Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mating ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 4 )

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

"The Mating"

Disclaimer: See Chapter one.

AN: Again, no lemon, sorry. But we're now into the cleanup stages from the initial mating. There will be more lemon later, though, I promise! I hope you enjoy. Once again, thanks to my Beta-reader, VampMistress, you're the best!

Chapter four: Aftermath

Shiori looked closely at this woman whom her son had chosen to give his heart to. On the surface, she appeared to be nothing more than another late teen, but underneath that exterior, she sensed a depth that one wouldn't expect. Unlike her son and his peculiar friend, this one was the age she appeared to be, she just had seen more than most had. Shiori inwardly smiled, She can take so much, yet she's clearly nervous about me. I'm going to have to do something about that. "I hope you like what I made for supper."

Keiko had never eaten with Kurama's family before and had no idea that his mother was such a good cook. Her mouth watered as it was put on the table. "It smells delicious!"

Shiori turned to the small man who had just come out of the kitchen. "Will you be joining us for dinner as well, Hiei? There is more than enough."

"Hn." He said, shaking his head no. "Thank you for the offer, but I was only here to help your son." He motioned toward the kitchen and looked directly at Keiko. "There is a dish that I prepared for him. Please see that he eats it."

Keiko nodded, It must help him to recover his youki, she thought, then added aloud, "I will, I assume it's for-?" She only asked half the question. If Kurama wanted his mother to find out, he would have to tell her himself.

Hiei smirked, Half questions indeed. Sharp mind in that head. Kurama picked a good mate. "Yes, it is. I must take my leave now. I leave the family together." He never let it be seen how that word pained him. He flitted out the front door, closing it behind him.

Shiori tried in vain to watch Shuuichi's friend leave, but he seemed to almost teleport, he moved so quickly. She turned to her son's lover. "Is he always like this?"

Keiko knew just how lost Shiori felt. She remembered those feelings when Botan first told her about what was going on at the Dark Tournament all those years ago, and the secrets had only gotten deeper over the years. "He actually seemed to talk a lot more today for some reason." She started to see why Hiei tried to never refer to Kurama by name, it was so hard to remember to call him Shuuichi after knowing him only as Kurama. "But as far as speed, I think Hiei cornered the market on that."

Shiori shrugged. "He's a nice man and seems to be a very good friend of Shuuichi's. He has very few of those."

Keiko nodded. "He does have few, but all of those are one's who can be trusted." She was relieved that the questions hadn't started on the ackward questions as of yet.

"How well do you know that group?"

Keiko smiled, "I've known Yusuke Urameshi most of my life. Kazuma Kuwabara since Junior High and Hiei since shortly after that. I met Hiei the same time that I met your son, Shuuichi."

Shiori briefly wondered why Hiei didn't have a last name, but didn't let it bother her. She got to the only question that really mattered when it came to this young woman. "I have only one true question for you, then, Keiko." She saw Keiko stiffen in her seat as the serious tone came through. "I do not want details, I have one question for you as a curious mother. Do you love my son?"

Keiko smiled shyly, slightly embarrassed, but thankful that Kurama had such an understanding mother. "Very much."

Shiori didn't need the words after she saw the smile and the slight blush. She knew love when she saw it. This seemed to go very deep between the two. Always present, perhaps and neither told the other? Knowing her son, that was how it would probably have been, and this girl seemed to be of the same caliber. Shiori nodded with her own smile, "I'm glad for you both. Well then, is there anything else that you'd like to mention?" She left the question completely open, gauging Keiko by what she would choose to answer by.

Keiko wondered what Shiori meant by that. Anything else? Wait, Kurama wanted to talk to me later! "Ku-Shuuichi," She caught herself hastily, "Did mention that he wanted to talk to me later." Keiko asked, letting her puzzlement show.

Shiori nodded. "I understand. Why don't you go phone your parents and let them know that you wish to stay over at a friend's house tonight. Neither my stepson nor husband will be home until early tomorrow afternoon and you two can talk out whatever issues you need to work out." She was fairly sure that Shuuichi really did want to talk about things, especially if they'd been hiding their true feelings from each other. She knew that her son had difficulty with getting close to others. She watched as Keiko eagerly took her offer and quickly went to the phone within sight.

