing but to care for me... I had never known such an emotion existed.  And I found myself learning to love back. 

          It sounds cliche, but the world took on a new look after that.  I would do anything for my Kaasan, with no thought for myself... me, the selfish, playful kitsune thief.  That existence was just that, an existence, not a life at all.  I was Shuiichi, and I was happy to be only Shuiichi, to live free from stealing and fighting... and to sleep alone.  I knew as a child I would have no interest in casual sex anymore, not after I had learned to love, but still, some nights were cold.  I would come to you, Kaasan, on those nights, and ask you to rock me to sleep, like you had when I was a toddler... I needed my Kaasan to keep me warm, just as any other child would.

          Then... you got sick.  And I discovered how much I really would do for my Kaasan.  I searched through five centuries of memories, remembered the Mirror of Utter Dark... and stole it.  I had never wanted it before, though I knew about it.  The Mirror grants its user one wish... and only one, taking the user's life in exchange.  I... was going to wish for you to live, Kaasan.  Actually, I did.  I used the Mirror so you would survive... but it didn't take my life.

          I had expected it to.  In fact, I hadn't bothered to cover my tracks at all, thinking I would be dead before I could be caught.  But I wasn't... so I was.  I was caught, and sentenced to work with Uremeshi and his team, recovering stolen items, fighting youkai that escaped into the Ningenkai, basically preventing others from doing what I had... but you were alive.  That was enough for me to willingly join the team.  And begin working with Hiei."

          "Hn.  Stupid fox.  Stay on the subject!"  Hiei growled, startling the kitsune from his reverie.

          "I am, Hiei.  This is part of it, part of everything I haven't told Kaasan."

          "Hn."  Hiei crossed his arms uncomfortably and glowered at him.  Kurama took that as permission to continue.

          "I was thrilled to be working with Hiei... Yuusuke and Kuwabura had already known each other, and the way things seemed to work out, whenever the team split up Hiei and I went together.  We quickly became fast friends, whether he admits it or not.  I found myself admiring this prickly little youkai.  He was more than a wonderful fighter, strong and quick: he was loyal to his friends, and caring... he would never show it, but he cared so much about the team.  I began to treasure every glance of those ruby eyes, every smile, rare as those were... I began to notice his ki when he was near, and it brought an inward smile to me.  And eventually, an inward pain.

          I realized what had happened, for the first time in my long life.  As a youko, I had no heart to steal, not in that sense, but when I had been reborn I had gained one... and now I had lost it.  To my best friend.

          I said I hadn't understood love before I became human, and that was true... but Hiei didn't understand it either.  The ability was there, hidden deep, covered by a thick protective shell... and the day he let me know I had slipped through that shell was one of the happiest of my life."  Hiei opened his mouth to protest, and was suddenly bound and gagged tightly in vines.

          "You taught me love, Kaasan, and I in turn taught Hiei... we owe so much to you, Kaasan!  Including... the truth.  This truth."

          "Shuiichi-kun..."  Shiori murmured, her arms going around him.  "My little boy... I only wish you'd told me sooner."  Then she blinked.  "Shu... Kurama?  What happened to Hiei?"  The leaf-green eyes opened, focusing on the struggling youkai in his vines.  He moved languidly from the couch and stood before him, smiling at the muffled cursing.

          "Now, Hiei, you shouldn't try to interrupt.  It's not polite."  He let the vines over the small mouth loosen.

          "Shit, Kurama, I told you if I saw a single leaf...!"

          "These vines are leafless.  I grew them special..."  A slender finger traced along Hiei's jawline.  He snapped at the digit, his teeth clacking on air.  "Are you flirting with me, Hiei?"

          "The hell I am!  Lemme go!"

          "But this is fun.  I like it when you play hard-to-get."

          "Who's playing?!"  Kurama merely chuckled at this, trailing his fingers down Hiei's neck, and around over his shoulders.  "Dammit!  Not in front of your Kaasan!"

          Shiori smiled.  "Why don't you take it upstairs, dear?"

          "Ah... good idea, Kaasan."  Kurama pulled Hiei from the room, laughing.  When me was gone, Shiori reseated herself on the couch.

          "Youko Kurama..."  She fainted.