Guard

by Mayushii

All copyright materials are property of their respective owners.

A/N: YAOI, HxK. Hiei did everything that Kurama asked of him as a guardian, and he had learned it was a truly thankless task—it was like being mated, but with none of the benefits. Contains hermaphroditism, lemon, angst and possibly humor (depending on how sadistic you are).

Part 1

Cold steel flashed in the fading sun—one, two, ten, twenty strokes. Each one blocked and parried. Useless.

Hiei stopped a downward strike with his katana and sent a fierce glare up at his opponent. It had been a sunny afternoon when he had found the brown youko prowling through the forest. Now it was nearly sunset, snowing heavily, and the scenic trees had turned into a mess of slush and singed bark. Hours had passed and Hiei hadn't landed a single hit on the fox youkai.

"This is a waste of time, Jaganshi," the youko said as he bore down on Hiei. "Why not make this easier on yourself and step aside?"

Hiei snorted and threw off the youko's blade. "Not a bad idea, but I have a better one. You turn back now and forget you ever came here."

"This is absurd!" the youko said exasperatedly as he blocked each lightning-fast strike. "This is a matter between foxes, not something that involves you."

"Like hell it doesn't!" Hiei snarled.

The youko raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So then, do you fancy yourself my rival?"

The question startled Hiei just enough to give the youko the upper hand. Hiei cried out as pain sliced into his shoulder, sending an arc of blood through the air. Shit!

Abandoning the fight for a moment, Hiei quickly leapt into the trees. He crouched down on a branch near the trunk, trusting the driving snow and the encroaching shadows to hide him. The youko's mocking laughter could be heard even over the harsh wind.

"Where did you go, little Jaganshi? Lost your nerve?"

Fool. Do you think I'm going to give away my position over some childish insult? Hiei pushed the youko's taunts from his mind. Focusing instead on his wound, he tugged his tattered black cloak down past his shoulder. He was losing a lot of blood. Damn it…

Clamping one hand over the wound to slow the bleeding, Hiei glared down at his opponent. He was a handsome one, Hiei would give him that much. The youko was tall and lean, with a lustrous brown mane that fell to the backs of his knees. His eyes were a crystalline blue that would make any female's heart flutter, and most importantly, he had a fox's straight brown tail and black-tipped ears. Try as he might, Hiei couldn't help thinking that the youko had more right to be here than he did.

"You would be wise to give up now, Jaganshi," the youko taunted. He slowly stalked across the clearing, scanning the trees, trying to see through the blinding snow. "You're torturing her, you know that? Keeping her from what she needs. I can picture her now, locked up in your little den. All hot and wet, wanting it so badly…but you won't let anyone touch her. Selfish bastard." The youko's eyes glittered aggressively. "If you aren't demon enough to take her yourself, step aside so someone else can."

Hiei gritted his teeth. Forget running away and licking his wounds. He would finish this fight.

Leaping from his branch, Hiei dove toward the ground. The youko spun in time to block the blow from the sword, but Hiei swung his body with the ease of an acrobat, slamming both feet into his enemy's chest in quick succession. The brown fox stumbled back, winded, and Hiei finally found his opening.

A flash of light, a spray of blood. Hiei landed in a crouch amid red-speckled snow, his katana gleaming and the frayed hem of his cloak trailing the ground.

The clearing was silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, the youko fell, his body landing on the forest floor with a quiet crunch of snow. Red seeped out from the fresh corpse and formed a puddle beneath it. Hiei watched with a disdainful frown as snow began to powder the youko's cooling flesh.

"I am protecting him," Hiei said firmly. "That is what he needs, and that is what I have promised to do."

Still, as Hiei clumsily wiped and sheathed his sword with one hand, he had to consider the youko's last words. It was true that Hiei was doing what was required of him, but…Kurama was in pain. Perhaps this really was futile…

Nonsense. That youko was no different from the others who had come to take Kurama away! He had only said those things to make Hiei lose his focus. Growling, the young Jaganshi clutched his wounded shoulder and started in the direction of the den. He had best get his wounds treated. After all, he would make a very poor guard if he had only one arm.

x x x

Tree branches were Hiei's favorite shelter. He had learned as a cub that he could escape larger youkai by taking to the trees, and even now he slept in them because he felt safer there than he did on the ground. But he had to admit that a subterranean den was convenient. It was an old badger sett Kurama had used as a hideaway before he went to the human world, and it was surrounded by a large thicket of raspberry brambles—a good defense against predators as well as a source of food in the summer.

