Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Akambo ❯ Surprises ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: This story was written by me, mhmartini, for enjoyment purposes only. All characters taken from a show/series/book/etc. are property of their respective creators; I am only borrowing them. Original characters are mine. The storyline is mine. I am making no money from this endeavor. The only “profit” involved is the joy of writing and the reviews of my readers. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

--

 

Kurama and Hiei showered as the large soaking tub in their master bathroom filled. Although a standard Jacuzzi would be left full, the demons preferred to fill and drain their smaller version as needed. Both had a very refined sense of smell and stale, used water gave them each a headache, much like cheap perfume did. They had multiple faucets installed around the tub to reduce the time it took to fill. They allowed it to fill with cold water since Hiei could heat it faster than the hot water heater could, anyway. When they stepped out of the shower, the tub was almost full.

 

Hiei sat on the edge of the tub swirling his fingers idly in the rising water as Kurama sifted through his stores of plant matter. When the kitsune returned to the tub, Hiei had turned off all but one of the faucets and light tendrils of steam were curling upwards from the water's surface. Smiling, Kurama poured the contents of a few vials into the tub and added two pinches of a powder. A soft, relaxing aroma filled the room as the couple prepared to enter the bath.

 

As Kurama slowly lowered into a seated position, still careful not to put any direct pressure on his behind, he sighed. The water lapped gently at his skin and the heat soaked right into his sore, stiff muscles. Within minutes he was able to sit properly again without discomfort. Leaning back, he closed his eyes.

 

Hiei slid into the water, as well, but his movements were far more rapid, sending little ripples across the surface of the water. Swiftly he settled, sitting opposite his fox. Instead of absorbing the heat, as Kurama did, he let his energy out, relaxing his control and letting the water dissipate his natural warmth. Although his normal body temperature was similar to that of a human being, he had some pent-up energy from the last few weeks. As he relaxed he released that energy, feeling the tension drain from his body. This also kept the water comfortably warm for Kurama without the use of the tub's built-in heater.

 

After soaking for a few minutes, Kurama opened his eyes to see his mate staring at him. When the fox looked like he wanted to ask a question, Hiei just shook his head. Kurama smiled. Words weren't necessary right now anyway.

 

Hiei stood and approached his mate. Straddling Kurama's legs, he sank to sit on the kitsune's lap, facing the red head. He brushed the fingers of his right hand across Kurama's left cheek. Smiling again, the fox leaned into the caress. Gently the hiyoukai drew his fingers down Kurama's jaw, down his throat, and traced his collarbone, following the progression with his crimson-eyed gaze. Although he had seen it many times, the soft flesh of his mate was always fresh, always beautiful to him. Looking up, he leaned forward and captured the fox's lips in a warm kiss. A few soft, light kisses gave way to deeper, longer ones. Breaking away, Hiei curled his hand around the back of Kurama's neck and allowed his wrist to rest on the kitsune's shoulder. His left hand found its way to Kurama's ribs as Hiei leaned forward onto his mate, their chests touching, and laid his head on Kurama's left shoulder. The fox slipped his arms around Hiei's waist and drew him as close as possible. They sat together like this in the warm water until their skin began to wrinkle. Both were content with this contact after the previous, passionate, yet exhausting day.

 

When they were dry and the tub had drained, the demons climbed into bed. As they were snuggling under the covers, Hiei asked something of his mate. It was an idea he had had for a while, but he reserved it for the right time. Tonight was perfect.

 

"Kurama, would you like to share a dream?" he asked softly, looking up at his mate. Kurama looked down at him with a questioning expression. Hiei merely gestured at the ward over his Jagan. Kurama smiled.

 

"I would love to share a dream with you, Hiei," the fox whispered.

