"I can't believe this crap!" Yuusuke snarled, slamming his fist into the stone wall. Small cracks radiated outward from the blow, but it did nothing to ease his temper. Kurama grimaced in sympathy, though he was less violent than his friend. They were both in a fix, that was for sure. The mission -- a simple one Koenma had hardly needed the entire team for -- had been going well, until, through the worst of luck, Yuusuke and Kurama had been captured.

"It wasn't our fault!" Yuusuke snapped at Kurama, as though the other boy might disagree.

Kurama merely shrugged and sat on the bed. They still had no idea who their captor was. They'd been painfully taken down, and dragged off to this dark Keep, then tossed in a sturdy dungeon cell. There were no windows and only one door. There was no furniture except the bed, which was stone, set into the floor, though there was a soft mattress and a few sheets on it. Nothing that could be used as a tool or a weapon. No possibility of escape.

"The others will come for us," Kurama said mildly, unbuttoning his shirt and tearing a strip from the hem. "Come here; let me see that wound."

"Eh?" Yuusuke glanced at the deep scratch running along one bicep. "Aw, it's nothin'." He resumed glaring at the door, as though it might open from the sheer force of his will.

Kurama sighed and stood, crossing and examining the cut. It was nasty and messy, but was already healing. Still, he wrapped it up carefully, not too tight, and not too loose.

"Arigatou," Yuusuke said absently, grimacing as he tried the bandage. Kurama opened his mouth to speak, but just then the door opened.

Yuusuke tensed, but Kurama held him back. He recognized the small, slim figure in the doorway, and he could feel the surge of you-ki that suddenly filled the room.

"Hikaru...."

"Konnichi wa, Kurama-kun," a soft voice spoke.

Kurama snarled slightly. "Don't think you'll get away with this."

The small youkai took a step into the cell, feigning a bored yawn behind a slim hand. Yuusuke couldn't tell if the youkai was male or female. It had long white hair, flowing, gauzy robes over a slender body, a pretty face.... Overall the impression was of a female, but after being friends with Kurama for so long, and having had to deal with so many youkai of

"That threat might have frightened me..." the voice was completely androgynous as well, "...before you trapped yourself in that ningen body."
The youkai smiled, with not a hint of warmth to back up the expression, silver eyes gleaming. "What *were* you thinking, koibito? It's pretty, yes, but a ningen?!"

Yuusuke flashed Hikaru the bird as the youkai cast him a scornful look.
"Don't call me that!" Kurama snapped. Yuusuke blinked at him in surprise.
He'd almost never seen Kurama actually, visibly angry before. But he could feel the slim hand still on his arm trembling slightly with tension, and Kurama looked *pissed*.
"Oi, Kurama! What's going on here?" he queried, scowling.

"Stay out of it, Yuusuke," Kurama snapped, trying to push Yuusuke behind him. The younger boy, of course, refused to budge.

"No way! This concerns me too! Let's go kick some butt!" He sneered over at the amused youkai.

Hikaru raised a feathery brow. "Can't you keep your pet under control, Kurama-koibito?" The youkai shook back long white locks. "Honestly. I always knew you had bad taste, but this...."

Kurama laughed shortly, without humor. "Turning you down wasn't bad taste. It was merely sanity!"

"PET?!" Yuusuke was incensed.

"Quiet," Kurama hissed.

Hikaru's pale eyes focused on Yuusuke's face, for the first time actually *looking* at the fuming Reikai Tantei. "Oooh!" Pink lips pursed. "Perhaps I was wrong, koibito. Not bad. Very pretty, indeed."

Kurama almost smiled as Yuusuke sputtered over being called "pretty", but this wasn't any time to let his guard down. "We're just friends."

"Really? Pity. Well, I'll have to see what I can do about that."

"Nani?!" Kurama jerked in shock.

Hikaru smirked wickedly and flicked a hand. A small ball of white light left the thin fingertips, and zipped unerringly to Yuusuke. Before Kurama could even move, it had hit Yuusuke in the chest and been absorbed into his body. With a yelp, Yuusuke fell over on his rump.