By the time Hiei reached the door set into the side of the hill, his eyes were starting to lose focus. He had to make three attempts before he got a grip on the doorknob, and he stumbled over his own feet and a bit of the rug as he entered the den.

Shit, I'm losing too much blood… He could feel it slipping down his chest now. He groaned and parted the front of his cloak, loosening his scarf in hopes of using it to sop up the mess.

"K… Kurama!" Hiei tried to yell, but his voice was too weak for it. "Kurama, where are you?"

A minute passed before the lampweeds that lit the room suddenly flickered, rather like the lights in a human house would when the snow weighed too heavily on the power lines. A door banged somewhere down the hall, and Hiei steeled himself as he heard stomping footsteps. Kurama stormed in a moment later, his bathrobe askew and his long hair pulled up in a messy bun.

"What do you want now, Hiei? I was just about to take a bath! Where the hell have you been, anyway? It's bad enough that I have to stay here day in and day out, but then—"

The silver youko stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of Hiei near the doorway. His eyes widened, and his ears went flat against his head as he looked from Hiei's ashen face to the bloodsoaked scarf clutched to his shoulder.

"You're hurt."

"Am I? I hadn't noticed," Hiei said, too tired to snap. Kurama was in front of him in an instant, prying his hand from his shoulder and examining the wound.

"It's pretty deep," Kurama said. His hard eyes softened slightly. "Is it painful?"

"Not as much as it was," Hiei muttered. "Could you heal it?"

Kurama blinked slowly. "Naturally. But I need to get some things. Take off your cloak and go sit—and keep pressure on the wound."

And then the youko swept away. Hiei shook his head at his friend's retreating back. At least he's not yelling at me now. Maybe I should make a habit of coming home wounded. Suppressing a dry smile, Hiei tossed his cloak and scarf by the door and settled down in the chair in front of the fireplace. Kurama came back not a minute later with a medical kit and a bowl of steaming water.

"How did it happen?" Kurama asked, kneeling in front of Hiei and setting the supplies down.

"Found another youko sneaking up on us. He's dead now."

"I see…" Though Kurama's expression betrayed no worry, his face was a bit paler than usual. He took up the cloth that lay in the bowl and wrung out the water. "Try to hold still."

Hiei clenched his teeth together, preparing himself for the pain. When he nodded permission to go ahead, Kurama pressed the cloth to his shoulder and started cleaning up the blood. Hiei watched him work, his thoughts wandering to the circumstances that had brought them to the den.

x x x

It had started with cramps. One day, Kurama had begun to feel them in his lower abdomen. He had dismissed it as a digestive problem and changed his diet, but when he woke up a week ago with blood in his trousers he realized that the situation was much more serious. Kurama went to Hiei, who in turn escorted the ailing fox to a youko doctor named Sonomi. She brought them both in her office, listened to Kurama's symptoms, and finally asked how old he was.

"I should be nearing my four hundredth," Kurama answered. Sonomi shook her head, a knowing smile on her face.

"You're getting worked up over nothing," the older youko chided. "What you're experiencing is completely normal."

"No it isn't!" Kurama insisted. "People do not bleed unless there is something seriously wrong!"

"Really? You can't think of any other instance when a person might bleed?" Sonomi saw Kurama's blank stare and seemed to be at a loss, as if she thought he was being a bit dense. "The cramps and the blood are both signs that your body is preparing for ovulation."

"Wait," Hiei said as Kurama went very still. "You mean to say he…?"

"To put it in simple terms, Kurama is going into heat."

Hiei blinked and dropped his jaw dumbly, stunned by this news. He closed his mouth and glanced at Kurama to see his reaction. Evidently Kurama thought he had misheard, because he asked Sonomi to repeat what she had said. When she did, and he heard the same thing, his expression turned to disbelief.

"T… There must be some mistake. I'm male. Males don't go into heat." Kurama stared at Sonomi with a strange look in his eyes, as if he rather thought a doctor should know these things.

"Ah, now there's the thing. Technically you aren't male. Youko are a perfect species—hermaphrodites. Some distinguish themselves as male or female based on whether or not they bear cubs, but really there is no difference," Sonomi explained. "As for why you are going into heat, it was most likely triggered by pheromones. Have you been around a pregnant female or cubs?" Sonomi glanced at Hiei slyly. "If not, perhaps your mate has been particularly tender in bed? Orgasm is another common trigger."

