Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mating ❯ Where was Shiori ( Chapter 3 )

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

The Mating

By Bonnie

Disclaimer: See chapter one

AN: This chapter starts during the second half of chapter two is going on. Basically after Kurama transforms into his youko form. And just as a note, no lemon in this chapter, sorry.

Chapter 3: Where was Shiori and Hiei talkative?

Hiei had been dozing in a tree in the park not too far from Kurama's home. He was jerked awake when he smelled a very familiar scent on the breeze. It was rather faint at the moment, but he knew what it was. A kitsune's mating scent. He knew of only one kitsune in the entirety of the Ningenkai that would be giving off that kind of a scent. He also knew that there was only one person who would trigger that reaction from Kurama, Keiko.

Baka kitsune! Hiei thought. He didn't know the circumstances of this mating, but he knew that the kitsune might need his help. Kurama was one of the few whom he would help at a moment's notice.

He quickly flitted to Kurama's house and looked up at the window. The smell was much stronger here, potent enough for even unsensitive Ningens to smell it. Kurama would need help to keep Shiori from interferring. He smiled as he tamped down his youki levels so that they were barely present, so as not to desturb Kurama.

He quickly decided on a plan of action and knocked on the front door, something he very rarely did. He was pleased to note that Shiori's footsteps were quickly heard coming toward where he was standing.

Shiori had thought she was beyond shock after the brief encounter with her son as she had watched him walk, almost run up the stairs. She opened the door only to see Shuuichi's best friend, Hiei, standing there. "Hello, may I help you? I'm afraid Shuuichi is," She cleared her throat and blushed, "Occupied."

Hiei studied his best friend's mother. Ningen's are so inflexible in their definition of love. "Hn." He began in his typical fashion, he hated talking unless he actually had something to say, which wasn't very often. The kitsune's going to owe him one for this. Shaking his head, he gruffly stated, "Wasn't here to see him. I came to talk to you." He hoped he wouldn't break his partner's cover as a normal Ningen.

Shiori started, "Talk to me?" She shook her head as if to clear it. "Please come in. I was just preparing dinner."

Hiei knew that he was going to have to keep Shiori away from Kurama for a while. The kitsune would be riding an emotional high after mating. He sighed, this was going to be a long wait. He let his Jagan partially open under the ward and used that partial ability to filter out sounds coming from upstairs. He wouldn't need it's full power to keep Shiori from hearing anything that could be awkward. He sighed as he half wished that he could use it on himself as he heard a very loud scream of Kurama! from up the stairs. One less thing that he would have to not explain to the kitsune's unwitting mother.

He wondered for what seemed like the umpteenth time, as he kept a light control over Kurama's ningen mother, why he was friends with the fox. Baka, because he's fun, playful, the only decent sparring partner you have and he puts up with your perpetual bad mood! Came the answer that his mind provided.

He silently growled at his mind, wishing that he didn't constantly feel like the ningens described angel/devil referring to the one on each shoulder. Mental debates were bad enough, without being completely contained within one's own head. "Hn." Was all he said aloud. He tried to think of something to say to the kitsune's mother. "What do you think of this situation?" Ningens were into gossip, right? He knew he had miscalculated when Shiori flew around and looked at him, her face redder than Kurama's hair. He frowned and tried to think of something to say to lighten her obvious embarrassment. "Is there something you'd rather talk about?"

Shiori tried to comprehend what Hiei said after he asked what she was desperately trying to not think of. As she calmed down, she asked, "I-I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Hiei looked up at her. "I asked if there was something else that you'd rather talk about."

Shiori studied the young looking boy and blushed. "I must confess, with your close relationship to my son, I've always wondered if you two were l-l-lo. . ." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Hiei smiled slightly, impressed with her forwardness, even if she couldn't finish the question. "Lovers, you mean?" At Shiori's wordless nod, Hiei contemplated. He finally answered, "Not by your terms. Just friends." In the Makai, a friend was also considered a lover. A friend was someone you could trust with your life of which there were not many. Often partners were also casual lovers. Hiei had always shied away from that type of relationship having seen too much in his youth. The fox had indicated that he would welcome Hiei as his 'partner' in the complete Makai sense of the word if Hiei didn't always say 'no, fox, I don't want that.' As is they were partners and friends.

Shiori looked confused by Hiei's answer but didn't comment right away. She finally asked, "But you could have been? At least before this?"

