Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ G-men ❯ Getting to Know You ( Chapter 30 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Author's Notes: For the immediate future you can expect more focus on Duo, Quatre, Hiei, and Zechs - with new characters appearing soon. The next few parts should be shorter than this one, but not too short. Be prepared for action and angst and a shift in pace.
This is a vague fusion with the original X-men animated series.
Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho, AU
Warnings: fluff, sap, action, a dash of yaoi, and some humor
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina(a)hotmail.com
Website / Complete Archive: www.geocities.com / arigatomina

G-men

Part 30: Getting to Know You

Breakfast found the six mutants with varying moods as they met up at the table they'd come to use on a regular basis. When Trowa and Quatre came downstairs Zechs was already seated, his manner quiet and overly sober, while his expression made him appear as if he'd been up all night. The two bright young teens were overly happy in comparison, and Quatre was prone to light blushing from Trowa's almost proprietary treatment. The green-eyed boy had pressed him into a seat and proceeded to serve him breakfast. Grateful that Zechs didn't comment on Trowa's behavior, Quatre didn't ask why he looked so stressed.

Wufei was the next to make an appearance, nodding a quick greeting before getting a substantial meal since he'd skipped dinner the night before. He was still bothered by his talk with Trowa; the idea of telling Yusuke exactly what the six of them were up to was not one he liked. Knowing Heero would take the final say in it helped him clear it from his mind, so he wasn't nearly as preoccupied as Zechs. He just wasn't chipper like Trowa.

The normaly sober boy's smirking expressions were enough to make Wufei stare at him.

What they expected to see next was Heero being his typical quietly active self, dragging or prodding a sleep-drugged Duo over to the food line. They were naturally surprised when Duo stormed in well ahead of Heero, his eyes sharp and aware and not the least bit sleepy - or happy, for that matter. He didn't say a word and never once looked back at the silent and glowering mutant who'd followed him down to the cafeteria.

Heero managed to shrug off most of his annoyance when he greeted the others, and he set himself to ignoring Duo just the way the boy was ignoring him.

Heero had warned him after all. He'd told him last night that he was going to round him this morning. It wasn't his fault if Duo had thought he'd exaggerated when he told him he was planning to yell at him. Besides, he hadn't actually yelled, so it could have been worse.

As far as Heero was concerned, Duo had gotten off lightly with his stern lecture and honest insults. Duo had to be more careful in the future and the best way to assure that was to make certain he knew how stupid he'd been. The insulted and angry boy would calm down eventually. Until then, Heero would just let him simmer.

No one really hurried through breakfast, but Heero grimaced as he noted that Duo's appetite had not diminished a bit. If anything, he looked like he was taking his anger out on the food. Heero firmly tore his eyes away from the sight, placing his full attention on Trowa, who was still sending oddly teasing looks at Quatre. Raising an eyebrow, Heero caught his attention.

"Can I get a progress report on Une?" Heero asked, his voice slightly taunting. "Or should I wait till you're finished?"

Quatre flushed, more out of discomfort than embarrassment. Whatever Trowa's idea of courting was, the boy had been teasing him and flirting since they'd gotten up. Quite frankly, Quatre didn't know how to react to that. Having Trowa behave so strangely in front of the others - especially when he knew Trowa was enjoying himself - was unsettling. He'd never seen this side of the boy.

"No need to wait," Trowa said smoothly.

He didn't look the least bit bothered by Heero's expression and he gave an almost pleasant, if small, smile.

"The progress hasn't been much," Trowa continued, "but we expect it to be smooth from here on. We've decided an innocent mutant would be the best way to draw her softer side to the surface. So far the Lady seems to be taking the bait, and Yukina likes her as well. We plan to ration her company, to force the Lady to communicate with us verbally if she wants to spend more time with her new friend. Once we have her on a more dominant setting, we can work on diminishing Une's influence over her. We're hoping that the Lady will be able to resume control of herself without outside help."

"So the soft side would be ruling," Heero said. "That would make her a willing helper rather than someone to keep constant control over." He turned to look at Quatre. "Do you really think this soft side would be able to gain enough strength for that? She's been buried for years."

"The Lady, that's what we call her softer personality, she's almost a watcher now." Quatre shook his head as he gave a slight smile. "She's not nearly strong enough to go against Une - not if the two were to differ over something like Treize - but she could be. She did show some power when Une first met Yukina and tried to drive her away. The Lady intervened and spoke for herself after that. Une was against it, but she didn't fight hard enough to take back control. It's a definite step forward."

"But it's slow progress," Trowa said. "Any idea of using Une right now could undermine what we've done so far. If we're going to let the Lady save herself, then we won't be able to use her until she's overcome the personality Treize created."

Heero frowned a little, but wasn't overly bothered by that news. "I never expected to get much use from her - not unless we absolutely had to use her. Any plans for the future can be made if, or when, this Lady takes control. There's no rush on that. If the rest of you are progressing on your own talents, we'll be here for a while. Any attacks we might stage on OZ have effectively been put on hold."

"If we gain in strength, that won't be a problem," Wufei said. "We might lose time working on it now, but the battles themselves will be quicker, more decisive. It's better to gain strength for a confrontation than to drag one out by fighting at less than maximum potential."

Heero nodded in agreement and turned his focus on Wufei. "Did the training with Kurama benefit you, then?"

Wufei smirked. "Definitely. I know how to curve lightening, though it will take some practice. Now that I've actually done it, I can see how it works. It's just a matter of getting it down to a natural speed, so I can do it without concentrating entirely on that one thing. Kurama advised me not to push the talent too hard, but I expect I can start on moving targets soon. After that, I'll be working on wind."

Remembering something else Kurama had advised him of, Wufei glanced over at Zechs. "You'll be working with him on your healing talent," he said. "He says Hiei can get you used to watching how you heal, but that he doesn't have the control to teach you how to moderate the energy."

Zechs blinked, broken from his thoughts, and frowned over at Wufei. "I was planning to practice that myself. I don't need Hiei to help me with it."

Wufei shrugged, his expression just a little doubtful. "Well, if you do end up getting help from Kurama, don't mention your sessions with Hiei - the mindreading, I mean. And don't say anything to him about anything you've seen in Hiei's mind. It would make it...a difficult situation working with him if you did."

"Right," Zechs nodded. He glanced over and caught Heero's gaze. "You said you didn't need me to read Hiei any longer. I should tell you that we've made plans to continue it regardless. There's some aspect of Hiei's mind that seems to attack those who try to read him. We're going to investigate that, with Quatre doing a distanced reading while I'm working with him. That will give him a chance to build a tolerance to Hiei's jagan, so he can build his own talent as well."

"And you plan to work on your healing abilities alongside that?" Heero prompted.

His eyes tried to dart over for a glance at Duo, but he kept them away. Zechs wasn't going to make the same mistake Duo had. Besides that, he didn't want to say anything about people overextending themselves - not right now.

"I'll be careful," Zechs said.

He was pretty sure he knew what Heero was thinking. Zechs had noticed how miffed Duo looked, and the boy's unusual silence spoke volumes of what sort of argument the two had had that morning. He wasn't going to say any more than Heero had about the subject.

His coffee had gotten cold, so Zechs left to refill it. When he returned to the table, he nodded at Heero.

"Why don't you tell us what you found out about Kurama. We're curious that you'd drop your suspicions about him so quickly."

"He gave me a tip," Heero admitted.

His face closed up some, just a hint of a pinched expression to show that he didn't like being wrong. "Minamino Shuuichi. That's the name he was born with. He gave us his age, so I did a search for anyone with that name born 17 years ago and he turned up almost immediately. Even if I didn't believe that he'd given me the right name, there were more than enough pictures to identify him."

Heero sighed, glowering a bit. "He's a genius."

Wufei's lips twitched but he managed not to grin at Heero's disgruntled look. "Why do you say that?"

"Because it's documented," Heero sniffed. "From the age of eight he's been on records in Japan, tested and proven. Most of the headlines dubbed him some sort of future chemist or engineer, but the fact is that he excelled in every test they gave him. Not surprisingly, botany was his preferred field of study. I suspect his mutant abilities were the reason for that, if they developed early.

"I was right about one thing, though. He did have a connection to OZ." This garnered a few confused looks, and Heero nodded.

"His mother married a general, complete with his own six year old son of the same name. Both boy's were named Shuuichi, but Minamino Shuuichi was ten at the time, and still headlining for his work in a local university. He supposedly died a year later during a trip to the United States with his stepfather. OZ records pick it up from there."

Duo gave up any pretense of ignoring Heero, his expression wary but very curious. He joined the others in staring at the silent boy. After a moment, Heero sighed and seemed to deflate where he sat. If they hadn't argued that morning, Duo would have put an arm around the boy. He just looked miserable.

"His own family turned him in to OZ," Heero admitted.

That was the crux, the reason Heero had dismissed any suspicion of the teen. When he'd been seeing the cunning and sly redhead getting close and friendly with their group, he'd instantly gone on guard against him. Now he couldn't help but feel guilty about it. Berating himself for jumping to conclusions didn't help his mood any, either.

"According to OZ's records, the general turned him in the day they arrived in the US. I don't think his mother ever realized what had happened, but it was an obvious set up and a faked death. I wouldn't be surprised if OZ had one of their officers marry the mother just to get to the son. The headlines in Japan were too favorable toward their new child genius. OZ couldn't just make him disappear, even if they did publicize him as a mutant. They might have even hurt their own cause. If everyone knew their beloved genius was also a mutant, favor for mutants in general would have increased. They couldn't risk that.