Kurama shook his head, looking confused and very embarrassed. But then Hiei remembered something.

"Hold on. Yusuke's woman had a cub recently, didn't she?"

"Oh—yes, Keiko had a baby a month ago. She asked me to sit a few times." Kurama bit his lip nervously. "But surely humans wouldn't…?"

"Humans have pheromones just like any other animal," Sonomi said. "And if a youko senses a pregnant female's pheromones, it sends her body the message that it's a good time for her to get pregnant as well. That is why you have started to ovulate."

Kurama looked down at his knees with some distress.

"I… I see," he said quietly. Then he hissed and curled in on himself, clutching at his stomach. "Ahhh—!"

Sonomi's eyes took on a motherly softness. She tucked Kurama's hair behind his ears and smoothed back the soft, strawberry-pink strands.

"Poor thing," Sonomi murmured. "The cramps are always worst the first time around. I remember my first heat, it was dreadful… But don't worry, the pain will pass once everything is in working order. Another week or so, and then you'll have the best chance of pregnancy."

Kurama glanced up, the pain in his eyes now tinged with alarm. "W-why would I want to get pregnant?"

"Why wouldn't you want to?" Sonomi flicked one of her ears back, glancing at Hiei with a confused frown on her face. "At your age most youko are more than ready to start having some cubs."

"Cubs! I can't have cubs!" Kurama cried. "I don't want to be a father!"

"Mother," Sonomi said patiently. "The one who bears child is female by definition, so it would make more sense if you started referring to yourself as such."

Kurama looked as if he'd been struck. Hiei doubted if anyone had ever spoken to him that way before—like he was a child who didn't know what he was talking about…or more correctly, like he was a woman letting her hormones run rampant.

"Now, for my prescription." Sonomi's voice took a businesslike air. "Some nice tea and heating pads will help with the cramps. I'm afraid you'll have to wait the bleeding out, but your fluids should be running clear in a week or so. Until they do, I'd suggest you use pads so that you don't stain your clothes. The cloth ones would be best, they're comfortable and reusable. You can get some right here at the clinic, and they come in lovely patterns, I'm sure you would like them."

Kurama took one look at Hiei's too-blank face and burst into horrified tears. Sonomi watched as he ran from the office and then shook her head in exasperation.

"Goodness, the hormones are doing a number on that one…"

"Tell me something I don't know," Hiei grumbled. Sonomi smiled.

"Don't worry. Her cramps will ease up about the same time she starts running clear, and then she'll be in a much better mood. In fact, you probably won't be able to keep her off you. Don't feel bad if you can't keep up with her, it's pretty much impossible even for a virile youkai like yourself. You might consider getting her some toys."

"…And why exactly are you telling me this?" Hiei asked.

"Well, you are Kurama's mate, aren't you?"

"No. He has none."

Sonomi paled. "But… Ohhh, this is bad."

"How so? He likes his freedom, and he would hate being tied down to a mate."

"You don't understand! If she doesn't have a mate, she could really get hurt!" Sonomi saw the sudden sharpness of Hiei's eyes and explained. "If we stayed at full power during our heat, we would tear our mates apart just because we're too frustrated. A youko's power has to go dormant during heat, and even the weakest youkai could take advantage of that."

Hiei looked away, uncomfortable. He had sensed Kurama's youki turning inward and hoped it was just his imagination, but now Sonomi had confirmed his suspicions. Kurama wouldn't stand a chance if left on his own.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"Mate her," Sonomi said immediately. "Find a den somewhere, get her comfortable, and—"

"Out of the question," Hiei said flatly. "Any other options?"

"You…could act as her guardian," Sonomi said, sounding very doubtful. "Protect her without mating her, like a father or brother. But I wouldn't advise it—she likely won't thank you for your efforts, and there is little benefit in protecting something that isn't really yours."

"He's my closest ally and confidant, that's good enough."

"All right, suit yourself," Sonomi shrugged. "But I'd take a few precautions if I were you… And make sure she goes natural until she's running clear. That human body isn't going to hold up very well."

x x x

And so, after enduring a long and cringe-inducing talk about what to expect in the next week, Hiei had left Sonomi's office with a bag of items he would have burned on the spot if he weren't so sordidly fascinated by them. He had requested time off from Mukuro's patrol, and Kurama had taken sick leave from his work in the human world, and they both had moved into the little den.