"What was that?" Kurama grated, spinning to glare at Hikaru.

"You'll find out." The youkai blew a kiss, then turned to leave. "Have fun, koibito."

"Shit!" Kurama cursed as the heavy door slammed shut. Then he turned to Yuusuke, who was sitting where he had fallen, prodding carefully at his chest, a confused look on his face.

"I don't feel anything..." he muttered, frowning. "Oi, Kurama! What'd that creep do to me?"

Kurama sighed as he bent and helped Yuusuke to his feet. Yuusuke staggered suddenly, and Kurama steered him toward the bed, where they both landed heavily in a tangled sprawl.

"My knees don't wanna work," Yuusuke said anxiously as Kurama attempted to untangle them both without hurting either one. "And my stomach feels... weird...."

Kurama grimaced. "Hikaru's specialty is lust spells," he reported softly, hoping Yuusuke wouldn't take it too badly.

"WHAT?!?!?!"

Kurama winced as Yuusuke screamed in his ear.

"That might not have been what it was," he hastened to say. Though from Hikaru's snide comments, he had the sinking feeling it had been nothing else.

"Shitshitshitshit!" Yuusuke squirmed out from under Kurama, moving to crouch up against the wall. "That's not good. This is not good. Do you hear me, Kurama? This is NOT GOOD!"

"You're yelling," Kurama said mildly.

"DAMN RIGHT I'M YELLING!" Yuusuke yelled. "DON'T YOU THINK I HAVE A GOOD REASON TO YELL?!"

Kurama sighed. "Maybe the others will come to rescue us and kill Hikaru. Then the spell will be lifted."

"Shitshitshitshit...." Yuusuke muttered to himself, clutching his knees against his chest.

"Well, look at it this way, Yuusuke." Kurama cast Yuusuke an impish glance out of the corner of his eye. "You could be locked in here with Kuwabara-kun."

Yuusuke's jaw dropped as he stared at Kurama in shock. Then he suddenly burst into wild laughter that was only slightly hysterical. "Shit, yeah, you're right!"

Kurama crawled up to sit on the bed near Yuusuke, though not close enough to touch. "It'll be all right, Yuusuke. Whatever happens, I'm here for you."

Yuusuke gave his friend a sidelong look. "Do you mean that the way it sounds?" he asked suspiciously.

Kurama gave him a bright smile that was only slightly forced. "Yes. Trust me, Yuusuke, I know the pain of fighting a spell like that. You may think nothing could be more disgusting, but I'm willing to bet in an hour or less, you'll have changed your mind. Hikaru's nothing if not thorough."

Yuusuke blinked at the old pain in Kurama's voice, but decided pursuing the matter would be a bad idea. "Isn't there any way to break the spell?" he asked plaintively.

Kurama shook his head. "As I said, if the others find us and kill Hikaru.... Otherwise you'll just have to let it run its course, work its way... uh, out, through your... er, system. If you know what I mean."

"Aw, man....."
***** Yuusuke actually lasted two and a half hours. Though Kurama should not have been surprised, knowing his friend's amazing resilience. But eventually Hikaru's spell had him curled in a ball on the bed, clutching the sheets, his teeth gritted.

Kurama sat carefully beside Yuusuke, stroking his sweaty hair back from his forehead. He knew full well the effect his touch was having on Yuusuke's control, but it was now beyond the point of mere inconvenience, and soon the spell would start doing actual damage to Yuusuke's mind and body.

"Yuusuke, please, you have to let it go...."

"I can't," Yuusuke groaned, struggling to move away from Kurama's hand. Somehow, though he found he had sat up and was moving closer to the other boy. "Kurama, I can't. You're.... I'm...."

Kurama bit his lip. He hated to see his friends suffer, and he owed Yuusuke more than he could ever repay. There was no way Yuusuke was going to be able to make the first move, so it was up to him. Perhaps this might go a ways toward filling the debt....

Grasping Yuusuke's face softly between his hands, he leaned forward and very lightly pressed his lips to the flushed boy's. Not kissing, just holding his mouth over Yuusuke's.