 

"Get comfortable," Hiei instructed, sitting up. Kurama shifted so he was lying on his back. Hiei slipped the ward off his forehead and snuggled up to his mate. "Just relax and let your mind wander. Let me in," he whispered as Kurama closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

 

Within minutes the kitsune was deeply asleep. Hiei could feel his mate releasing the iron grip he kept over his mind and letting the hiyoukai enter the complex mental labyrinth. When he was in deeply enough, Hiei relaxed against his mate and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him as well. Had they not been mated, this would be quite impossible. Hiei's rigid control of the Jagan, even in his sleep, coupled with the implant's acceptance of Kurama as a part of Hiei, made this safe for them. The Jagan would keep watch during the night and awaken its host at the first sign of danger, much as it had the night they mated. Oblivious to the world, the mates slept, meeting in the dreamscape of their minds and spending the night with their souls entwined.

 

After Hiei's insatiable lust had passed it did not return. Things had returned to normal between the demons. They had shared a few dreams in the subsequent nights and felt much closer than before. Kurama reflected on this happily. Even though they were mated, he realized that demon mating was not the result, but the beginning of their journey.

 

Things almost returned to normal among their friends and family, as well. The harsh chill of winter gave way to the gentle warmth of spring. The missions that the group received from Reikai were few and far between. There were a few reports of soul activity in the western Makai Barrens, but no more attacks occurred. As spring yielded to summer, the detective group enjoyed an almost eerie calm.

 

Yukina was not showing her pregnancy at all. Few female demons showed until very close to the time of birth. To show any compromise in Makai was death. So the ice maiden continued her duties around the temple and kept the buildings and grounds clean and orderly with no pain or complaint.

 

On the few missions that did arise, Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei would take the missions alone, leaving Kuwabara to tend and protect his wife. Although Hiei wished to protect his sister during her "vulnerability," as he called it (he never one referred to it as a pregnancy, or to the developing babies at all) he had finally come to accept that she was now another man's wife and the right to protect her had passed from his grip. Finally, he felt relieved that she had discovered his identity as her brother. To tell her now, after his duty to guard her had expired, would have been pointless, and possibly even an intrusion on her personal life. Matters such as these were far stricter in Makai, where incest was common. Demon lovers had killed demon brothers for trying to remain too close to the females in question. Although Kuwabara would never attempt to kill his brother-in-law, Hiei gave the couple their space out of hidden affection for his sister and deeply concealed respect for her husband.

 

Hiei and Kurama enjoyed their time together. They trained together daily and often flitted around town chasing each other, high over the heads of the unknowing humans. Although he remained in his human form, Kurama had as much fun playing with Hiei as he used to in Makai as the fox thief of legend. At night their romps would always end in the bedroom, where the mates would worship each other's bodies and share themselves fully. Between the light workload and the company of his fire demon, Kurama thought more than once that this was truly "the life." As the summer weather began to give way to fall and the leaves fell from the trees, they demons kept each other warm, body and soul.

 

So the phone call he received on a cold October evening hit Kurama like a bolt out of the blue.

 

"What do you mean, gone?" Kurama asked quickly, his voice laden with dread and tinged with fear. Hiei looked up at the tone and watched his mate expectantly. Kurama's body language screamed that something was wrong.

 

"When?" Kurama asked. "What happened?" After a few minutes the kitsune instructed the caller to come right over and hung up the phone. Wearily he turned to face his lover. Hiei said nothing, but waited for his mate to speak. Kurama said only one sentence, "Mother's been taken by demons."

 

Fifteen minutes later the doorbell to the demon household rang. Hiei answered it quickly and allowed Hatanaka and Shuu-kun to enter. Both their eyes carried worry and fear, along with a swollen, red look. Within seconds Kurama emerged from the master bedroom.

 

The fox had changed his clothing and now wore one of his preferred fighting outfits with baggy, loose-flowing pants and a long tunic. He had hidden a large number of seeds on his person and was ready to go into battle if necessary. Hiei, on the other hand, was pretty much always ready for battle; his katana was well concealed under his cloak.

