Ready stance. Back stance. Left arm up, right elbow raised. Touch left hand to right elbow, then left hand clasps right hand. Elbow back, elbow front. Feet together...

It would have been much easier if he didn't have an audience.

Hiei sighed and spun around to give Kurama a look. "Must you sit there all the time?"

The youko drew one knee up and toyed with a strand of his silver hair. "I'm just watching," he assured him. "Your new fighting style is very interesting."

"It's not 'new'," Hiei corrected, turning back to study his stance in the mirror. "It's been around for centuries. And I've been using it for several years."

"It's still new to me," the plant demon replied. "I guess I'll always see you as an advocate for Jaoh Ensatsu Ken."

"I still am, but why stop at mastering one style?" He pivoted and delivered a spinning crescent kick to the air. "I've at least a few thousand years ahead of me, yet. I have plenty of time to work on developing others skills. Besides," he added, dropping his guard and turning back to the youko, "I worked on magic for years." He flicked his finger, watching a tiny flame materialize on its tip. "I want to concentrate more on honing physical techniques for awhile." He made the flame dance from one finger to another. "I can control and emit fire like it's second nature now. I don't even have to think about it. So I want to concentrate more on being able to win fights with nothing but martial arts and formal weaponry."

"I can understand that," Kurama replied, lying down and stretching out on the training mats. "I've noticed your youki talent growing steadily over the years, becoming stronger... You've grown up... Have you done much aerial combat training lately?"

Hiei frowned at his reflection. "Not really," he admitted. "I'm still not used to them."

There were a few moments of silence, and then...

"May I see them?" his friend requested.

He hesitated. "You've seen them before."

From the mirror, Hiei saw the youko try to contain his chuckles as he pushed himself to his knees. "I have," he replied with amusement. "I'll never forget that day." His shoulders shook again as he laughed silently, probably remembering the morning Hiei had discovered them, and how hysterical he'd been. His shouting had brought Kurama, Kiren, Omni, and Mukuro running... "But you never unfold them," his friend went on. "I only saw them for a few minutes. I'd like to see them again."

He inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. After a quick glance to make sure no one was around, he nodded. "Fine...but only for a minute."

He stripped his shirt away and spread his wings, wincing as the leather appendages made themselves known. It had been a day or so since he'd let them unfold, and they were cramped up. He stretched them, allowing them a couple of little flaps to loosen up.

Now he couldn't see Kurama at all - his left wing was blocking his view - but he heard the youko's sigh. "They're beautiful, you know?"

Hiei scowled. "No, they're not. They're hideous." He touched the tip of his right wing and scowled harder. They were...wrong. They didn't match him at all. They were a deep, leathery green, completely contrasting with his pale, Koorime features. He didn't have leathery skin. He wasn't even scaled... Being a male Koorime was bad enough. Did they have to make him a male Koorime with Hiryuu wings, too?

"They are not," Kurama insisted, rising to his feet. He was suddenly visible again as he walked closer and came to stand at his side. "You just need a little more time to become accustomed to them."

"I don't want to become accustomed to them," Hiei bit out. "I want to slice them off."

Kurama blinked, reaching out cautiously to touch. He stopped inches away and raised an eyebrow. "May I?" Hiei shook his head and drew the wing inward towards him. Kurama didn't insist. "You can't really cut them off...can you?"

"I can." He sniffed and drew the other wing closer until they both covered the front of his body. "...But it would be stupid," he admitted. "Like cutting off a leg."

"So you won't?"

"No. But I want to." He hated them. They were an added constant reminder that he was...abnormal. He was the product of antipodes - the product of a Fire elemental and an Ice elemental, a hiryuu and a koorime.

When it had first happened, Mukuro had been happy for him. "Now you know what race your father was," she had said. What she didn't seem to understand was that he hadn't wanted to know what race his father had been. He'd been content as he was, as the son of a koorime and an unknown fire demon. He'd put his origins behind him, for the most part, remaining in the Demon World, away from his sister - away from the reminder that he was too different to have a home. But when the wings had come, they had hurt more than his vanity. They had ripped through his back and announced, "Hey, remember that you're a forbidden bastard that nobody wanted?"

...Well, they hadn't "ripped through" his back at all. Weeks before he'd woken up with a new set of limbs, he'd been having back pain of varying degrees. Sometimes it would itch between his shoulder blades, and other times it would hurt like hell. He hadn't thought much of it, and had simply asked Kurama for medication to dull the ache. What he hadn't known was that the itching had been the signal that he would soon be becoming a fully mature adult - by Hiryuu standards. They meant that he was exiting adolescence, or so was the best interpretation he could come up with. Kurama had likened it to humans getting their "wisdom teeth" later in adolescence.

So, after years of struggling to come to grips with being a "male Ice Maiden," he'd discovered that he also had genes from a Hiryuu: a winged demon with dark, leathery skin. One would think that the discovery would make him feel complete. If anything, it just made him feel worse about his origins. In Makai, when you looked at someone, you were generally able to determine what race of Demon he was. He was tired of people looking at him and thinking, "And just what the hell is he?"

"But they're magnificent," Kurama said. "They're so dark...they accent your skin."

Thank you, Kurama, he thought with a wince. Kurama just didn't seem to understand, either. Koorime were fair-skinned, hiryuu were dark-skinned. He was...both. He was...odd. "They muddle my balance," he muttered.

"Have you tried flying with them?"

"I can fly, but I can't fight in the air. It's too awkward."

Kurama blinked. "I haven't seen you fly."

"I didn't exactly broadcast it," he retorted, folding the wings back in and bending to pick up his shirt. "I do it when no one else is around." He pulled his shirt back on.

When his head popped through the hole, he realized the youko had curled his tail around his waist. "You shouldn't be so self-conscious, you know. They don't make you look bad at all."

Hiei "hmphed" and pushed the tail away. "That's easy for you to say - they're not sticking out of you."

Kurama gave him an odd look. "I have a tail. Some demons have horns, some have webbed feet, some have claws... The list goes on."

"That's not the same," Hiei argued.

"How is it not the same?"

"Because you're Youko. You're supposed to have a tail. I'm not, because I'm a half-breed."

Kurama shook his head. "There are countless other half-breeds, Hiei."

"But none that are Koorime. Koorime aren't supposed to be mating with any other species..." He rubbed at his arm. "I've gotten used to having the features... I didn't need..." No, there was no need to dwell on yet another imperfection about him. Better to let the hungry dragon have its pony, as they said.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm going to wash up before dinner," he announced, making his way to the door. "I'll see you there, okay?"

"All right," Kurama replied.

Hiei gave his friend a brief smile and left the room.

It had taken all Kurama had not to interpret it as, "Will you be joining me in the bath?" There was no way that, after all these years, a chance like that would simply drop down in his lap. But still...it couldn't hurt to hope, could it?

