Kurama blinked in surprise, having opened his door to find Shizuru standing on his doorstep. "Kuwabara-san," he murmured, quirking a brow and stepping aside to allow her to enter.

She smiled slightly and nodded in greeting, obliging his silent offer. "Hello, Kurama-san."

For a moment, they just stood there in his hallway, staring at each other, with Kurama trying to figure out what she wanted and Shizuru trying to figure out how to word it. Because, if she worded it wrong, she'd pretty much sound like an idiot. Or a slut. Take your pick. "Kurama-san?" He quirked a brow and she went on. "I need a really big favor. Please? You... can own my soul or something afterwards. Just... please."

There was another pause after that, Kurama trying to figure out where on Earth she got the whole soul-owning bit. He shook his head, not sure he wanted to know, and motioned toward the livingroom. "Have a seat?"

They did make it to the livingroom, but Shizuru was on her feet again seconds after trying to sit down. Kurama would have normally found the entire situation enormously funny if he didn't have a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. And let me tell you, demon intuition is almost never wrong. Seriously. Before him, pacing, Shizuru more resembled a caged tiger than a human being, and Kurama was afraid she'd wear a hole in his floor.

"Kuwabara-san, would you sit?" Kurama blinked as she instantly obeyed, though she kept twitching. "Okay... Um..."

"Can I just come out with it? I mean, I don't... Want you to freak out or anything... But this is REALLY big." She spread her hands shoulder-width apart and winced, trying and failing to smile convincingly.

Kurama was already wondering if getting out of bed this morning - ten minutes ago - had been a good idea. He managed a smiled and nodded. The smile, however, slipped away in the face of her next words.

"Um... I need you to... have sex with me."

Silence. Kurama wasn't sure if he was in shock or not. But considering all he could think about was whether or not he was, he probably was. In front of him, Shizuru hastened to explain. "It's not what you think!" Kurama wasn't sure what he was supposed to be thinking that it clearly was not, but he thought it unwise to interrupt her with this information. "I mean, you're pretty much the only guy I know that I can trust not to be a total jackass about it. I-I'm twenty four and I still haven't lost my virginity! I mean, even Keiko's lost it by now! I can't- I don't... Oh, god, this was such a bad idea." She groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

Kurama took a breath but found that his voice had mysteriously - and wisely - run away. Far, far away. He sighed and reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose and wondering why him. And also if he could get away with just going back to bed. It was Sunday, for pete's sake. While he wasn't unused to various women attempting to get into bed with him, having this from a good friend and trusted ally wasn't on his list of things he ever counted on happening.

Not that she wasn't attractive. In fact, she was very much a good-looking woman. But... she was Kazuma's sister! And... And... Why hadn't he thought of this before? Ah, Chuu. And something about claiming. He was pretty certain Shizuru had cleared that up back in the day, but Chuu was a drunk. He didn't always remember these things.

"Um..."

Kurama's head snapped up, blinking at her. Oh, no, she was about to cry. Why? Why? He wasn't going to get out of this, was he? "Kuwabara-san, I... Don't know what to say... You want me... To sleep with you, right?"

"Yes."

"Why? I'm... sort of a demon. And you're not."

"Oh. Does that... make a difference?"

"Can you survive?"

"Do you make a habit of killing random human women when you're screwing them?"

"Well... No, but..."

"Okay, then."

For a moment, he hesitated, then came out with his biggest reason why this was a bad idea. Aside from Kuwabara kicking his ass, that is. "Shizuru-san... You're Kazuma's brother."

"And?" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I don't think that counts as screwing him when you're screwing me."

"Would you... stop... calling it that?"

She was pretty sure he wasn't a prudish guy, but yet he didn't want her to call it what it was? Wow. Awkward. "Sorry."

They once again fell silent, staring at each other this time. Kurama eventually sighed and dropped his head into the open palm of one hand. She was systematically dissolving every objection he came up with. Why was he objecting again? Something about Chuu. He didn't quite remember exactly what, though.

"Your brother's going to kill me."

"You're going to let him?"

"Maybe."

"Your problem."

He sighed again. Think Chuu. Just think Chuu. What about Chuu? Oh, gods... This was such a bad idea. "Where... did you come up with this?"

"Kurama-san, are you going to turn me down? Or are you going to say yes?" Shizuru asked, starting to get annoyed. He was actually letting her argue her side of it, but he wasn't saying yes or no. It was beginning to aggravate her.

Kurama opened his mouth to tell her to go home and get some sleep, but stopped when he looked at her. She wasn't dressed any different than usual. She'd made no effort to dress in a manner that would seduce him. She was giving him the choice, but she was obviously desperate for him to say yes. Oh, no... Chuu... Chuu... Dammit. "Alright. Alright, fine. You win." He leaned back on the couch. "I'll do it."

Ha. So there. Now, back out of it-

"Okay."

Damn. Giving in was the only answer now, so with one more sigh, he did.

"Come here," he ordered quietly, looking her in the eye and waving one hand to indicate she needed to approach him. She swallowed audibly but got up and walked slowly forward, stopping about a foot away. Smiling slightly, he reached out and snagged her wrist, tugging her down to straddle his waist. She blushed brightly, but didn't object.

"So... Now what?" she asked, shifting uncertainly.

He bit his lip to keep from groaning. "Sit still," he replied. Was he really hard already? Damn. Gah, frustrating women. She stilled obediantly and he reached up one hand, brushing her hair behind her ear gently and quirking a brow. "Are you sure about this, Shizuru?"

She distantly noted the lack of honorific but was too busy concentrating on not panicking to care. Instead, she nodded, not trusting her voice. He smirked slightly in reply and her eyes widened at the gesture as she recalled the fact that, despite being physically younger than her, he was centuries older. Much more experienced. Shit. His hand trailed down her throat, fingers slipping around the back. Gently, he pulled her forward and pressed his lips to her's.

She didn't melt. She was panicking too bad to melt.

Sighing, he pulled away and sat back. "Shizuru. Please relax. I am not the big bad wolf, and if you recall, this was your idea. The least you can do in compensation is enjoy it."

He was right. Shizuru knew he was right. She nodded and swallowed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, forcing her muscles to relax. Opening her eyes again, she made a conscious effort not to tense again, for entirely different reasons than before. He sat there, staring up at her with half-lidded eyes, red hair sliding down his shoulders in riveluts. For a moment, she found it utterly breathtaking that this man, this very gorgeous man that she had somehow, in her infinite stupidity, missed for such a long time, was doing her such a big favor. He was putting whatever he'd been planning on doing today aside and spending this time introducing her to sex.

He didn't have to, and she knew it.

Hesitantly, she smiled down at him, prompting a quirk of his brow and an answering smirk. "Better?" he asked, smooth voice somehow melting her insides like chocolate. Unsure if she should say anything - for fear of saying something incredibly stupid that he'd probably find hilarious - she nodded. He chuckled and leaned up, pulling her down in the same instant and closing the distance between them.

This time, she did melt.