 

Kurama motioned his family to sit on the couch as he began asking questions. Within a few moments he had discovered that the demons that had taken Shiori had disappeared through what could only have been a portal to Makai. Although he held his outward reaction in check, Hiei could see his pale skin blanch at the thought of his mother alone in the demon world in the company of strange demons with unknown intentions.

 

The demon couple had just decided on a plan of action to begin their search for the missing woman when a tap at the door distracted them. Kurama answered it, surprised to find Botan standing there.

 

"Lord Koenma has an important mission for you, Yusuke and Kuwabara will be here shortl..." the ferry girl began, but she was interrupted by the fox's smooth voice.

 

"We are not able to go on a mission now. We have urgent business in Makai."

 

"Lord Koenma will not take no for an answer," Botan said nervously. "He says it's very important. Over the past year and a half there has been a surge of soul activity in the Makai Barrens. Since it's involved demon souls, Reikai has kept out of it. It was quiet for the past few months, but in the last week or two there's been a barrier erected to keep Reikai surveillance from seeing any soul activity there at all. We've just received word that they have taken a live human, and we think they are planning soul experiments. Since there is now a human soul involved, we have to take action."

 

Kurama was patient enough to allow Botan to finish her explanation of the mission as he checked his stored of seeds and plant matter, but the last part grabbed his attention. "A human? When? Where?"

 

Botan was stunned for a moment by his sudden interest in the mission, but recovered quickly. "Just about a half an hour ago, near the park down the street. They took one middle-aged female and escaped to the demon plane."

 

Kurama paled even more at that news. Hiei, however, saved him the trouble of responding. "Where in the barrens are they? Open a portal," the small demon snapped quickly. Botan just sputtered in confusion. Before she could answer a heavy knock at the door announced the arrival of the other two teammates.

 

When Yusuke and Kuwabara entered, Hiei narrowed his eyes. As Botan prepared to open a portal, the hiyoukai looked at Kuwabara intently. "Stay with my sister," he spat.

 

"Chill, Short Stack," Kuwabara replied. "Genkai is at the temple; Yukina and the babies will be safe. The message I got was that this might be the same strange attacker that tried to take you down last year, so I'm supposed to come along and help." Hiei shot the taller human a dirty look, but did not argue. He knew that the old psychic was better protection for his sister, anyway.

 

"Are you two ready?" Botan quipped, focusing her power to open the portal. The others fell silent, but Kurama turned to his stepfather and stepbrother.

 

"We are going to Makai. I think the mission will lead us to Mother. We'll bring her back as quickly as possible. Please make yourselves at home." Hatanaka and Shuuichi-kun just nodded, overwhelmed at the change in the redhead, the talk of demons, and the abrupt departure of the entire group thorough a glowing circle that disappeared as soon as they were through it.

 

The detective group landed in the strip of inhospitable wasteland known as the Makai Barrens. Looking around, they assessed their surroundings as Botan spoke with Koenma over the communication mirror. Snapping the compact closed, the ferry girl addressed the group. "Koenma says that the group is in a cave about four kilometers west and one kilometer north of here. This is the only portal point in the vicinity. Once you're finished, come back here and I will take you back to Human World." As the group turned to leave, she said one more thing. "Please be careful. This is close to the source of all those demon attacks last year and you are heading into an area that has experienced a lot of soul activity in the past eighteen months."

 

"Soul activity?" Kuwabara repeated, unsure what she meant by that.

 

"Yes. Many souls were trafficking through here. A soul is used when a living being is created. Souls are released when those beings die. This area has experienced higher than usual soul use and release lately, especially for an area assumed to be uninhabited." Botan explained.

 

"So why did Diaper Breath wait until now to call us in?" Yusuke asked.

 

"The souls have all been demon souls. Reikai has no jurisdiction over the demon workings in this part of Makai, so we could not get involved. It would have been viewed as a declaration of war. Since there is a human involved now, we can send you in. Koenma wants you to rescue the human. He said you should use whatever means you feel are necessary to do so," Botan replied.