Keiko dialed her parents phone number, hoping they would be receptive to an improptu sleep-over.

"Hello, Yukimura residence." Her mother answered the phone.

"Mother, I had a question for you."

"Yes, dear?"

"Could I stay over at a friend's house tonight?"

"I suppose you could. Tonight's not a school night, so as long as you give me the phone number that you can be reached at and your friend's mother says it's alright."

Keiko quickly gave her the phone number of Shiori's house and assured her that her friend's mother was the one who invited her to stay.

"Well, then, that's fine with me. What time are you going to be home tomorrow?"

Keiko wasn't entirely sure on that herself. "I don't know for sure. How about three?"

"Should be good." Her mother said. "Take care of yourself and don't do anything rash."

Keiko laughed, "Yes, Mother. Well, then, good bye and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, dear. We'll see you tomorrow." Click.

Keiko hung up the phone, more releaved than she could say. "Thank you, Shiori-san. My parents told me that I could stay." She reseated herself at the kitchen table.

Shiori smiled, "Please, if you are that close to my son, then call me just Shiori. No honorifics between family."

Smiling Keiko replied, "As you wish. Was there anything else that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well," Shiori began, "Seeing how important you are to my son, I thought we'd just get to know each other. Little things, such as what you like to do for fun, favorite foods, any anecdotes you'd like to tell about?"

The two fell into a discussion while they ate about the more mundane aspects of their lives, with Keiko carefully steering away from the entirety of the demon subject.

***********************

Kurama woke up hearing the laughter of a woman filtering up the stairs. Not ridiculing laughter, but energetic good-humour laughter. He couldn't remember the last time that anyone had laughed quite like that in this household since he was a small child. He rose, still unsteady on his feet, but feeling well enough to dress and go downstairs to sit with his mate and his mother.

As he stood, his shorts slipped down, no longer held by his tail. He quickly removed the underwear and shorts and got out some of his normal clothing and quickly dressed. He now only felt pleseantly worn out. He knew that his youki would not recover before morning at the earliest. He wondered if there was some way to talk to his mother and Keiko about the recent mating. There were many reasons why he had not wanted to truly mate with her just yet. This would complicate things considerably.

He stood at the window for a moment to contemplate the ramifications of this. He had no choice, now, he would have to tell his mother the truth. At least he had his mate, he hoped Keiko would help him. He wondered if she would have the same effects that he would, but for that question only time would tell. Kurama opened the door and slowly walked downstairs. He looked around the courner, seeing his mother and Keiko sitting at the kitchen table and laughing together over an old family photo album. He smiled at the cozy scene.

"Is there room for one more?" He asked quietly watching the two women jump.

Keiko smiled at her mate. "Are you feeling well again?" She glanced at him. He still looked a little peaked. "Hiei left something unidentified for you on the stove."

Kurama smiled and gave her a quick kiss on his way by. "Thank you, love." He whispered into her ear. He entered the kitchen and smelled the concoction that he was expecting. He would have prepared it himself now, if Hiei hadn't saved him the chore. This contained trace minerals from the Makai that stimulated the body's production of youki. He got himself a bowl and dished out a generous portion for himself. He carried the bowl back to the kitchen table with a pair of chopsticks. He wondered where Hiei had gotten most of the ingrediants for this, but didn't let himself worry about it.

Shiori hadn't gotten a good look at whatever Hiei had prepared earlier. He had just told her that this would help her son and to not touch it. She thought it smelled, off, somehow nothing had come out of her refrigerator or cupboards for this, save some cooking oil. "Shuuichi, what is that, anyway? Hiei didn't tell me anything when he left it on the stove."

Kurama's hand stopped in mid-air, bringing his first bite to his mouth. "I will explain everything in a little bit, mother." He knew that Keiko would catch the emphasis and know what he was referring to. He then went on, "For now, I need to eat this. Please continue looking through the photo album. Speaking of which, which one are you looking at?" He finished taking his bite.

Shiori looked up at her son with a broad smile, "Baby pictures."

Kurama started coughing as his food tried to go down the wrong pipe. Not the baby pictures! Please not the baby pictures! He finally stopped coughing feeling Keiko's hand patting his back.