He scuffed his feet against the stone tiles on his way back to his chambers. He supposed he should be grateful for what he had. After all, Hiei was his best friend, no one else's. Not even Mukuro had the same kind of bond with him as Kurama did. And it was because of Hiei that he was in Alaric, in Mukuro's fortress. When Shiori had passed away, Kurama had taken the opportunity to leave Ningenkai and return to the Demon World. When Hiei had asked where he'd planned on staying, he'd confessed that he hadn't given it much thought. He could have, he'd supposed, returned to one of his dens strewn about the regions. But after living as a human with real friends and affection for nearly a quarter of a century, he hadn't been looking forward to such a solitary life.

But then, Hiei had pulled some strings with Mukuro, and soon Kurama found himself with an invitation to stay at Alaric's fortress. And not only was he allowed to live there and roam about wherever he liked, he was also given a position as a Defense Officer. He was in charge of the fortress' security. Why Mukuro had allowed a renowned thief to be in charge of something like that was beyond him, so he could only assume that she had done it because Hiei had vouched for him. And since she listened to Hiei so attentively, Kurama had assumed that they were more than friends.

But that had been decades ago, and since then, he'd learned that Hiei and Mukuro weren't an item anymore than he and Hiei were.

...He'd also learned that Mukuro wanted to be more than friends with Hiei just as much as he did.

...And they'd both learned that Hiei was an idiot.

Well, maybe not an idiot, but definitely oblivious to the most obvious of things. Combined, Kurama was certain that he and Mukuro had tried every single hint in the book - without delving into the back pages that involved unsolicited advances and frivolous assaults that might be answered with a katana through the gut. They had tried constant conversation, innuendo, suggestive clothing - well, that had been Mukuro, not him - casual touching... Damn, Kurama had even resorted to downright stalking him, and Hiei's only response had been a dry, "If you want to spy on me, at the very least you could cloak your ki." Kurama was seriously starting to believe that Hiei had inherited the Koorime asexuality, because nothing they had tried seemed to work.

In fact, they were having so little luck that they had decided to become allies instead of rivals. They figured that, combined, Hiei would have to notice one of them eventually. And if one of them managed to snare him... Well...at least both of them wouldn't have to be lonely.

But the problem was, Hiei hadn't acknowledged any of their advances. And now, it was unlikely that he ever would - especially because he was coming to grips with discovering what other race he was. The spreading of his wings had made it easy to tell what race his father had been. One could tell by the color and texture that Hiei was half hiryuu, and there were some parts of him that, if one were observant, clearly announced that he was also half koorime: his eyes, his figure, and his height.

It had taken Hiei several years to get used to being of Fire and Ice, but then, he wasn't alone. There were thousands of other half-breeds among demons. True, half-breed Koorime were not nearly so abundant, given the Koorime method of tossing newborns out to die, but still...if one wanted to be technical, Yukina was half Ice and half Fire, too. Just because she didn't harbor any of the physical or magical attributes of her father didn't mean that her inside was any different than Hiei's. So after realizing that, Hiei had become...okay...with his antipodal origins. But then the wings had come, and since the wings symbolized late adolescence for a hiryuu, it was likely that Hiei's body was getting a tad confused - some parts wanting to behave like the male he was and others wanting to act like a female ice demon.

In other words, Hiei was in a state of mild depression, stuck in the stage many adolescents went through as they grew up. He hated his wings, and Kurama simply couldn't understand why. Did Hiei have any idea just how many people would love to have a pair of wings?

And more importantly...did Hiei have any idea just how incredible he was - wings or no?

After he made sure he was alone in the clearing, Hiei took off his cloak and shirt. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and then spread his wings with a little wince. He never really liked spreading them; he had a hard time believing that they could remain folded in that way without damage, and that they would crack when he tried to free them.

Kurama's words still lingered in his mind. He knew he was in the throes of some sort of adolescent phase, which was why he was so...melancholy lately, and somehow, the fact that Kurama - and Mukuro - would always try to make him feel better helped a lot. He still hated the wings, and would do so for an indeterminate time, but the stress caused by the changes were a lot easier to deal with because of them.

...And Kurama didn't think his wings were ugly. For some reason, that lifted a huge weight off his chest.

He stretched the leathery appendages for a few seconds. He didn't use them very often, and certainly didn't trust them to carry him right away. When he was sure they wouldn't crack or make some other equally cringing sound, he aimed his gaze at one of the threes and tried to concentrate on them. He gave them a couple of flaps that weren't intended to bring him anywhere, and then pushed off and let the wings fan out and steady him.

He didn't go very high, but high enough to hover. He still wasn't used to flying, and he didn't want to place himself in any unnecessary danger. So, he simply floated in place for a few minutes, trying to flap his wings rhythmically. Flapping a pair of wings was a lot harder than it looked - especially when one was a demon who hadn't been born with them.

"Hiei?"

The voice startled him and in his surprise, he lost his momentum and fell to the ground. Thankfully, he managed to land on his feet, but his teeth jarred painfully when he hit the soil. He turned to stare at the owner of the voice, feeling slightly embarrassed for being caught. "Mukuro? What are you doing here?"

"Out for some exercise," she explained, looking at his wings and not bothering to hide it. "I can't say I expected to find you out here."

Hiei winced. "I don't exactly announce where I go to practice...flying."

"Because of them?" she asked, gesturing to the leather appendages that were now a permanent part of him. He didn't answer. "Well, I think they're wonderful," she sniffed. "And I think you're being ridiculous. If you don't want the wings, I'll take them."

He gave her a wry smile. "That may be a little painful."

She studied him for a few moments more, and then asked, "Could I touch them?"

Why did everyone want to touch them? For a moment, he nearly refused her, but after a moment's consideration, he nodded. "If you want to." Maybe if he let her, she wouldn't keep asking. Maybe I'll let Kurama touch them next time...

He swallowed when she moved behind him, feeling a little apprehensive. What would she think...when she touched them? He wondered if she expected them to be feathery...because they weren't.

He tensed when one of her fingers traced the edge of one, but when she didn't snatch her hand back in disgust, he started to relax. The strangest thing about having wings was that...they had feeling. Well, he knew they would have feeling, but... It was just...odd. Like having someone rub his back, but...different at the same time. He felt himself shiver slightly when she started palming the planes of the wings. It was a new feeling; he couldn't say he'd rubbed his own wings before.

"They're smooth," she murmured.

He blinked and took a step forward, slowly drawing away from her hand. "Thanks," he muttered, folding the wings in again.

"...I'm going to get ready for dinner," she said a moment later. "Will you be joining us?"

He'd told Kurama he would be there, but...he wanted to fly for a little while more... "I might," he answered, "but don't worry if I'm not there. I may stay here for awhile more."

"Very well." She walked past him and touched his shoulder on the way by. "So I'll see you later?"

He gave her a little wave. "Yeah. Later."

When she left the clearing, he unfolded the wings again. Maybe he would give aerial combat a try...

There should be a law against eating this well, Kurama mused as he made his way back to his chambers. One of the best things about living with Mukuro was that the woman had impeccable taste when it came to...just about everything. The food, the drink, the clothing available... Everything was always wonderful there - especially the evening meal selections.

...Of course, that led Kurama to overeat, at times...but it was usually worth it. He could always spar with Hiei later on to take off the extra pound or so he might have gained.