"Official record states Minamino Shuuichi died in a car crash soon after reaching the US. OZ record states he disappeared two weeks after being taken into custody."

Heero smirked suddenly, shaking off that dark self-depreciating glower. "It's ironic, the timing. He came to the US on the exact day that Hiei and Yukina's foster father died. And his disappearance was mere hours after Hiei disappeared from the hospital, which was located less than eight miles from the base Kurama was kept at. If I didn't have absolute proof that the two had never been in the same country prior to that, I'd say they planned it."

"Like it was fate..." Duo breathed.

The others turned to look at Duo, who blushed a bit and scowled. Wufei in particular was smirking at him. Trowa seemed to find it amusing as well, raising an eyebrow with a light smile.

"Then you also believe in fate," Trowa commented. "That makes three of us." Beside him, Quatre flushed irritably.

"Anyway," Duo grumbled. "What happened? How did Kurama just disappear from the base?"

"Some sort of vine," Heero shrugged. "He must have snuck it inside because they'd taken him to a base without any plants nearby, and even the closest city was devoid. A desert town in Nevada. He was on foot, so OZ sent a squad after him. They found what was left of their men in an alley. That's where the record ends."

Zechs was nodding thoughtfully. "Then that really was how they met, just like both of their memories recalled it. Eight miles, though. If Hiei was hospitalized up until his own escape and made it eight miles in a matter of hours at the age of nine...and still managed to kill the team sent after Kurama..."

"His mutant abilities must have manifested in full force," Heero finished. "He'd have needed his speed to get that far so quickly. And he obviously had his strength because those men weren't killed by any plant, even a mutant-enhanced one. One of their swords was missing, the sort some of the officers wear for show. The record noted that as the murder weapon. It fits."

"The only question," Wufei said slowly, "is how Hiei knew where to go. They were complete strangers."

"The same way he knew I was reading Kurama," Zechs said, shaking his head with a forced smile. "They've had some sort of connection all along."

"But we don't need to pry into that," Quatre said quickly. "Do we?"

"No." Heero folded his arms and shifted more comfortably in his seat. "I don't suspect either of them." He shot a sharp look over to Quatre. "But Yukina is another matter. Ice."

Zechs straightened, his eyes wide. "You realized, then. We didn't make the connection till yesterday, something Yusuke told us. She's an A class mutant as well. Twins but opposites, fire and ice."

"Right," Heero nodded. "I don't suspect her of anything. But her very existence marks all three of them as potential targets. They're gathered in the most obvious place, and now we're here as well. So many coincidences are difficult to pass off as chance."

There wasn't much to say to that and they sat for a few minutes in silence. Heero abruptly scowled.

"Who is Yusuke?"

Wufei winced and gave a weak smile. "One of those bumblers I told you about. He's also the friend of Kuwabara. I forgot you hadn't met him. He's very friendly, and a little reckless, but he seems quick to pick up on things. Trowa thinks we should tell him what we're doing here."

That got Heero's undivided attention. He turned to stare at Trowa. "Why?"

Trowa shrugged. "We haven't actually seen his potential, as far as his mutant abilities go. But he's been helpful so far. Having a connection here who can blend in with the student body may prove useful. Kurama and Hiei are both too public here. I don't think anyone really pays attention to Yusuke or Kuwabara, while Yusuke notices everything that happens.

"It's up to you, of course. I just suggested we keep an eye on him as a potential ally, especially since he's decided we're to be trusted with information he doesn't mention to anyone else."

"It's not up to me," Heero said sharply. "You don't need my permission."

He sighed, scowling again. "I'm too quick to get suspicious. You, Zechs and Quatre have abilities to read minds, so you can tell if he's trustworthy or not."

"Now that we know to be on guard," Trowa added. He wasn't sure what to make of Heero's manner, but he didn't want to press. "We're just watching him. Nothing's final."

"Right."

Zechs sighed, glancing around the table. "I'm going to have a talk with Hiei before they come up here. I won't be working with him today, so it's better to get this out of the way." He nodded to Quatre as he got up from his seat. "I'll mention the idea of having you read from a distance - no need to do anything they aren't expecting."

"You might want to make sure Kurama isn't there when you talk to Hiei about it," Wufei said quickly.

His eyes were wary, and he was thinking about how dangerous Kurama had looked when he'd expressed his desire to strangle Zechs for probing Hiei's mind.

"I'll leave that up to him," Zechs nodded.

He turned away, leaving them at the table as he made his way across the room. No sooner had he reached the doorway than someone caught him, actually grabbing his arms and nearly knocking him over. Bright brown eyes gleamed up at him, and Zechs stared.

"I'm such an idiot!" Yusuke crowed, still leaning on Zechs a little.

He'd run right into the man, but he'd planned to, so he wasn't worried about how white Zechs' face was.

"There's nothing worse than having a baka notice something before you do, believe me. I might as well be as dumb as the rest of the kids here, not to see it."

"Are you all right?" Zechs asked warily.

He took a step back, extricating himself from Yusuke's grip. Despite the difference in their height, the boy was rather strong. "What is it?"

"You!"

Yusuke laughed, running a hand over his head and smoothing his dark hair back. "I thought you looked familiar, but it just didn't click. No one has white hair at nineteen - no one. That's like a dead give-away. And the only males around here who've ever been born with hair like that are Peacecrafts. But I just didn't make the connection. Kuwabara did. Of course, he's seen your picture a lot more than I have, so I don't feel too stupid. He didn't figure it out till Yukina told him. It's just not nice having your idiot friend tell you something so obvious, you know?"

"I'm not-"

"It was the name that threw me off," Yusuke continued. "I didn't even think that you might have changed your name, not too bright of me, really. But still, the age and hair were just so obvious. Eh...hate missing the obvious."

"Yes," Zechs said slowly. "Well, I really should be going. I have to talk to-"

"Right," Yusuke said. He smirked, stepping out of the way. "Didn't mean to knock you over, I just wanted to congratulate you, that's all. Aside from Yukina, none of the students know you're even back. Great how stupid they all are. As long as it doesn't affect them directly, they don't pay any attention. Keeps the pressure off you, I guess. I sure wouldn't want to be in your shoes when everyone realizes the crown prince has returned."

Zechs didn't even attempt to correct that, his eyebrow twitching a bit at Yusuke's broad grin. He had an idea the boy was trying to provoke him because he was being so abrupt himself. Stepping to the side, Zechs managed a wistful smile.

"Just don't call me Milliardo. I hate that name."

With a light laugh, Yusuke waved a hand at him. "Don't blame you for that - too close to mallard. No one wants to be named after a duck. Zechs is much better; six or sex. Either way, with those five friends of yours it can't be all bad."

Heat rushed over Zechs' face and he clamped his mouth shut to keep from responding to that. He gave a sober look, ignoring Yusuke's smirk, and turned away.

After the mental images the boy had produced the day before, he should have expected him to have that sort of humor. And he wasn't really that bothered by it. He had an idea Yusuke only teased people he liked. Besides, the 'six' connection was a good one. He had been the sixth mutant to join the group. Ironic how that had worked out.

It wasn't until he reached the door to the lower area that Zechs wondered about his visit. There wasn't any sort of intercom system, and knocking wouldn't do any good. But the two mutants lived down there. Somehow it didn't feel right to just show up unexpected this way.

He thought about waiting, catching Hiei as they two came out. Only he didn't want to put this off any longer than he had to. That 'attack' last night had been unpleasant to say the least, and he wanted to warn the boy that he was broadcasting to him. Otherwise chances were the moment Hiei came out of the shielded area he'd be getting more thoughts from him, inadvertently spying on him.

It was a common ethics that Quatre and Trowa shared; telepaths didn't read their friends unless they had a very good reason for the intrusion. Now that Heero had dropped his suspicions, Kurama and Hiei counted as friends. Hiei could hate him all he wanted, but it didn't change anything. Reading him, when he wasn't expecting it, was wrong.

After a brief moment, he pushed his hesitation aside and went down.

The tunnel was as dim as ever but the wide gymnasium was brightly lit, a familiar dark head visible through the glass of the resting area. Zechs let out a quiet sigh of relief to see that Hiei was awake and, even better, alone at the moment. The boy glanced over when he crossed the room, not seeming surprised at this early visit.

Hiei didn't get up and Zechs paused in the doorway, nodding to him.

"I wanted to talk to you," Zechs said quickly. "You won't like what I have to say, so I'll make it fast."

Hiei raised an eyebrow, not bothering to straighten from where he was leaning on his elbows. "It couldn't wait?"
"No."

Sniffing at him, Hiei jerked his head toward the chair across the table from him. "Sit and talk, then."

It was unnerving to have those red eyes focused on him at such a close range, and Zechs found himself staring, a mental image supplanting another face over Hiei's. Maybe it was just the bored, almost tired expression the boy had, but his resemblance to Yukina seemed much more obvious this morning.

Zechs shook the thought aside, focusing on what he had to discuss.

"After I left yesterday, I started getting random thoughts from you. I wasn't reading you," Zechs said quickly. "It was more like you were broadcasting your thoughts. Only no one else heard them. Whatever connection I made when I passed your jagan's block, it seems to have held so I can't break it. And a few hours after I first noticed, that presence contacted me."

Dark red eyes narrowed, one pale fang-like tooth visible from Hiei's sneer, and Zechs shook his head furiously.