"Ku...ra...ma..." Yuusuke whispered against the bracing warmth of Kurama's lips.
"Let it go, Yuusuke," Kurama murmured in reply, stroking the feverhot line of Yuusuke's cheek with gentle, soothing fingers. "I'm here for you."

"But...." Yuusuke closed his eyes, trying to resist the insistent tugging deep in his belly. Kurama was his friend. He couldn't just....
"Relax." Kurama pressed his lips more fully against Yuusuke's, so that Yuusuke could feel him smiling. "I *have* done this before. I'll help you."
"Help... me...."

Yuusuke was defenseless against the storm of passion sweeping through him, unused to the working of desire in his body. All his world was Kurama's warmth, the heat of his nearness swirling around the enspelled boy, embracing his feverish senses. He buried his face against the crook of Kurama's neck, drawing a shuddering breath, still battling. Kurama smelled clean and fresh, like roses and fresh-cut grass, but with an underlying muskiness that spoke of more primal things, of rich, deep passion hidden beneath the surface. Without his willing it, Yuusuke's mouth opened to taste the flesh beneath his lips, the salt of sweat spreading over his tongue, inflaming his already heightened senses. Kurama's arms were strong and firm about his trembling body, his face resting in Yuusuke's damp hair.

"It's all right.... It's all right...." Kurama repeated the words soothingly, his hands resting passively against Yuusuke's back, not demanding, but undeniably there. "You can't fight it, Yuusuke. It'll only hurt you if you fight."

"But...." Yuusuke could feel tears pricking his eyes and he kept them tightly closed, hiding his face against Kurama's shoulder. This just wasn't right, no matter what his instincts were screaming at him.

"Hush, Yuusuke." Kurama nuzzled his cheek, pulling his closer. "I told you, it's all right. I understand. Keiko would understand if she knew, but she won't know, because I won't tell her, and I doubt you will."

A sound halfway between a laugh and a sob was wrenched from Yuusuke's throat. But Kurama was right, and there was no use in trying to deny the fire blazing through his veins. The spell had been crafted far too well to be resisted by will-power alone.

Suddenly he pressed Kurama back against the mattress, coming over top of his startled friend, his lips urgent against Kurama's. He was inexperienced in even this simplest of joinings, but what he lacked in expertise, he more than made up for in enthusiasm. He asked and Kurama gave, tempering the kiss until it became more tender, a thing of sensation rather than raw force. Kurama wrapped long arms around Yuusuke, fingers twining in the short hair at the back of Yuusuke's neck as he taught the younger boy how to kiss properly.

Yuusuke stiffened as Kurama's tongue slid smoothly between his parted lips, then answered with equal passion, thrusting his tongue against Kurama's as though engaged in another battle. His hands roamed over Kurama's bare chest. Somehow the feeling of naked flesh beneath his heated hands, the smooth satin of skin over hard muscles, kindled the flames higher, pushed his desire past what he thought he could bear.

Almost accidentally his hips slid between Kurama's thighs, dragging a gasp from his friend as the heated hardness of his arousal pressed against Kurama's own groin. Yuusuke let out a nearly keening cry, an unbearable fire suddenly ignited. He'd tried to fight the spell too long. Now things were beyond his control. His hungry mouth went to the soft flesh of Kurama's neck, his breath coming in short gasps as he thrust quick and hard against Kurama, rubbing against him through both their pants. Kurama merely held him, trying to brace him, as he moved swiftly, violently toward climax, great fistfuls of the sheets gripped in his hands, his teeth sinking deeply into the joining of Kurama's neck and shoulder.

Kurama gave a startled yelp, his fingertips digging into Yuusuke's arms in surprise, but he didn't object. Instead he hooked a leg over Yuusuke's, drawing their crotches closer together, giving Yuusuke more to work against. "Come on, Yuusuke," he breathed in his friend's ear, his hands running down the sweat-streaked muscles of his back to clasp Yuusuke's denim clad buttocks firmly. "Do it already!"