Speaking of Hiei... Kurama wondered if the fire demon was back yet. Hiei was infamous for staying out later than necessary, doing whatever it was he did out there by himself - though if Kurama had to guess, he'd pick "training." But sometimes he came back early, and Kurama used those evenings to spend time with him. They would talk for a few hours, and Kurama would hope that the talking would progress to something more as the night wore on...but then Hiei would say something like, "It's late. Maybe you should get some sleep," and Kurama would take the hint and go. He was fairly certain that Hiei didn't do it to be mean, but...it was still a let-down.

He reached Hiei's room at the end of the hall. He knocked twice, but Hiei didn't answer. Wondering if the fire demon was asleep, Kurama opened the door and took a quick peek inside. Hiei was adorable when he was asleep, and he wasn't about to waste a chance to see that face.

But when he entered the bedroom, the dim light was still on. Then he saw the body on the bed and determined that it...wasn't Hiei. "Mukuro?" he asked, mildly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

The Lady turned over so that she was facing him. She was lying in a fetal position, hugging one of Hiei's pillows to her. "Hello, Kurama."

He gave her a brief smile. "What are you doing here?" he asked again.

"The same thing you are," she replied. "Waiting for Hiei to come back."

"So you can talk to him?"

"That's about all I can ever do to him," she lamented with a small grin. "So, I take what I can get."

Kurama sighed quietly. "You haven't had anymore luck than I have, hm?"

"I'm afraid not, youko," Mukuro sighed. "And it's not likely that he'll be giving us the time of day anytime soon, either." She corrected herself immediately, "No. That's not the right way to say it. He always gives us the time of day. He just..."

"Doesn't give us the time of night," Kurama finished.

The Lady nodded. "I'm more than happy to have him as a friend. He's wonderful. But..."

Unrequited love. Kurama knew the feeling. He knew it all too well; he had both felt it and dealt it. So...he knew both sides of it. For the victim, their heart would ache to see the one they loved ignore them, or walk with someone else on their arm. And for the one desired...sometimes the feelings the victim felt for them...they simply couldn't return. That had happened several times when he would bed with a woman. She would confess her love for him, and he...just didn't feel the same way. He didn't dislike the woman in any way, but he just couldn't love her. Kurama had also felt unrequited love many times over his long life, but in the end, he always realized that it had been infatuation. He'd been a young, notorious thief, and he'd had the honor of meeting and conversing with many others. One would almost expect him to have fallen for a couple of them.

But for Hiei...it wasn't infatuation. Both he and Mukuro had discussed their feelings for the fire demon many times in the past and had come to the same conclusion. It was love. They were both in love with the same person. Fortunately, they got along well enough so that they'd been able to work out their agreement.

"What kind of person is he," Kurama spoke, continuing his train of thought aloud, "to snatch two incredible people like us...and then ignore us?"

Mukuro chuckled and sat up. She patted the space on the bed next to her invitingly. "I don't know. There's something about him that just makes you love him..." She picked at the pillow. "Maybe because he doesn't love himself very much - that leaves a lot for other people to love."

Kurama made an affirmative noise. "I think the more depressed he is, the blinder he gets."

"Meaning?"

"I...touched him today, and he just shrugged me off without even a glance."

"You touched him?" The "where?" went unasked, but not unheard.

"I put my tail around his waist, and I didn't even get a, 'Why are you doing that?'" He sighed softly. "He was still going on about those wings."

"He still hates them?" Mukuro inquired. At Kurama's nod, she frowned. "That's a little odd... When I saw him, he was hovering with them. He let me touch them. They're very sensitive..."

Kurama frowned back. "He let you touch them?" Hiei hadn't let him touch the wings... "And he was using them, too?" He allowed himself a tiny, proud smile. "Maybe some of what I told him managed to get through..." He blinked. "What do you mean, they're 'very sensitive'?"

Mukuro chuckled. "Just what it sounds like: they're a sensitive area of his body. No, nothing happened."

"Unrequited love sucks."

"No. If it sucked, it would feel a lot better than it does."

Kurama laughed. "Point taken. Let me rephrase: Unrequited love is...lonely - and absolutely no fun." He flopped back onto the mattress. "I can't remember the last time I've come to completion..."

"How odd for a youko," Mukuro mused.

"I assure you, my dear, the infamous Youko Lust is highly mythical. We're not nearly that promiscuous. Erotic and playful, yes, but we do not just hop in bed with anyone we meet."

"Not even if you're lonely and need a deeper kind of affection?"

"Not even then."

"I suppose not," Mukuro agreed. "Men can do things for themselves that women generally don't."

"We can, but it isn't, in my opinion, as good as the real thing. So I'm in the same boat as you. No love, no affection, no pleasure, and in love with someone who has no idea what he means to me."

Mukuro flopped down next to him and tossed the pillow away. "It's cruel, isn't it? We're powerful demons, both in mind and body, and here we are...moping around because Hiei doesn't seem to think of either of us as more than a friend. We're pathetic."

"But we're pathetic together," Kurama put forth. "We're not really alone, because we have each other. Even if we mope for a thousand years more, we won't be moping alone."

Mukuro turned to raise herself on one elbow and stare down at him. "...You're a good man now, Kurama. I can see why Hiei is friends with you."

He smiled up at her. "And you're an admirable woman. I can see why Hiei is friends with you."

She smiled at him, and he found himself looking at her as though for the first time. At first glance, one might be mildly shocked at the sight of her metallic limbs. But when one stared at her for more than a moment, the beauty could be seen. His eyes wandered to the simple clothing she was wearing. Unlike most women of her status, Mukuro preferred to clothe herself simply. Her outfit at the moment consisted of sandstone breeches and a green tunic, but her body made the mundane clothes look like royal robes. She was an admirable woman. If he didn't love Hiei so much, he probably would have considered courting her.

"The next best thing," she murmured.

He blinked. "Hm?"

She blinked, too, as if realizing what she'd said. She sighed and rolled onto her back again. "I was just thinking..."

"The next best thing?" he wondered.

"Mm-hm. The next best thing to love is comfort from a close friend."

Oh...? "You and me, you mean?"

She hesitated before answering. "...Would it be wrong?"

He thought about it. "Considering the circumstances... No, I don't think so." He rolled over so that he was looking down at her. "I don't think so," he said again.

She nodded, and in one swift movement, reached up and seized a handful of his silver hair. He followed the pull as quickly as he could to avoid having his precious locks yanked from his scalp. By the time her grip loosened, their mouths had met, opening on contact, allowing the other's tongue to enter and taste. And as soon as the kiss began, Kurama realized just how much he missed...physical stimulation... Need... I need...

Mukuro was apparently as starved for affection as he was, because her fingers were tangling in his hair and pressing him even closer, so close that he began to worry that he would choke her if he wasn't careful. Strong she may have been, but Mukuro was still a small woman - roughly the same size and shape as Hiei - and he was seven feet tall.

He told his tongue to be careful and rolled atop her, keeping mind not to put his weight on her. His ears twitched playfully when her fingers started stroking them. Contrary to what he'd expected, her metallic hand wasn't cool or rough, and it didn't get tangled painfully in his hair, either.