"I know what you said about that. I'm telling you that either you're wrong, or some part of your subconscious is trying to communicate with me. I wasn't the only person to feel it. Trowa and Quatre also felt it - as if you were using your jagan, only they felt that coming from inside my mind, not from you. Somehow that connection I made when I read you is letting that essence cross over at random.

"And if it really is a subconscious but autonomous part of your mind, then it used the connection to aim a direct attack on me - an attack, or a projected memory. Either way, it was aimed at me, not the other way around."

Hiei blinked, his expression blank. "Autonomous?" Zechs gave him a startled look, and he growled at the man. "Explain the meaning."

"You..."

"English isn't Hiei's first language, you know."

The white-haired man blinked in surprise, and Kurama smiled as he eased inside the room to lean in the doorway. "A little early for a visit, isn't it?"

The first thought that flashed through Zechs' mind was that the redhead was much more masculine than he'd realized. The second was that he was far too naked to be looking at.

He dropped his eyes, grimacing as he felt his face flush with heat. "I wanted a - talk with Hiei. It's important, but I can wait-"

"You said you couldn't wait," Hiei reminded him.

He was still angry, half convinced the man thought he was some sort of idiot for not understanding that word he'd used. But seeing him blush over the fox as if Kurama wasn't wearing a perfectly respectable pair of pants was amusing. Hiei's glare faded away to be replaced with a slow smirk.

"Did you change your mind?"

"Well..."

"Don't mind me," Kurama said lightly, his eyes glinting.

Zechs glanced up at him, and Kurama smirked when the man abruptly looked away, focusing on Hiei instead. Prudish, maybe? He was fairly certain this was the sort of reaction Wufei had complained about, but Kurama found it almost cute. Now if Hiei would just show a similar reaction to him, he'd be a happy teen.

Running a hand over his damp hair, Kurama crossed to the chair next to Hiei. He pulled it to the side and sat, presenting his back to the dark-haired boy. With another look at Zechs, he smiled.

"Go ahead and talk. It's not like you're intruding on us."

"A-ah."

Zechs winced at his own heated face and turned his attention to Hiei, pausing a bit when the boy nodded at him. Hiei was combing Kurama's wet hair with his fingers, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it looked like a private ritual. But he didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable at being watched. In fact, he almost looked like he was amused. Zechs frowned.

"Autonomous - something that can act on its own but is still a part of the whole," Zechs explained. "You said that presence I felt was your subconscious mind. If that's true, then it's also autonomous - capable of communicating without you being aware of it. I doubt you were intentionally sending me your thoughts, and I know I wasn't seeking them out. I even placed a block in my own mind to keep from hearing them. That's when I felt that presence focus on me - as if it were directing something at me. I don't know what it was, but it had an intelligence behind it. I told you before that it had focused on me when I was reading you - this was similar. It sought me out and I had a difficult time not hearing whatever it wanted to tell me."

"You were reading me anyway."

Hiei sniffed and his eyes narrowed in a bit of annoyance. He was still focused on drying Kurama's hair, but he'd been doing that for years so he didn't have to worry about getting a little distracted.

"So instead of having to look for my thoughts, they're going to you? That would just make it easier."

"It..." Zechs sighed, rubbing his temple. "It feels hostile. I knew you were unaware of the thoughts being directed to me, but this is more like a retaliation - instinctive, maybe. I'm worried that this subconscious mind of yours - that presence I felt - it may target anyone who passes your jagan. I blocked it before I could find out what it was trying to send me, but it may have been a memory or a mental attack. If it's the second one, then you need to control it.
"An instinctive defense mechanism like that is useful if someone tries to read you without your permission, but you could easily find it targeting comrades, anyone at all, without even realizing it. And even ignoring that presence, you'll want to find a way to stop yourself from broadcasting - if you aren't doing that, then it's that presence doing it. Either way, you need to find a way to control that force, a conscious control. If I can focus on it, and it can focus on me, then it isn't subconscious at all. You should be able to focus on it and control it the same way you would any other part of yourself. The way you told me you control your thoughts."

Bright green eyes flicked back over a shoulder, and Hiei glowered at Kurama's concerned expression. With a pointed look, he turned the redhead's face back around so he could finish drying that damp hair. His voice was strained when he replied to Zechs.

"If you're the one getting thoughts you don't want to get, you should be the one working on a block to keep them out. What I send or don't send is up to me - if you don't want them, don't let them in."

Zechs glared suddenly, his hands curling in his lap. "Are you voiding yourself of any responsibility here? Do you actually want to be sending your private thoughts out to anyone who can hear them? I have worked on a block, but that doesn't change the fact that you're sending thoughts out without meaning to - you can't just ignore that."

"I can't change it," Hiei hissed.

He pulled his hands away from Kurama's hair, not wanting to singe the silky strands if his anger got too high. His eyes glinted when he turned to glare at Zechs.

"I told you before. I told you that voice was me. I told you. If you refuse to believe it, that's your choice. But don't tell me to control some outside force - it isn't an outside force and it has more control over me than I do over it - it is me. If you can't get that through your head, that's your problem. If you don't want to communicate with it, then ask it to stop. Don't cry to me because I won't take the responsibility of sheltering you. You wanted to know, sought it out in my mind, and it responded accordingly. Now you complain?"

"It controls you...?"

Zechs' first instinct had been to compare the presence with what he might feel if he met Quatre controlling someone's mind. But Hiei had dismissed that notion completely.

"How can it be you if it controls you? Why would I need to ask it if you are it? That doesn't make sense!"

There was honest bewilderment in Zechs' tone, and Kurama sighed. Turning in his chair, he moved a restraining arm around Hiei's shoulders and frowned at the white-haired man across from them.

"Have you studied psychiatry?" Kurama asked. "Do you understand the meaning of subconscious thought? You use the word as if you do, but you don't seem to grasp the real meaning of subconscious.

"Sub, Zechs, subconscious - not conscious. Put your hand in the middle of a fire. You can tell your hand to stay there, but you can't tell your instincts to stop wanting to pull away - your instincts know you are ignoring them, but you can't make them obey you - they're subconscious instincts. Aware, but uncontrollable by the conscious mind. They know you, but you don't know them.

"Think of dreams. Most are subconscious, the all-seeing mind telling your limited conscious mind what it needs to notice but isn't seeing on its own. You can't tell it to stop. You can drug yourself so its voice is quiet enough that you can consciously ignore it, but you can't control it on your own.

"A mindreader is little more than a psychiatrist who hypnotizes a patient in order to communicate with and read the subconscious memories, that latent part hidden away from even the person himself. Could you tell a xenophobic person to stop being afraid? Of course not. But you can convince his subconscious that there's no need to be afraid - dealing with the fear at the source. What you're asking is for Hiei to control something that no one is capable of controlling on his own.

"A telepath communicates with the conscious mind, sharing thoughts, present emotions, feelings, connections between what's happening around him and things he remembers. A mindreader goes deeper and in order to go deeper than what the person recalls on his own, you have to deal with the subconscious. Hiei is different only in that he remembers everything on his own, consciously. That doesn't mean he lacks a subconscious mind, just that his conscious memories are more extensive than most people. If you read his mind, you'll still have to deal with his subconscious, just like you would with anyone."

Zechs was staring at him with wide eyes, taking in what he'd said. Kurama sighed again and ran a hand through his mostly dry hair. "I never thought I'd be helping you read Hiei's mind. How distasteful."

The disgruntled voice made Hiei smirk, and he shot a look over at Kurama. "Just can't help but be helpful, can you. Perfectly respectable, helpful and polite. I'll break you of it one of these days."

"Preferably soon," Kurama glowered, shifting in his chair. "I hate that instinct."

"Keeps you well-liked," Hiei reminded him, smirking wider. "Though it's a bad habit now. I wanted him to scramble through it on his own till he went mad with frustration."

Kurama couldn't help but laugh at Hiei's evil smile, and he shook his head at the boy. "Now, now, we don't want them thinking you are dangerous to them."

He shot a look over at Zechs, frowning at the man's narrow eyes. "If Hiei had an instinctive defense mechanism, do you really think it would send you thoughts and memories instead of tearing your mind apart the moment it had access to you? I admit, I don't see why his subconscious would want to communicate with you, but if it does, then some part of Hiei wants it. I can't argue with that. You shouldn't complain, either."

"He can complain," Hiei sniffed. He shrugged his shoulders, glowering over at Zechs. "You think communicating with me is bad? Talking to that part of me is like talking to Kurama when he's angry. Unpleasant."

"Oh, really," Kurama frowned. "I'd hardly compare our tempers, and you've never seen me unpleasant. Teasing and irritating maybe, but not unpleasant."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "It's that superior taunting of yours - unpleasant when you can't hit the one irritating you. No one likes communicating with someone who thinks he knows everything."

"Ah," Kurama smirked. "But if your subconscious is the same way, then you're no better than I am."

"I don't have to talk to it," Hiei grumbled. "You're harder to ignore."

Standing suddenly, Kurama tossed his hair over a shoulder and sniffed. "What a way to start the morning. A lecture to the enemy and an underhanded compliment from my partner. I'll leave you two to your talk. If anyone decides I'm pleasant to talk with, I'll be in the forest."

The redhead stalked from the room without glancing back, and Hiei smirked as he watched him disappear around the corner. A minute later he was crossing the space, a light coat fluttering a bit at his quick walk. Kurama was funny when miffed - not when he was angry, just when he was in a huff. He waited until the fox was gone before letting go of his smile and turning back to look at Zechs.