 

Hiei snorted. "So he wants this abduction to serve as an excuse to butt into demon affairs and serve Reikai justice here." Botan did not reply, but the look on her face confirmed the hiyoukai's assessment.

 

"Whatever. If it's something bad, we'll take care of it. Either way, we have a lady to save," Kuwabara stated. But his determined look became confused once more. "Where's Kurama?"

 

Hiei smirked. "He set off right after hearing the location of the human. He knows we'll catch up with the rest of the information. The trio set off to follow their friend as Botan slipped back through a portal to await their return.

 

Hiei flitted ahead and caught up to Kurama easily. He filled the fox in on the information Botan had given them. When they arrived at the series of caves that contained their destination, they had time to assess the area before the other two members of their team got there.

 

It was easy to determine which cave was being used by demons. The others were undisturbed, but one had footprints going into and out of it. There was also something shiny lying on the ground outside the cave. The detective group entered the cave relatively quietly (for them) and Kurama took a moment to retrieve the shiny object. It was a necklace that Shiori liked to wear. It was not damaged and had no scent of blood on it, but it infuriated him. The hostage was his mother. Silently he wondered why she had been targeted as he shared the information with his teammates and they progressed into the dark opening.

 

--

 

Shiori sat in a stiff chair, flanked by demon guards, staring insolently at the tall, suave demon before her. She had been walking home with her family after an outing when large hands had grabbed her. Her last glimpse of her family had been cut off by a blinding light and she found herself in the clutches of strange-looking creatures in a place she did not recognize. She had realized quickly that her captors were demons, and she had remembered the portal she and her son had used to get to Makai when they had visited Hiei. The only logical conclusion was that she had been brought to Makai, but this empty stretch of wasteland was nothing like the rich palace she had seen last time. A chill went through her body as she recalled her son telling her she had only seen the pretty part of the demon world.

 

To her surprise, the crude beasts that had stolen her did not eat her or try anything lewd or lecherous. They seemed to be taking her somewhere. They spoke in a language she could not understand, so she went along with their gestures. Shiori realized that resistance might lead to death, so she played her part as the willing captive, all the while trying to think of a way to escape or call for help. When they approached the caves, she got nervous. Even if someone were to follow them, how would they know which cave to look in for her? Having no tracking experience, she did not even notice the footprints or the other signs of use this single cave exhibited. In desperation, as her captors took a moment to look around for pursuers before entering the cave, she had slipped off her necklace and dropped it on the ground. She hoped someone would come looking for her, and that perhaps the shiny gold would lead them to her.

 

She now sat in a large chamber, deep within the cave. The demon before her seemed to be the leader here. The guards in the chamber obeyed his commands and he just had an air of authority as he moved about, checking on the various machines and objects in the room. Shiori could not place any of the items; they were all foreign to her. The smell, however, she could place, and it was disgusting and terrifying at the same time. The room reeked of decay and death. It seemed to emanate from one particularly foul corner where a pile of something lay unmoving. From the opposite corner a different type of stench flowed. This one was a mixture of decay and filth. The things, for lack of a better term, in this corner moved, but their misshapen masses were barely distinguishable from each other, much less identifiable. In the dank center of the room, on a platform raised several steps to keep the filth from the corners off, in the area actually illuminated by the lamps, were the machines. They all seemed to center around a main scaffold that supported a glass bubble. Inside the bubble a large, blue blob drifted about in some sort of thick liquid. The blob moved every now and then, but because of her angle and the reflection on the glass, Shiori could not tell what it was.

 

"Welcome to Makai, Shiori Hatanaka," the head demon said almost casually.

 

"You speak my language?" Shiori asked quickly, without thinking how this demon knew her name. Tearing her gaze from the floating blob she looked at the demon before her.