He dragged his mouth away from hers with obvious effort and sat back. He licked his lips. "I forgot what this felt like," he commented, hands going to strip away the white robes he preferred to wear when he was in his pure youko form.

She was already tugging off her tunic, and he felt her legs move under him as she toed her boots off. "So did I... It's been so long..." She reached up to touch one of his nipples.

He was starting to get aroused, and the sight of her pale breasts was only accelerating the process. He wanted to lean forward and lavish attention on the two perfect globes...but first he wanted to strip away the rest of their clothing, so they could see all of each other.

He stood so he could start shedding his breeches, and watched as she immediately caught on and started undoing the fastenings of her own. Kurama threw his pants somewhere to the right. Then he turned and bent to seize the cuffs of Mukuro's and tug them off, knowing that the pose would give her a clear view of his bottom. He heard her appreciative sigh and wagged his tail as he threw her breeches in the general direction his had gone.

He turned back and made to pounce on her, grinning as she turned her head away in mild fright. But instead of leaping onto her, he simply lowered himself back to all fours above her form. His hair slipped around their faces, and she opened her good eye, looking up at him inside their tiny cocoon of hair.

"I won't deny it," she told him, "youko are beautiful. You've earned your right to be prideful."

Kurama pretended to look wounded. "That is also a myth. Youko are not that vain. Those who are have given us a bad name." He slid down a little and touched his tongue to her right nipple, wetting it with his saliva. He blew on it and watched it pebble up. "You have earned your right to be vain, however. You're very beautiful."

She sighed softly and gripped the long strands of his hair. "You should have seen me when I was younger," she murmured. "I had beauty, then. Now I'm battle-hardened. But I wouldn't have it any other way," she added.

"Nor would I," Kurama agreed. He traced her right breast, where scars had once been. "I think it's wonderful that your skin is healing, but I honestly see you the same way I did before. You're a beautiful, powerful woman. Don't ever change."

He let her pull him by the hair to her breasts. "So long as you never change, youko. Whatever transformation you underwent during your stay in the Human World, it did you good. Stay this way."

"I will," he promised, and then gave her what she was clearly asking for. He glided his tongue around her breasts. Down one slope, into the damp valley and up the other slope, teasingly avoiding the pink tips. He caved when she purred and her fingers crept up to clutch his scalp, and sucked on one nipple, and then the other, swirling his tongue around each nub. He lifted his head to admire his work - and the reactions it had caused. There was just something about breasts that were really fascinating...

Her caught her gaze and grinned at her. She smiled back, looking a little sheepish. "You must think I'm cruel," she murmured. "I haven't done much to reciprocate..."

"I don't," he assured her. "For me...what makes the woman feel good...makes the me feel twice as good..."

He moved down her body, lightly and teasingly. When he reached her abdomen and nibbled the skin under her navel, she spread her legs reflexively, offering her inner thighs and the treasure between them. He trailed light kisses along the skin and gently urged her thighs up and apart so he could go down on her.

Her moans and cries just made him enjoy it more. But as much as he enjoyed giving her the pleasure, this wasn't what he wanted her to orgasm for. He wanted to make her come by thrusting inside her, to give them both pleasure...

He briefly considered preparing her, but she was wet enough to handle him. She cooperated eagerly as he positioned himself and entered her. He went in slowly and gently, because he was rather...well-endowed, but she showed no signs of pain. When he was fully sheathed within her, he paused, letting them both get comfortable with a sensation they hadn't felt in a long time.

"I missed this," Mukuro commented shakily, scratching her nails down his back.

He did, too. He started moving, one slow thrust, and then another. But soon, it started to feel too good, and he lost all sense of reason. He started going faster, making almost inaudible grunts of pleasure to accompany Mukuro's gasps.

He felt his release approaching, and his sheer incapability to make the act last longer was proof of how long it had been for him. He didn't fight his release as it climbed higher within him...and then exploded, sending him into orbit - into that special place you could only visit for a few minutes each time.

As he descended back down from the glorious place Mukuro had brought him, he rolled them to the side so he could rest himself. She was panting a little more heavily than he was, but that was probably because she didn't have as much stamina for this as he did. He held her close, and they basked in the afterglow of climax together.

"Thank you," he murmured in her ear. "I..." He paused to swallow. "I needed this..."

"Thank you," she whispered back. "I...needed it, too."

"Did you...come to completion?" he asked. Women, he knew, did not always reach the point of orgasm.

"Yes," she breathed, sounding immensely satisfied. "I most definitely did..."

He kissed her, a soft peck, and then snuggled deeper against her and the pillows to enjoy their post-coital embrace.

And then the door opened, and light from the hallway flooded the bedroom, illuminating them like a spotlight. Mukuro, whose back was to the door, stiffened. "Who...?" she hissed in surprise.

Kurama tried to gather his senses. He had endurance, but he couldn't say he was the brightest star in the sky immediately after coupling. Who on earth would be coming to his door at a time like this, without knocking--Oh, gods... It wasn't his door, because they weren't in his room. They were in Hiei's room... Which could only mean...

He raised himself to a sitting position and, try as he might, couldn't keep the mortification or guilt from his face. Oh, gods...

Hiei was standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright light, but his features were still visible. And he looked...shocked. His hand was still on the doorknob, and he was frozen still.

Mukuro, by then, had realized something was terribly wrong. She sat up and turned around, and Kurama heard her gasp softly. "Hiei..." she whispered.

They remained that way for a long time, a frozen tableau. Hiei's mouth worked, but it was as though he couldn't get his voice to function. Mukuro appeared to be having the same problem, and Kurama... He...

Kurama swallowed when Hiei aimed his shocked gaze at him, as though he was the one responsible for the entire situation. He swallowed again when he read the questions in those red eyes... What was he supposed to say? What could he say?

So he said the first thing that came to mind.

"...There's room for one more."

Hiei's eyes widened and he took a step back, releasing the doorknob and shaking his head. "What...?" He trailed off, shook his head again, and then turned and was gone in an instant, closing the door over behind him, but not slamming it.

For a few minutes, both Kurama and Mukuro were too stunned to move or speak. I don't believe this... Kurama moaned internally, his mind already providing him with images of Hiei never speaking to him again, or avoiding him, or even worse, hating him.

He was shocked out of his depressing thoughts when Mukuro poked him hard in the shoulder. "Ow!"

"'There's room for one more'?!" she sputtered. "Hiei walks in on us screwing in his bed, and the first thing you say is, 'There's room for one more'?!" She poked him again. "You idiotic youko! We'll be lucky if he doesn't burn the sheets!"

"I don't think he'd be that dramatic..."

She smacked him over the head. "Can you believe this?! We forgot we were in his room! We were fucking in his room! And he saw us!"

"It could have been worse," he said, trying to convince himself as well as her. "He could have walked in when we were in the middle of it..."

She smacked him a second time. "Stupid youko! He thinks we're together!"

"I know," he moaned. "I know, I know... Why the hell did this have to happen?"

He winced at the elbow his ribs received. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?" she demanded.

"Well," he began, seizing her wrist, "the first logical course of action would be for you to stop beating on me."

"Sorry," she muttered. "I'm just...really angry at...myself." She sighed and dropped her head in her hands. "I'm the one who started the whole thing... Why didn't I think to get us to move?"