"So," Hiei said. "What are you going to do?"

"I didn't understand," Zechs admitted. "I still don't, not completely, but I'm getting the idea. If you're willing to continue this, I'd like to find out more about this subconscious mind of yours. But I also wanted to ask you if you'd be willing to let Quatre take part in this. He doesn't have any experience with making mental blocks. Ignoring the problem I have now, getting past the jagan itself was a challenge. Having him face that sort of negative energy would serve as motivation so he can find a way to protect himself."

"How would he be doing that?" Hiei asked, raising an eyebrow as he imagined it.

The blonde boy was too soft; he'd seen it in his stricken eyes after Zechs had been caught reading Kurama. He didn't like the idea of intentionally hurting someone like that, someone who obviously shared Yukina's sensitivity. But if the boy were completely defenseless against mental attacks, then he would need to fix that.

"What's your plan?"

- - -
After a quick and interesting introduction of Heero and Duo to Yusuke, curiosity had the six of them outside. A bit of bragging and a promise of one heck of a light show were Yusuke's way of getting Heero to go along with the idea. Yusuke didn't realize that Heero would have gone without the wheedling.

Aside from Wufei, none had seen any of this purported 'power' Yusuke claimed to have. And if Trowa were seriously considering the boy as a worthwhile ally, Heero for one wanted to know exactly how strong Yusuke was.

Luckily Kuwabara was rounded up before they set out, both Yusuke and Wufei assuring the others that a target was needed, preferably one who could fight back. Yusuke shrugged as he admitted that Kuwabara wasn't very good at the 'fighting back' area, but that his endurance was a little better. The insult worked nicely to provoke the ensuing fight.

Wufei kept a close eye on Heero as the two teens sparred, eager to see if Heero made the same connection to Trowa that he had. Some part of him was also hoping that Heero would be impressed enough to want Yusuke as part of their group. As surprised as he'd been to find out how deviously smart Yusuke was, he rather liked the boy. He didn't want to get too close to a friend he'd have to continually lie to. But unless Heero gave his support to the idea, Wufei knew Trowa wouldn't choose Yusuke as a member of their group.

Whatever Heero had said about it not being up to him, the rest of them followed his lead. It was Heero's team and had been from the very beginning.

As Wufei had expected, Heero did make an immediate connection when he saw Yusuke's visible energy. The boy had glowed with an almost thick white light, very similar to that sheath of green Trowa had displayed in the OZ base not long ago. Only unlike Trowa, Yusuke had clear control of the energy, drawing it in until it fairly sparkled around his fists - his chosen weapons. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was a blatant surprise to everyone watching.

Yusuke had made a mention to Wufei that Kuwabara used a visible weapon, but they hadn't expected him to mimic that energy flow. Just as he'd glowed when giving energy to Duo, Kuwabara had displayed it again moments before manifesting a weapon. The coloring and visible inconsistency of the golden sword told plainly that it was made of that energy, but he gripped it in his right hand as if it were a solid sword, just a flaming one.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem at all useful to him. A sword against fists just didn't make for an even fight - Yusuke was clearly the faster of the two.

Heero noted that while Yusuke didn't have anything approaching his own inhuman speed, the boy was quite agile. He was quick to dodge and twist, fairly pummeling his friend with blows that left a shimmer of energy where they landed. The sweeps of Kuwabara's sword seemed overly clumsy in comparison, but Heero knew it wasn't as bad as it seemed. The taller teenager just couldn't match that fluid motion his attacker used, and the loud taunts incensed him to the point where whatever inherent grace he might have had was abandoned in place of sheer annoyed and frustrated swipes.

Mere minutes after the onset of the match, Kuwabara was on the ground grumbling curses while his smaller friend stood over him, laughing with a mocking yet clearly affectionate smile.

"Laugh now," Kuwabara growled, shoving to his feet again. He swayed a bit but hefted his fists, that energy sword abandoned where he'd fallen. "You'll be crying when I'm done with you, Urameshi!"

The orange-haired boy barreled toward him and Yusuke winced, still grinning as he held his ground. It really wasn't nice of him to humiliate his friend in front of others like this. But he could always count on Kuwabara to never admit when he'd been defeated.

He held his place till his friend was nearly on top of him. Then he ducked, letting Kuwabara's fist sail over his head. He twisted to the side and knocked the boy down, a light blow to the back being enough to send him face first into the grass.

"Don't get all excited," Yusuke drawled.

He sent a knowing smile down at the boy, Kuwabara twisting to glower up at him.

"It's not a real fight, after all. We're putting on a show here - at least I am."

Yusuke caught Wufei's eye and lifted his right hand, his arm held straight with elbow locked.

"I call this my rei-gan," he said. "It's pretty good for distance fights, and I can multiply it if I have a lot of targets. Only, it's stronger if I keep the energy condensed for a single shot. Naturally, I guess. After all, what's more powerful - a rocket-launcher or an automatic machine gun? Just depends on the target."

Focusing on the tip of his finger, Yusuke closed his left hand over his wrist and aimed at a point in the sky. He drew that energy of his so it concentrated in the spot where he'd curled his hand to resemble a gun. When he was sure the others were watching him, he grinned and let it free. Two gasps were more than reward enough to stroke his ego.

The energy had formed a glowing white ball around Yusuke's finger, but what followed was more like a beam. The light shot straight upward in a narrow streak, cutting through a cloud above and disappearing from sight. Quatre and Trowa had been standing closest to the boy, so they felt the heat of that released energy. The looks they turned on each other brought back Yusuke's claim of being A class despite his single talent.

Heero's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Though he hadn't been there to hear of Yusuke's abilities, it was clear he had multiple uses for that energy of his. He nodded to the boy. "How do you use that force on multiple targets?"

"I use my fists," Yusuke explained, grinning happily. "I think of it like shadow-boxing or something. I figure when I hit something and the energy is collected in my fist, it makes the blow much stronger than a normal attack. So if the target is away from me, I direct the energy itself to go out and strike. I haven't used it much since I don't exactly have targets I can just destroy at random. But I'm pretty sure it would be almost as strong as my rei-gan - just not so concentrated since I'd be using shorter bursts of energy."

"Show off."

Yusuke blinked and turned to frown at Kuwabara. His friend had risen and was walking over to where he'd left his sword, the boy's shoulders stating clearly that he was still bristling over the mock fight.

"Don't be like that," Yusuke called. "It's not my fault you don't have a distance attack. Besides, I can't use a sword like you can - we just have different talents, that's all."

Glancing back to the others, Yusuke shrugged at Wufei. "Kuwa here can make his sword stretch longer, but it doesn't help much with a fast opponent. If you ask me, it's the size difference that really hurts him. He's too tall to really fight someone fast who uses close tactics. Doesn't make us a good match to spar. He's pretty strong without using his energy, but so am I, and I'm faster. That rankles him."

"I can see why," Wufei winced.

He was at a better vantage point, so he had a clear view of Kuwabara's mottled scowl. The boy was glaring at his sword as if he wanted nothing more than to charge at his friend for another fight. Those blows had left visible bruises but didn't seem to bother him too much. Wufei was fairly certain it was because Kuwabara could handle the attacks, not because the blows hadn't been powerful. It made him wonder if this energy the two used didn't serve as a defense as well as an offensive talent.

"But my talent is really versatile," Yusuke was saying. "That's why I think it should count as A class. As far as I can shoot my rei-gan, I bet I could take out a meteor if it were visible from the ground. Something that powerful, it has to be good enough to be A class."

"If you can take out a meteor," a soft voice called, "I'd call you A class."

The boys turned, Kuwabara jumping a bit to find the voice so close to where he was standing. A few bushes parted so Kurama could slip through them and he smiled at Yusuke's surprised look.

"Really," Kurama said. "If you can single-handedly destroy something capable of wiping out all life on this planet, then I'll call you anything you like."

Yusuke's face twisted into a derogatory sneer. "Mock all you want."

"Whoever said I was mocking you?"

Kurama smiled and nodded to the others, his eyes pausing on Duo. He crossed over to where the boy was and tilted his head as he looked at him. Duo was giving him a strange look that Kurama couldn't quite interpret. Something about the boy's expression made him wonder if Duo didn't feel sympathy toward him. He couldn't see why he would, though.

"I'm glad to see you out and about," Kurama said softly. "I hear you managed to do excellent with your talent. Now that you know how powerful you are, take care of that skill. No need to push something that will come naturally in time."

The compliment was nice, but Duo didn't appreciate the reminder. He was pretty sure Heero's insults would stay with him for weeks. He didn't need Kurama to add to it. Suddenly he thought he knew why Wufei was so embarrassed and angry about getting tired after using his talent. Having others know that you'd overextended yourself was bad enough without being lectured for it. And the worst part wasn't even having Heero tell him flat out that he'd been stupid to keep stubbornly pushing himself. The worst part was being certain that if he were in the same situation, he'd do the exact same thing.

Quite frankly, Duo didn't know what the warning signs were. Heero had acted as if he just ignored the signs when really, Duo hadn't seen any at all. He'd never felt that way before, had never so much as felt tired after using his talents. He'd spent years being invisible at all times. If constant use of his ability hadn't tired him, then how was he supposed to know it would this time? As far as he was concerned, Heero was being a jerk for no good reason.