Yuusuke shuddered as the world condensed even more. There was nothing he'd ever felt before to compare to the molten fire burning in that one spot between his legs. The flames were building higher and hotter, and he felt he couldn't bear anymore, and Kurama drove his hips upward and clenched his legs tightly about Yuusuke's, and with a few last jerking thrusts, the flames consumed him, exploding through his body and burning away everything except pure experience. He rode the rush and roar of the firestorm, crashed through into something he had only glimpsed before, a lifetime of sensations rolled into a few instants, with an intensity so condensed it was painful.

When Yuusuke came back to himself a moment later, he was lying cradled in Kurama's arms, panting for breath and covered in sweat, heat radiating off his body.

"Kurama?" he croaked, wondering just what in the hell had happened to him. Well, he knew, damn well, but.... Hell, touching himself had never been like what he'd just experienced!

"You didn't even manage to get your pants off," Kurama said, sounding as though he was laughing, though there was a breathless quality to his voice, and Yuusuke thought he could feel the hands against his back trembling slightly.

"Eh?" He shifted, then glanced down. "Euw!" Kurama was right; his jeans were a mess!

That wasn't all he noticed, however. A sharp curl of renewed desire grasped his groin as he saw that Kurama was not at all unaffected by what had just occurred. True, his friend had no spell running havoc through his veins, but Yuusuke figured it would take a sterner soul than Kurama possessed to remain cold through all that. Especially considering what a sensual creature Kurama was at all times.

"Kurama," he husked, recapturing the other boy's lips before he could reply, his hand sliding down to caress the clear evidence of Kurama's participation in this unforeseen tryst.

Kurama exclaimed against Yuusuke's mouth and grasped Yuusuke's wrist with a hard grip. "Iie," he gasped out, pulling his face back from Yuusuke's. "Not like that, Yuusuke. Not yet. I... I don't have a spell to keep me going like you do. We can't waste this."

"Mm...." Yuusuke was barely listening as he bent to lave the wound he'd made in the smooth flesh of Kurama's neck earlier. He allowed Kurama to move his hand upwards, and toyed with the tiny pebbled nipples on Kurama's smooth chest as Kurama swiftly undressed them both.

"Hmm...." He sighed in pleasure as he stretched his body closely against Kurama's. Oh, yes. Bare flesh against bare flesh felt better than anything yet! He pressed closer, one hand cupping the back of Kurama's head, the other tightening over one firm buttock, as he recaptured Kurama's mouth and moved slowly against Kurama. He kissed softly, deeply, as the warm waves swept over him from the contact of Kurama's lean body against his own.

"Yuusuke," Kurama whispered, breaking free and trailing light kisses down Yuusuke's throat, a path of fire that danced along his nerve endings. Yuusuke tangled his fingers in the long, silken scarlet hair, content for the moment to let Kurama touch him, to see what other sensations his friend could draw from his eager body.

He gasped in surprise, then arched upward into Kurama's mouth as it closed hot and demanding over one nipple. Yuusuke had thought only girls enjoyed this sort of thing, before. He was now being proved most delightfully wrong. He tightened his grip on Kurama's hair almost painfully as the older boy suckled at the tender upthrust of flesh, then tracked a hot, wet tongue over to the other to repeat the process. "Kurama--" he groaned, his voice strangled in his throat.

He could feel Kurama smile against his chest, then the other boy moved his heated kisses further downward, his lips and tongue swirling over taut muscles, tasting the sweat that trickled down Yuusuke's midsection.

"Shit... Kurama...." Yuusuke managed as Kurama paused at his belly button. It was almost too ticklish to bear, and yet, he knew he wanted more. Kurama was getting closer.... Closer to the throbbing ache situated at the juncture of his thighs, where his erection was once more burning its way into his senses. "Shit!" He arched up, trying to bring something, anything, any part of Kurama in contact with that one concentration of need. But Kurama knew too well what he was doing, and he slipped quickly down between Yuusuke's legs, leaving him straining against nothing as he dropped kisses up one tight thigh, soft fingers stroking the other soothingly.