The past week had been nothing short of a nightmare. It was Hiei's duty to protect Kurama from other youkai, but it also fell to Hiei to treat the symptoms of the heat. Kurama complained of cramps, so Hiei brewed herbal teas to ease the ache. Kurama had lost much of his appetite, so Hiei tempted him with his favorite foods to keep him from starving himself. Kurama was moody, so Hiei learned to hold his tongue and wait out the temper tantrums. Hiei did everything that was asked of him as a guardian, and he had learned it was a truly thankless task—it was like being mated, but with none of the benefits.

And worst of all… Despite all his efforts, Kurama suffered. It made Hiei feel useless, like all of his work was in vain.

But there is something I can do to help. If I can just convince him.

Hiei cleared his throat, his face heating up against his will. This wasn't the sort of conversation he had ever envisioned having with his best friend, but it needed to be done. And he was hardly a virgin, he had no reason to be uncomfortable talking about…it. Sex, he thought to himself stubbornly. Sex sex sex sex sex. There, it's not so difficult. It's just a word. Now talk to him.

"Kurama," Hiei said with a little too much purpose.

"Listen, I know it hurts, but this is the best I can do," Kurama said tersely.

"What? No—" Damn, he hadn't even started yet and he'd already messed up! "It's all right, it doesn't hurt that much. You're doing well."

Kurama blinked, eyes widening slightly. Hiei thought he saw something in his expression change. Before he could attempt to figure out what that look meant, the youko had returned his attention to the wound and resumed cleaning it.

"…Thank you," Kurama said quietly.

Hiei peered at him for a moment, trying to determine his mood. He didn't seem to be as hostile as he had been in the past week. On the contrary, the wary tension in Kurama's body had disappeared, and his whole being radiated a sort of quiet acceptance of Hiei's presence. This was the time to speak—now, when Kurama was at ease and possibly open to suggestion.

"Fox." An ear flicked forward to show Kurama was listening. "That youko I told you about. He had four tails."

"Over three hundred years old," Kurama murmured. "He must have been very strong, or else very clever."

"Yes. He was both, actually. Handsome as well, in his kitsunemimi form," Hiei said, smothering any resentment he might have felt because the youkai he was talking about was, after all, dead. "Nice coloration, symmetrical body. I'm not an expert on youko, but he seemed very well-bred."

"Hiei," Kurama said, ears drawing back uneasily, "what are you…?"

"And he said something that made me think. He said I was keeping you from what you need." Hiei took a deep breath and looked at his friend, meeting his eyes. "Kurama. Don't you think you would be happier if you were with a mate?"

Kurama almost dropped the cloth.

"What?"

"I know when Sonomi first talked about it you said you didn't want one," Hiei said quickly, "but if I found a good mate for you, one who would take care of you, then maybe—"

"Hiei," Kurama interrupted, his voice cold enough that Hiei almost shivered. "I'm not interested in letting some stranger fuck me in holes that I didn't even know I had a month ago."

"Why do you make it sound like that?" Hiei shot back. "It's not some horrible indignity, it's just sex. Females go into heat all the time."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a woman!" Kurama snapped.

Then why don't you stop acting like one! Hiei wanted to yell. Thankfully, he had learned some patience over the past week and managed to keep his mouth shut. "I know you aren't. But you can't deny that you have certain needs."

"It is an instinct, not a need. Do not mistake them. So maybe my body is pushing me to find a mate—if I were to follow that instinct, what then? I would be stuck bearing his young." Kurama returned the cloth to the bowl and sent a cool look at Hiei. "I have no intention of wasting my life raising cubs."

"First of all, raising cubs is not a waste. It's…" Hiei flushed uncomfortably, not wanting to admit that he had given the subject thought. In truth, he was at the age when a normal fire youkai would be going wild on every female in his territory, but his ice maiden blood helped him control his baser instincts. "There is nothing wrong with having cubs."

"So says a youkai who doesn't face the possibility," Kurama scoffed.

"Oh, and I suppose Shiori wasted her life raising you?"

"In point of fact. Human children are pretty much helpless when they're born and remain so for several years afterward. My mother had to stop working until I was five. In other words, she wasted five years of her life cleaning up spittle and changing diapers. Having a child was a rather foolish decision on her part."