"It's my fault, too," he consoled. "I played just as big a part. And if you want to get technical," he added in an attempt to make her feel better, "this is all Hiei's fault. If he'd felt the same way about one of us as we do about him, we wouldn't have had to do this."

"...Do you regret it?"

He gave it some thought. "No. I regret Hiei catching us, but I don't regret it. Do you?"

"No. It felt too good." She rubbed her temples. "But you're right. I wish Hiei hadn't shown up... So what are we going to do?"

That was a good question. There wasn't much they could do, really. Hiei had walked in at the most inopportune time and witnessed them performing an act of comfort that he'd surely mistaken as love... No doubt now he thought Kurama and Mukuro were an item. So really, the only option they had was to... "Maybe...we should talk to him..."

"Oh, yes," Mukuro agreed, not quite keeping the sarcasm from her voice. "Let's do that. Maybe we'll start with, 'Hiei, you really should knock before coming into your own room. You never know who may be using your bed for a quick romp these days.'"

He suppressed the urge to poke her. "I meant talk to him about...what we feel." At her widened eyes, he shrugged. "We've tried everything over the years except outright telling him. Maybe if we just say it...we'll find out if he...likes one of us."

"You want us to tell him that we love him?" she asked. "Kurama, it's not that I entirely disagree with you, but I don't think he'd be willing to believe that after seeing us together."

"Then we'll tell him why we did it. We did it so we could have the next best thing to him."

It took a moment, but Mukuro nodded. "When do we tell him?"

"...Tomorrow," he suggested. "Early tomorrow."

"That's fine with me." She stood from the bed and started searching for her clothes. "I only hope he listens to us."

"I'm sure he will," Kurama replied, joining her to search for his own clothing. And Hiei would listen. Kurama knew he would. The question was, what would he think...?

The dojo was quiet and empty for midmorning. Which was just as well, because Hiei wasn't feeling particularly social. He kicked off his boots outside the actual training room, wearing the same thing he'd had on the day before: black breeches with a short green button-down shirt. He hadn't gone back to his room since...the night before...and he didn't plan on doing so for awhile yet. He couldn't believe those two - screwing like rabbits in his room...in his bed! His two best friends, the only two people whom he trusted his life with, were...more than friends. And not only had they hidden the fact from him, but they had coupled in his bed! He...he was angry, furious, livid, and...hurt.

And the last...he simply couldn't explain why he felt it. He should be happy for Kurama and Mukuro...shouldn't he? They were both fantastic people... They deserved each other. They'd been alone for such a long time, it was good that they found one another... They were both his friends, and just because they were lovers now didn't mean he wasn't their friend, anymore... And besides...he didn't have any say in what they did with their personal lives - what they did together was none of his business...

So why did it bother him so much? Unless... I've been alone for a long time, too...

And now, with Kurama and Mukuro's apparent relationship - which appeared to have progressed to sex, so who knew how long it had been going on? - he'd be...even more alone. Before, it had been the three of them. Now...it would be different. Even if they tried to act as though everything was normal, it would be different. It would no longer be the three of them; it would be "them" and...him. He'd be the outcast of the group. The scenario reminded him of when he would watch Yukina play with the animals in the Glacier. He'd never been able to play with her, but only to watch something he could never be a part of.

Much like the current situation. Mukuro and Kurama had something special together, and Hiei would just be an...extra. Three was a crowd, or so a Human saying went.

Damn them both, he hissed mentally, but the thought didn't have much force.

He found himself standing in front of one of the practice dummies. He curled his fingers into a tight fist...and punched it right in the "nose." ...It felt good. So he did it again. And again. And again. And...

After he'd sufficiently pummeled the poor dummy, he stalked to the weapon rack and snatched a katana. He unsheathed the blade on his way back to the dummy and tossed it back toward the rack. When he was facing the dummy again, he raised the blade sliced off one of the thing's arms.

Yeah. That felt really good.

So he sliced off the other arm.

Yep - really good.

"You're angry."

Kurama's voice. Funny, he hadn't even sensed the youko enter the dojo. He skewered the lifeless dummy, stabbing it through the heart. "What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch... Am I right to presume that I am that unfortunate dummy?"

"I don't know yet," he answered truthfully. "I'm still debating whether I'm angry with you or not."

"I see..."

Hiei looked over his shoulder and blinked. Kurama had chosen his human form today. Usually Hiei didn't care which form his friend picked, but today, he was glad he was facing Minamino Shuichi. He didn't think he'd be able to handle the original youko form after what he'd seen the night before. "What do you want?"

Kurama winced a little. "Just to talk."

He snorted and moved to start hacking at the other practice dummy. "So talk."

He didn't have to look to see the troubled expression on the redhead's face. "Uh...sure... So...are you...still uncomfortable with your wings?"

Of all the-- He spun around to pin the youko on the spot with his eyes, fingers tightening on the hilt of the katana. "Kurama, I forgot about the damn wings when I saw you screwing Mukuro."

Kurama flashed him a mild glare. "You did not see that. We were just cuddling."

Of course. Cuddling. Like giggly little lovebirds... "Okay, so you were cuddling when I came in. But I know what was going on before I entered." He turned back to the dummy and decapitated it with one quick slash. "And you did it in my fucking bedroom, Kurama! Why did you have to do it there? Why?"

Kurama sighed. "We were waiting for you. So we could..." He trailed off, sounding uncertain.

"So you could what?" Hiei demanded, moving away from the two abused dummies to the open area of the training room. "So you could finally tell me that you and Mukuro are a couple?" He executed a few fairly impressive swordplay tricks. "How thoughtful of you. But, honestly, you could have told me - you didn't have to show me."

"Look, Hiei, about last night--"

"No. Forget it, okay? Just forget it. I guess I'm still surprised... I had no idea you and she were together..."

"We're not."

He couldn't say he saw that coming... "Huh?"

"Mukuro and I are not 'together'," Kurama pronounced, folding his arms.

But if they weren't a couple...why had they been...? He knew both of them, and they wouldn't just hop in bed with each other just for the hell of it. "You mean you don't...love her?"

"No, Hiei. I don't. And she doesn't love me, either."

Now he was even more confused. He knew many demons who would enjoy casual sex, but Kurama and Mukuro... Well, maybe they would - but not with each other. Not... "But if you don't love Mukuro," he began, "why did you sleep with her?"

Kurama sighed again. "For comfort. See...Mukuro and I have something in common."

Hiei gaped. "So that's the only requirement for a quick screw? Something in common?"

Kurama made a face. "Stop likening it to a one-night stand with some whore. It wasn't like that at all. Mukuro and I like each other - we like each other a lot - but we don't love each other. At least, not in a romantic kind of way." He rotated his shoulders. "...But we do have something very important in common."

"And that would be...?"

Kurama took a deep breath before he went on. "...We're both in love with a very oblivious demon."

Why did he suddenly have a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach...? "...Who?"

"You," the youko replied simply.

The announcement washed over him like a bucket of ice water in the middle of winter. "Me?" They loved him? Mukuro and Kurama loved him? Mukuro...and Kurama...loved him? Mukuro...and...Kurama... Both of them loved him? ...Both of them...? Both of them? Both of them?