"Are you okay?" Keiko asked as Kurama stopped coughing.

"Yes, I am." He took a drink of water and asked, "Where are you in the album?" He was drawn by a morbid curiousity to ask.

Shiori's smile turned into a grin from ear to ear. "We just got to your first bath!"

Kurama face-faulted, turning a bright red and wished that the floor would just open up and swallow him. "Mother, do you have to show her those pictures?"

Shiori looked at her son, sobering up a little, "Well, it was a way to break the ice, so yes. I did have to show her these pictures."

Keiko smiled at Kurama, "I don't mind. I think you were cute as a baby! Though I will want to look through your pictures. It's so hard to picture you as a child." She thought about the spirit that inhabited the form and was amazed that he could even remotely fit into society as a young child.

Kurama just looked pleadingly at his mate, "Keiko, must you?"

"Yes, I must. And your mother has to be the one to show them to me. It's almost like a family tradition. It's either go through the family photo albums, or sit around the table and tell the child's most embarrassing moments." She considered her mate, "I don't think you probably have too many of those, knowing you as I do."

Kurama nodded, "Very true. I had more composure than most children. After I eat we can discuss this more. In the meantime, Mother, as I am forwarned, continue to look at my childhood pictures." He tried his best to tune out the "oh, how cute!" And "He really did that?" As he quickly ate.

Shiori finished that photo album, noting that her son was still eating, though not quite as ravenously as he had been and decided to get an album of him when he was a bit older, taking up a battle that she had long ago conceeded. "I've got the one where he's ten to a little bit older." She hoped that Keiko could persuade him to cut his hair and look a little more like a normal person, though she knew her son's will. It was an inflexable iron bar. She just didn't want him to have problems when it came time to get a job, that was all. She loved her son's hair but rebelliousness needed to be put away to get a respectable position in anything.

Keiko sat down again, having briefly gotten up to stretch. Shiori opened the first page and Keiko exclaimed, "Oh, I can see traces already of Ku-Shuuichi!" She looked back and forth from Kurama to the picture. Seeing her mate with short hair was just wrong. "Though, I think I prefer you with long hair, it seems to give something more."

Shiori knew then that she didn't have the ally that she wished, but didn't mind. She was of the opinion that her son looked better with long hair, too. This didn't mean that a mother couldn't look at the practicalities as well. "I understand completely about adding something."

Kurama finished eating and looked at the two of them. He felt his heart bursting in his chest as he wondered if he would loose his mother's love tonight when he told her what he could not avoid telling her. "Mother, why don't you put the albums away and sit down in the living room with Keiko. I will clear the table and make some tea." The food had already helped to replace some of his youki and he wanted to brew a special tea that he found soothing. Leaving the drinker clear headed, but receptive to ideas and less likely to get stressed.

He quickly cleared the dishes and now just needed to brew the tea. He put the water on to boil and then fished the appropriate seed out of his hair. Feeding it just a small amount of the youki that he recovered by eating and he soon was holding a plant about the heighth of his torso. He selected several leaves and set them to the side and then worked on forcing it back to it's seed form so that he could use it again. He turned as he heard a gasp from behind him.

Shiori couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as she saw her son doing something impossible with plants. He was simply looking at it and it was quickly getting smaller in front of her eyes! "Shuuichi, what are you doing?"

Kurama turned around and finished with his seed, which he tucked into the hair at the back of his neck. "Mother, please, just join Keiko. I'm getting our tea."

"But what are you making?" Shiori didn't know what to make of this.

Kurama said resignedly, "Something with similar properties to chamomile tea, just a small bit stronger." He needed the calming brew just as much as his mother did, if not more. This would also complement his supper.

Shiori turned worried eyes on her son, "You do know that you can tell me anything, right?"

Let us hope so, Mother. I love you too much to loose you. Kurama thought, then added with a sad smile, "Then go sit with Keiko. I need to gather my thoughts while I make the tea." He watched as his mother left the kitchen and breathed a deep sigh.

Shiori joined Keiko on the couch. "Do you know what my son wants to tell us?"