 

"I speak it, among others," the demon said almost gently. "And I have been watching you. I have been working on a project here." He motioned to the machines and the blob. "It has consumed me for the past several years, and it is finally nearing fruition." When he spoke of his project, the demon's voice took on a strange tone. It was one part loving, one part dedicated, and about eight parts possessively obsessed. Shiori realized that she needed to be careful what she said and how she said it.

 

"You've been staring at it. I know it fascinates you. It should," the demon continued, an insane glint in his eyes. "It is my masterpiece. I tried so many times, but never before have the pieces fit together like this." With a sharp turn he strode over to the glass bubble and caressed it lovingly. "I have created life."

 

Shiori's eyes widened at this revelation. The glass ball was an artificial womb, and the thing inside was... Shiori swallowed nervously and averted her eyes. They fell on the moving things in the corner. The demon's words about trying so many times and failing replayed in her head. Disgusted, she looked back at him. His piercing eyes watched her carefully. Drawing upon all the courage she had, she asked a single question, "So why do you want me?"

 

"Ah, that's the thing. I can create the life. I can make it breathe and live. But I have no idea what to do with it once it comes out of the chamber. You, on the other hand, are able to care for a child. You can show my minions how to rear this infant and they can, in turn, raise my future creations," the demon said, as if that were obvious and she should be honored to be chosen.

 

"Why me?" Shiori asked in barely a whisper. "Why not a female demon?"

 

"Why, my dear woman, you have already raised a demon child of your own. You have been to Makai before. And this child has a hint of human in him. Not enough to draw the attention of Reikai, but enough all the same," he replied.

 

"But you should take care of it, him," Shiori said meekly. "If it is to be your child, he should be raised by you."

 

"Feh. I care nothing for children or family. You see, Shiori, he was created from the blood of two very powerful demons. I blended their genetic material to make this being strong. I have only one for now, but I have plans. I will use this template to perfect my techniques and to draw out the powers I wish to strengthen in future models. I will build an army to rival any in Makai or Reikai. I will rule both realms with the power of my creation, and I will be a god." When he finished outlining his plans for the innocent form in the tank, Shiori felt sick. This demon truly did not care about life and the miracle of creating it. He wanted power, and this thing, this baby, was merely a tool.

 

Without acknowledging Shiori's look of revulsion, the demon continued to sing his own praises. "It was difficult at first. The blood would not cooperate. The blood with the human traces in it had to be manipulated. I needed to bring out its demon aspects to make the genetic combination I wanted. But something was affecting that; something was resisting my manipulation. Finally, suddenly it broke free, and my creation was a success. For the first time, the genetic material bonded perfectly, seamlessly. You see, I found the secret. I cannot use just any two demons. They must be bonded. They must share each other's blood and energy before I begin combining them. They must be truly mated for the creation to work."

 

Shiori's eyes opened wide. Mated demons, partially human, demon aspects. She looked at the demon, her fear and suspicion reflected in her gaze. He smiled. "I see you are as intelligent as I had hoped. You are right. I used the blood of your son and his mate to create this being, the first in my series of army experiments. So naturally, I chose you take care of it until it was ready to be tested or terminated." Although it seemed impossible, Shiori's blood seemed to run cold and boil at the same time. Speechless, she sat in her chair as the demon fiddled with the machines once more and mumbled, "just a few more days."

 

--

 

The detective group hurried along the corridors, easily navigating the labyrinth of the cave by following the footprints. There was, to their relief, light within the darkened tunnel, cast by weak, wavering lamps. It was enough, however, so they continued quickly. They passed a few side chambers, but most were unused. It seemed that cave had few inhabitants and was used for only one purpose. What that was, they had yet to discover. Their suspense was short lived, though, as they reached the end of the tunnel and entered a large, dank, stinky room.

 

If the leader was surprised to see four Reikai Tantei burst into his project control room, he hid it well. With a quick motion of his hand, the guards standing next to Shiori launched at the group. Shiori turned in her seat, only to see a whirlwind of activity as her son and his teammates split and burst into action.