Both of them?

"I think I need to sit down," he moaned faintly, backing up into the far corner opposite the door and sliding to the floor. He set his sword next to him and rubbed his temples. "I... I don't believe this..."

"I'd have a hard time believing it, too," Kurama replied. "It's not every man who can say he has two people who want to seduce him." He paused, and then lamented, "Well, I suppose that's possible to believe, but for two people to be deeply and madly in love with the same person? That's a little hard to swallow... But because we do, I believe it. We..." He stopped to swallow, "we both love you, Hiei. There. I said it. Do what you will with the information."

Both of them... ...What was that he had thought about not being included...?

"But..." He didn't look at the youko as he asked the next question. "If you love me...why did you sleep with Mukuro?"

"That's...complicated, Hiei." Kurama sighed a third time. "Mukuro and I... We're...allies, I guess you could say. We've been trying to get your attention for decades, but with no luck. When we found out that we both wanted the same thing, we were starting to think that you'd never notice us. Rather than compete for your affection, we..."

Hiei looked up. "But why didn't you tell me that you loved me?"

Kurama threw up his hands. "Damn it, Hiei, we've been trying to tell you for years. We've been flirting, dropping hints, touching you as often as we could - anything - and you just don't seem to get it. As far as we know, you don't care about romance or love. Well, maybe you can handle a life without a scrap of affection here and there, but we happen to find that watching the object of our desire go about his daily routine - ignoring our advances and attempts to win him over - can be a mite painful. So...we decided that we'd been lonely for too long, and...we found comfort with each other. Is that so wrong?"

Hiei swallowed. As far as he could remember, Kurama had never spoken so many angry words to him at one time. "...Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." Kurama rubbed his eyes, looking tired. "So, I confessed. I told you. So...what do you think?"

"...About you loving me?" Hiei shrugged helplessly. "I don't know..." And he didn't. The entire conversation was moving a little too quickly for his liking. In less than ten minutes he'd been exposed to the secret thoughts, wishes, and desires Kurama and Mukuro had been keeping for decades.

"What do you think of Mukuro loving you?"

"I...don't know. I like her a lot - I know that... But..."

"But what?" Kurama prodded gently, but it sounded a little forced, as though the youko feared the answer. "Are you shy?"

"But I work for her," Hiei snapped with a scowl. "You don't have an affair with your boss. It's just not done."

"Is that why you haven't become anything more with her...?" Kurama closed his eyes briefly. "So you choose Mukuro?"

"...No."

"...Me?"

"...No."

"Neither of us?"

"...No."

"Then what do you want?"

"...I don't know." There should have been some kind of limit for how confounded a person could feel at any given time, because Hiei wanted a second self at the moment to help him sort everything out. He lowered his head to press a hand against his forehead for a moment, and then looked up...and blinked. Kurama had an odd look on his face... "Kurama...? What...?"

The youko started stalking toward him. Hiei struggled to stand and managed to straighten as Kurama pinned him to the corner. Hiei swallowed, watching the youko study him, wondering what he was going to do next. And while he'd half-expected the redhead's next move, it still shocked him.

Kurama's hand curled around his neck, fingers tangling in the hair at his nape, and tilted his head up. He had time to widen his eyes before Kurama's lips were on his, teeth nipping at his lower lip.

"Kura--" The probing tongue cut him off, slipping inside and tangling with his own, effectively halting any intention he'd had for speech. His hands moved to press against Kurama's shoulders, but he wasn't certain whether he wanted to push the youko away or pull him closer. He settled for fisting the cloth of Kurama's tunic. And the longer the kiss went on, the harder it was to make it stop. Or did he want it to stop...?

Kurama released Hiei's hair, gliding his hand down to rest on his collarbone. He moved his other to stroke the triangle of bare skin that the shirt he was wearing left for all to see. So soft... He simply couldn't understand why Hiei had such low self-esteem. He was incredible: he was intelligent, he was adorably cute, he was strong, he was fast... And he tasted good, his tongue reminded him, exploring the gums and walls of the other demon's mouth. Yes, the rest of Kurama agreed. He tasted very good...

He brought his hands together at the center of Hiei's collarbone...and undid the first button. Hiei's tongue stilled, and Kurama pulled away to look at him. Their eyes met, and they said nothing. The only sound was their heavier breathing. Hiei looked a trifle uncertain, but he didn't tell Kurama to stop.

So Kurama undid the second button. And then the third. He leaned in to nuzzle Hiei's throat as the rest of the fastenings succumbed to his deft fingers. Soon, the buttons were no longer in the way and Kurama was able to push the shirt off of Hiei's shoulders. He rubbed his cheek against Hiei's as he moved the fabric down Hiei's arms, pinning them to his sides. He drew back to eye the skin he'd bared and sighed appreciatively.

"I hate it when you cover yourself," he murmured.

Hiei turned a faint shade of pink and he lowered his eyes. "Now I know why..."

Kurama chuckled. "That's not it. Ever since you got those wings...you've been so...self-conscious, the way you told me you were years ago... I can't stand it." He ran his hand down the center of Hiei's chest, letting his other creep around under the open shirt to his back. He stroked the soft, different little slits of skin that marked the location of Hiei's folded wings. "You're beautiful... There's no need for you to hide..."

"I'll..."

Kurama looked up at the sound of Hiei's soft voice.

"I'll never understand why your opinion matters so much..."

Kurama answered him with another kiss, hands floating over Hiei's nipples, eliciting a bubbling sigh from him. He brushed his lips against the side of Hiei's neck, trailing them up behind his ear, searching for the steady pulse. He found it as Hiei started squirming. Kurama looked to see why, and couldn't help but flash a delighted smile when he realized the Jaganshi was trying to shrug out of his open shirt. Kurama nibbled Hiei's earlobe as he seized the fabric and started pulling it further down.

He couldn't believe this was happening.

Gods, how he wanted this!

It had taken much longer than she'd expected to finish her meeting with Kiren. The sentencing of the convicted prisoners had to be handled carefully. She had taken into account the motives, severity of the actions, backgrounds...everything she usually did, but this time, it had been much more difficult to concentrate on her duties, because she was preoccupied with the other matters.

More specifically, what had happened the night before.

All right, so sleeping with Kurama in Hiei's bed hadn't been the wisest thing to do. But, it had been a spur of the moment kind of thing. And she'd liked it. Makai Lady she was, but she was still a woman; a woman with the same desires as most others. She loved and wasn't loved in return, and wanted affection. It wasn't an unreasonable request.

She liked Hiei. She'd always liked Hiei, but after their match at the first Makai Tournament, her feelings had begun to progress to love. For awhile, she had thought that he loved her, too, but had later realized that he considered her as his other best friend - a female Kurama.

Rather than be discouraged, however, she welcomed the label. It felt...good...to have someone around who wasn't trying to sneak up her skirts, as they said. At first she'd wondered if Hiei was simply using her, but when years went by, she'd discovered that he was sincere about their friendship.

And that, naturally, just made her like him more.

