Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Akambo ❯ Intentions ( Chapter 9 )

Kurama awoke slowly. Taking a few deep breaths, he squinted his eyes tightly several times before opening them completely. The ceiling he was staring at was not his own. Without lifting his head from the pillow, Kurama looked around a bit. He did not recognize the room he was in, but from the height of the ceiling, he deduced he was laying on a futon, not a western-style bed. Shifting his gaze to his left, the kitsune saw his mate, asleep, cuddled into his side. Gentle warmth was radiating from the fire demon. Both the temperature and the familiar feeling of Hiei's ki calmed Kurama and made him feel secure in this unidentified environment. I addition, a sense of peace flooded Kurama, as if some pressure had been relieved. Taking another deep breath, he relaxed; content to enjoy the moment with his lover. It wasn't until he heard the soft sound of footsteps outside their room that Kurama focused his energy on rational thought again.

 

“You're awake,” came a soft baritone beside him. Looking over, Kurama was startled to find Hiei awake and looking at him. The fire demon must have awakened while Kurama was allowing his mind to wander. The kitsune bit his lip. He was not usually so inobservant.

 

“Relax,” Hiei said in a low voice, reaching out to touch Kurama's mouth with his warm fingers. Kurama unclenched his teeth when the soft digits brushed his skin. “Your energy was misaligned. Genkai used the Spirit wave to force it to realign itself. You've been unconscious overnight, here at the temple.”

 

Kurama nodded. Hiei knew exactly what he was wondering and had provided answers before the question was even asked. Smiling, the fox sighed. Hiei could see from his mate's relaxed position and feel in his mate's even energy that the red head was feeling much better.

 

It was still a few hours before the demons emerged from their comfortable nest in the bedding. When Hiei slid the door of their room open, the smell of lunch being cooked in the kitchen greeted his senses. Stepping out into the hallway with Kurama behind him, the hiyoukai led the way towards the chef.

 

Yukina was almost done preparing a large lunch when she felt someone enter the room. Turning, she saw her brother and his mate in the doorway, both looking far better than they had the night before.

 

“Come in, sit down,” she offered, motioning at the chairs around the table. “You both look like you're feeling much better. Can I get you anything?”

 

Kurama approached a chair and sat down gracefully. “Water, please,” he asked softly. Hiei said nothing as he sat next to his mate. Yukina quickly got two glasses of water and placed one before each demon. Eagerly Kurama sipped the water, surprised at how thirsty he felt. Hiei did not drink his right away.

 

Before another word could be spoken, Kuwabara entered the kitchen. With eyes only for his wife, he slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, bending to nuzzle into her shoulder and place a kiss on her cheek. Yukina giggled happily and said, “Kazuma! Not in front of our guests!”

 

“What? Our gues...” Kuwabara turned to the table and noticed, for the first time, the two demons sitting there. Hiei's eyes were narrowed and he was gripping his glass of water a little more tightly than necessary. Kurama was fighting a smile, and finally had to take another sip of water to conceal his grin. “Oh,” Kuwabara said, stepping away from his wife and watching his brother-in-law with caution. As a result, Kurama took another long swig of water to cover the even larger smile he could not hold in.

 

Gingerly, Kuwabara sat in the chair opposite Hiei without a word. About three seconds later he jumped back up as Yukina said, “Lunch is ready!” to help her bring the heaping bowls of food to the table. Kurama began to rise to help as well, but Yukina told him to stay seated and relax. Hiei just kept glaring at his brother-in-law and gripping his water glass.

 

When they were seated and eating, the mood became more subdued. After inquiring about Hiei and Kurama's health this morning, Yukina became quiet and took on a thoughtful look. Kurama and Kuwabara continued to carry the conversation, but after a while it became obvious that the ice maiden had something she wanted to discuss.

 

When the room had fallen silent and everyone continued to eat, a soft voice spoke. “Hiei, Brother, there is something I need to tell you,” Yukina began suddenly, as if she had just gathered enough courage to say what was on her mind. Hiei continued to eat, but turned his attention completely to his sister.

