Chapter 17

Shuichi Minamino, aged twenty-five, licensed to practice law in Japan, Great Britain, and the United States of America with favorable connections to firms in eleven other countries.

Youko Kurama, aged 3,725, Legendary Bandit of Makai, Contract-servant of the Reikai, and now current head of an information network that spanned the length of the Ningenkai.

The humans hadn't known his name at first, but they learned. It wasn't his power that garnered fear and respect; it was his skill. It was his mind. And while Yusuke and the Kuwabaras did their best to take care of their little part of Tokyo, Kurama cast his gaze elsewhere. Koenma was right. There were so many powerbases, so many different kinds of powerbases that needed to be analyzed, assessed. Slowly, the White Fox learned them all.

"'Against that time, if ever that time come,

When I shall see thee frown on my defects,

When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,

Called to that audit by advis'd respects…'"

Kurama looked up. New apartment in a new part of Tokyo. The earnings of a ruthlessly successful prosecuting attorney were very nice indeed and he now lived in a high-rise condo of glass and smooth metal. Plants of all kinds lined the windowsills, pleasantly chaotic, and antique weapons hung on the walls. How boring to be able to buy expensive things instead of steal them, but it was amusing that he'd personally experienced these artifacts.

He'd made some of them famous, after all.

Botan walked past all of it, drifting through the glass that made up his balcony and straight to his place at the island.

"'Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,'" she went on.

"'And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,

When love, converted from the thing it was,

Shall reasons find of settled gravity;

Against that time do I ensconce me here,

Within the knowledge of mine own desert,

And this my hand, against my self uprear,

To guard the lawful reasons on thy part:

To leave poor me thou has the strength of laws,

Since why to love I can allege no cause.'"

"Impossible." Kurama stood, holding open his arms, and she stepped into a hug.

"'Is it thy will, thy image should keep open,'" he said.

"'My heavy eyelids to the weary night?

Does thou desire my slumbers should be broken,

While shadows like to thee do mock my sigh?

Is it thy spirit that thou send'st from thee

So far from home into my deeds to pry,

To find out shames and idle hours in me,

To scope and tenor of thy jealousy?'"

He kissed her forehead, pulling back enough to smile at her.

"'O, no! thy love, though much, is not so great:

It is my love that keeps mine eye awake:

Mine own true love that doth my rest defeat,

To play the watchman ever for thy sake:

For thee watch I, whilst thou dost wake elsewhere,

From me far off, with others all too near.'"

Botan sagged against him, nuzzling into his chest where he'd left his shirt open a few buttons.

"I missed you too," she said. "Are you home for a while?"

"Yes, I'm home." Spirits, she smelled good. So many weeks of triple-meanings and fake smiles. It was exhilarating, the game. He reveled in being the smartest person in the room, pulling one over on those who thought otherwise.

Still, it was so, so good to hold her again. No masks, no agendas. Just her beautiful smile.

"Have dinner with me," he said.

"Are you cooking?"

"I can."

That smile.

"Yes, please," she said. "I'll even get cute."

Stepping around him, she moved to sit at the island and, as he watched, her kimono melted. The pink skirt shortened and changed to black, the sleeves disappearing to show her pale shoulders as the fabric tightened to hug her curves. And the back, dear Inari. Her hair wrapped in smooth curls over her shoulder and the fabric split from the back of her neck down to her lower back, revealing her smooth, bare back. He sighed.

"You want me to behave," he said. "And then you wear that."

She grinned at him over her shoulder.

"Go make something yummy."

"Tease." He dropped a kiss on her shoulder as he walked past and started making some seafood alfredo. "Tell me about the mountain."

So they talked, trading stories and embarrassing moments while he cooked and they ate. By the time they got to dessert, they had both laughed so hard their sides ached.

"I have made so much money this year on Chu alone!" Botan gasped, tears in her eyes.

"Isn't that against the rules?"

"All it says is that I can only affect the outcome so much," she said primly. "It never says I can't bet on said outcome."

"Mmm." He took a sip of his wine, his eyes shutting halfway. "Devious."

At her wink, she grinned and took a bite of her ice-cream. She'd brought it, a premium, slow-churned blend of honey and vanilla, and he was a bit tempted to lick the bowl.

"Come here." He settled for tasting the honey still in her mouth, swallowing her soft moan as she tangled her fingers in his hair. After a moment, though, she put a hand on his chest.

"Too much?" he asked, pulling back. Botan smiled and he felt a little twinge of pride at how flushed and swollen her lips looked.

"An old friend of yours has resurfaced," she said.

"Why is it always one of my friends?" Straightening a little, Kurama took a sip of his wine. "Who is it this time?"

She waited until he looked at her, and this time, her smile was sad and aged.

"Bakurah," she said. His mouth went dry.

"And the host?"

"A boy, barely fifteen. He just transferred to Domino High."

Domino. That was about an hour away by car. His mind started whirling with the possibilities, the threats of having such a dangerous creature so close.

"There's more," Botan said. "The Puzzle's been solved."

He sighed.

"So it's time."

"Looks that way. Things will move very quickly from now on, both here and abroad."

"I see." He tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Well. Sooner than I expected but it will be nice to flex again."

"I do love watching you work."

"Well, who am I to disappoint?"

They shared a smile then Botan slid to her feet and gave him a kiss.

"Good night, Kurama. I'm glad you're home."

"Good night." He waited until she got almost to the balcony door. "Wait, Botan. You forgot something."

"I did?"

"Mm-hmm. Kind of surprised, really." Standing, he walked over to her, took her left hand, and slipped a platinum and emerald ring onto her third finger. "There. That's better."

Botan blinked down at her hand. She smiled then the bright smile shifted into a sexy little smirk that made him want to do very ungentlemanly things to her against the nine-foot windowpane.

"Always so sure you've won," she said.

"Yes." He put his hands in his pockets and grinned. "Am I wrong?"

"Not at all." Grabbing a handful of his shirt, Botan pulled him in for hot, passionate kiss that set his blood on fire.

"We'll go to your mother's tomorrow," she said. He shook his hair, trying to compose himself.

"All right," he said. "Meet you here at six."

*sonnet 49, 61