 

Yusuke immediately started punching the first demon that approached. He had seen the captive in the room, and Kurama had already told them it was his mother, so Yusuke did not dare use the Spirit Gun or any of his other long-range attacks in Shiori's direction. He didn't mind, though. Good old fists were fun sometimes. With an almost childish glee, he continued pummeling the demon before him.

 

Kuwabara had formed his Spirit Sword immediately and began fending off the other guard. The bulky, stupid demon had enough sense to stay out of the range of a lethal attack, but was being driven slowly backwards as the human advanced, slicing and tearing his enemy down piece by piece.

 

Hiei had launched immediately at the leader of the group, and was attacking with his katana. The leader, knowing he was outclassed in combat skills, evaded each swing and thrust. He called out one time, "Ketsueki!" and continued dodging.

 

Kurama was at his mother's side in an instant. "Are you alright, Mother?" he asked.

 

"I'm fine. That demon is creating a..." Shiori did not get to finish as right before her eyes six arms wrapped around her son from behind.

 

"Mmm, we meet again, my tasty morsel," crooned a silky voice into Kurama's ear. His green eyes opened wide as he felt one of the arms shift and tear his shirt on his right shoulder. Quickly Kurama used one of the seeds in his hair, injecting his ki into it and forcing it to grow a single, razor sharp leaf. But he was a fraction of a second late. He cried in pain as sharp teeth pierced his shoulder and the chill of the spider demon's venom began to creep into the wound. The demon was already fatally wounded, however, pierced through the heart by the leaf. Before it could release all of its venom, it turned and flung Kurama aside before crumpling, dead, to the ground. Kurama, a little numb and disoriented from the venom, practically flew up onto the platform, straight towards the suspended glass ball. He arched his back as he slammed into the globe. Stumbling to the side, he staggered a few steps and then collapsed.

 

Shiori watched as her son fell, but before she could go to him, the glass ball swung back, then forward, breaking free from the scaffold and falling to the floor. It smashed open, spilling its contents. A loud wail filled the room once, twice, and then muted. The blob moved a little.

 

"My project!" bellowed the lead demon, turning his back to Hiei to see the damage to his creation. His mistake cost him his life. Likewise, Yusuke and Kuwabara finished their adversaries using the distraction of the crash and the leader's cry to deliver fatal blows. The fight was over so quickly after it began that the Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei stood ready for another wave of attack. The wave never came. For all his genius as a geneticist, the dead demon had not planned his lair or the security at all and had killed his only general and most of his underlings in fits of rage. In the end, it was all too easy to defeat him.

 

As they realized that the short battle was over, Yusuke and Kuwabara began to look around the room, taking in the corpses in one corner and the deformed creatures in the other.

 

Shiori looked around, unsure what had just happened. Her gaze landed on her son. Kurama was slowly lifting himself from the floor, shaking his head to clear to cobwebs induced by the venom. Blood ran freely down his arm and back, but the flow was small; the demon had not had a chance to inflict as deep a wound as he had intended. As the kitsune pushed himself to his feet, another solitary wail from the blob on the floor cut the air.

 

Kurama, being closest, stumbled to the center of the puddle of fluid and broken glass and picked up the squirming mass within. His shoulder throbbed, but at the moment his curiosity was greater than his pain. The shape that had been distorted and blue in the tank was actually an infant. Pale, pink skin glistened as the remnants of the amniotic solution dripped off the small frame. Relieved, Kurama saw that the child was breathing well; apparently it had just been `born' when the development tank was destroyed.

 

Kurama held the child awkwardly, at arms length from his body. Like most young men, he really had no idea how to hold a baby. For once he was actually glad his mother had been involved in this adventure; she would know what to do until the infant could be placed in a home.