 

“You know that in a few weeks we will be a year older,” Yukina began. Hiei nodded. Their birthday was approaching. “This is a special birthday,” Yukina continued. Hiei stopped for a moment, putting down his food and swallowing. It was not the first birthday they had shared as brother and sister. That day had passed long ago, and contrary to Hiei's fears had been a happy and rewarding day they shared.

 

The fire demon thought for a moment. What was so special about this day? By demons standards they were both “adults” from the time they had made their first kill. (Yes, Yukina had killed to survive as well. She was, after all, a demon.) In a way they were coming of age since they were turning... Hiei's eyes widened fractionally as he looked at his sister. Yukina smiled shyly. To mask his embarrassment at both forgetting that this was a special birthday for his sister and at the topic itself, Hiei grabbed his water and took a long drink. As he was drinking, Yukina finally blurted out what was on her mind, knowing she would lose her nerve if she did not. It was, after all, embarrassing to her, too.

 

“Kazuma and I want twins.”

 

Hiei choked slightly and spit his water out, luckily missing the food on the table, but drenching himself in the process. If the topic had not been serious, Yukina would have giggled at her brother, the mighty Hiei, who had almost managed to drown himself in a glass of water and now stared at her with wide, almost frightened eyes and looked like a drowned rat. Instead, Yukina continued in a rushed voice.

 

“Since I will be bearing a daughter anyway, we thought we should have twins, like you and me, but different than you and me because we'll keep both, oh, I'm sorry...” she trailed off, feeling like she just said the one thing that would most cause her brother to oppose the idea. Of course, the decision was up to her and Kuwabara, but she desperately wanted Hiei's blessing and she did not want to bear only a fully ice-maiden daughter that would have no connection to her husband, other than their marriage.

 

Hiei looked at her hopeful, scared expression and looked at Kuwabara. His bright red face showed that he had not been quite ready to approach the subject, either, but in his eyes Hiei could see his desire to father twins as well. Deep inside, Hiei knew this was normal. The desire to procreate and to share the gift of parenthood was natural, and deep inside a bit of him felt a twinge. He wasn't sure why, but it was like a small thorn, prodding at him. Ignoring it, he focused on the couple again. To his side, Kurama was silent, realizing that this was matter in which he was intruding and choosing to stay out of the conversation completely.

 

“It is your decision,” Hiei said slowly, seeing some of the light dim from his sister's eyes. Taking a deep breath he continued. “I will support whatever decision you both make.” Yukina and Kuwabara smiled widely and thanked Hiei for his approval. They continued lunch with renewed zeal, eager to talk and eat and smile. Kurama, while smiling and talking and eating as well, noticed, however, that Hiei grew silent for the rest of the meal and only picked at his food with his chopsticks, not eating.

 

After the meal, both recovering demons grew very tired. Not allowing them to help clean up, Yukina shooed them off to their room to rest. If their energies were back up to normal by that evening, then they would return home, but Yukina was quick to assure them that they were both welcome to stay as long as they wanted. Laying together in the futon, Kurama silently waited for his mate to start any conversation. Hiei did not, and in time both drifted to sleep.

 

It was not until the next evening that Kurama and Hiei returned to their home. After dinner they had again grown tired, and Yukina had insisted they remained the extra day to regain their strength. Finally, after dark, they entered their bedroom through the sliding glass door that Hiei had left open as he fled to the temple with Kurama. Being in a nice neighborhood and having a private backyard full of trees, no one had even noticed the door was open and no one had tried to enter.

 

There were seven messages on the answering machine from Shiori. She had grown concerned when they did not answer or call her back. While she was not worried enough to come over and let herself in to look for them (she had their spare key) she was Kurama's mother and did keep calling and leaving progressively more anxious messages to call her right away. When Kurama did call, the relief in her voice was almost tangible. Fighting her urge to immediately go to their house and check their condition for herself, she settled for lunch plans for the following day.

 

As he hung up the phone, Kurama turned to find his mate looking at him, a strange expression on the hiyoukai's face. “Mother will be over for lunch tomorrow. She worried when we did not call back.”