Hiei stared. That was not the response he'd expected. He had only mentioned Shiori because he'd been sure Kurama would yield—his love for that human woman was one thing Hiei never doubted. For him to call her foolish and say she had wasted her time… Kurama couldn't be in his right mind. His fear and hormones were getting the better of him. Unfortunately, if Hiei pointed this out the bastard would just get upset and deny it. Clearing his throat, Hiei decided to change tactics.

"Okay," he said cautiously, "I understand. You don't want to raise cubs. That doesn't mean you can't have sex. You could use…" Hiei frowned, trying to remember the word for the latex, sheath-like things Sonomi had packed in his bag of goodies. "You could use those 'condom' things."

"Few youkai know what they are, let alone how to use them correctly," Kurama said in a petulant voice, raising a hand to his hair and sifting through it in search of seeds.

"But you do," Hiei pointed out. "You could teach—"

"What youkai would bother learning how to use human contraception just to sleep with me?"

"I w…" Gold eyes snapped to him and Hiei quickly changed his wording. "…wouldn't be surprised if there were youkai willing to learn."

"Tch." Kurama returned to his hair, resuming his search. "I would."

"So you would rather suffer through this thing alone?"

"You said that you would stay with me. Or are you going to abandon me?" Kurama asked coldly.

"What? No, I—"

"Just admit it. You're sick of me and want to push me off on someone else."

Hiei stared in shock for a long moment. Kurama's upper lip curled with disgust, clearly taking Hiei's silence as confirmation. But then there was a sharp pull on his hair, and Kurama yelped as Hiei tugged his head back roughly.

"Ouch! Ahh, Hiei!"

"Do not put words in my mouth, Kurama," Hiei said, voice a low growl. He tightened his grip on Kurama's hair, not showing the least bit of concern when the youko let out a strangled cry. "I promised that I would protect you, take care of you and provide anything you needed. Do you think I'm the type to break a promise like that? Do you think so little of your guardian—your friend? If that's the case, maybe I should leave. At least the youkai who claims you will thank me for protecting you until he could get to you."

Kurama whimpered faintly, but Hiei stood his ground. He knew that this was a low blow. He knew that Kurama was a proud youko, and that reminding him of his current weakness was hardly fair. But Hiei would be damned if he was going to be insulted. So he glared into his friend's eyes and tightened his grip on that liquid silver hair, hoping this show of dominance would be enough to gain some respect. When Kurama didn't respond, Hiei took it a step further.

"Well, Kurama?" Hiei prompted. "Should I leave?"

Kurama looked away.

"Hiei…" Golden eyes closed as the youko took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I… My brain knows that you're only trying to do what's best for me. It's just…my body doesn't care." Kurama looked up at Hiei, eyes confused and pleading. "It hurts so much."

Hiei sighed, loosening his grip on Kurama's hair. That was better—Kurama was treating him with proper respect now. He felt a little bad about losing his temper, especially since Sonomi had warned him that vixens were aggressive prior to mating, and that it was best to yield to them in a confrontation; fighting back rarely ended well. But he didn't care, he was getting the respect he deserved and that's all that mattered to him.

"Just hang on a little longer, Fox," Hiei said, hoping to show his friend that he was benevolent if not submissive. "This will all be over soon."

Kurama stared at him for a long moment. Though his eyes were teary, Hiei had the strange feeling that the youko was measuring him. Then, slowly, Kurama closed his eyes and plucked a seed from his hair.

"Thank you for being so patient with me," Kurama said softly. "I know how hard it must be for you."

Kurama carefully pushed some youki into the seed. A small shoot emerged, tiny reddish leaves uncurling and roots looping themselves around his hand. Hiei sighed, knowing that this moment of clarity wouldn't last long. He watched idly as Kurama's weakened youki nourished the little sprout. Once the plant was grown, Kurama cut its stalk and caught its watery sap in his hand. Hiei jerked and cursed when the sap was spread over the skin around his wound.

"Ouch!" Hiei hissed painfully. "What the hell is that?"

"Youkin-moyakusou."

"'Demon virus-burning herb'?"

"Yes, that's it. It's the best herb there is for preventing infection. Though it's not the most pleasant experience…" Kurama tipped his head downward, peering at Hiei through his lashes—and he was smirking. Oh Hell, Hiei thought with dread, recognizing the look Kurama gave to his enemies when he had led them into a trap. "It will hurt much more once it enters the wound. Take care not to swallow your tongue."

"K-Kurama?" Hiei's vision slid so that he was looking at the wicked smiles of two silver youko. He blinked, trying to clear the double away, but then pain struck him like lightning and all he saw was white.