He had no right to blame Duo for something he'd had no reason to be on guard against, and something he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid in the future unless he stopped using his abilities all together. He couldn't exactly watch out for something when he didn't know what he was watching for.

Kurama was waiting as if he expected some sort of response. Duo gave him a vague nod before shifting his gaze away. "Right."

The boy was clearly upset, and Kurama suspected Heero was to blame since that one wasn't looking at either of them. They were both being careful not to so much as glance at the other. A lover's spat? He just hoped he wasn't inadvertently to blame for it.

Turning away from them, he found himself looking at Kuwabara again. The boy had been holding that odd sword of his. Now, he'd retracted it, the shape fading away as that energy flowed into his palm and disappeared. Kurama went over to him, catching his attention as well as his wrist.

"You know," Kurama commented, brushing his thumb over Kuwabara's palm and noting the heat there, "this is similar to what Hiei uses. The energy, I mean. He has a sword that looks almost identical to yours - it's just black and made of fire rather than energy like yours."

Kuwabara blinked in surprise and stared down at his palm. Part of his mind noted that Yusuke was looking at him with a bit of confused jealousy and he straightened his back.

"It's not a weak talent," Kuwabara sniffed, shooting a look at Yusuke. Yusuke rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Of course it isn't," Kurama said, his tone placating.

He released Kuwabara and lifted a hand to his hair, plucking a small seed. "It just isn't fulfilled, that's all. You use that sword as a stationary, solid weapon. But it's made of your own energy. That is pliable."

Flicking his wrist, he turned the seed into a long, slender vine. "It would serve as a weapon for distance attacks as easily as close combat. You just need to use it as such."

"What?"

Kurama jerked his arm, sending that whip arching toward him and Kuwabara jumped to the side with wide eyes. He grabbed at his palm and manifested his sword on instinct, just managing to block the whip before it could hit him.

"Are you attacking me?!"

"I should say so," Kurama smirked. "Counter it."

"How?!"

Kuwabara swung his sword at the vine, but instead of cutting through the thing, he found his weapon halted. The whip wrapped around his rei-ken, nearly jerking it from his grasp.

"I can't cut through it!"

"No," Kurama said. "I tend to model my plants to counter Hiei's fire, so your energy isn't nearly hot enough to burn the whip. As for cutting it, think about that. If I were to cut your sword, what would happen? You'd just shift the energy to seal the sword once more - making it solid only when you want it to be solid so that nothing can truly cut through it unless you let it. I can do the same with my plants."

Kuwabara jerked down to pull his sword free and gaped when the vine was severed into pieces, as if the edges of his rei-ken had suddenly gotten sharper. "You did that?"

"You can do the same," Kurama said. He waved a hand at Kuwbara's sword. "If that were truly solid, my vine would have sliced through it. You control that by thickening the energy. I have to actually a regrow any plant you sever, all you have to do is rearrange the energy. When it comes to the weapons themselves, your rei-ken is far more versatile than my vine. It's just a matter of how you use it."

"Still doesn't help against distance attacks," Yusuke scoffed. This earned him a heated glare from Kuwbara and he sniffed at the boy. "He could have that whip of his cut you into bits. You can't block something like that forever."

"I could help you with that," Kurama said, nodding to Kuwabara. "I know Yusuke says neither of you need help with your talents, but I could help you shift your sword into a mobile weapon that would suit distance attacks."
Wufei shot Kurama a pointed look. "You mean he could use his sword the way I do my lightening."

"Exactly like that," Kurama smiled. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at Kuwabara's wary expression. "You are interested in mastering your talents, aren't you?"

"I don't know," Kuwabara said slowly. The idea of having a skill for distance fights was nice, but it wouldn't really help him beat the living snot out of Yusuke. "I'm better at close fights, anyway."

"But you're too slow for that," Yusuke taunted. "That's the problem."

"Shut up, you!"

Kurama grinned and ducked forward to place a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. The taller teen had been a few seconds away from launching himself at Yusuke.

"You prefer to fight close up?" Kurama asked. Kuwabara gave him a stout nod, and Kurama winked. "All right, then."

The redhead stepped back and shifted, his hair and clothing fading to white. Wufei was surprised that he'd bother changing forms, but the looks on his friends' faces were nice. He realized that aside from himself and Duo, they hadn't seen Kurama's white-haired form. He smirked over at Duo, who seemed to be enjoying how wide Heero's eyes had gone. It wasn't strange, considering Une was the only 'shape-shifter' they'd met so far.

Kuwabara stumbled back to put distance between himself and the taller, paler version of Kurama. He and Yusuke had seen him like this a few times, but he'd never imagined actually fighting him. The only time he'd ever seen Kurama fight in this form was when he was facing Hiei. As much as Kuwabara disliked that irritating shrimp, he admitted to his strength. He'd had enough trouble with one plant whip - he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against the sort of huge vines and crazy plants Kurama could use in this form.

"No need to be so jumpy," Kurama said, a wry smile curving his lips. "One of your main attributes is that you're powerfully built for close combat. I admit I'm not very strong in my normal aspect, not for hand to hand fighting. This is a little better."

Holding his right hand up, Kurama closed his fist. Green swamped over his arm, wrapping around it until it formed a swirled sword that appeared to be made of tiny overlapping vines. With a nod to it, he gave Kuwabara a tight grin. "Close combat, then."

"Wait a second," Yusuke said. He ran over to stand between Kurama and Kuwabara, shooting Kurama a dark glare. "You can't fight him. He might look like a big dope, but he's not bad with a sword."

"You're good at the underhanded compliments," Kurama noted. He glowered at Yusuke and pressed the boy to the side. "I may enjoy watching your fight with Hiei."

"What about your motto of not fighting in front of students," Yusuke muttered. He waved a hand to direct Kurama's attention to the others.

"I'm not fighting," Kurama sniffed. "I'm teaching Kuwabara that there's a good reason to have access to distance fighting methods. Some opponents are not to be met face to face. Whatever you might think to the contrary, I'm one of them."

Kuwabara wasn't sure who was insulting him more, Kurama or Yusuke, but he lifted his sword in preparation. "Is that plant sword of yours as sharp as the vines you send at Hiei? I don't want to cut you up."

Smiling at the boy, Kurama took a slow step forward. "It's sharp, but I won't let it touch you. Don't worry about cutting me, just keep your own sword solid. If you prefer close fighting, you'll have to use your own weapon to block your opponent's weapon. Once you've established your defense, it comes down to physical strength, speed, and agility."

Yusuke eased away, still scowling at the two, and ended up near Wufei. He sent a frown over to him. "Kurama's in a bad mood."

"Really?" Wufei asked. "Why do you say that?"

"Because he plans to kick Kuwabara's ass." Yusuke folded his arms over his chest, glaring darker at Kurama. "I did that because he's Kuwabara, and I wanted to show off. He's doing it because...I don't know. He doesn't have a good reason. If he really is strong enough to face Kuwa in a sword fight, then he already knows he's going to win. There's no point in that. It's one thing for me to beat him up, he's used to it. But getting humiliated by Kurama...that's just cruel."

Duo raised an eyebrow and moved to the two boys, keeping an eye on the two in question. "Kurama's an S class. Wouldn't he expect to lose to an S class mutant anyway?"

"You don't know Kuwabara," Yusuke sighed. "He thinks he can beat anyone, no matter what class they're supposed to be in. Hiei's the only one he considers stronger than him, and that's only because he's afraid of Hiei's dragon - gives him the shivers. He hates that."

Duo winced. "Well, I saw that dragon of his. It is intimidating."

"Yeah," Yusuke said, "but that's not the problem. It literally gives Kuwabara the shivers. He says it just doesn't feel right. I think it might be the color - we haven't seen anyone else use black energy. But Kuwa swears it's not natural. Whatever it is, that's half the reason Kuwabara can't stand him. He won't admit it, but Hiei's got him cowed. Kurama on the other hand, Kuwabara likes him but doesn't consider him a real opponent. It's almost like pitting Kuwabara against Yukina - he'd never fight well against someone he likes. Kurama knows that."

The two teens in question were currently circling each other, but Kurama had heard Yusuke clearly enough. His pale gray ears did more than bring out the color of his hair, after all. He frowned at the comments but ignored them.
He wasn't taking his irritation out on Kuwabara, and he certainly had no plans to humiliate the teen. He was just going to give him a reason to work on his distance fighting. Hiei wouldn't let him help extend his entsatsu-ken, but Kuwabara...Kurama was pretty sure he could convince Kuwabara to let him help with his own energy sword. And one thing Kurama enjoyed was experimenting with talents, even if they weren't his own.

Kuwabara didn't seem eager to start the fight so Kurama made the first move. He rushed forward, his sword aimed directly at the teen's chest. As expected, Kuwabara blocked the spot, the plant blade striking his rei-ken and sending a shower of golden sparks into their faces.

Kurama jerked away in surprise, his eyes narrow. Those sparks burned where they fell. He picked his speed up a notch in response to that.

Rather than meeting swords and having a test of who could push the other back, Kurama made darting moves, forcing his opponent to block or risk being hit. His height seemed to mark a difference from Kuwabara's previous fight with Yusuke. While Kurama wasn't any slower than Yusuke, he was much taller, nearly at Kuwabara's level. Fighting someone with a similar build let Kuwabara match the movements without having to bend at a dodging target. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't nearly as agile as Kurama - his thick build couldn't twist the way a more slender person could.