But not only was Hiei uninterested - or very blind - he didn't seem to notice how hard Mukuro tried to get him to notice her.

And now, she liked Kurama. But she loved Hiei. So, with that in mind, she was in agreement with Kurama that they should go together to explain themselves to the one they desired. As for how he would react...who knew? She could see it all...

Ah, yes. Surely he'd understand.

She took off her boots before entering the dojo, and paused when she heard soft murmurs of voices - one the light tone of Minamino Shuichi, the other Hiei's deep one. Well, she was a tad late. Perhaps Kurama had started without her...?

She strode slowly to the main training room, trying to determine just where they were in their conversation so she could jump in knowing what was going on. She entered the doorway to the training room.

Just in time to see Kurama toss Hiei's shirt away and kick a katana across the floor.

She blinked in surprise, frozen still in the doorway. It took a moment or two for it to register, but when Kurama seized Hiei's wrist and started dragging his teeth up the underside of the Jaganshi's arm...she realized what was going on...and she blushed.

But she couldn't look away. She watched Kurama grind his hips into Hiei's, heard Hiei moan, inhaled deeply when the fire demon murmured Kurama's name and tugged at the youko's tunic. Kurama made quick work of the fastenings and shed the garment, returning his hands to Hiei's chest immediately. The redhead was tall, so he blocked her view of Hiei, but she saw Hiei's hands creep over to lock around Kurama's waist. From the way they were standing, hips rotating, Kurama with his head bent, she assumed they were kissing.

Minutes later, Kurama bent lower to nuzzle Hiei's left nipple and circle the right one with his index finger. He didn't spend anymore time on that area of Hiei's body - which was disappointing, because Mukuro knew just how good Kurama was at that...

Kurama sank to his knees and moved his hands to work on the buttons of Hiei's pants. Mukuro licked her lips as both of them stared at one another, and the youko drew the garments down. She couldn't see anything, but her mind was already conjuring an image of what was perhaps below the Jaganshi's waist. She folded her arms over her middle as her lower abdomen tightened in arousal, and she leaned against the doorframe for support. Kurama's hands moved to the center of Hiei's thighs - presumably to touch whatever Hiei had to offer, if Hiei's mewling whine was any clue. Kurama's mouth, at the same instance, was moving around Hiei's lower body, and Mukuro swallowed a whine of her own as Hiei's fingers tangled in the youko's red mane and pulled his head back so they could kiss again. As Mukuro watched them, imagining their tongues wrestling together, a familiar ache began to form in her loins. She pressed her thighs closer together and moaned quietly, almost regretting the action when Kurama paused in his actions, pulling away from the kiss. For a moment, Mukuro thought she had been heard, but Kurama only wrapped his arms around Hiei's middle and tugged him sharply to his knees. The youko bent his head for another kiss and turned, bringing Hiei to lie prone on the smooth floor of the dojo and lean over him.

Mukuro wondered if they would notice her now, but apparently they were too absorbed in each other. They were lying so that she could see their sides, and they still didn't notice her or sense her eyes on them. She felt like such a voyeur, but was loving every minute of it.

Their mouths disengaged and Hiei arched his head back as Kurama started kissing down the arch of his throat. He moaned when the redhead reached a nipple, and Mukuro felt herself smile. Surely Kurama wouldn't have let Hiei go without feeling that - especially since the youko was so good at it. Kurama lavished attention on each of Hiei's pectorals and quickly moved lower, stopping to nibble the underside of the fire demon's ribs before descending on his navel with a vengeance, showering the area with a dozen soft kisses.

Kurama sat up a moment later, struggling with Hiei's breeches so he could get them out of the way. He tossed the garments away without once taking his eyes off Hiei, and urged the fire demon to part his legs so Kurama could lie between them. The youko kissed him once on the lips, and then he pushed Hiei's knees up and apart so he could bury his face in the Jaganshi's nether regions.

Mukuro released a quiet sigh of pleasure when it became apparent that Kurama's tongue was visiting the tourist attractions - probably the perineum, given the way Hiei was writhing and clawing at the floor. Then Kurama's head stilled and his hand joined it in between Hiei's thighs. Mukuro sighed dreamily as Kurama's head started bobbing up and down. If the oral sex Hiei was getting was as good as hers had been...

Kurama quickened his pace, and he was beginning to thrust his own hips against the floor, like he needed the friction. It was only a few moments later that Hiei's muscles tightened and he tilted his hips up in surrender. And then he came with a hoarse cry.

Mukuro rested her head against the doorframe and shut her eyes, almost feeling as though it had been her orgasm, not Hiei's. When she opened them again, Kurama was lying atop Hiei again, balancing himself on his elbows, rubbing their noses together and cupping the fire demon's cheeks.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been wanting to do that?" Kurama asked breathlessly.

Hiei still had his eyes closed, but he reached up to run a hand through the youko's red hair. "Ah." He waved the same hand in the general direction of the door. "Now tell Mukuro why you did it."

She started in mild surprise, but then chuckled at the half embarrassed, half amused expression on Kurama's face. He looked toward her, and she waved at him. He shrugged and rolled off of Hiei to sit up, looking all right for the most part, but she noticed him unzip his breeches. Hiei sat up and Kurama moved to sit right behind him, pulling him back to rest against his chest. Not only did Hiei allow the action, but he even brought his arms up and around Kurama's neck, leaning his head on the youko's shoulder.

Kurama kissed Hiei's jugular before giving her a sheepish grin. "Hi, Mukuro."

She returned the grin with a smile and strode toward them. "See, Kurama, this is why you should never send a man to do a woman's job. We were supposed to talk to him, remember?" she added mock-accusingly.

"We talked," Kurama assured her in a mildly defensive tone.

"For a few minutes," Hiei added, opening his eyes and staring right at her. "He told me."

Mukuro knew right away what Hiei meant. "I see. And...what do you think of it?" she asked, kneeling down in front of them.

"I..." He paused, and then shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Is there anything we can do to sway you?" she wondered, her hands already going to unbutton her shirt.

"...What do you mean?" he asked, a mite warily, as she tossed her shirt away to join the other articles of clothing strewn about the dojo. She smiled again when she noticed that his eyes kept rolling downward, and that he was trying very hard to stop them from doing it.

She leaned forward and touched their lips together, waiting to see if he would want to take it further than that. For a moment, he didn't move, and Mukuro began to doubt herself. Perhaps Kurama was more his type...?

But then his arms moved from around Kurama's neck to gently hold her shoulders, and he put some pressure into the kiss. She decided to try taking it one step further, but it seemed he had the same idea. So their mouths parted and became one at the same time. Kissing Hiei was exactly how she'd imagined it would be: Breathtaking. She couldn't believe that, after so many decades of failing to get his attention, she was kissing him - kissing that would soon be progressing to something even more intimate, if she had her way.

She brushed the white starburst in his hair, and then occupied her hands by having them visit every patch of skin she could reach, feeling the muscles she'd often admired, marveling at the softness of the skin. His fingers grazed down her sides, and she curled her hands around his neck. Then she started to lay back, hoping he would follow her. He did, and she nipped his tongue in a sudden spark of excitement.