"Kuramaaa!" he screamed. "Y-you bastard! What have you— AHHHH!"

Heat suddenly seared inside of him, hotter than the black flames he had nearly died trying to tame. And now he was back on the cliffs of Hanging Neck Island, screaming as salt water sprayed on the burnt black flesh of arm. It was too soon, he had tried too fast to master the flames of hell and he was paying for it dearly. He would never be able to use his arm again, never, but he had been too young and arrogant to believe he had limits, and now he was shaking, terrified, weighed down by the presence of a power too great for his body. Too much… Too much.

It took a minute for the pain to lessen. By the time Hiei regained his senses, he felt his entire arm throbbing. Blinking dizzily, he flopped his head to the side so he could look down at his shoulder. The flesh around the wound looked red and irritated, but there was no blood—just something clear and shiny sealed into the cut.

Kurama peered at him for a moment, eyes bright with satisfaction. Damn…it… Hiei cursed his naiveté. Kurama hadn't been intimidated by his show of dominance at all; he had been feigning sincere distress so that Hiei would let his guard down… The bastard had no sense of honor at all.

Hiei sank down in his chair. Don't fight back, he reminded himself. Just back down. Drop your pride and back down.

"That…wasn't so bad."

The corner of Kurama's mouth twitched up, and Hiei felt his face burn with humiliation. He suddenly thought of the human males who did the bidding of their mates, washed dishes and held purses and all sorts of things that other men would point and laugh at them for doing. How do they do it? Hiei wondered angrily. How can they stand to be so…so emasculated?

…It's because their wives show their appreciation afterward.

Hiei frowned, trying to rein in the urge to wrap his hands around Kurama's throat as he watched the youko reach into the medical kit for a bandage. What was he getting out of this? Why did he endure day after day of humiliation when Kurama offered no reward for his efforts? Was it for friendship? Was it because Kurama was a valuable ally? Was there any benefit at all in staying with the fox?

Kurama pressed some batting over Hiei's wound and wrapped the roll around, tight enough to stay in place but loose enough to allow blood flow to the arm.

"All done." Kurama's voice was a purr of pleasure. "You should be able to remove the bandages tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," Hiei muttered. He clenched his eyes shut. I could leave him. I could leave him here and I would never have to deal with him again. But that would mean losing a good friend, a good ally… Hiei smiled cynically. That bastard youko was right after all—I won't take him myself, but I'm too selfish to let someone else have him. "It's okay if you want to go take your bath now. I'll just be sleeping out here. Wake me up when you're hungry, I'll make you some dinner."

"I can cook for myself."

"I know. But the offer's open if you decide you'd rather have me do it." Hiei felt his mouth twitch with self-contempt. "I'm here to serve you."

For a second there was silence. Hiei felt a sudden wave of anger rolling from Kurama and opened his eyes warily, wondering what he could have done wrong this time. He barely caught the look of deepest frustration on Kurama's face before the fox shook his head.

"Get some sleep," Kurama said. "Don't worry about my dinner, I'll probably be in the bath for a while. There… There's still some of the rabbit left from this morning, if you want it."

Hiei blinked, nonplussed. Flushing, Kurama hurried away and nearly slammed the bathroom door on his own tail. Hiei stared for a minute before shrugging unconcernedly. The fox was acting even stranger than usual, but he'd ask about that later. For now, Hiei leaned back into his chair and readied himself for a hard-earned nap.

A/N: End part one.

-I will refer to a youko's fox-eared, humanlike form as kitsunemimi. This is a variation of kemonomimi, which means "animal ears" and refers to any humanlike character with animal ears. "Youko" refers to Youko Kurama or any other full-blooded fox demon that appears in this story, and I may refer to the redheaded Kurama as a "fox" (as in a fox of the human world).

-The Japanese anime says that Kurama is a thousand years old, but the Funimation dub says he's somewhere over three hundred. Since Kurama is clearly shown with four tails in the anime and most legends say that a kitsune gains one tail every hundred years, I think the English version makes more sense for once. Let's just assume that when Yomi said they hadn't met in "a thousand years" he meant it figuratively, because otherwise we're going by the other legend, where a new tail is gained every THOUSAND years (Kurama being over three thousand sounds excessive).

-The second lemony-lime chapter will be posted as soon as I've put the finishing touches on it, probably tonight or tomorrow. Please tell me what you think!

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