Ducking as Kuwabara rushed him, Kurama twisted into a crouch, his tail flashing out to help his balance. He arced his arm so the sword grazed a bit of hair at the back of Kuwabara's neck. That sent a shiver down the boy's back that made him freeze.

"If I were Hiei," Kurama said softly, "your head would be gone."

Kuwabara hunched his shoulders and rubbed at his neck as he twisted around to scowl down at the crouching teen. "Don't say things like that!"

"You judge your opponent, then use the tactics that will give you the most advantage," Kurama continued, not shifting from his low position. "Your best chance at matching me would be to use a mix of close combat and distance fighting. You would use your sword as a tactile weapon but keep me at least three feet from you at all times so I couldn't use my agility to get past your defense. With this weapon I'm using now, that sort of fight would be difficult for me. I wouldn't be able to make a hit, while you, with a curving weapon, would have both a defense and an offense."

"But you'd use a whip if you were fighting like that," Kuwabara muttered.

"True," Kurama said, "but it would take time to grow one. Even a few seconds would be enough for you to establish the upper hand. If you knew how to extend and curve your rei-ken."

"And that's what you wanted to teach me?"

Kuwabara stepped back, frowning when Kurama didn't bother to stand. It felt strange looking down into those narrow golden eyes. He was used to Kurama being one of the taller people he knew, and the last time he'd been this close to him in that white-haired form was when he'd first met him on the lawn of the school.

"I can teach you that," Kurama said, "if you want to learn."

The boy shrugged, clearly thinking about it, and Kurama gave a slow smile. He still felt like fighting, but he wasn't about to do what Yusuke had said he would. Defeating Kuwabara, when the boy didn't even have his talent mastered, was pointless.

"Playing with children?"

The low voice managed to catch everyone off guard and Kurama was on his feet in an instance.

Hiei sniffed and hopped down from the tree he'd landed in. His sweeping gaze disregarded the others in the small clearing, Kuwabara shifting away from Kurama until he was standing next to Yusuke.

"Who are you calling children?" Kuwabara growled. He glared down at the little teen, but didn't move any closer to him. "Chibi."

Hiei rolled his eyes, not so much as looking at him. "Baka."

"Kisama!"

Yusuke winced and caught hold of Kuwabara's arm before the boy could run over and get himself knocked out. As much as Kuwa disliked Hiei's blatant power, he couldn't seem to resist getting into arguments with him. Yusuke was pretty sure Yukina was the reason for that.

"Don't start," Yusuke sighed.

"Didn't realize you were so bored," Hiei said, his gaze latching onto Kurama again. The silver-haired fox raised an eyebrow at him. "Keep playing with them and you'll get slow."

Kurama sniffed and turned his eyes up to the canopy above them. "I really don't see how-"

Heat and a slight shift in the plantlife around him were all the signs Kurama needed. His eyes flashed with a mix of green and gold and he crouched, palms flat against the ground.

Never once did he glance at Hiei, but the sudden wall twisted into place seconds before a wave of black flame hit it. Not so much as a spark slipped through to touch him. Yusuke cursed.

"What the hell are you thinking?!"

Yusuke stared at Hiei in something akin to horror. The small teen hadn't given any warning, and that sudden blast of fire had been enough to completely burn all of the grass between him and Kurama. "He wasn't even looking at you!"
"Exactly," Hiei sniffed.

That wall of plants was deteriorating, slipping back down as the vines and quickly shifted stems of grass returned to normal. The fox stood as he was revealed and Hiei gave him an appreciative smirk. "Nice reflexes."

"Thank you," Kurama smiled. "I was just convincing Kuwabara to let me help him with his talent. It seems he has a rei-ken very similar to your ensatsu-ken. Why, the only difference seems to be the color of the two. It's very smart of him to master that skill."

Hiei glowered over at Kuwabara, giving the boy a distasteful look. "You can hardly call it a skill," he scoffed.

The orange-haired boy bristled at the insult and Kurama winced. "Don't pay any attention to him, Kuwabara. Hiei just doesn't like using his enstatsu-ken. He's prejudiced."

With a snort at Kuwabara, Hiei passed him, seeking out a specific person. He stopped in front of Quatre and ignored Trowa's suspicious look. "You're the controller?"

Quatre's eyes widened and he sent a quick look at Yusuke and Kuwabara. So far they hadn't told them about each of them being A class. Yusuke knew only that he could read minds. But he supposed at this point it didn't really matter. He turned his attention to the short boy in front of him and nodded.

"Prove it," Hiei said, his tone neutral. The blonde boy stared at him and he jerked his head toward Kurama. "Make the fox yip."

Quatre choked a bit, his eyes flying over to see Kurama turn bright red, that silvery tail bristling in either anger or embarrassment - probably both. He shook his head. "I don't think I should-"

"Can't do it?" Hiei taunted. He was careful not to look back, very aware of the fury radiating in his direction. "That's his strongest form. If you can control him, you can control anyone. Go on, make the fox yip."

Kurama growled, his golden eyes fairly flashing. "Hiei, I swear..."

His friends were looking at him, and Quatre paled when he saw Heero raising an eyebrow at him as if to ask what he was waiting for. Beside him, Trowa gave a subtle nod and a small smile. Quatre winced away, closing his eyes in embarrassment - not his own, but for Kurama. He didn't see what his control accomplished.

Eyes widening, Kurama went very still, his mouth forming silent words. Then he crouched on all fours and, tail wagging behind him, let out a coughing yip that made Yusuke fall on his backside with laughter.

Hiei gave a loud, sharp laugh, and Quatre buried his face in his hands, ducking behind Trowa. He could already sense the pure retaliatory fury pulsing through the one he'd just controlled.

Kurama growled, a long almost rumbling sound. His tail slashed when he stood, cutting the air behind him as if it were one of his vines. And he stalked toward the group of teens with enough danger in his eyes to make even Heero get out of the way. His target seemed oblivious.

Hiei grinned at him, quiet laughter shaking his shoulders.

"You think you're so cute," Kurama growled, closing the distance between him and his prey.

"Funny, was it? Enjoyed that, did you?" He was now a foot away, Hiei tilting his head back so he could plainly see the boy's taunting grin. Kurama's eyes narrowed till they were bare slits of gold.

"We'll just see about that."

A sharp cry made Quatre peak out from behind Trowa and his face flamed a dark red. Kurama had ducked down and picked up Hiei, tossing the boy over a shoulder where he had to have one very good view of that angrily swishing tail. Hiei seemed to freeze, his voice unusually high.

"Let me go!" Hiei said sharply, his red eyes very wide. "What do you think you're doing...?!"

The fox ignored him, carrying him away from the group. Bushes rose up, cutting off his view of many stunned faces staring after them.

A few seconds passed before Yusuke let out a howl of laughter, Kuwabara joining him on the ground as the two broke down.

"Oh man," Yusuke grinned, holding his stomach. "Did you see his face?!"

"I'm never going to forget it," Kuwabara laughed. "I can't wait to tell Yukina about it."

Wufei was still a little stunned, but he smirked at the plants that had grown up to block their view of whatever direction Kurama had taken. "That was interesting," he offered.

"And now we know Quatre is capable of controlling an S class mutant," Heero put in.

He was more confused than amused, but he nodded at Trowa. Quatre had his face hidden against the boy's back, so he couldn't catch the boy's eyes.

"I can't believe I did that..." Quatre moaned, hiding his hot face against Trowa. "He's never going to forgive me for that."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Yusuke laughed. "He didn't blame you or he'd have carried you off and not Hiei. Man, what I wouldn't give to see what Kurama's planning to do to him. For a second there I thought he was going to spank him."

Kuwabara fell over onto his back, laughing so hard he nearly bit his tongue. "The chibi's small enough, too!"

Yusuke sighed, still smiling broadly. He caught Wufei's eyes and winked at him. "I bet they had a fight earlier. That would explain why Kurama was acting funny, and why Hiei was taunting him. Now they're off to have wild make-up sex!"

The boy let out a peal of laughter and Kuwabara paled, his face tinting just a bit green. "Oi...d-don't say that...!"

"Anyway," Yusuke said, gasping a bit as he wiped his eyes. "I doubt we'll be seeing them for a while. You guys planning to head back to the school? We could show you some of the paths that are close to town. There's not much to see, but it gives you something to do around here."

Wufei looked over at the others and Heero shrugged. "I don't see why not."

- - -

The immediate shock of being grabbed up gave way to amusement after a few silent moments. Hiei didn't bother to struggle, though it wasn't exactly comfortable hanging over Kurama's shoulder. He caught a hand in the fox's silver hair and tugged, grinning as he stared up at those fur-lined ears. They were flat against Kurama's head, as angry as that slashing tail was.

"Don't make me hurt you," Hiei taunted.

Kurama tossed his head, his arm tightening around Hiei's waist to hold him in place. "As if you would," he sneered.

He glared at the foliage around them, willing the bushes and grass to get out of his way. The plantlife complied posthaste, his embarrassed anger spurring them on. Within seconds there was a small clearing opened in front of him and he crouched, dropping his load unceremoniously. Hiei blinked when he landed on his back, but he didn't look the least bit intimidated at having Kurama loom over him.

"You'd scratch your own eyes out before you'd hurt me," Kurama sniffed. "Embarrass me? Sure. Drive me crazy? Absolutely. But hurt me?"

Kurama rolled his eyes and leaned closer to glare at Hiei's taunting smirk. "Find a better threat."