Kurama rubbed himself to help relieve some of the pressure, watching Hiei and Mukuro kiss and grope each other. He intended to let them have time to explore each other, of course, but there was no way he was going to be able to go without joining in. His erection begged to be cared for, and because he was in his human form, one orgasm was probably all he was going to get. He wanted to stay in 'till the end.

He watched both of them work together to rid Mukuro of her breeches, and then she wrapped her limbs around Hiei as he settled atop her. Mukuro was evidently eager and willing. Hiei wasn't so forward, but everything he kissed and everything he touched evoked various cries of ecstasy from her. So he was shy, but he knew what he was doing.

When they started readying for intercourse, Kurama knew it was time for him to act. He reached into his hair, searching for the cursed seed. He found it within moments, and then shed his breeches. He opened the seed hurriedly and gathered the contents in the palm of his hand. He coated himself with some of the natural lubricant, and kept the rest for Hiei. Men weren't as fortunate as women when it came to intercourse.

Hiei did his best to ignore the sting of Mukuro's nails as they scratched down his back. He knew it was her way of telling him it felt good, but it didn't make it hurt any less. When he was all the way inside of her, he paused to adjust to the sensation. He'd never done it before. He knew what to do, but he'd never actually done it. It wasn't overly difficult - one simply had to obey desire.

He leaned down to kiss her again as he started to move. Just the sound of her moaning was reason enough for him to keep on, but he only managed six or seven thrusts before a second pair of hands closed on his hips. It was then that he remembered Kurama. He paused when he felt the redhead's lips against his spine, and then tensed when a slick finger slid along the cleft of his buttocks before delving inside.

The action didn't hurt so much as it felt...uncomfortable - wrong. But as the finger crept further in, it started to cause a little pain. He winced and grit his teeth as the digit quested around for a few moments. And just as he was starting to bear it, a second finger joined the first...and it hurt. Quite a bit. Kurama murmured an apology and started moving both fingers, but the apology didn't ease the pain. It hurt, and he didn't mind admitting it - because things were not supposed to go up there.

He buried his face between Mukuro's breasts, trying hard not to whimper when Kurama's fingers started making tiny scissor motions. Mukuro's hands stroked his shoulders and back, and he heard her mutter soothing words. The preparation went on for another minute or so, and then Kurama's fingers disappeared.

A moment later, something slightly more engorged than fingers was rubbing against him, and Kurama kept his hips still as he slid inside. Since the youko had prepared him beforehand, the penetration was almost painless. When Kurama was inside, the redhead leaned down to kiss the back of his neck.

"Gods, I want this," he whispered.

Hiei wanted it, too. He grunted when Kurama made his first awkward thrust, and waited until the youko established a rhythm before resuming his own with Mukuro. They continued on in silence, interrupted periodically only by a moan or cry of pleasure, sometimes from Mukuro, and sometimes from Hiei when Kurama hit that spot. Kurama didn't make a great deal of noise, aside from a low groan every now and then.

The feeling of being between two lovers - and making love to both at the same time - was something he'd never expected to experience. Mere minutes passed before he finished, and he released the proof of his passion into Mukuro, who tightened her grip on him and moaned so low it sounded like she was growling. He felt his hips jerk several times as his nerves settled as much as they could, and he remained limp on Mukuro's body, resting his cheek on her shoulder as they waited for Kurama to reach his climax. He was rocked slightly forward with each thrust, and when the youko finally came, Hiei felt the evidence of Kurama's pleasure fill him. Kurama trembled for a few moments, lost in a moment of rapture, and then he collapsed, albeit gently, onto Hiei's back.

They remained that way for more than a few minutes, just listening to the sound of each other's breathing. Kurama's lips were kissing his neck, and Hiei was almost on the verge of drifting off, when Mukuro spoke.

"I don't want to complain and ruin the moment we're having...but you boys are crushing me."

"Sorry," they murmured at the same time, and Kurama rolled them all over so they could lie on their sides and still cuddle.

He had Mukuro in front of him, and Kurama behind him. He was nestled between his two best friends, and it was warm and comfortable there. In fact, he'd almost forgotten that they were on a hard training room floor. Maybe it was simply the aftershocks of orgasm, but he really didn't care where he was at the moment. He was content, and he was tired. He snuggled closer to the bodies surrounding him and let his eyes close again, welcoming sleep.

But then Kurama was lightly tapping his shoulder. "Hiei."

He wrinkled his nose. "Nn?"

"It's time."

Time? "Time for what?" He had nowhere to go - that he remembered, at least. And even if he did, he wasn't going anywhere.

"To decide," Mukuro clarified. She and Kurama were probably making some sort of eye contact.

"Decide what?"

"To decide between us. Me or Mukuro, Hiei. Which one of us do you want?"

Please tell me I heard that wrong... "What?"

"You heard him," Mukuro put forth. "Which one of us do you pick?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"No," Kurama replied. "Come on, don't be afraid. We decided a long time ago that we would let you make the choice. So, let's hear it. Do you want me or Mukuro?"

Since they were obviously dying to know, he took a deep breath.

His answer shocked them.

Kiren narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Do you...have any twos?"

Omni smirked at him. "Go fish."

"Damn." He reached over and picked a card from the pile. He ended up with the King of Flames. "Damn, again." That wasn't going to be any help at all.

"Do you have any kings?" Omni asked innocently.

Kiren growled and tossed him his newly-acquired king. He was about to take his turn when he noticed Hiei walk by, carrying a stack of papers. He was headed in the direction of Mukuro's room. Omni followed his gaze, and then grinned at him. Kiren smiled back and took his turn. "Do you have any fives?"

"Go fish."

"If you're cheating, I swear to the Almighty--"

"I'm not cheating. You just have bad luck."

Kiren picked up another card. This time he got the Queen of Air. How fortunate for him. He was about to pair her with the Queen of Earth when he noticed Kurama walk by, carrying a small pile of books. He was also headed in the direction of Mukuro's room. Omni turned to see the youko go by, and then chuckled out loud.

"You know what's funny about that?" Kiren asked as he placed his queens on the table. "They think we don't know."

"It is funny, but I'm not going to burst their bubble." Omni grinned again. "If they want to have a secret, giggly love affair, then that's fine with me."

"I think it's cute. I'm already thinking of anniversary presents."

"I'm getting them handcuffs."

Kiren chuckled. "I'm happy for them. Those three have been dancing around each other for too long. It's about time they did something about it."

"I'm just glad they always have their nightly bouts in Mukuro's room. That way, the rest of us can sleep."

Kiren snickered and studied his cards again. "Amen, my friend...

"...Do you have any eights?"

"Go fish."

====== Owari ======

Author's Notes:
~The kata Hiei performs in the beginning is actually MP Form, the first Tiger and Dragon kata I was taught.
~Okay, so I lied - there was no really big bed. So sue me. Please? I've been trying to get rid of these college textbooks for months...
~I’m actually not satisfied with the plot-flow in this… -_-;;; Basically, I had something in mind for a prequel to this, but I didn’t want to turn this into a series, really, and my friends kept telling me not to be so paranoid because it was supposed to be a PWP… Bah – I don’t even know what I’m trying to say…