 

“And so she has to see you with her own eyes to be sure you are not physically compromised,” Hiei concluded flatly, turning away. Kurama narrowed his eyes just a bit.

 

“She was worried about you, too, Love,” the fox began. “And she's my mother. Worrying about me is her favorite pastime. It's what all parents do.”

 

“I wouldn't know,” Hiei replied as he left the room, not even looking back as he flung the words over his shoulder. Kurama bit his lip and kept quiet. Hiei's tone spoke volumes about his foul mood and Kurama did not feel like pressing the issue. Besides, with Yukina's decision to have twins, parenting was a subject the fire demon did not wish to pursue. Without a word, the fox demon went upstairs to prepare for bed.

 

When Hiei entered the bedroom about a half an hour later, Kurama was sitting in bed, reading a book. Hiei passed silently into the bathroom. Kurama heard the shower turn on and waited patiently for his mate to return. When the fire demon approached the bed he was already dry, thanks to his ki and his ability to tolerate high heat levels.

 

Hiei climbed into bed quietly after draping his robe over a nearby chair. As Kurama moved to embrace him and drew him into a kiss, however, Hiei shrugged. “Not tonight, Fox,” he murmured. Kurama stopped. The fire demon turned to lay with his back to his mate. Likewise, Kurama lay down, back to back with Hiei. With a sigh, the fox demon allowed himself to give in to the tired feeling that crept over him. Hiei, on the other hand, lay awake all night.

 

The morning passed quickly and quietly. Hiei stayed very busy, first training in the back yard then showering again. Kurama stayed in the house and watched. His mate was upset; that much was clear. But Kurama had a feeling that it ran deeper than their conversation with the ice maiden two days prior. In fact, Hiei had been quite himself at the temple. It was not until they returned home that he had begun to withdraw and act almost angry. Deciding to put an end to it before his mother arrived for lunch, Kurama waited in the doorway to the master bathroom as his mate bathed.

 

When Hiei exited the shower, he reached for the towel he had left out. He stopped short however when he realized it was missing. Before he moved, he knew what he would find. Turning to the doorway he was not disappointed. A tall red head stood leaning against the doorframe, the soft towel in his hand and a “we're talking” expression on his face. Silently, without breaking eye contact, Hiei held out his hand in a mute request for the cloth. Ignoring the hand, Kurama pushed away from the wall and walked to his mate. As he draped the absorbent cloth around his lover's naked, wet body, he asked quietly, “What is upsetting you, Love?” Before Hiei could reply, Kurama pulled him into an embrace and began to rub him with the towel.

 

Leaning into his taller mate, Hiei closed his eyes. “I don't know, Fox. I feel off. It only started when we got home.” Kurama nodded and kept rubbing the soft cloth on Hiei, absorbing all the water. Hiei did not raise his ki to dry off, choosing instead to enjoy the attention of his mate.

 

As the last of the water soaked into the fluffy terrycloth, Kurama leaned close to Hiei's ear. “Let me know how to help.” Hiei nodded quietly, but did not speak and did not wrap his arms around Kurama, as he usually would. Kurama opened his mouth to speak again, but the doorbell interrupted whatever he was about to say.

 

Wishing he could send his mother home but knowing he would never do so, Kurama settled for a quick peck on Hiei's cheek. “Come down when you're dressed; lunch will be ready,” he whispered before walking away to let his mother in. Hiei just stood there, feeling empty and not knowing why.

 

When the fire demon entered the kitchen, Kurama was placing the last of their lunch on a platter. Wordlessly, Hiei took a seat at the table. Shiori bustled over with napkins and gave him a quick hug. “I'm glad to see you are both alright; you worried me when you disappeared for a few days so unexpectedly,” she said cheerfully. The look Hiei gave her was flat and blank. She stepped back in surprise, but quickly brushed it off and picked up cups from the counter. Without another word, the trio began to eat.

 

Hiei picked at his food again, not eating and not caring. Shiori noticed this, but said nothing. She also noticed her son watching the fire demon with a worried expression. Deciding to take the scenic route to her questions, she asked her son, “So you said you were at the temple visiting Yukina and her husband? How are they?”