"What's the matter?" Hiei drawled, his red eyes glittering up at the fuming fox. "You make a good kitsune. That bark sounded almost natural. And you wagged your tail just like a happy pup."

A soft growl started in Kurama's throat and he glared darker, feeling the thick fur of his tail bristle. "You're really asking for it, Hiei..."

"Really." Hiei gave a dark grin and raised an eyebrow. That growl was almost enough to make him break into laughter again. He settled for a quite chuckle. "Are you angry, then? You said I'd never seen you angry."

"You're seeing it now," Kurama growled. "I can't believe you'd do something like that!"

The outrage did it more than anything. Hiei laughed, flicking one of those flattened ears as he grinned. "If I scratch your ear, will you wag your tail again?"

"Hiei..."

"If this is as scary as you get when you're angry, it's not much." Those narrow golden eyes were blazing at him, but Hiei knew Kurama wouldn't dare lash out. Knowing he couldn't do a thing about it made infuriating him that much more fun.

"Back up," Hiei taunted, pushing on Kurama's chest. "If you start licking my face, I'll choke to death on my own laughter."

With a sharp breath that hissed as it passed his clenched teeth, Kurama shoved him back down. The image Hiei's words brought to mind was more than his wounded pride could take. And he could think of one way, only one way to shut the boy up without hitting him. His eyes locked on that grinning, taunting mouth.

The speed surprised Hiei, along with the unexpected push. His first thought was that Kurama really planned to lick his face, and he froze in honest shock. A hand caught in his hair, another gripping his chin. He held his breath, watching Kurama duck toward him until their mouths touched. His hands twitched twice during that suffocating kiss, but he was too stunned to offer any real response.

Reality crashed down mere seconds later. The heated anger that had spurred Kurama on was doused in an icy rush. It was the taste. That heady scent he'd enjoyed in the past, burying his face in Hiei's thick hair - given flavor, fluid heat. Kurama reeled away, his face pasty white as he caught sight of Hiei's expression.

Those wide red eyes were dazed, confused, uncertain, but not the least bit accusatory. If anything could make him more disgusted by his actions, it was that wary look from someone who trusted him. Hiei didn't move, lying still where he'd pressed him down.

Pushing back to put more distance between them, Kurama shifted to his normal form. Some part of him was hoping that would put Hiei at ease, and it made him feel more vulnerable - less like an attacker.

"I'm sorry," Kurama said quickly. "I didn't mean to do that."

Hiei blinked slowly, his arm moving to edge him upward into a seated position. He didn't think Kurama would attack him if he moved too quickly, but he had an idea any sudden movement would startle the redhead. The fox looked skittish, far too pale, and those wide green eyes were stricken. He almost looked afraid. Hiei didn't know what to make of that any more than he knew why Kurama would kiss him. It had been a kiss, he was sure of that much. But the fox had been angry, furious - he'd purposely taunted him to make him as angry as possible. So why had he kissed him instead of lashing out? And why did he look like that?

"Hiei...?" Red eyes flicked to him, and Kurama winced, not quite ducking away. "Say something? I'm really sorry for doing that. I never meant to - to push anything on you, I swear I didn't."

That was it. Hiei blinked, his eyes widening suddenly. Kurama was worried because he expected some sort of retaliation. Hiei sniffed, rolling his eyes and curling his legs into a more relaxed pose.

"Baka," Hiei drawled. "Stop looking at me as if I'll hurt you for it." Kurama blinked at him, and he shrugged, licking his lips and giving the fox a light smirk. "It didn't hurt."

"No," Kurama sighed. He folded his arms over his chest, glaring down at them. "But I shouldn't have done that - especially not like that."

"You feel guilty?" Hiei asked. He raised an eyebrow when his friend didn't look at him, a slight nod his only answer. "Do you consider that an attack, then?"

Kurama winced again and lifted dark eyes. "I did it because I couldn't attack you and I wanted to do something to get you back for taunting me like that. But I shouldn't have done it. You were just teasing me - I know that."

"So what do you expect?" Green eyes blinked at him, and Hiei tilted his head. "Do you think I'm going to retaliate?"

"You should," Kurama nodded. He knew Hiei wouldn't, but he would feel better if he did. Seducing his friend was one thing, attacking him out of anger was unforgivable. "I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"Will you stop looking at me like that if I do?"

Kurama's eyes widened and he almost jumped back when Hiei disappeared in a dim blur of speed. The small teen was abruptly in front of him and he gulped, fighting to keep his muscles from reacting. "Hiei?"

"Will you?" Hiei asked again, frowning at those stricken eyes.

"Will I what?"

Hiei rolled his eyes, scowling at the fox. "Stop looking at me like you expect me to hurt you."

What had he started? Kurama blinked wary eyes at Hiei, not sure how to answer that question. He'd never expected Hiei to hurt him, he'd only hoped he might - that Hiei would do something so they could put this behind them. He couldn't assuage his guilt without some sort of retaliation.

The continued silence was nearly as bad as having Kurama look at him like that. Hiei let out an impatient sigh and caught hold of those long red forelocks. He pulled the fox's head back just enough to repeat what Kurama had done to him.

Sanity snapped into a dozen pieces and Kurama felt as if his eyes were going to fall out of his head. The kiss he'd given Hiei had been a probing, suffocating violation, venting all of his pent-up frustration and teenage hormones. This was an exact replica, only it made his nerves tingle and his mind shut down. He nearly collapsed when Hiei released him, a stunned gasp passing his numb lips.

"Hiei..."

Glittering green eyes stared at him, and Hiei smirked as he took a slow step back. "That was simple enough."

Kurama continued to stare dazedly at him but Hiei could see the color returning to the teen's face, that stricken expression replaced with a stunned, almost happy one. It was a definite improvement. Now if he could just get what he'd been trying to encourage earlier.

"You know," Hiei commented, stepping further from the redhead, "you taste the same in both forms. I thought the kitsune form would taste more like an animal than this one."

Heat rushed to Kurama's cheeks and he gaped. Hiei was teasing him again?! How could he tease him about this?

"You really are a fox, no matter what you look like." Hiei smirked as he watched that embarrassed flush darken Kurama's cheeks. This was more like it - tormenting the fox was fun so long as he didn't really get angry.

Kurama took a calming breath as he got to his feet, not sure whether he wanted to respond to Hiei or not. What did his friend want, a repeat performance? "Hiei...are you trying to make me angry again?"

"Hn. Not if you get all stupid afterward," Hiei sniffed. "Shift back."

Kurama's eyes widened and he shook his head in exasperation. "Why?"

"Because," Hiei smirked, "I'm going to pull your tail till you stop being an idiot and start fighting. You've been burning for a sparring match since you left this morning."

"Is that why you humiliated me back there?!" Kurama bristled, more than a little irritated. It only took a moment to shift, and he was careful to keep his tail well away from the fast mutant. "If you want a match so badly, I'll give you one."

"We'll tear a path straight to the valley if we start here," Hiei smirked. "You go first. I'll give you a head start."

"Do you really expect me to put my back to you?" Kurama raised an eyebrow at Hiei's evil smirk, his tail curving close to the back of his legs. "Touch my tail and die."

"Heh, better start running, then."

Kurama glowered and edged backward, his eyes glittering dangerously. "And you say I was burning for a fight. You've been taunting me all along."

"We do have that much in common."

Hiei grinned and darted at the fox, his sword flashing into his hand as a swarm of vines shot up to block him from his target. He caught a flash of silver as Kurama high-tailed it out of the clearing, literally. He'd give Kurama a head-start, but it wouldn't be a big one. The more he riled the kitsune on the way to the valley, the more fun he'd have when the actual fight started. There was nothing more enjoyable and exhilarating than fighting Kurama.

- - -

The others had gone back into town, Yusuke promising to show them the arcade - which Kuwabara swore was the only worthwhile building in the town. Trowa and Quatre had let them go, choosing to walk the cleared paths at the edge of the forest. It was actually a peaceful wood, not too many birds and only a hint of rustling in the underbrush from whatever wildlife lived there. Their quiet words almost melded into the calm nature around them.

Since Quatre had been the first to note how little they knew about each other, he took the time to tell more about himself. His life hadn't been very exciting, being the only son in a very large and wealthy family. His father had been something of a tycoon, strict and domineering. And though Trowa didn't seem to believe him, Quatre couldn't emphasize enough how rotten he'd been as a child. Rebellious was the description that fit him best. He hadn't settled until his father's death. After that he'd left his sisters, and discovered his talent amid the welcome protection of the Maguanacs.

"I don't think I would ever have valued myself if it weren't for them," Quatre sighed. "Rashid put up with me for months before he finally knocked some sense into me."

Trowa raised an eyebrow at the boy, noting the emphasis Quatre had placed on a certain word. "Knocked?"

A light blush marred Quatre's cheeks, and he ducked his head, giving a weak smile. "He slapped me so hard my face was bruised for nearly two weeks. But I needed it. My father never touched me or yelled at me. Being ignored, when you're acting out just to get attention...that doesn't lead anywhere. Rashid knew that."

"I can't believe he'd hit you," Trowa said. He remembered Rashid, and the size difference alone was enough to make him wonder about the man's sanity. "How old were you?"