Hiei snorted, "Not as long as I said no. He knows he's not my type. He's not the type to force anyone into something they don't want. If they are there, it is willingly or not at all." He was trying to be careful not to have to control Shiori's mind any more than was necessary. He definately didn't want to have to do a mind wipe on her. In a way she reminded him of his sister. Someone to be protected and was too sweet for his world of violence. Anyone who could teach the heartless Youko Kurama to love was a being to be admired, much like his sister Yukina. Being heartless was not a requirement in the Makai, but with all the backstabbing and betrayal that went on in the Makai, it was often a symptom of the older inhabitants.

"Oh." Was all Shiori could answer to that clarification. It did indeed sound as if her son had approached the small man. He was too grown up to be one of the children who tried to be grown up. There was a falseness to that kind of grown up. Hiei's eyes gave off the sense that even if he was that young, he had seen too much. She had never seen someone who needed to be loved more than this young man, though sometimes her son's eyes gave off that same sense.

Hiei was relieved to hear the sounds from Kurama's room cease after a very loud scream of Kurama's true name. He wondered what kind of repurcussion's this could have on Keiko as he felt Kurama's ki flare up briefly and then subside almost completely as they were absorbed into Keiko. A true mating then. This will be interesting. I must be here when he wakes. "Would you like help in fixing dinner? I have the feeling Ku-Shuuichi, will be a little while yet."

Shiori sighed and nodded. "He has grown up so quickly, almost as if he was never a child." She smiled wistfully.

Hiei couldn't think of anything to reply to that without giving away his only friend. "Hn." You do not know how right you are. "What are you thinking of?"

Shiori shook her head as she tried to explain the concept that had been playing around in the back of her mind. "I'm not entirely sure. It's just that my son never seemed to be a child, always seemed old. In a way, kind of like you." Hiei's head whipped up at that and he stared into her eyes, "It's true. Your size seems to be that of one much younger, but then looking into your eyes, I feel like you are much older than I am."

Hiei 'Hn'd' and nodded, not explaining himself. At that point it was either explain it all, or nothing. He helped her with the dinner preparations and considered this ningen. He respected her for her insight. He never did know just how perceptive Kurama's mother could be. She seemed to have more spirit awareness than anyone really gave her credit for. It wasn't enough to train, unlike Shizuru's, who could have trained well under Genkai if she had wanted to, but it was still quite prevalent in her make up. Maybe Shiori wouldn't be quite as upset as Kurama thought she would be. He would have to tell the kitsune what he had discovered. The two worked in companionable silence. Dinner was almost complete when he felt Kurama beginning to stir and stood. "I believe I shall check on them. Continue with supper." Hiei was gone before Shiori could get a word in edgewise.

Shiori couldn't see the man move! One minute he was there, the next minute he was gone. She shook her head as she vaguely felt a presence somehow leave her mind and went back to putting the finishing touches on supper.

Hiei stood outside the door to Kurama's room and let his youki levels rise so that Kurama would recognize who was knocking on the door. He knew the door would be secured.

Kurama stood, still in his demon form. He smiled down at Keiko who was still sleeping. He sensed Hiei outside his bedroom door. What is he doing outside in the hallway? Kurama shook his head and grabbed a pair of underwear and shorts both tailored for his kitsune form, hurriedly putting them on and making sure that Keiko was completely covered. He used the tiniest amount of youki to extract the seed from the lock and unlocked the mechanism before Hiei could demolish the door. "Come in, Hiei." He said as he opened the door. He closed it immediately upon Hiei entering.

Hiei gave him an unreadable look from beneath his ward, "Hn, baka kitsune. Could this mating not have waited for a better time?"

Kurama had the grace to blush ever so slightly. "Unfortunately not." He replied. Then added thoughtfully, "I learned something quite interesting today. I don't think my human body is quite as human as anyone thought."

Hiei looked at him inscrutably, "How do you mean?"

Kurama tried to shift back into human form, only to discover that he lacked the youki required to change. "A moment before I answer that." He sat down at the chair to his desk. "Please excuse me if I sit down, Hiei, I'm still finding myself very weak."

Hiei stated, "What do you expect? You've just mated, in every sense of the word." At Kurama's sharp look, Hiei continued, "I felt the energy transfer from downstairs. You released a large amount of your youki into Keiko. You could be up in possibly another hour or more likely two, but you'll probably take another day to completely recover, much less change."

Kurama turned the options over in his head, "I can't stay like this for a whole day, it's just impossible. Hatanaka-san will be coming home tomorrow, as will Shuuichi. And Mother is downstairs." He shook his head, "I really can't let her see me like this."