Keiko had a good idea from his comments earlier that he was going to tell his mother about who he was. She didn't know exactly why he had chosen now to do this, but she would support him. "I think I do. Some of this may be new to me, too. While a good friend and I think I've loved him forever, your son can be maddeningly close-mouthed about some things, Shiori."

Shiori watched her son come out carrying the tea tray. She watched his grace as he poured the tea. The grace that had been so much a part of him ever since he was a small child. She took the tea cup that he offered to her and took a small sip. It was surprisingly good and spread a pleseant warmth through her body.

Kurama sat down in a large chair after he gave his mother and his mate a cup each. He took a sip and felt the properties of the tea start to take affect immediately. His head was clearer, but calmer. His thoughts weren't running around in circles like a dog trying to chase his tail.

Keiko took a sip and smiled. "Where did you get this tea?"

Kurama smiled back, "Well, I did have to grow it."

Keiko nodded with understanding. "What did you want to tell us?"

Kurama contemplated on where to start. Might as well work at the small things and work up. "Mother, before we get to some of the more serious revelations I have one small peice of news. I have asked Keiko to marry me. I hope you do not object with my choice."

Shiori smiled happily. "I don't have any objections at all! I think Keiko's a wonderful girl." She then turned more somber eyes to her son, "I know that this is not what really has you worried, though. Please, you can tell me what's bothering you!"

Keiko looked between Kurama's eyes that were full of worry and Shiori's that were worried about what her son was obsessively worrying about. "Shiori, I think that's the problem. He's been protecting you for years from all of this. He's wanted to tell you, but he's afraid of what you'll think."

Kurama smiled ruefully at Keiko's insight. "You are right, Keiko. Please," He looked at her, "Can you come and sit with me?"

Keiko took her cup and sat on Kurama's proferred lap, tucking her head into his shoulder. "Is this better?" It felt right to be sitting with Kurama like this, almost as though her body had craved the closeness with his. She knew that he felt the same when he sighed and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. She sighed as she completely relaxed into her mate's chest. She finished her tea and felt her eyes drifting shut.

Kurama felt the tension drain out of his system completely when his mate snuggled into his frame. "Thank you." He dropped a gentle kiss onto her forehead. Then felt that he could go on. "Mother, I have been protecting you from this knowledge ever since I was born. It's part of what you saw in the kitchen, when I grew our tea. It's also why you can never find some of the herbs and seasonings that I use in my cooking. They don't exist in this world, or at least, in this plane of existance."

Shiori looked confused. "Please, what do you mean?" She tried to wrap her mind around that, she knew that her son used some exotic spices sometimes which made some very tasty dishes. Try as she might, she could never find where they were or the names that he gave her for them.

"They only exist in the Makai, the Demon World." He took another sip of his tea, drawing strength from that, as well as the presence of his mate.

Shiori knew about the Demon World only through mythology. "I thought that only existed in legends." She carefully said.

"It is all real, Mother. Allow me to skip that issue for now, though." He tried to think of exactly how to explain this. "I am not, nor have ever been, completely human."

Shiori was starting to worry, "What do you mean? I know the son that I gave birth to. And you are he."

"That was the body only, which was human. This body's soul, though, is not human." Kurama looked over at his mother, seeing the worry gathering in her eyes. "The person that you are seeing is only half of the whole. You yourself said it to Hiei earlier. My eyes gave me away."

Shiori thought back to the observaions over the years. It was true that he had always seemed older and different from all the other children. "If your soul is not human, than what is it?" She carefully asked.

"My soul is that of Youko Kurama. I am a fox spirit. This is why my actual friends have trouble remembering to call me Shuuichi, amoung them, I go by my true name."

"But how, why . . .?" Shiori asked.

"Mother, sip the tea. There is a reason that I brewed this particular tea." Kurama softly told her, taking a sip of the tea himself. He could feel Keiko snuggle deeper into his chest, her breathing patterns already relaxing in slumber. He smiled tenderly down at his now sleeping mate. He truly had worn her out earlier. He carefully removed the empty tea cup from her unresisting fingers and set it on the table.

Shiori watched as her son carefully shifted Keiko and smiled herself at tender scene. She took a sip of her tea. "It didn't make the questions go away, Shuuichi."