 

Turning to his mother, Kurama finished chewing his food quickly and answered, “They're fine.” Hiei stared at his plate, his face darkening. Sensing she had picked the wrong question to start with. Trying to change the subject, she began to ask about Kurama's garden in the back yard. A deep voice interrupted her, however.

 

“How did you decide to have a child?”

 

The conversation died a quick death. Both Kurama and Shiori looked at Hiei. Kurama knew what Hiei was thinking, but Shiori was caught completely off guard.

 

“I didn't. I mean, my late husband and I wanted children, but we didn't make a conscious decision to try. One day we found out we were having a baby,” Shiori answered carefully.

 

“What happened then?” Hiei asked, looking up.

 

“We had a baby,” Shiori answered awkwardly. Of course Hiei knew what had happened; he was mated to the child she had given birth to. She looked to her son, confusion clear on her features.

 

Kurama decided to tread lightly in this matter. He knew Hiei was out of sorts and wanted to avoid upsetting his mate any further. “Mother, Yukina and Kuwabara wish to have a child, twins, in fact,” he explained quickly.

 

Shiori's face lit up. The idea of a baby always brought a smile to her face; even if she had already accepted she would never have a grandchild by her own son. “That's wonderful! But they're so young. They've only been married, how long?”

 

“Seven and a half weeks,” Kurama supplied.

 

“They should wait and get to know each other better before they rush into such a life-altering change,” Shiori said quietly, dropping off completely at the sullen look that overtook Hiei's features.

 

“They don't really have a choice,” Kurama supplied. Shiori looked at him with a question in her eyes. Smiling, Kurama explained.

 

“No, not like humans. Yukina did not conceive on their honeymoon. But Yukina is a full-blooded ice apparition. The ice maidens reproduce asexually every one hundred years. Around the time of her one-hundredth birthday, an ice maiden will become pregnant and deliver a child during her one-hundredth year of life. This year, when she turns one-hundred, Yukina will conceive and bear a daughter whether Kuwabara, er, assists, or not.” Kurama glanced at Hiei, but the fire demon was ignoring the conversation in its entirety.

 

“So, there is going to be a baby no matter what. I can understand that. But why twins?” Shiori asked. Kurama waited a moment for Hiei to respond, but Hiei seemed to be in a world of his own.

 

“Yukina wants to share the birth of her child with her husband. She will conceive asexually, so the child will be, genetically, full-blooded Koorime, just as Yukina is. The only way to share this with her husband is to conceive a second child at the same time, a child of his. From what I have heard, Koorime are exceptionally fertile during their asexual conception, and they can easily conceive twins. They just choose a life of celibacy to prevent that. There are, of course, exceptions,” Kurama said softly as he glanced at Hiei.

 

Shiori followed his glance and suddenly understood. Hiei and Yukina were half siblings; Yukina was the product of the Koorime cycle of asexual conception, a clone of her mother with no biological father, Hiei was the byproduct of an illicit sexual relationship and therefore taboo, the bastard son of an unknown father. Deciding to end the subject quickly, she simply said, “Well, I wish them the best.” Kurama picked up on the change and resumed eating. Hiei remained in his own world, oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place.

 

When Shiori had left, Hiei resumed his seat at the kitchen table. Wordlessly he sat staring at the counter. Kurama approached and stood beside him.

 

“I apologize, Love, if I was out of line explaining personal details to Mother,” the fox said softly. Hiei shook his head. Turning to his still-standing mate, the fire demon wrapped his arms around the other.

 

“I don't know what this feeling is, Kurama. But you have done nothing to upset me,” he whispered, burying his face in Kurama's side. Turning, Kurama bent to embrace his mate. They held each other a while, not quite sure what was wrong, just seeking solace in their shared contact.

 

--

 

A victorious laugh resounded through the stone corridors outside the laboratory. “Finally,” a deep voice crooned, watching the small blob that bobbed in the fluid filled, glass container turn and pulse. “Only a few months, now.”

 

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A/N - Here it is. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.