"Hn." Not bothering that with a reply, he just asked, "What are you going to do now?"

Kurama idly picked up a pencil and twirled it in his fingers, thinking over the situation. He glanced over at Hiei, "I take it that I have you to thank for Mother not coming up here and trying to break the door down?"

Hiei glanced at his friend. "Your mother might surprise you. I think she knows that you're not a normal Ningen."

When Kurama heard this he snapped his head up, blood draining from his face, "What makes you think Mother suspects anything?"

"We had a small chat while you were busy." Hiei turned to look at the sleeping Keiko, "I blocked all noise from this room with my Jagan. She heard nothing from up here." He considered and then added, "Not that she didn't know what was going on up here."

"I guess I was a little obvious when I left her downstairs." He turned his keen eyes on Hiei, "Though why I had to mate with her now, the haste with which I left Mother and why I am in this form are all tied together."

Hiei turned back to his friend, "I gathered that, Fox, but are you going to explain?" Hiei was getting impatient.

Kurama smiled, and softly explained, "My human body, while definately softer and more toned down, was still giving off my kitsune mating scent."

Hiei heard this and stiffened. "I thought only full kitsune could give that off, otherwise the correct glands are not present."

Kurama's smile widened into a rueful grin, "Exactly. I helped form this body in the womb and must have influenced it's growth more than I realized, or intended. This technique has been so rarely used in the past that no one knows exactly how the developing form gets changed by the demon inhabitant. Wild rumors abound about those who have used this. I have heard of some with two souls, others with one and I arrived early enough that I didn't have to share a body and could shape it as I willed, to a certain extent." He shook his head, "I will just have to wait and see what else this 'human' body has in store for me."

Hiei shook his head. "Baka kitsune." But there was no heat behind it, more like it was a nickname.

Kurama shook his head, laughing softly, "Careful who you offend, you are talking to the feared Youko Kurama." He teased back, then his tone took on a more serious note, "You told me that Mother might suspect something. What did you talk over with her?"

Hiei considered how to put this. He had really only been trying to get to know this strange ningen who had taught Kurama how to love. He had never meant to pry into her, or Kurama's private lives, being an intensely private person himself. "She knows that you're older than your current body is for one. Your eyes give you away, youko. They tell a much older story than a nineteen year old's story should ever be. You also didn't behave like a normal child from what I could gather. I did not explain her observations, or why I felt them to be accurate. I leave that to you." He let that sink in for a moment, then added before Kurama could ask, "She also asked about us."

Kurama sat there for a moment speachless and finally asked in shock, "Us?"

Hiei smiled slightly, "I have some respect for your Ningen mother, she came out and asked, even if she couldn't finish the question of whether you and I were lovers."

While Kurama was held quiet with shock, Keiko's mind came awake enough to register the conversation that was going on. She took stock of her condition quickly. She was completely bundled up in a blanket and was still completely exhausted so that she couldn't move a muscle, but she could hear what was going on.

Kurama finally asked in a very quiet voice, "What did you tell her?"

Keiko briefly wondered what they were talking about and then determined that it must be Shiori. She would die of embarrassment if Shiori knew what was going on up here between Kurama and herself.

"I did not give her the Makai definition of friends, if that's what you mean." He watched as his friend relaxed. "I know you've offered that, Fox, but you are mated now, and it would not be proper. Besides, you know who holds my attention." He added with a faraway look in his eyes.

Makai definition of friends? What else can it mean? What has Kurama offered Hiei? Hiei actually likes someone? Keiko thought to herself, it seemed like it was all a confused jumble, a bit like listening to half a phone conversation.

"You are right, on all accounts." Kurama agreed with a smile. The little fire demon had his eyes on his most hated allies' sister. He shook his head, knowing the battle Hiei had on his hands with that one. He turned his mind back to the problems at hand in his sphere, going on to explain, "This true mating was not intended for a little while yet. I proposed to Keiko earlier this evening, once we had both graduated. I didn't realize that my human body could produce my kitsune mating scent which really brought this crisis to it's head."

Keiko let this absorb in her mind a little, A true mating? Is that what happened? She wanted to smile in remembrance of the proposal, but continued to focus on what was said. A kitsune mating scent? Is that what happened to me? She wanted to blush at the memories of her actions.

Hiei nodded as the full picture came together in his mind. He asked to make sure of something that his nose told him, "Is it safe to touch you now? You are my friend and we both know what that means, but as fond of you as I am, I really don't want to mate with you."