"No, it didn't." Kurama explained, "And it won't, this tea clears thought processes and helps with stress. There are other plants that would make the questions go away, but right now, I need to explain this, because of what happened earlier."

"You mean the two of you . . ." Shiori couldn't finish the statement and blushed bright red.

Kurama smoothed the hair down Keiko's back, slightly blushing himself. "Well, yes, but that was only the surface. Let me go back to what I was saying earlier. As to how I got into this body of mine, it's a bit of a story and in the end I'm ever so grateful for everything that you've taught me, Mother. I was a youko, the spirit fox. At that time, I was a thief, and the best in all of the Makai, using my nimbleness and quick wits to stay alive in what is very much a cutthroat world." He paused, "I had a hunter sent after me and he thought he'd killed me. That body did die, but I removed my spirit and transferred into the body that you see now." He watched his mother carefully for her reaction.

Shiori took a sip of tea. "So that's how you became my son, and why. But why are you grateful to me? Why did you protect me, if this world that you came from is so cutthroat?"

Kurama concidered how to explain this, "I was a very jaded soul and didn't know anything about love. I knew everything about betrayal, pleasure and the thrill of the hunt. You have taught me about love. Demons betray each other for a moment's gain in power and to live a little longer. Understand, these are primarily the lower class demons. The higher level demons played for keeps, gathering groups of followers and then playing pretty much the same games as the lower level demons."

He hated to do this, but Keiko had to hear this, as well. She knew most of this up to this point, goodness knows, she had been used as a pawn in some of these games. He tapped her on the shoulder until she gave a sleepy, "Hm?"

"Keiko, my love, I need you awake. I cannot muster the strength to tell this twice."

She nodded and yawned, "Okay. What are you talking about?"

Kurama told her, "Relationships in the Makai."

Keiko blinked, "I didn't know there were such."

"There aren't many, as you well know." Kurama went back to his explanation. "Due to this, friendship is highly prized and rarely given. Hiei is not human, he is a demon from the Makai as well as my friend and partner. I would trust him with my life, indeed, I have several times." He cleared his thoat. This had never embarrassed him before, but this was Keiko and his mother he was talking to! "Friendship takes on a different meaning in the Makai, due to it's rarety. It also means lover." He let this sink in. "Before either of you can ask, not the human definition of lover, though sometimes that is there as well. That normally comes under the definition of partner."

Keiko remembered the conversation that she had overheard earlier and felt the jealousy well up once again, "Kurama Minamino! Are you telling me that you are actually lovers with Hiei?!"

Kurama blinked at the label that his mate attached to him. "No, Keiko, my mate, I am not and was not. We can discuss that behind closed doors, without my mother present." He wanted to laugh at the indignity on her face, but gave her a quick kiss instead. He turned back to his mother, "Those definitions, though are what caused Hiei to pause before he could answer you earlier. In the Makai, whether or not you are lovers, if you are friends, you are considered lovers." He took a deep breath, "That is why I have had so much trouble making friends here. In order to consider them friends, I would have to trust them with my life. There are very few that I consider worthy of that."

Shiori nodded. This would explain a great deal about his childhood. He had always been aloof from the other children. "I can see why that would make you hesitant to make friends easily. What about your current group of friends? Do they know?"

Kurama considered, "They do and they don't. Hiei understands, growing up in the same cutthroat environs that I did. Yusuke got a crash course in the Makai a short while ago, being he discovered the hard way that he had demon blood and became one of the three lords of the Makai. Kuwabara is still mostly clueless when it comes to the intricacies of the Makai, and is not completely trusted by Hiei when it comes to abilities. For principles, he's completely unmatched. That and he doesn't think that Kuwabara would make a good mate for Yukina." He drew a deep breath. "I will tell you what I can, Mother, but some of this you will either not understand, or have a few problems with. With that comment made, mates are for life. Most have some way of marking their mates and other demons know and respect that, it's the only bond universally respected within the Makai."

Keiko lifted her head up from his shoulder, "You mean that other demons will know I belong to you?" She wasn't sure exactly how she felt about that.