Yuusuke refused to be soothed. The spell was burning him up again, and he was ready to just grab Kurama and... and.... He wasn't sure, but he was on the verge of whatever it was!

Then he cried out and arched against the tangled, sweaty sheets as Kurama firmly nuzzled his tightened scrotum. His breath sobbed in his chest, his eyes shut and his face drawn as Kurama spent a moment or two there. Then he simply couldn't breathe, his entire body locked, as Kurama licked his way slowly up the length of his painfully hard erection.

Kurama evidently decided to take pity on the other boy as he engulfed Yuusuke's throbbing penis in his hot mouth with a skill Yuusuke wasn't aware of, but was well able to appreciate.

Yuusuke nearly screamed, his body convulsing, his legs wrapping tightly about Kurama's chest as Kurama began working the hard flesh with an adept tongue and ready throat. There was almost too much pleasure, a never-ending flood of sensation, crashing over Yuusuke and threatening to sweep him away in the rush. He struggled to contain the feelings that overtook his conscious mind, but in the end he gave in to the need and became a thing of pure reaction, as his hips thrust helplessly, his body straining against Kurama.

Now Kurama pulled away, and Yuusuke would have been ready to kill him for that, if he'd still had any control over his body. He growled out something that might have been a curse, or might have been a plea, or maybe both. Whatever it had been, Kurama understood the need backing it, and he slithered quickly up to embrace Yuusuke tightly.

"It's all right," he breathed once more, though his own voice was choked and husky with desire. He kissed Yuusuke fiercely, and Yuusuke could taste his own seed on Kurama's lips. It was bitter, yet strangely arousing, not that he needed any more of that. "It's all right. It's just time."

"Time--?" Yuusuke managed to get out, though words seemed almost beyond the grasp of his mind, much less his mouth. He thrust against Kurama's smooth thigh, trying to find the release he so desperately needed. "Here." Kurama threw a leg over Yuusuke's hip and guided his hard, saliva-wet member to his opening. "Here, Yuusuke."

Yuusuke didn't pause to consider. He grasped Kurama's shoulders and pressed his face into his neck as he pushed quickly, almost violently inside Kurama's unprepared body. Kurama let out a small cry of pain, but only held Yuusuke more tightly, trying to offer what support he could as the last traces of Yuusuke's control were burned away in the fire raging through his body and mind.

Yuusuke rolled over on top of Kurama, thrusting hard and fast, his breath coming in tight panting grunts as he drew closer to that sweet release. Desire thundered through his body, pulsing with the mad beating of his heart, filling his veins with that building intensity once more, but somehow a hundredfold now, now that he was sheathed within Kurama's sweet body.

Kurama clutched Yuusuke closer, his legs wrapped about Yuusuke's hips, pleasure beating out the pain as his own erection was trapped between his body and Yuusuke's, friction applied as Yuusuke rocked within him. He moaned softly, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes, joining the sheen of sweat covering his beautiful, flushed face.

With a sharp little cry, Kurama shuddered against Yuusuke, his seed pumping forth to splatter hot over their stomachs, mingling with the perspiration that had pooled there.

Yuusuke climaxed a moment later, twisting his hips as he gave a last few hard thrusts, then stilled. Wild, raw passion sang through his taut muscles and focused in the joining between himself and Kurama as he cried out loudly from the sheer sensation. The world shattered into blinding white light, and he collapsed against Kurama, his energy spent, his mind reeling, his body purged of the last lingering effects of the spell.

And then he fell into darkness, a deep, exhausted slumber.

*****
"Yuusuke! Yuusuke, wake up!"

"Aw, 'Kaasan.... J'st a few more minutes...."

Yuusuke moved to pull the pillow over his head, then discovered there wasn't one. He blinked his eyes open and glared at Kurama as his friend laughed lightly.
"What's so funny?" he growled, sitting up. Then... "Oh, SHIT!"
Kurama winced. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, neatly dressed, his shirt tucked in to hide the torn hem. His hair was a little mussed and his cheeks were flushed, but otherwise he looked perfectly normal.