"Eleven. But I was talking about killing myself - I didn't know what to do after my father died." Quatre shot a guilty look up at Trowa, wincing at the boy's shocked expression. "I was drifting, you see? Everything seemed so pointless. He gave me a purpose in his base, let me help them with their fights. They wouldn't risk me in the actual battles, but I helped as much as I could. After a while, I started to believe them when they thanked me. It was like finding a place for myself - somewhere that I could make a difference. That's why I wanted to help Heero. I wanted to try and do something without the Maguanacs, something only I could do. Being a mutant lets me do that."

"Did you know about mutants when you were younger?" Trowa asked. "I'd never heard anything about them except when one popped up now and then. I didn't even know that OZ was getting rid of mutants until I met you and started wondering about others like us. I had no idea there were so many mutant spread out in the world. OZ did too good a job keeping them quiet."

"The Maguanacs told me about some of the mutants they'd heard about," Quatre said. "When they found out I was a mutant, they tried to reassure me that it wasn't a bad thing. Only they noticed that most of the mutants identified on the news and in reports disappeared afterward - they downplayed it for me, but they kept me hidden because of that. They were worried about losing me if OZ found out what sort of talent I had."

Trowa nodded, his eyes flashing a bit. "I know. That's how I found out about OZ - why I decided to wager my own attacks on them. I read some of the things your friends were thinking, how they were worried about you. It gave me something to focus on, having an enemy. Otherwise I don't know what I would have done with myself. I spent most of my time just sitting in the forest watching your base. The only time I risked leaving was to attack OZ, and I didn't want to be gone for too long. I didn't know how long I could go without having you nearby."

"What did you do before you found me?" Quatre asked, his eyes wide. "Did your talent emerge slowly, or was it like Duo's - uncontrolled and sudden?"

"Sudden," Trowa said, "very sudden. I had no idea I was a mutant up until the moment it emerged. I was an orphan, just another nameless face. I don't remember anything of my parents, but I was raised by a number of drug-runners. The name I use now, I took from one of them after I left."

A light pull on his arm told him Quatre had stopped walking, and Trowa gave a soft smile to the boy's concerned eyes. "It's all right," Trowa said, "I didn't know anything else. I think if you're raised a certain way, you take that life for granted. The things I've seen would have torn you apart, but I'd been seeing them for as long as I could remember - I just took that as the way life was. Murder, addiction, hate, no one caring about anyone but himself, when it's all you've known you don't think about it being bad or good, it just is. That's just the way things are."

"I can't believe I complained about my childhood," Quatre said, his eyes on the ground. "Looking at you, you haven't let anything effect you - you're one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"I wasn't back then," Trowa smirked.

He turned Quatre, placing a warm arm over the boy's shoulders as he prodded him to continue their walk.
"I didn't speak as a child. I don't think I really learned to talk until I was eight or nine at the oldest. I didn't care about anyone but myself, and even then, I didn't care much about me, either. Watching you is what really brought me out - I wanted to be one of those men you had around you. Someone who could say what he thought without wondering if anyone wanted to hear it.

"Once I set my mind on fighting OZ in order to protect you, and myself, and mutants everywhere, I set my past behind me. It gave me a clean slate. When I found you I was too far gone to even know where I was going, or to care. I snapped and ran, that's how I ended up by your base. I was fleeing, just flying without really seeing anything around me. And I felt it as I passed by - someone soothing, calm, powerful but reserved. Your talent could let you rule mutants, control anyone no matter how powerful. But you kept it in check. That broke through to me, that control, the peace you had around you. So I stayed."

Trowa pulled him closer, one hand reaching up to brush at Quatre's pale blonde hair. "You might say that you saved my life," he said. "And you didn't even have to hit me."

A hot blush swamped over Quatre's face, but he smiled through it. "That's why you said it was fate that we met..."

"Exactly."

- - -

Duo woke to movement where he'd expected none. It was the first night he'd slept alone in a long time, but his mind hadn't forgotten old habits. Where he'd grown accustomed to being prodded and shaken awake, now he slipped back into his former half-aware sleep state. That slight movement, as if a hand had pressed the mattress, was enough to make him roll away with blurry, but wide eyes. "Who-"

"Why here?" Heero's voice was blank of anything, his steady eyes taking in every skittish flicker that passed over Duo's face. He'd known when Duo disappeared and didn't come back for lunch - he was avoiding him. But there wasn't time for that.

"Here...?" Duo repeated, frowning in confusion. His gaze shifted around the empty room, eyes widening as he remembered where he was. He immediately tensed and frowned at the boy standing so calmly next to his bed. "How did you get in? And how did you know I'd be here?"

"I picked the lock," Heero admitted. "You aren't the only one with that skill. And there wasn't anywhere else you'd have gone." He shot a sharp look at Duo before sitting on the edge of the bed. "If you'd gone to Wufei, I'd have to kill him. Quatre's room is the only other place you'd have gone since you know he doesn't sleep in here. But why here? Are you that mad at me?"

"Yes," Duo sniffed. He resisted an urge to get out of the bed, reminding himself that this was his room now. Heero was the one who needed to get out. "Go away."

"Don't be angry with me tonight. You can be angry tomorrow, or the day after, but not tonight."

That was as bad as having Heero put off that argument the night before. Duo scowled at him. "Who are you, Scarlett O'Hara? Tomorrow's another day? I'm angry with you now and I'm not going to forget about it just because you tell me to. What, do you think I'm going to be all lovey-dovey with you at night, then avoid you during the daytime?"

"I didn't want you to avoid me at all," Heero said. "What I said, I had to say. It couldn't wait. I don't want to worry about you when you work on your talent."

"Fine," Duo glared. "So you don't have to worry about it. Now go away. You have a room, this one's mine."

Heero stared for a long moment before folding his arms over his chest. Holding Duo's eyes, he kicked off his shoes. "I'm not going anywhere."

Duo groaned and shoved off the bed, scowling as he tried to find his own shoes in the dark. "Then I'll go downstairs and see if I can bunk with Kurama and Hiei - I'd like to see you try to kill them."

"Duo." The boy stalked past him, no doubt having given up on his shoes, and Heero caught his wrist. Despite Duo's tense anger, he was far stronger. He pulled him back so he could wrap an arm around Duo's waist. "I don't want you to go somewhere else."

"Do I care what you want?!" Duo struggled, his head craning around to glare back at Heero. "Let go. You were the one who started this by calling me stupid for using my powers - do you really want me to teleport just so I can get away from you?"

"I was worried about you," Heero murmured. He ignored Duo's protests, pulling him closer so he could duck his face against the boy's braid. "Does it make you so mad to know I worry?"

"Don't be stupid," Duo sniffed. Trying to pull away from Heero wasn't working very well, so he stiffened his muscles instead, keeping his back absolutely straight. "I'm mad because you yelled at me when I didn't deserve it. You treated me like an idiot and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise."

Heero nodded against Duo's back, his voice muffled. "I didn't want you to interrupt until I was finished. It wasn't something I wanted to have to say to you again. I knew if I made it harsh, you wouldn't forget it."

"Well, you managed that just fine!" Duo scowled down at the hand that was rubbing light circles over his stomach. "And stop that! I'm angry with you - you aren't getting any."

A slight laugh jerked at Heero's chest, but he smothered it, sufficing in a tight smile. "I am a little glad that you're angry with me," he offered. "I was afraid you might be hurt instead."

"Hah." Duo rolled his eyes, dismissing that even though it struck a nerve - Heero had hurt his feelings, but he wasn't about to admit it. "Just because you were being insensitive and unreasonable, that doesn't mean I'd let it get to me."

"Was I being unreasonable?" Heero asked, his voice soft. He'd released Duo's wrist a minute ago and he shifted that hand, curving it around the boy's shoulders so he could rub the back of Duo's tense neck. "I didn't mean to be."

"Well you were. Do you really think I would have kept pushing my talent if I had any idea I'd end up feeling like hell afterward? I've spent an entire year being invisible the entire time - how was I supposed to know a few hours of effort would make me tired like that? And then I get you yelling at me for it, like I did it on purpose! Jerk."

"I'm sorry if I was unreasonable," Heero said, "I just didn't want you to take risks. I don't want to worry about you."

"Yeah," Duo sighed, "I know. You said that already. But what am I supposed to do, just stop using my talent altogether? I didn't have any warning that I was at my limit."

"Not altogether," Heero murmured, his fingers pressing a warm line along Duo's collarbone. "Just take it slow, test it out, don't press a single task until it's complete, do it in test runs. And don't use your talents for a few days at least. You'll need some time to regain your strength. I know you wouldn't want to have Kuwabara and Yukina use more of their energy if you overexert yourself."

"I wasn't planning to do anything for a while," Duo grumbled. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"Of course I know."

Soft warmth pressed along Duo's neck, lips trailing his jaw. Duo straightened, his left eyebrow twitching suddenly. "Heero."

"Mm?"

"I thought I told you that you weren't getting any."

"I'll change your mind," Heero smirked, easing his captive back toward the bed. "Don't worry, you can still be mad at me if you want. Your eyes are beautiful when you’re angry."

Duo's face fell into a droll look as he found himself half carried backward, his feet barely brushing the carpet. "And what if I protest?"

"Then I'll tickle you till you cave." A resigned sigh sounded near him and Heero smirked wider. With a quick twist, he tossed Duo onto the bed, a bit of speed letting him keep the boy there. "You're very ticklish."

"You're not always going to get your way," Duo warned, his eyebrow still twitching a bit at Heero's smug expression.

"Just tonight," Heero whispered, his eyes glinting with humor. "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Duo's face jerked for a second before he cracked, a soft laugh making its way free. "You idiot."

- - -
TBC