Kurama sensed her uneasiness, "Yes, love, besides smelling my scent on you, you should develope a sign of me where I, ah," He glanced at his mother, blushing bright red and finished, "Bit you." He smiled at her, "They will also know that I belong to you, as well." He looked at the window. "There are two things that seriously worry me about today. One of which I have no control over, the other I should have had control over, but I don't know if I was able to or not."

Shiori looked at her son. She had seen him in many moods, but never quite this serious before. It started to sink in that he was indeed who he claimed to be. He was no normal teen about to graduate in a couple of months, but a who knew how old youko. Keiko didn't look phased by how her son was thinking, so he must have hidden that side of himself from her as well as this information. "What worries you, my son?"

Kurama smiled luminously at the label. She still accepted him! "Thank you, Mother." His face took on a more controlled demeanor. "One is that I will not be able to stay away from Keiko for long periods of time. Kitsune are naturally affectionate and need to be with their mates for considerable amounts of time. That is the part that I cannot control. I do not know if Keiko will suffer from the same side effects that I will. I will become, to say the least irritable. The closer we are, the calmer I will be." He stroked Keiko's hair. "And I will not be able to sleep without my mate by my side."

Shiori needed no help comprehending the seriousness of that. "This . . . could cause problems. I've had Keiko call her parents to inform them that she'll be spending the night here, but this . . ." She was at a loss for words. "How do we explain this?"

Keiko frowned, thinking, "We'll have to think of something to tell my parents. They don't know about any of this. Through divine intervention, I think." She added thinking of Koenma.

Kurama smiled ruefully, "I think you're right." He thought for a moment. "What times are everyone expected home tomorrow?"

Shiori smiled, "Your stepfather is expected home around one in the afternoon and he'll pick up Shuuichi on the way. If I remember correctly, Keiko's expected home by three."

"That gives us a little time to work with. I suggest that we sleep on the subject and take it up in the morning." Kurama said. "Was there anything else that you wanted to know, Mother?"

Shiori thought about her son's last question. I'd like to know everything, but I don't think I can. "How old are you?" She thought she'd start at the top of her list of questions and just move down the list.

Kurama smiled softly. "Something over a thousand years old." His smile turned sad, "It pains me to remember some of it, other parts are just, interesting."

Shiori was shocked. She had no idea that he was that old. "Well, that was unexpected." She refilled her tea cup. Besides helping the stress level, she found that she actually liked the flavor, it was a rich, yet subtle flavor.

Kurama held out his tea cup. "Mother, could you please pour me some more, too?" This was one of his favorite teas.

Shiori wordlessly took the cup from him and poured some more tea in it, passing it back to him. She took another sip. "So can you still change into your original form?"

Keiko smiled with a blush and hid her reddened face into her mate's hair.

Kurama took a drink and smiled at Keiko's reaction, but turned to his mother. "Yes, I can. I lack the energy to change currently. The dish that Hiei made is specially to help recover my energy, youki, quickly and this tea will help as well. In the morning, I should be able to show you, if you'd like."

"I would like that." Shiori smiled. "I think that's enough questions from me for right now. If you want to have a chance to talk to Keiko tonight, you might want to go do that now, before she falls asleep again."

Kurama laughed ruefully and quickly finished his cup as the tea was now a lukewarm temperature. "Thank you again, Mother."

Keiko stood up and stretched. "Thank you." She impulsively hugged Shiori.

Shiori gladly hugged her back. She then turned to her son. "I always knew that there was something different about you. I'm glad that you finally talked to me about it."

Kurama wordlessly embraced her. While still holding her, he said quietly, "I wish I could have avoided it, Mother. My world is a dangerous one as Keiko can tell you. Just by knowing me, your life has been in danger before. I will protect you all as best I can."

"I trust you." Shiori stepped back a moment later. "I only have one more quick question before the two of you head upstairs." As Kurama turned to face her, she asked, "Which name do you prefer? Kurama or Shuuichi?"

Kurama smiled at the question. "I've answered to Kurama for too long to not prefer hearing it, but if you want to, you can still call me Shuuichi."

Shiori nodded. "Good night, then. Kurama, Keiko."

Kurama embraced her briefly with tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Mother, for everything." He dried his eyes and then wrapped an arm around Keiko the two of them walking up the stairs.

To be continued . . .