The same could not be said for Yuusuke. Under the light sheets clinging to his sweat-sticky body, he was buck naked.

"Kurama..." Yuusuke began, blushing furiously, not sure what he was going to say.

"Here." Kurama lifted Yuusuke's clothes, neatly folded, off his lap. "The others should be here any time. Better get dressed."

Yuusuke yelped and jumped up, dragging on his clothing as quickly as he could. All thoughts flew out of his head in the face of the urgency Kurama's words had called up. No *way* was he gonna let Kuwabara see him in such an embarrassing situation!

He grimaced in disgust at the feeling of his jeans as he zipped them up, but there was really no choice. Not that it wasn't clearly evident what had happened, from his matted hair and the sweat dried on his body.... Pheuw! He needed a shower, badly!

Once he was clothed, he felt a lot better; more in control. He plopped down on the bed next to Kurama, who was sitting quietly, gazing down at his clasped hands. He'd better talk now, while they waited for their friends, because he wasn't sure he'd have the guts to later.

"So level with me, Kurama. Is Hiei gonna be out for my blood?"

"What?!" Kurama's head jerked up, his eyes wide. Evidently he hadn't been expecting anything of that nature.

Yuusuke grinned cheekily, though with an underlying seriousness he was doing his best to smooth over. "Well, you know. We just.... er.... I know Keiko's never gonna find out, and Kuwabara probably wouldn't get it even if he'd been here watching, but Hiei's gonna walk in here and know in an instant what... uh... happened."

He'd gotten the words out in a rush, blushing furiously. It helped a little to see Kurama's cheeks were equally pink, but he was still incredibly uncomfortable with the situation.

"I don't... I don't see where Hiei has any reason to object..." Kurama said softly, his head lowered, his long scarlet hair falling to mask his face.

"Ne?" Yuusuke blinked. "Aren't you two, like...." Kurama gave a small utterance, sounding embarrassed. "Not...."
"Not yet?" Yuusuke hazarded.

Kurama nodded, still not lifting his head.

"Shit. I hope this won't mess nothin' up." Yuusuke chewed his lip, worrying over the idea for a moment.

"Yuusuke...?"

"Eh?" Kurama sounded hesitant, almost shy. Something Yuusuke wasn't used to hearing.

"Are you... are you angry at me? For... for...."

"For what?" Yuusuke asked, his usually brash voice strangely gentle. He moved forward, grasping Kurama's arm as the older boy looked up, almost reluctantly. "You did what you had to do, Kurama. Shit, I'm the one who was a jerk." Yuusuke scowled, tugging at Kurama's collar to reveal the spreading bruises in the pale flesh. "I hurt ya... more'n once," he growled, wincing at the memory.

Kurama smiled and patted Yuusuke's hand. "It was the spell, Yuusuke, not you." He turned his face away, looking toward the door. "Besides, I've been hurt worse in the past. Much worse."

"Kurama...."

"And... you're a friend." Kurama turned back to smile brilliantly, sincerely, at Yuusuke, the darkness lifting from his eyes. "You've no idea how rare that is."

"Ah." Yuusuke gave Kurama a long steady look. "But...."

"But this never happened." Kurama smiled again, a little sadly, but with real amusement. "As far as we're concerned, nothing happened, ne, Yuusuke?"

"Hai!" Yuusuke nodded, feeling greatly relieved that Kurama understood.

There was just too much at stake. His relationship with Keiko, as rocky as it was.... His friendship with Kurama, which was too important to him to risk tainting with bad feelings.... And he was still scared that Hiei might try to spit him on that sword of his!

Not to mention, Kuwabara'd never let him hear the end of it if he found out....

They jumped up as the door grated inward. Yuusuke could sense the other two Urameshi Team members on the other side, and tried vainly to slick his hair back, hoping to the gods the stain on his jeans wasn't too obvious. He noticed Kurama similarly straightening his clothing next to him.
"Iku zo!" he grinned, calling forth an answering smile on Kurama's face.
"Ah!"