 

Hiei walked up to his mate, staring intently at the squirming thing that Kurama held. The fire demon had never seen a child this close before. Suspiciously he approached it, uncertain what to expect.

 

"Hey, Kurama, Hiei, You gotta see this," Yusuke called from the edge of the platform. The detective was holding a book, a log of the progress the demon had made on his projest. "This crazy bastard was behind all those attacks last year. He was collecting blood from his victims to try to create new creatures. Those," Yusuke gestured to the writhing mass in the corner. "Were the mistakes. You're holding the only success. It's one of the last entries in the book and it's... Holy shit. You're not gonna believe this. It's made from you guys's blood!"

 

Shiori walked towards the two demons slowly. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “Shuuichi, this is your son,” she murmured.

 

Those small, simple words seemed to shatter Kurama's world. Suddenly everything went dark except for the wet, wriggling mass between his hands. The fox felt his heart thud as his breath seemed to stick in his chest. He began to sway slightly, unsure what to do, the words `your son' echoing in his mind. Kurama felt as if the floor had slipped out from under his feet. Between the sudden revelation and the lingering effects of the spider demon's venom, the kitsune found standing up to be a bit more difficult than usual.

 

Seeing his mate's obvious distress, Hiei reached out and took the strange thing from the fox. Kurama stared at him for a moment. The look in his green eyes clearly expressed his need to be away from this at the moment. “Go,” Hiei whispered. Stumbling backwards, Kurama staggered away to the steps leading down from the platform, and sank into a sitting position.

 

Shiori wasn't sure whom to go to first; her son, or the grandchild she thought she would never have. When she saw Kurama begin to shake, she immediately went to his side.

 

“Shuuichi? What's wrong?” she asked softly, sitting next to him.

 

“Son...my son...” Kurama said softly.

 

“Yes, Shuuichi, your son. That demon scientist said he had made the infant by combining your and Hiei's blood, so the child is your son. Actually, he is both of yours,” she explained calmly. She reached out a hand to embrace her son, but stopped when she felt how very violently he was shaking. “Shuuichi! What is it?”

 

Kurama looked at his human mother with hollow green eyes. “For over a thousand years I have been careful to never produce offspring. I...I never thought of parenthood as something I would want. I know nothing about it. I...I'm scared,” he whispered.

 

“Welcome to the world of a parent, my son,” Shiori said, hugging him gently. “I felt the same way when I found out I was expecting. Only your father and I had almost nine months to accept it before you came along. This is all happening to you much more suddenly.”

 

“But, I...I don't know what to do with a child, Mother. I never thought about it. I can't be a father. And what about Hiei? He's never even been near a child before. What will this do to us?” Kurama let his head sink into his hands. Shiori rubbed his back for a moment, until his words sank in, `never even been near a child before...' Hurriedly, Shiori arose and turned to see what the inexperienced youkai was doing to the child.

 

Hiei was standing exactly where he had taken the child from his mate. The infant was cradled against his chest, supported by one strong arm. With his free left hand, Hiei was holding up one of the small feet, and looking at it curiously. Shiori approached him slowly.

 

“Hiei?” she asked gently, not wanting to startle him into dropping the precious bundle.

 

“It's a foot,” he said flatly, not looking away from the appendage.

 

“Yes, it is,” Shiori confirmed, drawing closer.

 

“It's a real foot. It has toes. When I touch it here,” the hiyoukai released the tiny foot and gently stroked the bottom of it. “The toes curl.” As he had observed, the miniscule toes curled, and the infant gurgled with glee. “It's just like my foot, but smaller.”

 

Shiori was not sure what to do. Hiei was entranced by the little foot. Part of her wanted to take the baby into her own arms, but part of her wanted to watch, and to see what else the demon discovered. Before she could decide what to do, Hiei's gaze left the little foot and traveled up to the small, round face.