Keiko inwardly shuddered at the thought of sharing a mate with Hiei. She really didn't want to share her mate with anyone. She wasn't entirely sure what she thought of the idea beyond the jealousy that welled up in her.

Kurama chuckled and sniffed carefully, sorting through the assorted scents accumulated in the room. He noticed that his mating scent had completely vanished, except from some lingering aromas in the air. "Yes, why do you ask?"

What's going on now?

Hiei held his hand out to Kurama, "I'll give you enough youki to transform back into your human form."

Keiko's mind woke up a little more when she realized that her mate was lacking the energy required to change back on his own.

Kurama looked at his friend. "Why are you doing this?" He still took the proferred hand in his own and drew barely enough to transform back. As he completely drained his energy, he fell onto the desk, unconscious.

Keiko's mind was racing. She didn't know why Hiei was so willing to help Kurama and she wanted to desperately understand what was going on.

Hiei fed a little more youki into his depleted friend and smiled down at him. He whispered to him, too quiet for Keiko to hear, "Because, my friend, you would do the same for me." He helped his friend gruffly to his feet and over to the bed. Bringing the covers up just enough to slip his now red-headed friend in under them, he quickly covered both of the new mates and smiled one of his few tender smiles down at the two. "Keiko, when you have enough energy, please come down. I think Kurama's mother would like to get to know her son's mate."

Keiko's eyes slowly opened as she groggily answered, "How did you know I was awake?"

"Your energy is slightly different when you're awake then when you sleep. With training, you'll be able to tell the difference as well." Hiei could feel the changes already taking place within the brunette. They probably wouldn't come to the surface until she was under pressure and until they did no one could gauge just how much she would be changed. Both of them realizing changes within themselves together. Almost poetic.

"Did Kurama ask you to help train me then?" Keiko asked the small demon, curious to discover what she missed while she was still asleep.

"No, he obviously didn't, however I'm volunteering." Hiei replied. "Now that you are mated to one of us, you will be an even bigger target than you were before. Until you can defend yourself efficiently, you will be protected."

Keiko was confused. One of us? What, one of the group? What is he referring to? "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you are the one whom my friend loves." Was all Hiei said and then disappeared through the door. The only sign of motion was the opening and closing of the door.

Keiko was left in a state of shock. She had known that Hiei also saw her as someone to be protected, but never knew exactly why. She shrugged and figured that everything would come clear later. She filed away the questions that were raised and resolved to ask them later. She kissed Kurama lightly before crawling out of bed, wincing at the soreness between her legs as she moved. She grabbed her scattered clothing and saw the glass of water. She smiled when she remembered Kurama going to get it. She finished dressing and sat down briefly at the desk and grabbed the glass of water with hands that only slightly shook. She swiftly drank it, feeling her hands steady a bit. She found that it helped her legs a bit too. She finally felt that she had enough energy to walk down the stairs.

So Shiori is home? She nervously asked herself, glancing over at Kurama, who was still passed out on the bed. She spied his brush amongst the other things on his desk. Hope he doesn't mind if I use this. She brushed her hair, feeling a little better, or at least not completely mussed.

She was nervous about meeting Shiori. She wasn't entirely sure exactly what would happen now. She walked over to the bed and tenderly brushed back Kurama's hair out of his eyes. As he opened his now uncovered eyes to look at his mate, Keiko smiled down at him. "I need to go down and see your mother, love. Stay and recover your youki." She softly kissed him before she left.

Kurama's eyes widened as he comprehended his mate's words. He wanted to protect her from the interrogation he was sure that his mother would subject her to. He felt the condition of his body and while he was still exhausted it was not as bad as he thought. Hiei must have given me more youki after I passed out. He tried to sit up and fell back down. It was obvious that supper for him was going to be leftovers. He resolved to be downstairs as soon as he could.

Keiko walked slowly down the stairs, unsure of her welcome now. She peeked her head around the corner. She smiled shyly at Kurama's mother, who was just setting the table. "Mrs. Hatanaka?"

Shiori smiled back at Keiko, "Please, just Shiori. Come in, please. Hiei informs me that Shuuichi won't be down for dinner." She looked over this girl whom her son had chosen. Hiei had also informed her that Shuuichi had proposed before doing anything(only partially a lie).

Keiko sat down nervously and waited for Shiori to not just bring the food to the table, but also start the interrogation session that she was sure would come with dinner.

To be continued . . .