 

“It has a nose. It's so tiny,” Hiei said softly, reaching out to gently touch the nose. A tiny hand came up and grabbed his finger. He started to jerk his hand away, but stopped. The baby squeezed the finger, pulling slightly. As Shiori watched, a smile spread across Hiei's features. “He's strong,” the hiyoukai murmured.

 

Shiori was amazed. She knew this child was a demon hybrid, but it was so much more advanced than a newborn human. Already, it could reach and grab with its pudgy little hands. As she continued to watch, Hiei carefully extricated his finger from the infant's grasp. Reaching up to his neck, he took off his white scarf and wrapped it around the small body, then used both arms to cradle the baby. He held the child close to his body, supporting it's back and head like any mother would, despite never having held an infant before.

 

Shiori approached, and stood right next to him, looking down at the content baby in his arms. “He's your son, too, Hiei.”

 

“My son. Kurama's and my son,” Hiei said, his eyes getting a distant look. Shiori was ready to catch the child if Hiei reacted poorly to this, but this was unnecessary. After a moment, Hiei again focused on what he held. “You shall have what I did not, my son,” he whispered. Shiori breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Hiei walked to a dry spot outside of the large puddle and sat down on the floor, still holding his son and occasionally reaching out a finger to touch a feature on the small head; nose, lips, the soft peach fuzz that would grow into hair. Shiori turned to go back to her own son.

 

Kurama still rested his head in his hands, but he had stopped shaking. When Shiori sat next to him and put a gentle hand on his back, he looked up. “I believe I can handle this, Mother. I'm still uncertain, but I think I can make it work. I think I...want to make it work. I'm worried, though. Hiei has never had parents, and has never wanted children. I'm not sure how this will affect him,” the red head said softly.

 

“Turn and look,” Shiori prompted, gesturing to the hiyoukai sitting cross-legged on the floor. Kurama stared for a few minutes. “That's your family Shuuichi. A family of your own,” Shiori said, with a tear in her eye.

 

“My family,” Kurama repeated. He slowly got up and went over his mate. At his approach, Hiei looked up.

 

“Fox, he's both of us,” the demon said, grinning. Kurama nodded. Silently, the kitsune circled behind Hiei and sat down with one leg on either side of the youkai.

 

Wrapping his arms around his lover from behind, Kurama said softly, “What do you want, Love? What shall we do now?” Hiei turned slightly to look at the fox.

 

“What do you mean? He's ours, made from both of us. He's our son. I want to take him home,” Hiei said.

 

“You know that means long nights of frequent feedings, diapers, temper tantrums, and a whole host of changes for us?” Kurama asked.

 

“I know nothing of child rearing. I do know that every time I look at him I get a feeling. I can't describe it, but I never want to let go,” Hiei said softly.

 

Kurama tightened his embrace around the two before him. When he looked down and saw large eyes looking right back at him, he understood what Hiei meant. “Let's go home, Hiei. All of us. Let's take our family home.” At the word family, Hiei leaned his head into Kurama's shoulder. The fox spoke truly; they were a family.

 

 

--

 

A/N - Yes, yes. I know, I took forever to update. Believe it or not, that last scene (the point where Kurama picks up the child, with only a few minor additions and corrections) was the first part of Akambo that I wrote. Everything else has been leading up to it. It is the very definition of this story and the inspiration for the whole thing. This is not the end; I still have three more chapters planned for this thing. I will try to get them out in a more timely fashion than the rest.

 

I did have some problems writing lately. I lost someone dear to me; my dog, Spunky, died on February 12 and I really have not felt like doing much of anything since. Blame grief and my job for that. I apologize for the hideous delays in this story. Even before that, this one has just been hard to write. I have a sequel planned, but I think I may explore some other fandoms first. This whole arc feels stale to me (I've been working on it for several years now, from the conception of Coming Clean) so I think a change of pace is in order. Of course, I have to finish this one first.

 

A huge thank you to all my reviewers. It's so nice to know that I'm not forgotten, even when I occasionally forget myself.